11 Upper Bath Road
Raglan Castle
We have been fascinated by the place in Thornbury called Raglan Castle (or Ragland Castle as it appears in some sources). People have told us it was the name of an old beerhouse or farm. We have found no evidence to confirm these claims. The earliest reference we have found to the name was the 1851 census enumerator's route description which calls John Smith's place 'Raglan Castle'.
Raglan Castle was located on the southern edge of Thornbury, very close to where the railway station was built in 1872. When the property was advertised for sale in the Bristol Mercury on 20th February 1886, it was described in 1886 as 'Ragland Castle - all those two messuages with the large garden and ruinous cottage, cart shed and outbuildings belonging thereto, formerly called 'Townsend' but now known as 'Ragland Castle' and situate in Upper Bath Road'. The property was being sold with the lane adjoining the property 'leading to Vilner'. Potential buyers were made aware of that it was well adapted for building purposes. The advert shows that the owner was John Smith.
The names of Raglan Castle and Ragland Castle both were used widely for the property. They have also been used to describe the section of Upper Bath Road between Chapel Street and the Railway Station.
We don't know when the buildings were built. They were there in 1840 when the Tithe Survey shows them as Plot 331 and the plan appears to show two or three households. The accompanying detail however just refers to the Plot being owned and occupied by John Smith.
Since 1840, Raglan Castle seem to be owned by one family, that of John Smith and his descendants:
John Smith - the 1841 census shows that John was a coal merchant. He was living here with his wife, Sarah and their children: John, James and Selia. John died and was buried on 31st January 1851 aged 76 years.
The 1851 census shows Sarah was aged 76 years living in one household in what was called Back Street, (but we believe this to the same property at Raglan Castle). She was living there with her son, James Smith, an agricultural labourer aged 34 and her widowed daughter, Harriett Gough and her children.
Sarah Smith's other son, John, seems to be living in another household, presumably in another part of Raglan Castle. John was an agricultural labourer aged 43. He was living there with his wife, Alice (nee Trayhurn) aged 32 and their children: John aged 7, Henry aged 5 and Alice aged 3 and Alice's mother, Alice Trayhurn who a pauper aged 68 and was blind.
Sarah died aged 84 years and was buried on 10th May 1860. By the 1861 census James had moved away and the property was occupied by one of John and Sarah' other sons, John Smith, an agricultural labourer aged 52, his wife, Alice an upholstress aged 41 and their children: John Junior and Henry, both agricultural labourers aged 18 and 15 respectively, Alice aged 13, and Edwin aged 9. Harriett Gough seemed to be occupying the other part of the property - she was described as a laundress aged 50 and she was living with her children: William a railway labourer aged 30, Celia, a house servant aged 20 and Elizabeth aged 16.
The 1871 census actually records the name of the house as 'Raglands Castle'. John and Alice were still there with their sons, John and Edwin. Harriet Gough and her daughter, Elizabeth were not living at Ragland Castle because they were in service at Heathend in Cromhall. Harriett was a cook and Elizabeth was a housemaid. There was also a footman living in the household, Thomas Rickards whom Elizabeth was to marry shortly after. We suspect that their son, John, married Jane Skuse in 1874 - click here to read more about them
In 1881 John and Alice are living there with their son, Edwin. John's sister, Harriett Gough, was back sharing Raglan Castle - she was there with her daughter, Elizabeth Rickards aged 39 and her children: William aged 4 born in Tewksbury and Albert aged 3 born in Thornbury.
Harriett Gough died aged 78 in 1884 and her sister-in-law, Alice Smith died aged 67 in 1885. In 1886, John tried to sell the property. We don't think he was successful. John died in 1889 aged 81, and the next occupant was George Hopkins and his wife, Alice, whom we think was the daughter of John Smith.
George Hopkins - George Robinson Hopkins was baptised on 7th February 1844, the son of William Hopkins and his wife Eliza (nee Robinson) who lived in Kington. In 1851 the Hopkins family were living next to Churnmead Farm. In 1861 they were living on the Kington Road, near Churngate Farm. George was one of 7 children and he was working as an agricultural labourer like his father.
In 1866 George married Alice Smith. The marriage was registered in Bristol, but it seems very likely that Alice was the daughter of John Smith who had been living in Raglan Castle. The 1871 census shows that Alice was born in Thornbury and following their marriage they had settled in a house opposite Raglan Castle at the house which later became 12 Upper Bath Road. By the time of the census they had a daughter, Alice aged 4 and a son, Henry aged 3 months.
The 1881 census shows George and Alice still living in 12 Upper Bath Road. George was a labourer aged 35, Alice a dressmaker aged 32, living with children: Alice aged 14, Lilly aged 8, Henry aged 6, Walwyn aged 5 and Laura aged 7 months.
By the 1890 Rate Book, George had taken over Raglan Castle following the death of Alice's father, John Smith. The 1891 census shows George Hopkins was a general labourer aged 45, his wife, Alice was aged 43 with children: Harry a hotel porter aged 17, Austin aged 6, Laura aged 14, Charley and George, twin sons aged 3. It appears that Alice's brother Edwin continues to live in the other part of the house. It is interesting to note that he is recorded under the name of Edwin in earlier censuses when his parents were alive, but in 1891 and 1901 (when he is also sharing the house) what appears to be the same person is referred to by the name of Edward. The 1890, 1894 and 1899 Rate Books also refer to him as Edward and show him to be occupying part of the house. By 1905 Edward had moved away.
The family remained there until the place was acquired by the Council for re-development of Streamleaze Council Estate of Council houses. The 1901 census shows George as being a farm labourer aged 54 living with Alice aged 50, and sons: Austin, a page boy aged 17 and Charles and George, both errand boys aged 13.
Alice died on 5th January 1917 aged 69 years. George carried on living in Raglan Castle with his son, George and his wife, Mary (nee Bennett) whom he had married in 1915. Mary was baptised on 18th November 1890, the daughter of Mary Ann Bennett of Hill. We know they had two children: the birth of Lewis G. H. Hopkins was registered in March qtr 1916 and Mary Alice Hopkins was born on 11th September 1916. Mary gained a free scholarship to the Grammar School in 1927 and is remembered by Gwen Billett (nee Collins), who lived nearby, as being her 'nursemaid' when a young child.
During the First World War, George applied for exemption from military service on the grounds that 'my father who is 73 had an accident in July 1915 and is incapacitated and my mother is also a permanent invalid and unable to get about. They have a small pension but are otherwise dependent on me. I am married with one child'. We do not know if this application was successful or not.
George (Senior) died on 14th June 1929 aged 85. George (Junior) worked as a postman and he and Mary carried on living there until George died in 1937 aged 45. Apparently he fell off the roof of his house whilst mending a hole in the roof.
During the War, Mary took in a family of Dutch evacuees, Bernard and Gesiena Cavanagh and their 2 sons. Mary's daughter, Mary Alice, married one of the sons, George Cavanagh, who was working at the aircraft engine factory at Patchway. They then moved to 12 North Road before emigrating to Canada. Bernard and Gesiena moved to live in Woodbine Cottage with Mrs Excell and then moved to live in Sibland House and then in Eastland Avenue. Following Bernard's death Gesiena moved to Stafford Crescent. They were remembered on George Hopkins' gravestone in Thornbury Cemetery.
Mary carried on until the houses were required for the Streamleaze development in the early 60's when she moved to 4 Buckingham Parade. She died in 1973 aged 82.
When all signs of the Raglan Castle were removed, the Council named one of the streets in nearby estate 'Raglan Place'.
This page was last updated: 11/11/2008