11 St John Street

Tenants

The 1840 Tithe survey shows that Susan Watkins was living in the house at that time.  By the 1841 census the house was vacant.  We have not yet found any other record of Susan Watkins in the Thornbury records.

In 1851, the house appears to be occupied by John Liddiatt, a landowner, his wife, Mary and their grand-daughter Ellin Hale.  John was aged 75 born in Thornbury, Mary aged 79 born in Almondsbury and Ellin aged 13 born in Slimbridge.  In 1841 they had been living at 1 Horseshoe Lane.  John was then employed as an agricultural labourer.  Mary died in 1852.

In the 1859 Rate Book and the 1861 census the house was occupied by Mary McHugh, a widowed seamstress from Thornbury aged 36 and her daughter Mary Ann aged 6.  In 1851 Mary had been unmarried and living at home with her parents, Thomas and Hannah Poole in Kington.  Thomas was an agricultural labourer from Easton Grey in Wiltshire.  Mary Ann died in 1864 aged 10 years.  Her mother re-married the following year.  Her husband was Robert Allen, a widower from Thornbury.  He had previously been married to Eliza Brown from Hill.  Robert and Mary moved to Duckhole and by 1871 they had a 4 year old daughter, Ann Charlotte.

In 1871 the house was occupied by Mary Ann Smith.  Mary Ann had been living next door at number 13 with her husband, Mark, before moving to The Plough in St Mary Street.  Mark had died in 1865 aged 52 and Mary had returned to St John Street.  She is described as a 'late beerhouse keeper', aged 64.  She has a boarder living with her: Hannah Greenman, an annuitant, unmarried aged 60 and born in Thornbury.  Mary Ann Smith died in 1874 aged 69 years.  Click here to read more about Mary's earlier life

In 1881 the house was occupied by Charlotte Hatherell, a widow aged 76 who was born in Thornbury.  She died later the same year and was buried in the churchyard of St Mary's church Thornbury with her husband Richard, who had died in 1871.

Charlotte was born in 1806 (baptised in Thornbury 6 July 1806), the daughter of John and Ann Cossham.  She married Richard Hatherell in Thornbury on 22 February 1831.  Richard was an agricultural labourer born in Bath.  He and Charlotte were living in Thornbury in the 1841 census.  They had a daughter, Ellen aged 14 and a son, William, a young shoemaker aged 12.  By 1851 the family had moved to Huntingford where they had two extra children : Fanny aged 9, Emily aged 6, Laura aged 3 and Edwin aged 1.  In 1861 they were back in Thornbury, living at Gillingstool.

In 1885 and 1887 the Rate Books show that the tenant was Mrs Ball.  We know from a court case at the Thornbury Petty Sessional Court on 7th March 1883 that the house was in the occupation of Joseph Ball.   It is likely that Mrs Ball was Sarah Ann who had married Joseph Ball in 1879.  Click here to read more about them

In the court case referred to above, Hester Cullimore, as the owner of the house was charged with not converting the cesspool at the cottage into an ash closet and thus keeping a privy which was a nuisance and injurious to health.  Hester was given 14 days to abate the nuisance and to construct the privy in a way to prevent any further nuisance. 

In 1890 the Rate Book says that the tenant is John Luce.  However it is possible that the Rate Book is wrong on this point as once again it disagrees with the census which shows that John Luce lived in number 13.  It is likely that the house was actually empty at this time.

In 1891 the house was occupied by Henry Bartlett, a butcher aged 20 and his wife, Minnie aged 21.  Henry was the son of John Bartlett, a stonemason and his wife Sarah.  They were living in Crossways at the time of his baptism on 7 April 1872.  Minnie was baptised as 'Peninnah Moss' from Rudgeway.  They were married in Thornbury in September quarter 1890.  By 1901 they had moved to Brinkworthy Road, Stapleton where he was a coachman.  They had had several children whilst living in Thornbury - George aged 9, Bessie aged 7, Ethel aged 6, Hubert aged 5, Beatie aged 4 and Ida aged 2.  Another child, Milly, was born after the move to Stapleton.  She was aged 5 months at the time of the census.

In 1894 the Rate Book says that the tenant is Hugh Wathen.  Hugh was born in Thornbury the son of William Wathen a brewer and his wife, Ann, a laundress.  In 1851 they were al living at "top of Back Street" which is now Chapel Street.  In 1871 he was still living with his family - aged 31- and a labourer in  a house which became known as 1 Horseshoe Lane although described as 'Pullins Green' in this cenus.  Hugh died in the workhouse aged only 60 on 30th December 1899

In 1899 the Rate Book says that the tenant is Hannah Comely and the census of 1901 shows that the house was occupied by Hannah Comely, a widowed charwoman aged 65.  Click here to read more about the Comelys

In 1910 The Rate Book shows that the tenant is called 'Smith'.  We know from the 1911 census that this was Matilda Smith a widowed charwoman aged 70 who was born in Dursley.

We are not sure who occupied the house until 1918 when the electoral register shows George and Jane Wakefield were living there.  George was born in Wotton Under Edge, the son of William Wakefield.  In 1901 his family were living in Hystfield, near Berkeley where William was a cattleman on a farm.  George served nine years in the Army and was in the Reserves when the First World War broke out in 1914.  He became a Private with the Gloucestershire Regiment 'B' Company 1st/5th Battalion and sent immediately to France where he fought in the Battle of Mons.  He was wounded at the Battle of Aisne in September 1914 and came home on leave.  When he returned to action in France in February 1915 he went through the Battle of Loos. 

In March quarter 1917 George married Jane Smart.  Jane was born in Thornbury in September quarter 1886, the daughter of Henry Smart, a labourer and his wife, Mary Ann (nee Wakefield).  We understand that George and Jane were cousins.  We are not sure how much time George and Jane spent together - he was sent with his Battalion to Italy in 1917 and took part in mountain warfare there.   He was killed on 15th June 1918 in the Battle of Asiago in Italy where the British lines were being attacked by Austrian troops.  George was aged 27.  He was buried in Boscon Cemetery.  Three of his brothers had already been killed whilst serving in the armed forces.  Private Albert Wakefield, Gunner R.G.A. was killed from pneumonia in India in July 1908 after 5 years service, Private James Wakefield, 1st Gloucesters who died at Hill in August 1912 from consumption after 8 years service, the result of a chill contracted in India and Private Tom Wakefield, 1st Gloucesters, killed in action in France in 1914 after 12 years service.

Jane continued living in 11 St John Street until at least 1926 when she is shown there in the Rate Book.  She later moved to Upper Bath Road where she was living when she died in 1942 aged 55.  We assume that she was living with her brother, George Smart and his wife, Emma, at 4 Upper Bath Road.

The next tenants of the house were Harry White and his wife, Kate.  Click here to read more about them.

This page was last updated: 04/06/2011