Laburnum Terrace

No. 6 Gloucester Road, Thornbury

The 1840 Tithe Map shows that there was a workshop and yard on the land now occupied by number 6.  These were owned and used by John Hodges who was living just down the road and was building the properties which were to become Laburnum Terrace.  To the rear of the workshops was a garden also owned and used by John Hodges.

We have not seen the deeds of the house and we have no precise knowledge as to when number 6 was built.  We had always assumed that this house was older than the other houses in the terrace.  In fact it is the most modern, being built some time between 1861 and 1871. The house would have been built by George Hodges who was living further down the terrace at number 12. 

George was becoming a successful builder and he had doubled his workforce since the 1861 census.  He was now employing 10 men and 1 boy.  His new house was grander, more distinctive in style and it was situated conveniently right next door to his building yard and workshops.

The 1871 census shows his family was also increasing in size.  He now had 8 children living at home with him.  George and Tracey had had one more son, named  George, who had been born in1862 and died in 1870 aged 7.

The 1881 census shows that George's two eldest daughters had moved away but the other six were still living there.  By the 1891 census, his son, John Hodges had married and moved away to Castle Street.  Note that George is still calling himself a 'builder' even at the age of 71.  By the 1901 census, George was widowed.  Tracey had died in 1898 aged 68 years.  George was living in the house with two unmarried daughters, Fanny Staley, aged 42 and Emma Jane aged 35. 

When George died in 1905, we are not sure what happened to the house.  In his will, he arranged for all his children to share the income from his estate.  No reference was made to Laburnum House (or any other of his properties).  It is possible that the daughters continued to live there until they died in 1927, or they may have moved to a smaller property and sold or let Laburnum House together with the adjoining workshops.

The house is now called Laburnum House - we are not sure when this name was adopted.  George Hodges used the name 'Laburnum Terrace' as early as 1885 in his accounts books, so presumably George's house was given the name of laburnum House at the same time.  We have not however found an earlier reference than the 1946 electoral register. 

Click on the following link for more information on the OCCUPANTS  following George Hodges. 
Click here to read about the history of the adjoining property sometimes referred to as 'The Mill'.

This page was last updated: 23/03/2007