Bath Road

Number 10

Unfortunately we don't have a proper photograph of the house.  In the photo on the right taken from the front garden of 2 Market Site, it is possible to see the house over the far wall.  There was a building there in the 1840 Tithe Survey, and it shows that this property was part of Plot 323 which was described as a cottage and garden owned and occupied by Elizabeth Young.

We were lucky to have traced a document called an Abstract of Title  which gives us quite a lot of information about the house, the owners and occupants.  The earliest owner of the house referred to in the Abstract was Henry Osborne. 

Henry Osborne - Henry Osborne married on 27th April 1806.  His wife was a widow, Elizabeth Osborne, presumably the wife of one of Henry's brothers although we haven't been able to confirm this.  Henry and Elizabeth had two children: Mary born on 25th January 1807 and Elizabeth born on 12th April 1810.  Although the Abstract referred to above refers to Henry as a mariner, the baptism of Mary shows him as a" hallier" and he was a labourer when Elizabeth was baptised.

When Henry died in 1810 the property was left to Elizabeth Osborne his widow and Mary Osborne and Elizabeth his only surviving children as co-heirs.  Henry's wife, Elizabeth married again; this time to Charles Young.  Thus, she became Elizabeth Young, the person referred to in the Tithe Survey as owning and occupying the house.  The 1841 census shows the house occupied by Charles Young an agricultural labourer aged 79, his wife, Elizabeth aged 75 and Mary Osborne a female servant aged 30.

Charles Young died on 19th November 1845 aged 84.  Elizabeth died aged 86 and was buried on 23rd October 1850.  Her two daughter then arranged to dispose of the property.  An indenture dated 29th March 1851 shows that Mary Osborne and her sister, Elizabeth Badman, and her husband Thomas Badman a labourer from Horfield in Bristol agreed to sell the property to Joseph Prewett for £28. 

Joseph Prewett - having bought the property in 1851 it doesn't appear that Joseph ever lived there.  He seemed to own several properties in the area and his main business was a stationer's and newsagent's which was located in the High Street. 

Joseph was born in Olveston (or Alveston) about 1813.  The 1851 census shows Joseph was a newsagent aged 37 living in the High Street with his wife, Susan who was aged 38.  They had 5 children: George aged 13, Charles aged 10, Charlotte aged 7, Walter aged 5 and Henry aged 2, all born in Thornbury.  We are not sure who Joseph's parents were, but in 1851 he was living next door to James and Hester Prewett who might have been his parents.

Joseph's wife, Susan, died in 1858 and Joseph re-married in 1859.   His second wife was Emma Pavey Wood.  The 1861 census shows that Joseph was still living in the same house, although he was now shown as working as an agricultural labourer.  Emma was aged 30 from Bristol.  They were living with 2 children from Joseph's first marriage, Henry aged 11 and Mark aged 9  and a daughter of their own, Emma aged 8 months.  The 1871 census shows Joseph had returned to being a 'newsman' and still living in the same place.  They now had Emma aged 10, Mary Ann aged 9, Frederick aged 7, Thomas Wood Prewett aged 5, Albert aged 4 and Arthur Joseph aged 2. 

By his Will and Testament dated 16th August 1879 Joseph Prewett appointed his wife, Emma Pavey Prewett and William Frederick Nalder to be his executors and trustees and devised all his real estate to them upon trust for his wife for her life and after her death upon trust for sale.  Joseph Prewett died on 24th March 1885 aged 71 and probate granted on 4th August 1885.  The baptism records of Thomas and Albert in 1865 and 1866 show Joseph was working as an ostler.  The 1881 census shows they had had one more addition to the family, Rosetta baptised on 7th December 1873 and their son, Frederick, had become a butcher's apprentice.

The 1891 census shows Emma was carrying on the newsagent business, being helped by Albert who had become a stationer and newsvendor and Rosetta who had become a stationer's assistant.  Emma Pavey Prewett died and was buried on 7th May 1900 aged 70 years.  Albert carried on the business and moved to a shop further up the High Street.  It became the well-established and popular printing, newsagents and stationers business, now known as Horders Thornbury Press.

On 12th September 1900 the property at Bath Road was put up for sale at auction.  It was described as: 'Valuable Freehold Property viz. a most desirable cottage and garden situate in Bulls Eye Lane in the town of Thornbury numbered 323 on the map annexed to the tithe apportionment for the Parish of Thornbury and now in the occupation of Police Constable Jones as a tenant thereof at the moderate rent of £9 per annum.  The Cottage is in good state of repair and is pleasantly situated adjoining the road leading to the baths'.

Thomas Anstey - the 1905 & 1910 Rate Books show that Thomas Anstey had taken over ownership of the property and that he was listed as the occupant.  We are not convinced that he ever lived here.  Thomas is listed as being the occupant of several properties around Thornbury in those Rate Books.  In that case, we do not know who lived there.

Thomas was baptised on 20th October 1850, the son of Thomas Anstey, a tailor and draper and his wife Anne (the daughter of Daniel Burchell).  Tragically Thomas's father had died before Thomas was born and he was buried on 29th April 1850 aged 28.  In the 1851 census Ann was a grocer aged 28 living in the High Street with her children: Henry aged 3 and Thomas aged 6 months.  Her brother, John Burchell was also living in the house.  In 1861 Ann was still living there with the two boys.  By 1871 Thomas had become a carpenter and he was living with his mother who was still a shopkeeper in the High Street.

In 1879, Thomas married Emily Eddington - the marriage took place in the Barton Regis (Clifton) area of Bristol.  The 1881 census shows that the shop had been taken over by Thomas's aunt, Elizabeth Ford, a widowed china dealer aged 72 from Wickwar.  Thomas and Emily were living there with her.  Thomas was a carpenter aged 30.  Emily was a "fancy shopkeeper" aged 29 and born in Thornbury.

Thomas and Emily had at least two children:  Thomas Ford  Anstey baptised on 2nd October 1881 and Emma Jane baptised on 7th October 1883.

By 1889 the trade directories show Thomas had became a wine and spirit merchant and the 1891 census shows he had moved across the High Street and set up a shop there.  The trade directory shows that he was also still a china dealer (presumably that was Emily's responsibility) and he was an agent for Northern Assurance.

In 1901 Thomas was a wine merchant in the High Street and he continued operating there until at least 1914 according to the trade directories and he is listed as living there in the 1918 electoral register.  Thomas died on 25th December 1920 aged 71 and Emily died 18th April 1921 aged 70.

Thornbury Rural District Council - the 1926 Rate Book shows that the Council had taken over the ownership of the house.  We are not sure why they acquired the house.

Click here to read about the OCCUPANTS of the house

This page was last updated: 23/08/2010