Joseph Cannings, the mercer (died circa 1704)
We don’t know how Joseph Cannings came to Thornbury and have not found any record of his birth or marriage. It seems that Joseph’s wife was the Eleanor Cannings who was described in a ‘Collection of Dying Sayings of Many of The People Called Quakers’ as ‘wife of Joseph Cannings, of Thornbury, in Gloucestershire.’ The record says that ‘she was convinced by John Audland and John Camm, about the year 1654, when they came into that county. She was a zealous woman, and often exercised in bearing a faithful testimony for the truth against the priests, for which she suffered many and great abuses from the rude people. She continued a sincere-hearted Friend to the end of her days, and on her dying bed gave many good exhortations to friends about her, saying, a little before her death, “I am well satisfied, and am going to a better habitation.” ’
The consequences of being a Quaker were very grave. Gloucestershire Archives records show; ‘on 4th April 1670‘ taken from Joseph Canning of Thornbury by the said Andrew Whitfield and William Street Constables the said John Stafford and Thomas Wise Commissioners two sides of bacon worth 19s 6d and in money 9s being for fine of 20s for his wife being a preacher.’ Worse was to come; there are records of the ‘Sufferings of Quakers’ that include the imprisonment of Joseph Cannings in 1683 for refusing to take the Oath of Allegiance. In 1689 after the accession of King William and Queen Mary to the throne, a Poll-Tax was levied by Act of Parliament on the stipends of preachers. Quakers did not receive this stipend as it was against their beliefs but when they refused to pay the tax, they had goods distrained. Amongst these was Joseph Cannings.
On the 18th December 1685 Joseph Cannings, a mercer, bought a property from Margaret Smith widow and her son William Smith, a shoemaker. It was described as the property in which John Faires had lived and where Sarah Pride was now living. We believe that this was what is now 28 Castle Street in Thornbury. We do not know where Joseph actually lived. He was associated with property in the High Street that might have been 1, 3 and 3A High Street and in a Rent Roll of the period around 1680 he was paying rent on a property described as ‘late Martens’ which we believe might be the property now known as Miss Saises Cottage, adjoining 67 High Street.
Joseph Cannings was mayor of Thornbury in 1693/4. We can’t be sure whether it was Joseph Cannings the elder or his son.
The Tithe Terrier of 1696 mentions that Joseph Cannings had recently acquired property in the form of ‘one ground consisting of severall acres purchased of severall persons and inclosed togeather this yeare by Joseph Cannings out of Tiltfield.’
The records of Quaker Burial Ground at Hazel show the burial of ‘Elinor’ Cannings the wife of Joseph Cannings on 19th March 1702 aged about 73.
It seems that Joseph died two years later. In his will proved in 1704 he left the main part of his estate to his son Joseph and other bequests were made to his ‘grand children in law’ Joseph, Mary, John, Elianor and Elizabeth Mabbett. We believe that the Mabbett children were described as ‘grandchildren in law’ because of an undertaking by Joseph’s son, Joseph Canning junior to become guardian for the children (see below).
Joseph Cannings the victualler and butcher (died circa 1714)
Joseph Cannings junior inherited the property at 28 Castle Street from his father. We know this from his will which was proved in 1714.
Joseph’s first wife was Mary Barton whom he married at Frenchay on 1st September 1695. When they married, Joseph Cannings was described as a victualler and butcher of Thornbury. Mary was baptised on 16th May 1667 at Thornbury. She was the daughter of John Barton and his wife, Mary (nee Mary Thurston).
A son, another Joseph Cannings, was born in Thornbury the 10th day of the sixth month 1696 (on 10th August 1696). It seems that the marriage of Joseph and Mary Cannings was very short indeed. Perhaps the birth of her child caused the death of the mother. We have a record of a burial in the Quaker burial ground at Hazel of Mary Cannings the wife of Joseph Cannings the younger on 26th August 1696.
Thomas Barton’s will of 1700 left money and other bequests to Joseph Cannings and described him as the son of his kinswoman Mary Cannings deceased who was the daughter of his brother, John Barton.
We believe that Joseph’s second wife was Anne (or Anna) Piper whom he married in Thornbury on 18th June 1701.
The following year, 1702, Joseph Cannings appears to have accepted responsibility for four young Mabbett children. Their mother Sarah Mabbett had been buried in the Quaker burial ground at Hazel on 3rd September 1702. Her husband John Mabbett died only a few days later and was buried 21st September 1702. He was a baker and a Quaker. John Mabbett did not leave a will as such but there is an inventory of his possessions and a record of the obligation of Joseph Canning who was “uncle, guardian, tutor and administrator” to the children of John Mabbett who were named as “John, Joseph, Mary and Elianor”.
