View from Rosemount
Thornbury Museum is fortunate to have a copy of an abstract of title to Rosemount in High Street Thornbury which was prepared in 1875 when the owner, Miss S. F. Barrow, contracted to sell the property to John Taylor Chambers. We believe this shows that prior to 1780 there were two properties on the site of the present ‘Rosemount.’ One of these was the home of Walter and Jane Spann, the other was a plot of ground where a messuage ‘formerly stood but since burnt down and whereupon a workhouse had been since erected which was lately fallen or taken down.’ Both these properties became to be owned by Thomas Cox and it was one of his descendants, probably one of the Barrow family, whom we feel re-developed the properties and built the house we now know as ‘Rosemount’.
Walter and Jane Spann – the earliest document we have seen in Bristol Records Office is an indenture dated 9th April 1744. It shows that Walter Spann, mariner of Thornbury had previously bought the property at the upper end of the High Street in Thornbury from John Rudge (who was Mayor of Thornbury 1750/51). Walter also owned two properties in Baldwin Street in Bristol (one known by the name of the Three Cupps) and another property in Gloucester Lane, in the Parish of St Phillips and St Jacob in Bristol. The indenture was referred as a ‘Lease’ involving William Johnson of Elberton yeoman and George Cossham carpenter of Thornbury, but we suspect that it was only giving them a financial interest in the property.
There is a tombstone on the floor on St Mary’s Church in Thornbury for Elizabeth, the wife of Walter Span, who died on 24th November 1743 aged 31 years. He may have had an earlier wife than Elizabeth. We know from other information referred to below that Walter came from Bristol and that he was born about 1660 so it would be possible for him to be be the same Walter Spann who is shown in the IGI as marrying Winifred Gosland on 12th July 1694 at St Augustine the Less in Bristol. Boyd’s marriages also mentions this information but describes her as “Winifred Gosling” and as a widow.
According to the IGI, Walter married Jane Trayherne at Oldbury Church on 16th April 1744 so this would be the Jane, his wife referred to in his will and other documents. Walter died aged 84 on 5th October 1753 and he was buried in St Mary’s Church, Thornbury. If this age shown her is correct then this would cast doubt on this Walter being the one born in 1660.
There is a tombstone in the floor of the Church which indicates that Walter was ‘sometime of the City of Bristol, but late of this Town.’ In his will dated 27th July 1745 he gave all his messuages lands etc situate in Bristol and Thornbury unto his wife, Jane Spann. He made two other bequests, giving £10 each to his kinswoman, Sarah Cosshin (? Cossham), and to Hannah Jacob of Chepstow. The will was proved at London 8th December 1753 by Jane Spann sole executrix.
A note in Thornbury Museum indicates that Walter and Jane had no children of their own, but adopted a niece, Jane Johnson of Elberton. It was to Jane that the property was conveyed in 1755. A document, also in Bristol Records Office, is an indenture of lease and release dated 24th and 25th September 1755. This was an agreement between Jane Spann widow of the first part, Thomas Cox of Kington in the parish of Thornbury yeoman and Jane his wife and niece of the said Jane Spann of the second part and William Johnson of Elberton yeoman and Isaac Parker of Stidcott in the parish of Tytherington butcher of the third part. Jane Span referred to ‘the natural love and affection which she had for her niece, Jane Cox, the wife of Thomas Cox, and she arranged for the property where she and her husband had dwelt with its garden and orchard adjoining to be left to Jane Cox and her husband. Other property in the parish of St Phillips, Bristol was also devised at the same time.
The property in Thornbury was described as being at the upper end of a street there called the High Street which said messuage or tenement or premises was bought by the said Walter Spann in his lifetime to him and his heirs in fee of and from John Rudge.
The Court Roll of 1760 shows that Jane was called before the Manor Court. She and Jonathan Barton were required to lay the hedge and sheer the banks of their property against Poulterbrook Lane. It was explained that this lane was a common road used by the inhabitants of the town to fetch water from the brook. They were given one month to do the work on penalty of twenty shillings each.
Jane Spann retained the use of the property during her lifetime, but after her decease it was left for the use of Thomas Cox during his natural life and then Jane Cox. After their decease, Jane Spann directed that the property should be left to the use of Thomas and Jane’s second child and his/her heirs. In default of this it would go to the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th etc child or children, and in default of this to the use of Hannah Johnson and Susannah Johnson, two daughters of William Johnson late of Elberton. If that isn’t confusing enough, there was a proviso – in the case of the first child of Jane and Thomas Cox should be a daughter and there should be afterwards be a son who should take as heir at law of Thomas Cox then in such case the messuages and tenements thereby granted to the second child should go and be enjoyed by the daughter and her heirs and in default of issue next to the child not being heir at law.
