Until the 1990s there was a mill outside the town of Thornbury at Morton just behind the Anchor pub. The mill had a very ancient history and was once part of the Manor of Thornbury. We don’t know much about its early history. Click here to read about Morton Mill
We know of one miller directly associated with Morton Mill before 1797 and that was Solomon Pritchard. The record of the baptism of his granddaughter Betsy Cleverley in 1772 describes Solomon Pritchard as a miller at Morton Mill and indicates that his daughter Anne or Hannah had married Hugh Cleverley. By the time of the baptism the Cleverleys also seemed to have moved to Morton Mill. In 1768 when Hugh Cleverley married Hannah or Anne one of the witnesses of the marriage was George Whitfield who may have been associated with the family who later took over the mill.
Solomon Pritchard had three wives. The first wife was Margaret Wither (or Wyther) whom he married in 1722. An inscription in St Mary’s churchyard in Thornbury shows that ‘MARGARET wife of Solomon Pritchard died 21 March 1729 aged 39’. He married Ann Leach on 6th April 1730. Ann Pritchard said to be ‘wife of Solomon Pritchard’ was buried on April 22nd 1738. The third wife was Hannah Barton whom he married on June 25th 1738 in Thornbury. Solomon died in 1762 and was buried in Thornbury on 15th February.
Of their children
John Pritchard born 1728.
John Pritchard was born in 1731. He was the son of Solomon and his second wife Ann and he was baptized on 15th March. He may have married Susanna Nichols on April 2nd 1759.
We know that John had at least three children; Anne (born 16th June 1766), Thomas (born April 14th 1769) and Lewis (born June 12th 1773). The parish record that lists their baptisms shows that John’s occupation was a butcher.
It is interesting that John Pritchard was described as a butcher because that would explain a case brought before the Manor Court in 1759 when John was involved in a blood and dung incident. Apparently John Pritchard and John Barton were brought before the court to answer a charge of throwing Dung and blood into the street and John was fined 20 shillings. John Pritchard and John Barton were told to remove the dunghill they had created’in the street opposite William Tayler’s garden wall’ within six weeks.
A family tree on Ancestry suggests he died in 1777. If this is the same John Pritchard he was a butcher aged 44 when he ‘was thrown from his horse near Sugar Pool when he was returning from Bristol on Wednesday 10th December and was killed on the spot’.
Lewis Pritchard baptized 29th August 1735. He may have married Ann Child on 14th March 1762. Ann died aged 47 on 30th November 1781. Lewis was described as a butcher in the parish record of the baptism of their son John (born May 24th 1769).
Hannah Pritchard was the daughter of Solomon Pritchard by his third wife Hannah. She was baptized 6th May 1739 and married Hugh Cleverley (see above). See Lion House
Jonathan Pritchard baptized on January 1st 1740/41, the son of Solomon and Hannah.
Sarah Pritchard married a blacksmith, James Oldland of Iron Acton on 19th April 1762.
From 1797 there were only three families associated with the Mill up to the mid twentieth century.
The first of these was:
The Whitfields
A sale notice for the mill and associated buildings published in 1925 tells us that ‘the business was established in 1797. The vendor succeeded his father over 50 years ago.’
The notice fails to make clear that the family in question, the Whitfields, had been milling there since at least 1797 and that four generations had owned and run the milling business. It could almost be said that the history of the mill is the history of the Whitfield family. They had also owned and run other mills in the area including one at Middle Mill near Stone and one at Olveston. We have written about the Whitfield family on a separate page – click here to read more. Alternatively you can read about any of them by clicking on the links below:
Jonah Whitfield, the nephew of the above (1786 – 1872)
Jonah Whitfield, the son of the above (1820 – 1871)
George Whitfield the son of the above (1854 – 1925)
The Pooles
During the period that George Whitfield owned the Mill he moved to live in ‘Westover’, a new house built for his family in Park Road. The house at the Mill appears to have been taken over by the Poole family who ran operations there.
The 1901 Census shows the Mill was occupied by mill worker, John James Poole and his family. From the 1890s until the 1960s the Mill was occupied by two generations of the Poole family.
John James Poole and his wife Kate Sylva Poole
John James Poole was born in Wiltshire in 1867. He was the son of a mason, John George Poole and his wife Annie. He was baptised in Long Newton on 21 April 1867.
At the time that John married Kate Sylva Shewring on 23rd August 1888 in Long Newton, he was working as a miller. We believe he was employed at Shipton Mill which is in Shipton Wood in Long Newton.
