Gillingstool Cottage

Occupants

John and Hester Maishment - in 1841 the house was occupied by this Maishment family - click here to read more

William Harvey - although it is far from certain, we believe that William was living in the house in the 1851 census.  William was a journeyman blacksmith aged 30 living with his wife, Eliza aged 35 from Oldbury and their children: George aged 12 (who was born in Bristol), Charlotte aged 6 and Sarah Ann aged 5 months.  The family were being visited by Henry, an agricultural labourer and Fanny Sansum and their daughter, Alsea aged 3.  William's brother, Anselm Harvey, a mason aged 28 and his son, Henry aged 2 were living in the same house or next door.

William Harvey was baptised on 16th October 1820, the son of George Harvey, a labourer and his wife Catherine from Kington.  Anselm was baptised on 24th April 1823.

In 1841 George and Catherine and their family were living in Gillingstool.  William married Eliza Peglar in June qtr 1843.  Anselm married Maria Poole, daughter of Thomas Pooler, labourer on 10th April 1847.  Maria died a few years later and was buried on 5th October 1850 aged 33 years.

We don't know what happened to William and his family after the census.  We know that Anselm re-married.  In December qtr 1853 he married Rebecca Osborne who was born in Cam.  Anselm and Rebecca settled in Castle Street with Rebecca's parents, William Osborne, a carpenter, and his wife, Ann, a laundress.  They were living there in 1861, 1871 and 1881 censuses.  Anselm died and was buried on 25th January 1883 aged 59 years.  He was buried in the same grave as Maria, his first wife, in Thornbury St Marys Churchyard.

Elizabeth and Hannah Dyer - in 1861 the house was occupied by Elizabeth Dyer, a proprietor of houses, aged 80 years born in Thornbury and her unmarried daughter Hannah, aged 42 born in Bristol

The 1851 census shows the family were living in Bristol before moving to Thornbury.  Elizabeth was living in the Toll House in Wapping in Bristol with her husband, Thomas Dyer, a tollgate keeper aged 67 and unmarried daughter, Hannah aged 30.   The family must have moved shortly after this census as Thomas died on 5th March 1853 aged 68 years and is buried in Thornbury St Mary's Churchyard.

Elizabeth died in Thornbury on 20th February 1870 aged 88 years and she is also buried in  St Mary's Churchyard.  In the 1871 and 1881 censuses show that Hannah was still living in the house, but she was sharing it with Bernard Symes (see below).  We are puzzled by Hannah's relationship to the Symes's, even if there is a relationship at all.  The 1871 census doesn't given us any clue, but in 1881 Hannah is described as 'Mother-in-law' to Bernard and the word 'Step' was written in the relationship column but this was crossed through.  We cannot see how she can be Bernard's mother in law in the usual sense, or step mother.  One possible explanation is that having no next-of-kin' herself Hannah chose to leave her property to Bernard, which is what she seems to have done.

Hannah died on 14th July 1885 aged 67 years.  The burial register shows that Bernard Symes had to register the burial under the 1880 Burial Act - we assume that this meant that Hannah wanted to be buried without the rites of the Church of England.  She was buried in the grave with her parents in Thornbury St Mary's Churchyard.

Bernard Symes - in 1871 and 1881 the house is occupied by Bernard Symes, a tailor.  Click here to read more about Bernard and his family 

Anne Morton - in 1891 the house was occupied by Anne Morton, a widow aged 50 from Cromhall, her son, Joseph Halley Morton a solicitor's clerk aged 17 and daughter Caroline Augusta, a pupil school teacher aged 16.

Ann's maiden name was Daniells and in 1859 she married Daniel Morton who was a farmer.  In 1861 they were living at Fowlers Farm, Charfield.  Daniel died in 1876 aged 42.  In 1881 Ann was living with her children at Heath End Farm, Cromhall.   She was assisted in the running of the 120 acre farm by her son, William and two farm men.

Joseph was mentioned in the voters list 1896 as being in Gillingstool, although he seems to have moved that year to Castle Street.

Anne died in 1899 aged 61.

Ernest Edward Murray - in 1901 the house was occupied by Ernest J. Murray a journeyman tailor aged 32 from Ireland and his wife, Louisa aged 33 from Leaford in Hampshire.

Ernest was listed as living in Gillingstool in the Thornbury 1896 Voters List.  He married Louisa Pike near Stockbridge in Hampshire in 1897.  They must have settled in Ernest's house in Gillingstool.  He is listed as living there in 1899, 1904 and 1910 trade directories and Ernest, Louisa and Ernest's sister, Emma, were listed as living there in 1918 and 1921 electoral registers.  In 1931 and 1935 just Ernest and Louisa were living in the house.  By 1936 they had both moved to Crossways.

Emma was born about 1874 in Dublin.  In 1881 she was living with her widowed mother, Sarah, a shopkeeper at Lower Maudlin Street, Bristol.  Emma died on 29th November 1925 aged 52 years.  She is buried in the same grave as her cousin, Frank Harvey Beaumont who died on January 29th 1929 aged 73 years.

Ernest's wife, Louisa, is also buried in the same grave having died on 24th December 1948 aged 83 years.  Ernest must have died before 1946, when the electoral register just shows Louisa living at Heath View, Crossways.

The Bulls - we understand that a family of Bulls occupied the house in the 1930's.  They had a son remembered as a bit of a 'bully' at the Council School but we can find no trace of him in the school records.   The 1935 electoral registers shows that Thomas Samuel and Emily Bull were living in Gillingstool with Ronald Glenthorne.  Thomas Bull worked for the auctioneers and was regularly seen at Thornbury Market organising the animals in their pens.  It was assumed he went to other markets to do the same work on other days.  In 1938 Thomas and Emily were still there, but Ronald was now in the High Street with his wife, Isabel Nora (nee Mahagan). 

We are not sure who lived in the house after the Bulls.

Raymond Thomas and Alma Elizabeth Rugman -  lived in the house from about 1954 onwards.  Ray was born on 30th May 1922, the son of Sidney Rugman and his wife, Helen (nee Pritchard) who lived in Hackett Lane.  Alma, or Betty as she preferred to be called, was the daughter of Lawford Henry and Florence Blanchard from Tytherington.   At first, Ray and Betty lived at 17 Market Site, the home of Ray's parents before moving to Gillingstool Cottage.

Ray worked in the quarry at Tytherington but he later moved to work for the CEGB at Berkeley Power Station   Ray and Betty had two children: Margaret and Malcolm. 

They were to remain in Gillingstool Cottage until it was acquired for demolition as part of the town's redevelopment in the late 60's.   

This page was last updated: 10/07/2008