Thornbury Grange

The following persons were known to have lived in the property known by various names including ‘Gilberts’, ‘Thornbury Farm’, ‘The Farm’ and ‘The Grange’.  Click here to read about the history of the property

Robert Shipway

We don’t know much about Robert who was listed as the tenant of the farm in 1753 poor assessment and 1769.

The family appears to have strong connections with Stone and several members from earlier generations were known to be Quakers.  Robert’s first wife, Mary, died aged 44 on 21st April 1755.  Robert the married again.  His second wife was Margaret Facey whom he married on 12th October 1755.  She was buried on 22nd July 1762.  His third wife was Dinah Hignell whom he married on 14th February 1763.  Robert died on 8th August 1779 aged 69 (note – the burial record shows his age as 65 and that his body was brought from Frampton Cotterell to Thornbury for burial).

John Grove

John Grove was listed as living at ‘Gillburts’ or ‘Gilberts’ in the Kington Land Tax records between 1780 and 1784.  We don’t know how long John lived there.  His widowed daughter-in-law, Mary Grove, and two of her sons, Henry Grove and Nicholas Cornock Grove, also lived there at different times.  Click here to read more

Tenants of Elizabeth Gwynn

During the time of Elizabeth Gwynn’s ownership Thornbury Farm was let out to tenants:

• Thomas Evans Hignell – the 1880 Rate Book lists Thomas Hignell as the occupant replacing Austin Grove. In the 1881 census he was living at Thornbury Farm with his wife Elizabeth and their five children.  He was described as a farmer of 90 acres employing 3 men and a boy.  The Hignells were listed in The Farm in the 1885 Rate Book but must have moved away shortly after.   Click here to read more
• Jesse Perry – the 1888 – 1890 electoral registers show that Jesse Perry was living at Thornbury Farm and the 1890 Rate Book lists ‘Mrs Perry & Jesse Perry living there.  We don’t know any more the Perrys to identify them.
• Alfred Vincent – the 1891 census shows Alfred living at Thornbury Farm.  Alfred was a farmer aged 63 from Chard.  He was living there with his wife, Mary, aged 65 from Stockland in Devon and their daughters: Emily J aged 26 from London, Mary Trowbridge who was married aged 30 from Stockland and her son, Alfred V. aged 7 from Bristol and a visitor Jessica Long aged 54 from Crewkerne.  Alfred was still listed at Thornbury Farm in the 1894 Rate Book.  By 1901 the Vincents had moved to Swinford near Bitton.  Another grand-daughter Emily Lonadora Mary V. Lye was living with them.  She had been baptised in Thornbury on 19th October 1894, the daughter of Charles Augustus Lye, a veterinary surgeon, and Mary Elizabeth who were living in Crewkerne.