The Cottages opposite Laburnum Terrace

Number 7 Gloucester Road, Thornbury

In the 1840 Tithe Survey, the house thought to be number 7 was occupied by William Rugman.  In 1841, William Rugman, an agricultural labourer aged 40, had moved to St John Street with his wife, Mary aged 40, Thomas aged 15, Eliza aged 10, William aged 8, Cornelius aged 6, Mapson aged 4 and Rebecca aged 1.

In 1851 census, the house was uninhabited.

In 1861, the house was occupied by Thomas Knight, a tailor aged 36 from Bevington.  He was living with Louisa, his wife, aged 32 from Thornbury, and their four children, Tom, aged 11 born in Bevington, and Laura aged 9, Clara aged 4 and Henry aged 2, all born in Thornbury. In 1841, Thomas had been living with his parents, Thomas, a carpenter and Mary Knight in Pedington near Berkeley.  In 1851 they had been living in Bevington, where Thomas was a tailor and Louisa a dressmaker.  In 1871 Thomas with Louisa and their son, Henry living in Lower Bath Road.  Their elder son, Thomas was a blacksmith living next door with his wife, Clara.  In 1881 Thomas was an innkeeper at 31 Newfoundland Street, Bristol.  They were being helped 'behind the bar' by their two unmarried children, Kate aged 25 and Harry aged 22.

In 1871 the house was occupied by Isaac Clutterbuck, a widower aged 70.  Isaac was a gardener from Elberton.  Living with him was his son-in-law, Henry Smith, a labourer aged 25 from Thornbury and his wife Emma aged 24, also from Thornbury.  There were two grandchildren, Clara Clutterbuck aged 7 and Emma Smith aged 1. Clara had been born whilst Emma was living at the Thornbury Union Workhouse.

Isaac had married Esther Parnell in Thornbury in March quarter 1840.  In 1841 Isaac, a gardener and Esther were living at Pound House, Thornbury.  They had one child, Mary Ann aged 7 months. 

In 1851 Isaac was a gardener at Milbury Heath.  He was living there with Esther and their children, Mary Ann, Henry, William, Emma and John.  Esther had died before the next census in 1861.  Isaac was then living at Raglan Road with five children, Mary Ann aged 20, William aged 15, John, an agricultural labourer aged 11, Louisa aged 7 and Fanny aged 5.  Emma had left home to work as a domestic servant for Charles Augustus Porter in Castle Street.

In 1881 the house was occupied by Sarah Marshall, an unmarried 47 year old laundress from Compton Bishop, Somerset.  She had three lodgers: William Stephens, a widower aged 84 from Alveston who was in receipt of parish relief, Hester Vizard, an unmarried dressmaker aged 22 born in Olveston and Hugh Wathen, an unmarried general labourer aged 42 from Thornbury.  Hugh was the son of William Wathen, a beerhouse keeepr and Ann, his wife.  Hugh died in the Workhouse in 1899 aged 60.

It appears that Sarah Marshall must have married before the 1891 census.  She is listed as living in the same house as Sarah Jackson, a married 57 year old laundress from Compton Martin, Somerset.   There is no sign of her husband.  Sarah is now living alone in the house which is shown as having 4 rooms.

The 1901 census shows that the house was occupied by Frederick William Liddiatt, a postman aged 38 and his wife Eliza Jane aged 30.  They had a seven month old son called William Thomas. 

Frederick was born in Thornbury in June quarter 1862, the son of William Liddiatt, a sawyer and his wife, Margaret (nee Mitchie).  In 1881 William had been a sawyer living with his parents in Gillingstool.  By 1891, he was still living with his widowed mother in Gillingstool, but now he was working as a blacksmith.  His father had died in 1886 aged 73 years.  Margaret survived until 1904 when she died at the age of 83.

Frederick had married Eliza Jane White in December quarter 1899.  Eliza was the daughter of Thomas White, an agricultural labourer from Olveston and his wife, Charlotte. 

In 1902 the Electoral Register shows that Frederick Liddiatt was still in Gloucester Road.  Interestingly, Frederick appears in the 1904 and 1905 Trade Directories and his occupation is shown as  blacksmith but by 1906 it is indicated that he returned to being a postman, now living in Gillingstool, presumably taking over the family home there after the death of his mother.   Frederick died on December 6th 1913 aged 51 and was buried in Thornbury Cemetery. 

We know that in 1927 Eliza is living in Killiney Cottage, Gillingstool with Frederick's brother, Henry and his family. 

Eliza Jane was buried in Thornbury Cemetery with Frederick when she died in 1937 and their son joined them 30 years later.

Unfortunately we have no knowledge of who was occupying the house for the period from about 1905 to 1918. 

Ellen Gallop appeared in every Electoral Register between 1918 and 1930 and she was shown as living in the house in 1924 when the whole row of cottages were put up for sale. 

Ellen was a widow.  Ellen's maiden name was Parsons.  Her husband had been George Edward Gallop, whom she married in 1875 in Bristol.  The  Wrights Trade Directory of 1904 listed George as a gardener living in Castle Street.  He was still there when he died on 13th March 1915 aged 64. 

The Gazette of March 13th 1915 explains that George Edward Gallop was found dead near the Sheepwash in Oldbury on Severn.  He had been out with his donkey and cart selling fish and fruit and had collapsed and died after leaving a nearby house.

Following this sad event, Ellen must have moved to Gloucester Road.  We know this from the records of the deaths of two of their sons.  We think that George and Ellen had at least five children. 

One, George, was a Private in the 7th Battalion of the Gloucester Regiment when he died in Greece in 1915 aged 26.  Another, Harold Ernest, was a Private in the 7th Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry when he died in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917 aged 24.  He married Emily Hurn and they lived at 6 Grovesend.  We have found a report in the Dursley Gazette of January 19th 1918 which told us that "Mrs H.E. Gallop of Gillingstool Thornbury has received official intimation that her husband, Private H.E Gallop of the Somerset Light Infantry, was posted as missing on November 30th last.  He has been serving in France since March 1915 and also has three more brothers serving."

The Gazette of Saturday May 18th 1918 has better news of Ellen's sons. "Sergeant William Gallop son of the late Mr R. (sic) Gallop and Mrs Gallop of Gloucester Road, Thornbury has been awarded the Military Medal for gallantry in retreat from Firmey.  Sergeant Gallop remained until the last and succeeded in getting his men and guns away."

We do have one further mystery.  The school records of St Mary’s School show that Harold and Audrey Margaret Gallop, two children of Albert Edward Gallop were admitted to the school in 1928.  Albert’s address was given as Gloucester Road.  We are not sure if Albert is one of the sons who survived the war and perhaps came to live with Ellen in her old age.  However, Albert's name is not shown in the electoral registers so we cannot explain what happened at this stage. 

Our next occupant was Martha Young and we were told by Henry Smith who lived opposite that Martha moved in about 1943 and that she stayed there until she died about 1960.  The electoral registers confirm this and we have not been able to trace any other occupants in the house after Martha.

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This page was last updated: 22/04/2008