Seven Stars,  22 Rock Street

Occupants

Thomas and Mary Butler
The 1841 Tithe Survey shows that Plot 118 was a house and garden owned and occupied by Thomas Rutler.  We can't find Thomas 'Rutler' in the 1841 census so suspect that his name may have been Thomas 'Butler' who was listed in this part of the street - he was a carpenter aged 67 living with his wife, Mary aged 74 and his son, Thomas another carpenter aged 30 and a servant Ellen Pullen aged 18.

Thomas died in 1844.  In 1851 Mary is living two doors away at the house which was later to be known as 17 Rock Street.  She was described as a 'proprietor of houses' aged 84 born in Horton. Living with her was her unmarried son, Thomas, aged 43 who was a proprietor of houses and carpenter.  Mary died in 1854.  Thomas Butler continued to own  property in Thornbury because he appears in the 1865 Voters' List as the owner of a freehold house and garden within the Borough.

Thomas Bevan
In the 1851 Census the Severn Stars was occupied by Thomas Bevan aged 32 from Thornbury and his wife, Ann aged 36 and their children Mary aged 4, Ann aged 3, Henry aged 2 and Emma aged 4 months.  Thomas was a beer seller and pig dealer.  They had one general servant, Mary Ann Biddle aged 17.

Thomas was baptised on 7th September 1819, the son of James Bevan, a cattle dealer and his wife, Ann.  In 1841 census Thomas was a servant working in the Vicarage.  On 24th February 1846 he married Ann, the daughter of James Parnell, a carpenter and his wife, Hannah.  

Thomas and Ann had a large family.  The baptism record of their daughter, Mary, on 5th April 1846 shows Thomas was still a labourer, and that of their daughter, Ann, on 27th June 1847 shows that Thomas had become a dealer.  Their next seven children were all baptised after Thomas had become a beerhouse keeper:  Henry baptised on 18th March 1849, Emma baptised on 15th December 1850, Fanny on 12th December 1852, James on 5th November 1854, Alfred on 1st June 1856, Caroline Elizabeth on 1st August 1858, George on 1st April 1860.   Finally they had one more child: Albert Edward baptised on 2nd February 1862 by which time Thomas had reverted to a labourer.

It would appear Thomas took over the Seven Stars in late 1840's and the 1856 trade directory still lists him as being there.  By the 1861 census he had become innkeeper at The Lamb Inn on the High Street, but he must have given that up shortly after.  Thomas died in 1866 aged 47 years and was buried on 26th August 1866.  There was an inquest into his death.  It was reported that he had got up as usual well before 5am and set off for work at the Oldbury Brick Yard.  He had collapsed on his way near Thornbury Church.  The jury adjudged it was caused by 'visitation of God'.

After Thomas's death, Ann moved to 9 Gloucester Road.  Click here to read more about Ann

Of Thomas and Ann's children: Fanny married James Parker, a labourer in 1874. Mary married Joseph Sainsbury, a plaster, in 1875.  Emma married Henry Symons, a draper, in 1881.  Ann married James Tremain, a groom in 1882.   James became the boot and shoemaker who started in the High Street, but is better know for the time he had his shop on The Plain.

Henry and Elizabeth Keel and Elizabeth Craddock
The 1861 census shows Henry Keel as beerhouse keeper of the Severn Stars.  He was aged 44 and from Thornbury.  His wife was Elizabeth aged 34 from North Nibley, and living with them were a son, William Grigg Keel, aged 11 from North Nibley and Eliza Keel, Henry's sister, aged 42 sister from Aust.

Henry had married Elizabeth Grigg in the Clifton area of Bristol in 1858.  He died and was buried on 7th September 1865 aged 50.  In 1870, Elizabeth re-married, this time to William Craddock.  Unfortunately he lived for less than one year after the wedding.  He died and was buried on 29th March 1871 aged 46 years.

The 1871 and 1881 censuses show Elizabeth as the beerhouse keeper.  We know she carried on to at least 1884 as the Bristol Times and Mercury reported that she was fined 10 shillings, had to pay 14 shillings and 6 pence in costs and had her licence endorsed for permitting drunkenness to take place on her premises. 

William Hicks
The 1891 census shows that William Hicks was occupying the premises.  It had ceased operating as a beerhouse and become a lodging house.  Living there were  William aged 47 from St Georges, Sarah Ann Hicks aged 42 also from St Georges, and Sarah Ann Hicks aged 8 from Bristol.  William Hicks is listed in the 1899 Thornbury Trade Directory as a lodging house keeper at Bath Road.

The Bristol Mercury shows that the property was put up for sale in August 1886.  It was described as 'well built dwelling house with large garden in the rear thereof containing 38 perches more or less situate in Chapel Street in the Town of Thornbury and lately known as the Seven Stars.  The house contains a sitting room, kitchen, shop, pantry, back kitchen, six bedrooms and on the premises are Brewhouse, stables and pigstyes.  This lot is in the occupation of Mr William Hicks as a quarterly tenant at a rent of £15 per annum'.

William and Sarah had moved from Bristol.  In the 1881 census, William was a haulier living with Sarah, a staymaker, in 1 Boynton Terrace, St Werburghs in Bristol.

Leonard and Elizabeth Ann Smith
The 1901 census shows the lodging house was now being run by Leonard and Elizabeth K. Smith.  Leonard was described in the census as working as a general labourer aged 34 from St George.  He must have been a labourer alongside being a lodging house keeper, although it is likely that Elizabeth (aged 25?) did most of the work.  It is interesting to note that this census, several of the trade directories and electoral registers locate the Seven Stars in Chapel Street during the early 1900's.  This is yet another name used to describe this short length of road.

Living with Leonard and Elizabeth were their children, George A aged 4 from St George and Edward H aged 2 from Cold Ashton plus seven lodgers and two visitors.  They had at least one other child: Doris born on 15th June 1904.

Leonard was born about 1867, the son of George and Mary Ann Smith.  In 1881 Leonard was working as a shoemaker living with his parents at Rodney Lane, St George, Gloucester.  In 1891 he was still a shoemaker living with his widowed mother at the same address.

Leonard married Elizabeth Kate Little in Bristol in 1895.  Leonard's wife was 'Elizabeth K' as recorded in the 1901 census but was later referred to as Elizabeth Ann.  We are not sure whether she just used different middle names at different stages of her life or whether she was a different person.

Leonard and Elizabeth continued operating as a lodging house throughout the 1920's and 30's.  Leonard died on February 12th 1937 aged 72 years.  Elizabeth carried on living there until she died on 25th March 1950 aged 75 years.

Several locals have told us that the land behind the lodging house was used to keep pigs even when the building was used as a lodging house.  There were a large number of pigsties used by Thompsons who ran the grocers on the High Street.  People regularly saw pigs been driven through the front door of the house to take them to and from the market or elsewhere.

Peter and Mary Barnes - Peter was a reporter for the Bristol Evening Post. He and Mary were living at the Seven Stars in 1957 when their daughter, Fiona Mary was baptised.   We have been told that Peter's mother lived there as well and that she carried on living in the area after Peter and Mary moved elsewhere.

The Hills - the family to own and occupy the house were the Hills.  We understand that Mr Hill was a musician who played for the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.  He had lost a leg in the First World War.  His wife, Marion H Hill was still living in the house in 1965 and alter when it was earmarked for demolition by the Council as part of the Town's re-development. 

 This page was last updated: 10/10/2008