The Maishments
No. 1 St John Street
No. 1A St John Street
No. 3 St John Street
No. 5 St John Street
No. 7 St John Street
No. 9 St John Street
No. 11 St John Street
No. 13 St John Street
No. 15 St John Street
No. 17 St John Street
No. 19 St John Street
No. 21 St John Street
No. 23 St John Street
No. 2 St John Street
No. 4 St John Street
No. 6 St John Street
No. 8 St John Street
John Maishment was born in Devizes about 1794. We do not know when he moved to Thornbury. Our first record so far is of his children who were baptised in St Mary's church Thornbury. William and Jane were baptised in December 1823 and sons George and Henry were baptised in July 1837. John's wife, Hester, was a local girl, having been born in Thornbury about 1800.
In the 1841 census, the family were living in Gillingstool Cottage, Gillingstool Hill where John was a journeyman tailor. Living with them in 1841 were their sons, James aged 13, Henry aged 10 and Alfred aged 10 months.
By 1851 John and the family had moved to the house now known as 5 St John Street. This is confirmed by the deeds of the house. Also living with John and Hester were their son, George aged 20, also a journeyman tailor and a lodger, Robert Hopkins another journeyman tailor, unmarried, aged 63 and born in Thornbury. On 8th December 1851 George Maishment married Elizabeth Carter, the daughter of Joseph Carter, a labourer.
Hester died in 1857. In 1861 John was in the Thornbury Union Workhouse where he was still being described as a tailor. It is possible that John was in the workhouse because of ill-health because his son, George, now aged 39, was living in Castle Street near the old Rectory. He was described as a tailor. His wife was Elizabeth aged 39. They had 4 children: William baptised 30th May 1852, Elizabeth baptised 1st October 1854, Jane baptised 4th January 1857, and Edward baptised 5th June 1859.
In 1871 they were living on Gillingstool Hill with Jane and Edward and their other children: Ellen baptised 2nd February 1862 and Rose baptised on 7th August 1868. There had been other daughter, Annie baptised 3rd September 1865, who died on 3rd July 1868. By 1881, George had moved to Pullins Green, living in one of the small houses, now numbered 8 Pullins Green. George was a tailor aged 49, Elizabeth was a laundress aged 50, and Rose aged 12.
In 1891 George and Elizabeth were still there but now they were on their own. By 1901 a grandson, Bruce Webb, had moved in with them. Bruce was the son of Rose and her husband, Harry who was born in October 1892. Elizabeth had died in 1901 aged 71. George died in 1909 aged 79.
It is interesting to see that this family of Maishments are connected to several other families featured on this website:
Jane Maishment, the daughter of George and Elizabeth went on to marry Charles Symes. Click here to read more about this family
Elizabeth Maishment, another daughter of George and Elizabeth married George Trayhurn, a butcher. Click here to read more about this family
Kate Maishment, the daughter of William and grand-daughter of George and Elizabeth became the wife of Harry White and mother of Francis White. Click here to read more about this family
This page was last updated: 29/10/2008