The photograph on the right hand side shows St John Street in Thornbury in the early twentieth century. The door to the left in the photograph is that of a terraced house that later became number 3 St John Street.
Prior to 1862, the house was part of William Knapp‘s blacksmith’s shop. We believe it was probably converted into houses following William Knapp’s death in 1862 by Mark Crossman Meredith.
Alfred Harvey – the 1867 Rate Book shows Alfred in what we believe to be 3 St John Street. We suspect that Alfred was the same person who been living at 42 Castle Street. Click here to read more
In the 1871 census the house appears to be vacant.
John Knapp – the 1876 Rate Book shows that John Knapp was a tenant of the house. We are unsure which John Knapp this was.
The Grahams – in 1881 the house was occupied by William Richmond Graham, a boot and shoe dealer aged 34 from Keekirk in Scotland and his wife, Elizabeth aged 39 from Falfield. William had married Elizabeth Kendall in Bristol in September quarter 1870.
The 1871 Census shows that when they were first married William and Elizabeth lived with his in-laws, Thomas and Ann Kendall who farmed 40 acres in Whitfield. Elizabeth was a 27 year old dressmaker and William was a 24 year old commercial traveller. They had eight children: William Richmond born in Whitfield in 1871, Florence Elizabeth in Bristol in 1872, Thomas George born in Bristol in 1873, Janet Margaret born in Bristol in 1875, Wallace Raymond born in Thornbury in 1876, Alice Gertrude born in Thornbury in 1878, John Kendall born in Thornbury in 1880 and Ernest Edward born in 1881.
William died in 1882 aged 35 years. In 1884 Elizabeth was convicted at the Petty Sessional Court on 6th February of causing ‘filth’ to be deposited in St John Street on 24th January 1884. She was fined one shilling or one day’s imprisonment if she refused or could not pay the fine.
The 1885 Rate Book confirms that the tenancy has changed from William Graham to his wife Elizabeth. In 1891 Census Elizabeth was still living in 3 St John Street – she is now shown as a boot and shoe dealer and her son, William, is now a ‘traveller’ aged 19.
It is interesting to note that Elizabeth Graham appears in the Electoral Register of 1896. As a woman she could not vote in the parliamentary elections, but as a head of household she could vote in the council elections. Her son, John Kendall died in 1898 aged 18 years. He was buried in Thornbury Cemetery on 29th May 1898.
In 1895 the house was put up for sale by auction because of the death of its owner, Mark Crossman Meredith, but the tenant of the house was still described as Mrs E Graham.
Elizabeth was still listed in the 1899 directory as a boot and shoe dealer, but by 1901 she and the family had moved away from Thornbury. She was now living in 30 Upper Cheltenham Place, St Andrews, Bristol. Of the children who were still living with her: William was a motor driver, Thomas had become a postman, Janet was a domestic and Ernest a mercantile clerk. Elizabeth had one grand-daughter living with her, a Nelly M Hemmings aged 10 months. Florence Elizabeth had married Frederick Kemball in Bristol in 1900.
Alfred Sealy – in 1899 the tenant who rented the house from Mrs Meredith was Alfred Sealy. This name is crossed out which indicates that he moved from the house in that year. Alfred W Sealy owned the house next door (number 1). Read more about Alfred Sealy
Charles Reeves – was shown as the tenant of this house in the 1905 Rate Book. Click here to read more
Reginald Higgins – the 1907 Rate Book lists Reginald as the tenant of Mrs Sealey. We don’t know any more about him.
Sidney Screen – in 1910 the name of Sidney Screen is shown as the tenant of the house in the Rate Book. It is struck through which implies he left the house in that year. The family had moved to 24 Castle Street – click here to read more
Edward Harman – in 1910 the name appears to be ‘Harman’ which is written next to the name of Sidney Screen which implies that this family moved in after Sidney Screen. The 1911 census shows that it was Edward Harman, a confectioner aged 42 from Hastings. He was living here with his wife, Ada who was aged 40 and also born in Hastings and their daughter, Lilian Kathleen, a dressmaker aged 17 born in Swindon. Edward had married Ada Golding in Hastings in 1892.
