Laburnum Terrace

Owners of No. 8 Gloucester Road

The house was owned by George Hodges until his death in 1905.  In his Will he arranged for Trustees to manage the property, and this continued right up to 1971, when it was conveyed to Miss Joan Cox.  

The Trustees of George Hodges
On George’s death, ownership of No. 8 was transferred to his Trustees, his four surviving daughters, Sarah Ann Hodges, Fanny Staley Hodges, Emma Jane Hodges and Laura Evelyn Balls and one of his two surviving sons, Austin Edgar Hodges.

Over the years, these Trustees gradually died off and new ones were appointed to ensure that the Estate was managed properly.  The first trustee, Emma Jane Fry (nee Hodges), died on 14th January 1925.  This was followed in quick succession by Sarah Anne Hodges who died 18th July 1925 and Laura Evelyn Balls who died 5th December 1925.  Fanny Staley Hodges was appointed as her executrix and when she died 9th November 1927, Gladys Evelyn Balls, the daughter of Laura Evelyn Balls and Percy J.W. Balls, watchmaker and hairdresser, was appointed as executrix.

Austin Edgar Hodges died 1st November 1945.  He had moved to Walton on Thames and in 1901 he had been a dairyman there.  On his death, he appointed his son, Geoffrey Stephen Hodges, as executor.

Geoffrey Stephen Hodges and John Hodges were appointed as trustees on 25th March 1947.  Geoffrey Stephen Hodges died 8th October 1953.  He had been living in Weybridge, Surrey.

In 1954 the surviving executors were Gladys Evelyn Ball and John Hodges.  At that time: George Hodges’s estate comprised:

• 1, 2, 5 and 6 Laburnum Terrace together with gardens in occupation of Percy Hand, Mrs Organ, L C Smith and George Excell. (These are now 8, 10, 16 and 18 Gloucester Road)
  
  

• land at Gloucester Road in the hands of Charles G. Smith
  
  

• five dwelling houses at Pullins Green.  These were in the occupation of Mrs Higgins, George Ord, P Wilkinson, Frank Biddle, and Hubert Bayliss
  
  

• a dwelling house and land in St John Street in occupation of Miss Green
  
  

• two cottages at Raglan Castle, Thornbury which were in the occupation of Elias Smith and Miss Davis.

In 1961 the trustees were Gladys Evelyn Balls and Bridget McKearney.  Bridget, a spinster, must have been appointed to replace John Hodges who must have died.  We do not know the relationship between John and Bridget.  At that time, George Hodges’s estate comprised number 8 Gloucester Road occupied by Percy Hand and three houses in Pullins Green occupied by Messrs Ord, Biddle and Baylis.

Gladys Balls died 31st August 1969. Kathleen Mary Jones, a married woman of Cowhill was appointed as trustee.  At that time only No.8 Gloucester Road and an unspecified house at Pullins Green remained in the house, so other houses must have been sold off gradually.

On 29th April 1971, the property was conveyed to Joan Elizabeth Cox.  Joan became Joan Hall when in 1973 she married Iva Hall.  Click here for more information about JOAN HALL and her husband, IVA.

Click here to see information on the families who occupied the property as TENANTS

This page was last updated: 22/01/2012