Laburnum Terrace

George & Eliza Stone (about 1878 - 1899)

The next tenant to move into 20 Gloucester Road was George Stone and his wife, Eliza.  The 1881 census shows:
 

They had moved from Hutton in Somerset.  In the 1871 census George had been an apprentice carpenter living at The Lane, Hutton with his parents, George, an agricultural labourer and his wife, Mary. By 1880, the Special Drainage district rate book shows that George Stone had become a tenant of John Williams at number 20 Gloucester Road.

We have looked through some of the records of the Thornbury Baptist Church to find out more about George Stone.  They suggest that George became a member of the church in 1872.  However an article in The Gazette on May 16 1936 referring to their diamond jubilee of their marriage the previous autumn mentions that ‘Coming to Thornbury from Somerset in July 1875, Mr Stone soon sent for his bride”.  The article continues “thus began an association which, with the subsequent joining of the Baptist Church, has continued to the present time”.

George had many roles in the Church.  He became a deacon and an elder of the Thornbury Baptist Church.  He was a treasurer of the church, chaired many of their meetings, was in the brass band and was heavily involved in many other ways.  Although he was a deacon and elder of the main Thornbury Baptist church, for 35 years he was also in charge of the Morton Chapel.  He even found the time to render useful services to other Nonconformist churches in the region as lay preacher.

George was asked to draw up a specification of the repairs done on Thornbury Baptist Church and to get them an estimate.  When a new chapel was to be built in Tytherington in 1884 he was appointed as one of the Trustees there and was given the job “to prepare the specification of the proposed new building, obtain estimates and superintend the building of the same, his expenses to be paid out of the building fund.

It seems to have been useful to have a carpenter and builder involved in the church as he had a lot of practical suggestions and ways of helping.  It was he who in 1906 proposed an improvement to the lighting in the Thornbury Baptist Church - “all burners should be fitted with incandescent lights.”  He also dealt with a more fundamental problem at a meeting of July 13th 1908.  We are told that “after discussion it was decided on the proposition of Mr Stone and seconded by Mr Boyt that a riddle be bought to riddle the ashes and avoid the present waste of cinders and coke.  The waste ashes (are) to be used in the WC and the WC to be emptied weekly by the Town Scavenger.”

Eliza was also heavily involved in the church.  The 1936 article in the Gazette refers to the fact that ‘Increased age with resulting infirmity has prevented Mrs Stone from active service for several years though she still maintains a keen interest in all the Church’s affairs.  Her husband seems to defy the ravages of time; and there is no more active member of the Church or one more regular in attendance at all its services’.

George seems to have quite a fondness for music.  The meeting of November 14th 1894 resolves that “the present harmonium belonging to the Baptist church at Thornbury, now at Morton, be sold to Mr George Stone for the sum of one pound 10 shillings, the said sum to be devoted to the Fund towards purchasing a new organ in place of the above instrument.”

The family were still at No. 20 in 1891 census.
 

Annie was listed as a member of the Baptist Church 1872. Annie, Emily and Arthur are listed on the Sunday School roll in 1892.

In 1901 census, George and Eliza were living at Castle Lodge, Castle Street.  George was aged 50, a carpenter and joiner, Eliza was 51. Annie was aged 21, a teacher at Board School, Arthur was aged 19, a carpenter, and Bertha was aged 10.  Bertha Stone was baptised on 29th March 1908 at the Thornbury Baptist Church.  She became the organist at the Baptist Church and in 1920 she married the choirmaster, Harry Phillips.  Click here the read more about the Phillips family

We found a newspaper article dated 1903 which shows that Annie Stone was a school teacher in the Council School.  The article refers to her salary being increased by £10 from £25 to £35 per annum.

The Prewetts Directory 1913 lists George as Secretary to the Gospel Total Abstinence Society.  Refraining from alcohol seems to have done George good.  He died aged 86 on 21st May 1937 at Castle Street and he was buried in the Baptist Chapel churchyard.

This page was last updated: 03/10/2008