In the 1901 census Edward was a pastry cook and baker living with Ada, his sister, Annie and his daughter, Lilian aged 7 in St Margarets Road, Swindon. The 1915 and 1916 Prewettt’s Directories show Edward was still living in ‘John Street’. In the 1921 census he and Ada were living at 19 High Street. Edward was a baker working for A. E. Thompsons. He had moved away by the time of the 1927 electoral register.
Mary Ann Taylor – the 1921 Census shows that the property now called 3 St John Street was occupied by Mary Ann Taylor. She was a widow aged 66 and she was born in Olveston. The 1925 Valuation List and 1926 Rate Book how the house continued to be occupied by Mary Taylor.
It seems possible that Mary Ann was the widow of George Taylor who farmed Willow Farm in Kington. Their marriage was registered in the Thornbury District in 1880. The 1881 Census show that the farm was 40 acres and that the 26 year old Mary had a three week old baby yet to be named. George died at Kington on 6th January 1894 and was buried at Oldbury. Probate was granted to Mary Ann Williams a widow, Henry Williams a farmer and John Hodges Williams draper. After the death of her husband Mary Ann may have retired from farming. If that is the case her mother Mary Williams was living with her in 1911 Census.
The Cripps family – By 1935 Maria and Ethel Maggie Cripps lived in this house. Maria was the widow of Arthur Cripps who had been the licencee of The Plough on the corner of St Mary Street, and Ethel Maggie was her daughter. Click here to read about Maria Cripps earlier life
The 1935 Electoral Register shows that Maria moved from The Plough to number 3 St John Street where she was living with her daughter, Ethel Maria. We know that one of her other daughters, Dorothy Mabel, married in 1911. Her husband was Sidney George Gordon Wilkins, assistant innkeeper of Tockington.
Maria and Ethel continued to live in the house. They were there in 1939 Electoral Register. Maria died in her home on March 5th 1945 aged 79 years. She was buried on March 8th in Thornbury. Probate was granted to Sidney George Gordon Wilkins licensed vistuallar and Edward John Morgan engineers tool maker. The estate amounted to £2,640.
Ethel moved away. In 1950 she is shown as living in Yew Tree Cottage, The Knapp. Ethel died aged 79 years and was buried on 18th March 1975.
Modern times: in 1946 the house was occupied by Celtrig G. Harrison and his wife, Joyce.
Ernest A Price and his wife, Leila. This couple occupied the property in the Electoral Registers of 1954,1957 and 1961. The 1948, 1949 and 1950 Electoral Registers say “2 St John Street” but the numbering of houses changed around 1950 and so we believe that the couple lived in this property from about 1947.
The 1911 Census shows that Ernest was a compositor living with his widowed mother Martha and his two sisters Constance and Hilda. They lived in Pentney Road in Balham.
Ernest married Leila Victoria Allen in Clapham Park Wandsworth on 6th April 1912 according to the army’s pension records for those who served in the First World War. Ernest was the son of Arthur May Price a clerk. Leila Victoria Allen’s birth was registered in Northampton in 1877.
After Ernest and Leila married, they lived in Clapham. We know from the pension records that their son was called Derek Lancelot Price.
The 1939 Special Census compiled in anticipation of the war shows that Ernest was born 20th May 1888. At that time he was a clerical assistant London County Council in the Superannuation Department and temporarily attached to the London Fire Brigade.
The Museum has an invoice printed by ‘E. A. Price of 3 St John Street’ dated 22nd November 1956. So we know that Ernest was working as a a printer.
The records of St Helen’s, the parish church in Alveston, show that Ernest’s address was still 3 St John street when he was buried on 31st January 1963 aged 74.
Leila died at Oaklands Almondsbury on 8th November 1966 aged 89. Probate was granted to her son, Derek Lancelot Price, who was at that time “a male nurse”.
Emily Jane Grant was recorded as living there when she died in Thornbury Hospital on 7th February 1956. She was aged 83. The house seems to have been unoccupied in the 1965 Electoral Register and in 1970 it was occupied by George R. Saunders. We have also been told that this house was occupied by a teacher called Paul Hett and his wife in the 1970s. We would like to hear from anyone who can tell us more about this house and the people who lived here.