Laburnum Terrace

Alexander Sutherland, Thornbury photographer

Most people living in Thornbury will probably be familiar with the photo of the Littleton Whale, stranded on the wharf by Littleton Brickworks in January 1885.  For those of you unfamiliar with this photo or want to read more about the whale click here.

The photograph was taken by a Thornbury photographer, Alexander Sutherland.  He was believed to be Thornbury's only professional photographer between 1877 and 1891.  He was therefore able to record one of the most famous events ever to have happened in the area.

Alexander Sutherland was born in Scotland about 1844/45.  We know nothing about his life there.  By 1861 Alexander had left home.  He appears in the 1861 census living in lodging house in Water Lane, Huddersfield .  It is fascinating to see that Alexander is a 16 year old musician and he appears to be travelling in a group of five young musicians under 17 years of age led by a Mr and Mrs McKenzie, all staying at the same house.  It is even more fascinating to see that one of the other musicians staying in the house is James Sutherland, Alexander's brother who is only aged 10 years old!  It is difficult to imagine the circumstances which led to the two boys leaving home in Scotland to make a new life on the road.

By 1869, Alexander's travels must have taken him further south to Bath, Somerset.  Here he married Emma Hibbert, a local girl, born in 1846.  In 1851 Emma Hibberd (or Hibbert) was living with her grandparents in Bridewell Street in Bath and by the age of 15 she was working as a nursery maid in Bath.   Emma married Alexander Sutherland in Bath in 1869.   By 1871 they had moved to the High Street of Cranbrook in Kent where their son Alexander William was born. Alexander William does not appear in 1871 census Kent with his parents and we assumed he must have died very young.  The 26 year old Alexander was by this time a master photographer.  It is not clear when Alexander and Emma came to Thornbury, other than it must have been after 1874 when they had a daughter born in Scotland.  They were living at number 16 Gloucester Road at the time of the 1881 Census. 

Not only was Alexander living in Gloucester Road; he also had his studio there, as can be seen from the advert that he used in the Thornbury Trade Directories.  This advert contains the earliest reference we have found to use of the term 'Laburnum' in relation to the houses. 

An ever-increasing collection of photos taken by Alexander is being found.  We have a copy of one photo which may show us Alexander and his children.  It is taken at the Industrial Exhibition held at Thornbury Castle in 1885 - Click here to see the photo and read about the Exhibition.

The family were still in Gloucester Road in the 1891 Census.
 

Alexander appears in the Voter's List of 1893 so we know that they remained for a year or two after the census but cannot be sure when the family left Thornbury.  However the Rate Book of 1894 shows that the tenant's name is Mason so it would appear he moved about this time.

Photography seems to have been very important to the Sutherland family.  Not only did Emma become a photographer's assistant, but when we found James in the 1891 Census boarding with a Miss Eliza Wrighton in Kerr Street, Northampton, he had also become a photographer's assistant.  By the 1901 census James was still living in Northampton, although he had married and had three children by this time, and he was working as a fully qualified photographer.

The story did not end so happily for Alexander because the 1901 Census also shows that although his daughter Emma was still living with her parents and was a photographer's assistant, she did not work for her father.  Alexander had had to give up photography and was a building caretaker in Beddington, Croyden.  We don't know why Alexander changed his career but in the early days of photography very powerful and poisonous chemicals were used and it was a notoriously unhealthy occupation.  Alexander died in 1910.

This page was last updated: 21/03/2012