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 October 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.  Mary was living in the cottage at the time of the sale.  She appears to have moved away because the house seems to be unoccupied at the time of the 1851 census.

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 and baptised on 14th November 1813.  We understand that Joseph married Susannah Minett at St Pauls, Bristol on 23rd April 1835.  Susannah was born on 5th June 1813, the daughter of George and Henrietta Minett who had moved to Thornbury from Coaley.  It is thought that George was a sawyer. The Scribes Alcove website appears to indicate that Susannah was baptised twice at the same church, the second time on 17th April 1833 aged 21.  In the second baptism record she is shown as "Susan."

When Joseph bought 10 Bath Road on 29th March 1851 Joseph was referred to as a servant to Mrs Frances Gayner.  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 (baptised on 11th June 1837), Charles aged 10 (baptised on 29th December 1839), Charlotte aged 7 (baptised on 25th January 1843), Walter aged 5 (baptised 6th April 1845) and Henry aged 2 (baptised on 20th October 1848), all born in Thornbury.  Another son, Mark, was baptised on 15th June 1845, but he appears to have died very young as another Mark Prewett was baptised on 15th June 1851.  The family suffered another loss; Walter Prewett was buried in Thornbury on 22nd February 1853 aged only 8 years

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 on 9th September 1858 and Joseph re-married on 15th September 1859 at St James Church, Bristol.   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 (baptised on 15th June 1851) 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 (born on 8th April 1863), Thomas Wood Prewett aged 5 (born 3rd September 1865), Albert aged 4 (born 4th November 1866) and Arthur Joseph aged 2 (born on 7th November 1869). 

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 born on 28th August 1873 and baptised on 7th December 1873 and their son, Frederick, had become a butcher's apprentice. (Note - Frederick went on to become a butcher.  He emigrated to New Zealand in 1892).

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 on 3rd May 1900 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'.

Caroline Elizabeth Withers - on 31st October 1900 the property was sold by Joseph Prewett's surviving executor, William Frederick Nalder, to Caroline Elizabeth Withers of the Castle Hotel for £145.   Caroline died in tragic circumstances on 3rd September 1901.  Click here to read more.   Caroline had died intestate and the property was inherited by her son, Alfred Harry Butler her eldest son from her previous marriage.  On 20th December 1912 Alfred who was a warehouseman living in Southampton at the time authorised Caroline's administrators (James Bevan and William Harris Ponting) to sell 10 Bath Road to the District Council for £150.

Thornbury Rural District Council - the 1925 Valuation List and 1926 Rate Book show 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: 10/12/2011