John was living with his wife Kate at Shipton Mill in Long Newton in the 1891 Census. Their first son Charles Wilfred Poole was born there in 1892 although the Census of 1911 specifically states he was born at ‘Morton Mill’. The second child Walter was born in Thornbury on 12th July 1894.
By the 1901 Census the family had five children living with them at the mill. The records show that the children attended the National School in Thornbury (now known as St Mary’s School).
In 1911 the Census shows that John and Kate had seven children living in the mill with them; Charles 18, Walter 16, Frank 15, William 13, Stanley 10, Ernest 7 and Raymond aged 6. The children’s place of birth in every case was said to be ‘Morton Mill’.
The 1921 Census shows 11 people lived in the 9 roomed property. John James Poole from Long Newton in Wiltshire aged 54 was employed by George Whitfield as a miller of feeding meal. His wife Kate also 54 and also from Wiltshire was employed on ‘home duties’. Charles Wilfred Poole aged 28 and from Shipton Moyne was employed as a general labourer at the Crumlin Valleys Colliery in Monmouthshire. William Poole aged 23 and born in Thornbury was employed at the same colliery. Stanley Poole aged 20 appears to be unemployed. The entry is a little confusing but we believe that before he went into the army Stanley had been a road labourer for the Rural District Council. Raymond Poole aged 16 also seems to be out of work but his last job appears to be as a gardener for Algar Howard. Walter James Poole aged 26, his wife Bessie and two month old son Kenneth Vivian also lived in the household. Walter was a carter for George Whitfield.
Kate died aged 73 and was buried in Thornbury Cemetery on 30th September 1939. The 1939 Register compiled in the advent of war shows that John James Poole who was still described as a miller lived at ‘Millpond’ with his son Raymond and Raymond’s wife Constance.
John James Poole was buried in Thornbury Cemetery on July 10th 1941 aged 74. The Western Daily Press of 12th July 1941 published his obituary in which his address was given as Mill House and he was described as ‘the doyen of Thornbury bellringers.’
Of their children
Charles Wilfred Poole was born 1892. He was baptised on October 2nd 1892 at Shipton Mill. At the time of his marriage in Thornbury on 12th September 1931, he had already moved to Salisbury. His wife Margaret Mary Harvey was from Crossways in Thornbury. By 1939 Charles was a grocery assistant living with his wife Margaret in Salisbury.
Walter James Poole was born on 1st July 1894 in Thornbury. By the Census of 1911 he was still living at Morton Mill and had become apprenticed to a blacksmith. In 1913 he worked for Great Western Railway in Crumlin, South Wales.
Frank Poole was born about 1895. By the time of the 1911 Census Frank was still living at Morton Mill but had become apprenticed to a printer.
William Poole was baptised 3rd July 1898 in Thornbury.
Stanley Poole was born on on October 1st 1900 in Thornbury and lived there all his life. The Gloucestershire Bellringers website had the following information about him;
‘Stanley worked for GIoucestershire County Council for 40 years, being employed as a roller driver and then, up until his retirement, at Rolls-Royce, Filton. Stan started ringing at St Mary’s in the 1920s and in 1930 he was elected tower captain, succeeding his father (Mr J J Poole), a post he held for 46 years until his retirement in 1976 due to ill health, and he was then made life honorary steeple-master. It was also in 1976 that he was made an Honorary Life Member of the Gloucester and Bristol DA. Stan was always cheerful, and with his quiet, unassuming manner an extremely good tower leader. While not a prolific peal ringer, he did ring many quarter peals and was insistent on good striking no matter what was being rung. Many of his friends will remember Stan on his bicycle riding miles to organise bands for quarters and for weddings until the time he retired as tower captain. Whilst short in stature he was large in heart, and those who were privileged to know Stan will be warmed by the memory of his friendship. A quarter peal, halfmuffled, was rung by friends on the evening of the service.’
The 1939 Register compiled in preparation for war shows that Stanley was an engine driver and that he was living in Eastland Avenue in Thornbury with his wife Edith and daughter Doreen M. K. Poole. Edith was born 26th December 1904 and was the daughter of George William Holder a labourer in Littleton on Severn. They were married in Littleton on 18th October 1930. The electoral registers show they lived at Lower Bath Road in a house which later became known as 3 Bath Road. He died in Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, on March 4th 1981.
Raymond Poole was born 1905. For more information see below.
