The Cottages opposite Laburnum Terrace

Number 9 Gloucester Road, Thornbury

In the 1840 Tithe Survey, the house thought to be number 9 was 'void'.

In 1841 the house was occupied by Ann Copham aged 68 who described herself as a 'workwoman'.  Also living there were Elizabeth Copham aged 25 and George aged 5. 

In 1851 the house was occupied by James Nelmes, a journeyman blacksmith aged 40.  He was living with his wife, Louisa aged 37, and daughters Ellen aged 9 and Emily aged 2.  They had all been born in Thornbury. 

 James Nelmes was a blacksmith, born in 1808, the son of James Nelmes (a member of the South Gloucestershire Militia) and his wife, Mary.  The 1840 tithe survey and 1841 census indicate that James lived with Louisa, then aged 24, in Crispin Lane, known at that time as Mutton Lane.  They then moved to the small terraced houses in Gloucester Road.  

 By 1861 they had moved to 8 Pullins Green and they had added to their family with Leonard N aged 6.  Something seems to have happened to Louisa's age, as although it is ten years later, she is shown as only 40.  Their daughter Ellen had become a dressmaker.

In 1871 James and Louisa were still in the house at 8 Pullins Green but they were now sharing it with their daughter, Ellen and her family.  Ellen had married Edwin Wathen, a baker, in 1862.  He was the son of William Wathen, a brewer.   Edwin and Ellen had two daughters, Minnie aged 4 and Emily aged 1 month.

Ellen Wathen died and was buried on 5th September 1872 aged 29.   Edwin re-married in 1875.  His wife was Harriett Pearce Neale, the daughter of William Neale.  In 1881 Edwin and Harriett were living in Horseshoe Lane with his mother, Ann Wathen aged 75.

James Nelmes was buried on 3rd July 1873 aged 61 years.  Louisa was buried on 9th November 1876 aged 65

In 1861 the house was occupied by William Pyne, a general gardener aged 36 from Bridgewater.  In 1851 he had been a gardener living with his wife Charlotte in Hilperton in Wiltshire.  William was 27, Charlotte was aged 36 born in Weston, Somerset.  There is no sign of Charlotte in 1861, or any of the family after 1861.

In 1871 the house was occupied by Ann Bevan, a staymaker aged 46.  Ann was a widow, her husband had been Thomas Bevan, beerhouse keeper who had died in 1866 aged 47 years.  Thomas Bevan and Ann Parnell, the daughter of James Parnell, carpenter, had married in February 1846.  In the 1851 census, Thomas and Ann had had 9 children living with them in the High Street.  Thomas was an  innkeeper in what was known as The Lamb, located where the Britannia Building Society stands today.  Previously Thomas had been a beerhouse keeper and pig dealer at the Seven Stars in what we now call Rock Street.  Click here to read more about Thomas and his family

Ann was now living with her children, James, a bootmaker aged 16, Alfred a tinman aged 14, George aged 11 , Albert aged 9.  Frances Stephens, the widowed sister of Ann's was also living there.  She was aged 27 and working as a dressmaker. In 1881 Ann had moved to Castle Street where she was still operating as a staymaker.  In 1891 she was a 'monthly nurse' employed by George Nixon, the headmaster of the Grammar School who was living at The Priory Cottage in Castle Street.  In 1901 Ann was a corset maker living on her own in Castle Street.  She died and was buried on 23rd June 1903 aged 78 years.  She and Thomas are buried in St Mary's Churchyard.

Note - James Bevan, the son of Thomas and Ann, was the boot and shoemaker who started in the High Street, but is better know for the time he had his shop on The Plain.

In 1881, the house was occupied by James Ford, aged 22, a groom from Thornbury and his wife, Esther, aged 21 from Lydney.  James was a groom, the son of Thomas Ford, labourer.  Esther was the daughter of Thomas Long, labourer.  Witnesses were John Savery and Annie Long.  In 1861 James had been living with his parents, Thomas and Ann Ford in Crossways.  In 1871 James was a 14 year old labourer living with his grandfather in Upper Bath Road.

By 1891 James and Esther had moved to Bulls Eyes Lane, by which time they had 3 children, Elizabeth, Charles & Albert.  In 1901 they were still there, but James was now working as a coachman.

In 1891 the house was occupied by Rowland Henry Walter Carter and his wife Elizabeth.  Rowland shown in the photo on the right was described as a letter carrier (which was an early name for 'postman').  He was aged 23 born in Wotton-under-Edge in 1867 and Elizabeth was aged 24 born in Almondsbury.  Shortly after 1891 he moved to Poutrybrook which is the name given to the little area at the bottom of Daggs allotments.  There was at least one cottage there at the time.  Rowland and Elizabeth had several children: William John born in 1893, Hester in 1895, Frederick George in 1899 and Alice Grace in 1899.

Rowland died  in July 1936 aged 70, Elizabeth had died in 1929 aged 62.  They are buried in Thornbury Cemetery.  Their grave also provides a memorial to their elder son, William John, who was killed in France on 10/11/1918, two days before the signing of the Armistice.  He was aged 26, the husband of Ruby E. Carter (nee Brindle) of Park Lodge, Fairford.

In 1901 the house was occupied by Charles Bennett, a 26 year old single labourer born in Oldbury.  Charles was living on his own.  In 1881, Charles had been living in Naite Road Cottages, Oldbury with his widowed mother, Ellen.  In 1891 Charles had been a farm servant, living with his brother-in-law, John Ship in Hill. Charles died in 1908 aged 33 years.  The burial record for St Marys shows he was living at Gloucester Road at the time.

There is a long period between 1908 and 1925 when we don't know for sure who lived in number 9. 

Mary Trussler - we know that Miss Mary Trussler occupied the house from 1924 when she is listed as a tenant in one of the six cottages when they were put up for sale.  She is listed in the electoral registers up to 1937.  Unfortunately we don't know any more about Mary, and would be grateful to hear from anyone who can tell us about her.

In 1939, George and Sarah Jane Miller lived in the house.  Henry Smith remembers them as being fairly old parents with several children.  An Albert Eli and Bessie M are listed as living with George and Sarah in some registers which means that they would have been old enough to vote.  George and Sarah celebrated their Golden Wedding whilst living at Gloucester Road.  They had been married at St Ann's Church, Oldland on 4 June 1892. 

Henry believed that the Millers owned the house.  Henry had a haulage business and he recalls moving one of their daughters and her husband to St Werburghs where the man was a park keeper there.  He believes that this couple later moved back into number 9.  We believe that this could be the Norris family (see below).   We know that George Miller had died about 1948 and that Sarah Miller last lived in the house in 1951.  In 1949 Sarah may have taken in lodgers as David Arthur and Bessie Matilda Mackan are shown in the register as living in 5 Gloucester Road.

The next family to live in the house was Raymond A. and Audrey M Wilton.  They had at least one child, Susan who started school at St Marys School in the 1950's and gave her address as 5 Gloucester Road.  The Wiltons are shown in the registers in 1952 and 1953. 

By 1957, the house the occupied by Joseph & Mabel May Norris who stayed in the house until about 1962 and were its last occupants.  Henry Smith told us that Mr Norris was quite upset when the Council condemned the property.  He was moved to a Council flat in Alveston and had to pay for the demolition.  Dick Shipp bought the property for the development of his garage - he told us he bought the house from the Wilmotts although he does recall buying something from Mr Norris.  Joseph died in 1972 aged 82 years.  Mabel died in 1984 aged 91 years.

Click here to go to: No1, No3, No5, No7, or No11

This page was last updated: 27/06/2008