In 1710 and 1711 the Overseers reports show that Joseph Canning had to pay tax of five and a half pence for a property probably in Castle Street.
The will of Joseph Cannings proved on 10th November 1714 shows that he owned several properties.
He left to his then wife Anna; “all that my messuage and tenement situate in Thornbury aforesaid wherein I now inhabit with all out houses buildings gardens and appurtenances to the same belonging To hold to the said Anna my wife for the term of her natural life and after her decease to my son Joseph Cannings and his heirs for ever.”
Two other properties were to be sold by his trustees, Richard Tipper and Abraham Lloyd who were yeomen of Winterbourne; one was a piece of ground in Crossways and the other was what became 28 Castle Street. The latter property was described as “my messuage and tenement situate in Thornbury aforesaid where John Mabbett now dwells with all out houses buildings gardens orchards and appurtenances to the same belonging and lately purchased by my late father Joseph Cannings deceased of one William Smith. With the money raised from this sale the trustees were to ‘pay and dispose off unto Anna my now wife for her own use.’ We cannot explain why, if the property at 28 Castle Street was to be sold, tax was paid on it by Anna Cannings and then it later became owned by their son, Joseph Cannings.
The will of Joseph Cannings junior dated 1714 mentions “all that my messuage and tenement situate in Thornbury aforesaid wherein I now inhabit with all outhouses buildings gardens and appurtenances to the same belonging.”
“if my said son shall happen to die before he shall attain his age of one and twenty years or leaving no issue of his body behind him at the time of his death that then and in such case I give and devise the same messuage with the appurtenances so given to my said son and his heirs aforesaid to John Mabbett Joseph Mabbett Mary Mabbett and Elinnor Mabbett sons and daughters of my brother John Mabbett deceased and their heirs for ever.
Another property that he left to his wife Anna for her lifetime and then to his son Joseph had an unusual description; “11 foot of free land next adjoining or being part of a customary messuage lying in Kington aforesaid and now used as a shop lying in the borough of Thornbury aforesaid and a little chamber over the same wherein John Aylworth now dwelleth and lies on the south west side of the said customary messuage and also purchased by my said father off one John Bradley.” We suspect that this refers to one of the properties near the corner of Chapel Street which were situated in Kington abutting the Borough of Thornbury. It may have been a property that later became Miss Saise’s cottage.
Anna Cannings was buried at Frenchay on 17th November 1724. It seems possible from the Overseers’ records of 1724 that the Cannings property in Castle Street was divided as three people were each showed to be paying tax for ‘part Cannings’. Joseph Cannings (presumably Anna’s son) was one of these people until about 1725.
Joseph Cannings, the merchant tailor (died 1778)
Joseph was baptised on 10th August 1696 and he married Elizabeth Wickham in 1718. At that time he was described as ‘a taylor of Bristol.’ He is listed in the Overseers Accounts from 1724 and 1725 as being liable for tax on ‘part of Cannings’ in Thornbury. Joseph was liable for 2d per month, James Eley was paying one and a half pence for his part and John Cox was paying two pence for his part.
Joseph continued to own the property at 28 Castle Street up until at least 7th April 1759 when he was mentioned in an indenture along with Richard Williams. During those years there were usually three tenants listed in the accounts as paying for ‘part Cannings’. We suspect that Richard was lending money to Joseph by way of a mortgage. At that time Joseph was said to be ‘a merchant tailor of Bristol’.
The property was described as ‘All that messuage or tenement … wherein one Phillip Mansfield formerly dwelt and wherein one John ffaires since dwelt and wherein one Thomas Neal now inhabiteth adjoining to the messuage or tenement of one Richard Wilkins wherein one Charles Kingston now inhabiteth on the southward part thereof and to the messuage or tenement formerly of one Arthur Aylworth but now of (left blank) wherein one Thomas Watkins now inhabiteth on the northward part thereof and adjoining or extending itself to a street or Highway within the said borough called the High Street leading towards the Church on the Westward part thereof .. … purchased by Joseph Cannings grandfather of the said Joseph Cannings party hereto to him and his heirs in fee simple and from one Margaret Smith and William Smith”.
Joseph Cannings a tailor died 28th February 1778 and was buried in the Quaker burial ground.