Ernest Poole about 1903. Sadly Ernest died in 1913 at the age of ten years.
Raymond Poole
Raymond was the next miller to live and work at Morton Mill, taking over from his father. He was born on 10th March 1905, the youngest of the children of John James and Kate Sylva Poole
His wife Constance Till was born on 6th August 1911 and she was the daughter of Alfred Till a labourer of Shipperdine. Raymond and Constance were married on 24th April 1937. The 1939 Register compiled in the advent of war shows that Raymond was a journeyman miller. Raymond and Constance were living at Morton Mill with Raymond’s father.
The 4-Ward Community magazine of April 2021 has an article by Yvonne Poole that explains that her father, Raymond Poole, was always known as ‘Jack.’ The article includes this photograph of her and her father at Morton Mill.
The article describes the conditions in the mill. Water was apparently collected from Mrs Riddiford’s well or from the stand pipe on Thornbury Road, which was three fields away. The water had to be carried in buckets which must have been an arduous and time consuming job.
Yvonne writes; ‘It was a great day when mains water arrived and Dad, who was clever with his hands, knocked through the wall from the kitchen into the wash house. People who visited were often surprised when we opened a cupboard door which led down two steps into a bathroom. He even added a flush toilet – very posh!‘
Raymond and Constance were still at Morton Mill in the Electoral Registers from before 1946 to at least 1965.
Raymond died on 5th September 1984. Constance died in 2005.
The Bryans
Gilbert Porter Bryan
When the Mill was put up for sale in 1925 it was purchased by Edwin Bryan, a farmer from Marshfield. The Bryans were to own the Mill for over 25 years, but as far as we know Edwin never lived in Thornbury and he died at Stanshaws Chipping Sodbury on 2nd November 1935. His son Gilbert Porter Bryan moved to live in Thornbury and took over the running of the business.
Gilbert Porter Bryan was born 4th January 1897 in Marshfield, the son of Edwin Bryan and his wife Jane (nee Porter) who lived at West End Town Farm in Marshfield.
In 1922 Gilbert lived at Brook House Farm Doynton. The Electoral Register for 1926 shows that he lived at Stanshawes Farm Yate. By the Electoral Register of 1927 Gilbert had moved to Thornbury. He was then living c/o Leonard Pitcher in Gloucester Road although shortly after he must have moved to ‘Westover’, the house in Park Road which had been the home of the previous mill owner, George Whitfield.
Gilbert married Doris Mary Dare on 6th June 1928 in Abson near Chipping Sodbury. It is noteworthy that although Gilbert was described as a miller on his marriage certificate, he gave his address at that time not as Thornbury but as Yate. Doris was born on 24th December 1901, the daughter of Edgar Arthur Dare a miller in Wick.
They had three children: Joan Maureen Bryan (known by the name of Maureen) was born on 8th February 1930, Audrey E born in 1933 and Anthony G born on 9th September 1937.
The Trade Directories from at least 1930 onwards say “Bryan Gilbt. P. Miller (water & electric) Morton Mill (phone number 10). This is interesting because that for 1923 says that the mill owned by George Whitfield JP was powered by water and steam. We would like to hear what this signifies.
Doris died on 19th November 1947 at a Clifton Nursing Home. From 1950 the Electoral Registers show that Gilbert continued to live at Westover with his children.
Doris Bryan nee Dare
We do not know at this stage when Gilbert retired from his ownership of the mill but Rate Books show that by 1955 West Midland Farmers owned the mill.
The Electoral Register of 1965 shows that Gilbert and his son Anthony continued to live in Westover. By this time they were joined by Gilbert’s daughter Joan and her husband Clifford E G Barrington whom she married in 1954.
Gilbert died at Westover on November 15th 1979 aged 82 years. He and Doris were both buried in the non conformist section of Thornbury Cemetery.
West Midland Farmers Ltd
By 1955 the Mill was owned by West Midland Farmers Ltd. The West Midland Farmers’ Association was an agricultural cooperative. We don’t believe that they used the mill to produce grain. However we do know that they continued to use the original hoists and chutes. We can’t remember when it closed. The company moved to new premises outside of town and later changed its name to the Countrywide Farmers.
Morton Mill by Andy Gillingham
Andy Gillingham’s photograph illustrates clearly that the mill then fell into disrepair before it was redeveloped. It became housing units in the early 1990s. Please note that Andy Gillingham’s photograph was kindly given to this website and to Thornbury and District Museum but it is copyright and not for other use.