Gloucester Road, Thornbury

The Williams Estate

Following the death of John & Emma Williams, both in 1897, their estate was passed to their son, John Hodges Williams. John was already a successful businessman.  The Thornbury Directory 1897 lists him as a silk mercer, linen draper, family mourning and funerals furnished, and collector of income tax.  It shows him as operating from Victoria House and Bon Marche in the High Street.  In 1902, the words "& house furnisher, The Stores, and glass & earthen ware, The Beehive” were added to his list of interests. 

John's obituary appears in the Dursley Gazette May 19^th 1934: “With the sudden death on Friday of Mr John Hodges Williams of The Plain, Thornbury, another connection with the past has been severed, for at the age of 81 years Mr Williams was Thornbury’s oldest tradesman and he had carried on business in the town for 54 years.  Mr Williams was at the time of his death a large property owner in Thornbury, and the immediate district but he was fond of telling how he began with nothing and of the early struggles he had before he prospered.  A good many years ago Mr Williams was elected Mayor of Thornbury but for many years he had taken no active part in local government affairs.  However he took a great interest in all that appertained to the welfare of the town and only about three months ago he gave to the district council a site for the proposed public convenience for Thornbury.”

For more about the obituary of John Hodges Williams, click here

Following the death of John & Emma Williams in 1897, Gloucester House (shown on the right at No. 2 Gloucester Road) was occupied by John Henry Williams, the son of John Hodges Williams and his wife, Lilian.  He was missing from the family home in 1891 but was there in 1895 and 1896 when he claimed the right to vote because he had 'a joint tenement' in the house.  In 1896 he specifically claims that he owned a “shop and sitting room on the first floor and three shops and bedroom on first floor. Bedroom furnished, rest unfurnished.” He also said the rent for his property was £10 per year. Interestingly, his claim was initially refused but there was a note on the form about the rent that the business was “worth considerably more – one of the best businesses in town; good situation many hands employed.”

John Henry worked in the family tailoring business. and he continued living in Gloucester House until at least 1935.  The parish records show that John Henry and Emily Lilian had one son, John Arthur Merrick Williams who was baptised on 11th April 1902, and a daughter, Leonora Margaret, baptised on 26th July 1905.

Henry William Williams was another son of John Hodges Williams.  He ran a grocer's shop at 'The Golden Key', Thornbury.  Click on the photograph on the right to see a larger image of 'The Golden Key'. Henry William Williams eventually became the owner of much of the 'Williams' property in Thornbury including the properties in Gloucester Road.

The Williams family were extensive property owners; documents found so far give the names of John’s descendants (specifically his son, John Hodges Williams and his grandson, Henry William Williams) as the owners of other property which includes a small plot of land opposite 24, Gloucester Road, two dwellings known as Millpond Cottages and other land at Morton near the Anchor, a big plot of land on Easton Hill Road, Numbers 1 and 4 The Plain, 1, 2, 3, 3A, 4, 7, 62 and 64 High Street and three properties in St Mary’s Street, including number 2, and the Old Malt house.  Properties were were however gradually sold off, and at the present time, in Gloucester Road only number 12 is owned by a descendant of the Williams family.  Henry William Williams moved to London where he died in 1960 aged 88.  The remaining properties in the Estate have been managed by his Trustees.

Around 1965, a Cyril Williams moved into Selwood, 22, Gloucester Road.  Cyril had been an apprentice builder working for Jack Hodges, and later ran his own building business.  Although he bought number 22 from the Williams family and later acquired number 14, he was not connected, at least not closely connected, to the original family of John Williams, the tailor.

This page was last updated: 27/07/2007