Jane Spann died on 1st October 1778 aged 74. In her will dated 30th January 1777 Jane left to her sister, Susannah Johnson, during her life several lands and hereditaments in Oldbury which Jane had inherited from her sister, Elizabeth Parker, late wife of Isaac Parker. She directed that these properties should descend to Susannah’s daughter, Susannah the wife of Thomas Hignell after her Susannah (Snr)’s death. She left other land in Oldbury to her niece, Elizabeth, (otherwise Betty) wife of Mordecai Hignell during her life and after her decease to her five children (Elizabeth, Moses, Mordecai, Susannah and Ann). To her nephew James Johnson (one of the sons of her sister Susannah) Jane left her copyhold messuage or tenement and closes of ground in the Manor of Thornbury. There were several other bequests of property and money to nephews and nieces. These bequests included items specifically left to her niece, Jane, wife of Thomas Cox – silver pint, black silk gown, velvet cloak, silk quilt, tea chest and water pewter. plate chest of drawers, and her little screen glass.
Thomas and Jane Cox – based upon his age at death, Thomas was born about 1732. It is likely therefore that Thomas was the Thomas Cox baptised at Thornbury on 9th February 1732, the son of Thomas and Ann Cox of Kington. On 1st September 1755 Thomas married Jane Johnson at Thornbury St Marys Church. Jane was the daughter of Susanna Johnson, the sister of Jane Spann (nee Trayherne), the previous owner of the property and we believe that Jane Johnson had been adopted by Walter and Jane Spann. Thomas and Jane had two children: Jane Cox baptised on 30th June 1756 and William Cox (who was born about 1759 based upon his age at death).
In 1780/81 Thomas added to his property. He purchased from George Rolph the adjoining property – this was described as being ‘All that plot or parcel of ground whereof a messuage or tenement formerly stood but since burnt down and whereupon a workhouse had been since erected which was lately fallen or taken down situate in the borough of Thornbury and is now in the tenure or occupation of the said George Rolph his tenants or assigns which said plot etc and premises do adjoin to the upper part of a lane called Porterbrook Lane on the southward part to the High Street on the eastward part to the garden late of Jane Spann widow but now of said Thomas Cox on the northward part and to a piece of ground whereon a messuage or tenement formerly stood but since fallen or taken down and lately purchased by and laid open to the said garden of said Thomas Cox on the westward part‘. It was noted that in 1775 George had leased the land to Richard Holdship for 21 years and that the rents would hence be payable to Thomas Cox and his heirs.
The 1780 Land Tax record show the house was owned by Thomas Cox of Kington and occupied by the Reverend Mr Thomas. The 1781 to 1784 Land Tax records show the property was occupied by Martha Hodges. The Land Tax record of 1800 shows it was occupied by Mrs Jones. In 1809 and 1810 Land Tax records it was occupied by Miss Johnson.
There is a tablet on the wall of St Mary’s Church in memory of Jane Cox who died on 29th May 1800 aged 64, to Thomas Cox who died on 20th October 1808 aged 76, and to their son, William who died on 28th December 1792 aged 33. Following their deaths, the property was passed to their daughter, Jane, now married to Robert Knapp as their son, William, had died without issue.
Robert and Jane Knapp – Jane was the daughter of Thomas and Jane Cox, the previous owners of the property (see above). She married Robert Knapp of Shepperdine on 25th January 1781. Their daughter, Elizabeth, was baptised on 18th December 1781 at Rockhampton.
Robert died aged 49 and was buried at Oldbury on 23rd August 1801. Jane inherited Rosemount when her father died in 1808. The Land Tax records of 1814 show Jane Knapp as the occupier of the house as well as the owner. By the time she wrote her will in 1818 William Snook was listed as the occupant of the house. Jane died aged 60 and was buried at Oldbury on 8th August 1818.
The will of Jane Knapp dated 6th July 1818 shows she owned a lot of property around the district. Jane gave to her grand-daughter Sarah Francis Barrow all that freehold messuage or tenement wherein Jane Spann formerly dwelt and William Snook did then dwell with the stable garden orchard and appurts.
The Barrows – on 7th January 1805 Elizabeth Knapp, the daughter of Robert and Jane Knapp, married John Barrow at Rockhampton Church. He was a member of the ancient Oldbury family of that name. Their home was at Shepperdine. They had four children: Thomas Cox Barrow baptised on 26th December 1805 at Rockhampton, Robert Knapp Barrow born about 1811 (based on his age in 1851 census), Jane Barrow baptised there on on 27th October 1806 and Sarah Frances Barrow (who birth we haven’t traced but she is shown as John Barrow’s daughter aged 42 on the 1851 census). Elizabeth then died at the age of 34. She was buried in Rockhampton on 4th December 1815.
In 1818 the property was left to Sarah Frances Barrow by her aunt, Jane Knapp (see above). The land tax records from 1819 up to 1831 were still showing the house was owned by ‘Late Jane Knapp’ and occupied by William Snook. William Snook died 27th March 1835 aged 68 and was buried in Thornbury on 1st April 1835. The report of his death in the Bristol Mercury dated 4th April 1835 indicates that he was ‘late of this City’. We suspect his wife had been Mary Snook who died aged 58 and was buried on 12th June 1819. If the date of ‘1836’ referred to above is correct, then it would appear that the re-construction of the property took place following it being vacated by William Snook. After that time the Barrow family used it as their own residence so it would appear they built something grander for themselves.