Laburnum Terrace

Tenants of No. 8 Gloucester Road

Home Page

Early History
1840 Tithe Map

Houses
No. 2 Gloucester House
No. 6 Laburnum House
No. 8 Gloucester Road
No. 10 Gloucester Road
No. 12 Gloucester Road
No. 14 Gloucester Road
No. 16 Gloucester Road
No. 18 Gloucester Road
No. 20 Gloucester Road
No. 22 Gloucester Road
No. 24 Gloucester Road

No. 26 The Elms
No. 28 West Shen
No. 30 Shen

Other properties
The Georgian House
The Old Mill

1- 11 Gloucester Road
Shipps Garage
Coombe Cottage
The Coombe

Links

Feedback

The house was rented out to tenants during the time it was owned by the Hodges family.  During this time we have traced many of the families who occupied the house:

The Hudson family -  by the 1871 Census the Hudson family were living in 8 Gloucester Road.  Thomas was aged 28, an officer of the Inland Revenue, born in St Giles, Camberwell, Surrey.  Elizabeth, his wife, was aged 32 was born in Thornbury.  They had one daughter, Catherine Elizabeth, aged 1.  Elizabeth Smith aged 14, a general servant from Plymouth was lodging with the family.  Thomas Hudson appears in the 1865 Electoral Roll and his address there seems to be Brinkmarsh in Whitfield near Thornbury.  He married Elizabeth Smith in April 1868 in what is now the United Reformed Church in Thornbury. The Thornbury Journal of February 1870 mentions that Thomas was the Secretary for the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge which met in the Reading room in the High Street on Tuesday evenings.  At that time Thomas was being re-elected as Secretary so it seems likely he had been a member for at least a year.  When the birth of their daughter Catherine was announced in the March 1870 Thornbury Journal, the address given was Laburnum Cottages Gloucester Road.  On the 20th July 1872 their son Manfred Pitt Hudson, named after Thomas's father, died aged only seven weeks and was buried at the United Reformed Church. 

By 1881 the family had moved away.  Thomas was working in Battersea, London, lodging in Chatham Villas.  Elizabeth was living with her in-laws in Chelmsford with her two sons, Thomas Smith Hudson aged 11 and Henry aged 5.  Manfred Pitt Hudson, Thomas’s father was a retired Inland Revenue Officer born in Gloucester.  By 1891 Thomas was a widower living in Staffordshire with Catherine and Thomas who were both born in Thornbury and 15 year old Henry Charles who had been born in Liverpool.  Thomas was by this time a supervisor for the Inland Revenue.

Of Thomas and Elizabeth's children: Catherine Elizabeth Hudson, aged 22, departed Liverpool on board the “City of New York”, arriving in New York 9 September 1892 and married William Henry Whittingham in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan on 11 September 1892.  Catherine was naturalised in 1929 and William Henry in 1938.

Thomas Smith Hudson, aged 31, departed Liverpool on board the “Oceanic” 25 February 1903 bound for New York.  Thomas gives his occupation as “Grocer” and his final destination as Detroit.  He was naturalised in 1905 and married Mary Gibson about 1905.  Thomas died, aged 77, on 14 May 1948 at Chelan in the State of Washington, USA.

Henry Charles Hudson married Eliza Millie Bayliss in 1898, Aston, Warwickshire. Henry and his family emigrated to the USA 1904 or 1905.

Hester Milner.  the Special Drainage District Rate Book of 1876 shows that the tenant at that time was Hester Milner.  In 1871 the census showed that Hester was a 32 year old governess with the Staley family in Kington.  Her birthplace is shown as Whitson in Gloucestershire.  There is an entry in the trade directory of 1877 for Miss Hester Milner who had a ladies' boarding school in Laburnum Cottage in Gloucester Road.  This seems to have been short lived as the Phelps family were living her in 1881.

The Phelps family -  the 1880 Rate Book and 1881 Census shows that the house was occupied by the Phelps family - click here for more information

John Hodges - the Special Drainage Rate Book of 1885 shows that there was a period when John Hodges lived here.  This John Hodges was the son of the owner and builder of the house, George Hodges and his wife, Tracey.  John died and was buried on 15th February 1892 aged only 37.  Click here to read more about John.

Revd C. W. Rhodes - the 1887 Rate Book shows that Revd C. W. Rhodes was the tenant at that time.

Davis family - In the 1891 Census, the house was now occupied by another officer of the Inland Revenue.  This might suggest there was some connection with the Inland Revenue at that time.  Albert Davis was aged 30, a Second class Officer of the Inland Revenue, born in Woolwich.  Isabella, his wife, was aged 29 and also born in Woolwich.  They had two sons, Albert R. aged 7 who was born in Woolwich, and Algernon who was born in Lambeth.  They had a servant, Annie Bennett aged 14 who was born in Cromhall. 

It is difficult to say how long Albert Davis lived in this house.  His name appears in the Kelly's Directory of 1889 and he is listed as the tenant of number 8 in the Special District Rate Rook of 1890.   Interestingly, the Inland Revenue Office is actually at the Swan public house.  We know from an article in the Bristol Mercury dated 1892 that Albert was about to leave Thornbury.  He was presented with a purse containing £30 and an illuminated address as a mark of public esteem and in recognition of his efforts in organising a series of smoking concerts.

By 1901, Albert George Davis had moved to 17 Crescent Road, Kidderminster.  Despite being 40, he had a new wife, Elizabeth Jane, aged 21 from Tottenham.  He had three sons, Albert Robert, a clerk aged 17, Sidney Algernon aged 11 and their new baby, Frederick Reginald aged 1 born in Kidderminster.

Austin Hodges - the Rate Book of 1894 shows that Austin Hodges was a tenant of the house at that time.  Austin was the youngest son of George and Tracey Hodges.  He was born 29th January 1868.  He married Eleanor Mary Barber in the March quarter of 1893.  Their son Geoffrey Stephen was born in Thornbury on July 4th 1897 but by 1901 they had moved to Surrey and lived near Epsom.

The Burchell family - the Rate Book of 1899 shows that the next tenant was F H Burchell and his family - click here for more information

Augustus Ernest and Annie Pitcher -
we know from the 1901 Rate Book that they were living at that time.  Also we were told that when Annie was presented with flowers on her 100th birthday she told Joan Hall (then the Mayor) that she had lived in number 8 Gloucester Road when she first got married.  Augustus Ernest had married Annie Symes in 1908.  Click here for more information

Caroline Pitcher - the 1925 Valuation List shows that Caroline Pitcher was living in the  house. We had assumed that Caroline was in some way connected to Augustus Ernest Pitcher (who lived in the house earlier) and the family of Walter William Pitcher who lived in the Gloucester Road for such a long time.  However we now suspect that she was the daughter of George Edward Pitcher, a farmer from Morton and his wife, Eliza (nee Ogborn).  This Caroline was baptised on 11th August 1878, at the same time as her twin sister, Matilda.  Caroline was listed as living in Gloucester Road in the 1921 electoral register.   The 1923 Kells Trade Directory lists Caroline in connection with a business described as 'Apartments' in Laburnum Terrace, Gloucester Road.

Caroline is not listed in the area in 1927 electoral register.  We suspect that she married William England in Thornbury area in 1932 and that she died in Bristol in 1953 aged 74.

Maurice Symes - the 1926 Rate Book shows the house occupied by Maurice.  The electoral register from 1927 to 1930 list Maurice Gilbert Symes and his wife, Louisa as living in Gloucester Road.  Click here to read more

The Hand family   -
from about 1932 until about 1970 the house was occupied by the Hand family.  Click here for more information
 

This page was last updated: 04/06/2011