Jubilee House

Gillingstool Hill

At the time of the 1840 Tithe Survey, the site of the house was part of Plot 126, a house and garden owned by Thomas Wise and occupied by John Marshman.

We believe Jubilee House was built by WW Pitcher and son, the local builders, around the time of Queen Victoria's Jubilee in 1887.  It was listed as 'Jubilee House' in the 1891 census although it was not shown on the 1881 map of the town.  In 1881, Gillingstool Cottage, the house opposite the Baptist Church, had a large garden and the house was occupied at that time by Hannah Dyer, the house's owner, and Bernard Symes and his family.  It appears that Bernard arranged to have Jubilee House built in the garden of Gillingstool Cottage between the house and the school.  On Bernard's death in 1892, his wife, Laura Symes, became the owner and this continued until she died in 1911.  We have found a newspaper article dated 17th November 1898 in which Mrs Symes made a complaint to the Thornbury School Board.  She said that her house, then occupied by Alfred Gill and his family, was much overlooked by the newly erected school buildings and hit had depreciated in consequence.  The School Board 'decided to take no notice of the matter'.  

The photograph above was taken during the time that Bernard Symes lived in the house as the window above the door says "Symes Tailors".  The style of house is very similar to the Pitcher's own house in Gloucester Road, now number 24, which was built around the same time. 

In 1891 the house was occupied by Bernard Symes and his family.   Click here to read more about Bernard and his family

We have seen a building application for an extension to the Council School dated 1898.  This implies that the occupier of Jubilee House was a Mr Trew or Mr Frew.  The Rate Books however show that the Symes family continued to own the property from the time it was built about 1887 until at least 1910.  The same rate books show that Mr Frew owned property on the other side of the school.

By November 1898 the house was occupied by Alfred Gill and his family, although it was still owned by the Symes family.  We know this because on November 19th 1898, the Bristol Mercury has a report of a complaint to the school board from "Mrs Symes, owner of the adjoining property occupied by Mr A Gill  that her tenant's premises were much overlooked by the erection of the new school premises and her property was depreciated in consequence."

 In 1901 the census shows the house was occupied by railwayman, Alfred Gill and his family - click here to read more

In the 1930's the house became occupied by the family of another railwayman, station master, Charles Radcliffe Cooper.  Click here to read more about his family

This page was last updated: 04/03/2010