11 Pullins Green

Occupants

In the 1841 Census, it is difficult to identify which house is number 11.  The most likely house is occupied by John George Dyer, a shoemaker aged 31.  He is living in the house with his wife, Anne aged 31 and children, George aged 9, Ann aged 6, Henry aged 4, Eliza aged 2, and Mary aged 1.  Mary Withers, a 65 year old lady of independent means is also living in the house.  The 1851 census shows the family had moved to Wellington Place in Bristol.  This census shows that Ann had been born in Thornbury which is where all the children were also born.  They had one more daughter, Laura born in 1843.

The Police
In the 1851 Census the house was occupied by William Taylor, a police sergeant, aged 32 from Sulgrave, Northamptonshire.  Living with him were his wife, Hannah, aged 37 from Oxfordshire and their children: Thomas aged 8, William J. aged 5, Cornelius aged 3, and Ann H. aged 1.  They also had two lodgers living with them, Benjamin Holloway, a police constable aged 33, and John Newman aged 25.  The two constables and all the children were born in various places  showing that the policemen had very mobile careers!

The occupation of the house by policemen may suggest that it was being used by the Town as a police station.  We have no other evidence yet to support this theory, although Ron Lewis who lived there much later remembers a small 'barred window' which he felt could easily have belonged to a cell.  In 1841 the police were housed at the other end of St John Street near to other buildings of the 'Corporation of Thornbury'.  By 1861 the new police station had built on the High Street. 

Sarah Beard
Sarah Beard occupied the house in the 1861 Census.  She was a widow aged 62 described as a proprietor of houses and land.  She was born in Littleton upon Seven.  Living with her was her niece, Harriet Tovey who was unmarried, aged 31 and also from Littleton. 

We have been told by another researcher, Carol Watkins, that Sarah was probably the daughter of William and Ann Jones who was baptised in Littleton on 24th August 1796.  She married William Nicholas at St James's Church in Bristol on 5th September 1816.  In the 1841 Census they were living in Shepperdine.  At that time William was a farmer aged 53 and Sarah was about 40.  William Nicholas died aged 66 in Shepperdine and was buried in Littleton on November 9th 1849.

Sarah Nicholas married again on 24th June 1852 aged 54.  Her second husband was William Beard a widower then aged 56.  William was a farmer and the son of Stephen Beard and Elizabeth nee Wherrett.  William appears to have died before 1861 but we have been unable to trace the record.

The 1867 Rate Book shows Sarah had moved to 9 The Plain.  The 1871 Rate Book and census also show her there and she was described as having no occupation, and she appears to be described as a farmer's widow.  Sarah died in 1879 aged 83 years.  Her will dated 2nd January 1867 shows that Sarah owned a number of properties in Thornbury, Oldbury and Littleton.  Of these:

She left the house 'my messuage, dwelling house, garden and premises now in my own occupation situate on The Plain in the said Borough of Thornbury which I lately purchased from Mr Thomas Ann' to her trustees John Comely Cornock and John Crowther Gwynn, together with the property in Oldbury and Littleton for the benefit of the daughters of her brothers, George and Charles Jones and sister, Betty Taylor (except Ruth Taylor who was given the property mentioned below).

She left her "messuage or tenement garden and premises late in the occupation of Robert Jordan and then of Ruth Taylor situate in the High Street of the said Borough of Thornbury which she lately purchased of the Representatives of Elizabeth Fewster deceased unto and to the use of her said niece Ruth Taylor her heirs and assigns for ever." The will specifies that Ruth should pay the money outstanding on the mortgage.  This house was number 6 Castle Street, known as Oriel  Cottage.  It was the house that Ruth Taylor was living in at the time of the will and when Sarah Beard bought it on 22nd November 1865 it may have been purchased with the intention of providing a home for Ruth. 

Sarah Barnard and Sarah Gibbon
In 1871 the house was occupied by two families: Sarah Barnard, an upholsteress aged 66 living with her son, Samuel a carpenter aged 25, and Sarah Gibbons, a widow aged 64 who was born in Stone and working as a laundress living with her niece, Priscilla, a dressmaker aged 28 born in Cheltenham.

Robert Jordan
The 1876 Rate Book lists Robert Jordan as the occupant of the house.  When the new Council School was opened in 1863, its first Master and Mistress were Robert Jordan and his wife Sarah (nee Basset).  Robert was a 'certified teacher of the third class'.  Click here to read more about Robert and Sarah Jordan

James Frederick Reid
James Frederick Reid occupied the house in the 1881 Census.  He was there with his wife, Mary Jane Reid.  James was a certified teacher aged 26 a 'British subject' born in Corfu.  Mary was a schoolmistress aged 26 born in Haverfordwest.  James had married Mary Jane Morgan in Haverfordwest in December quarter 1878.  They had one child, James Alexander born in Thornbury in 1880.    We understand James was appointed headmaster of the British School on 29 December 1879.  However James Reid and his wife did not teach in Thornbury for very long.

The report on his teaching gives an idea of how he came to leave. 'I am disappointed with this school.  When Mr Reid was appointed I hoped to see great improvement.  Now, though I do not doubt his ability, I am quite dissatisfied with the tone and progress of this school.  Every half hour spent in the school left me less and less satisfied, till my final verdict was that the moral influence and real order were bad.  Grammar fair, history bad, geography must be refused.  The specific subjects ought not to have been attempted while elementary knowledge was so much below the mark.   As to domestic economy I can only stand amazed that any teacher should have presented girls so utterly untaught.  I should have recommended a deduction from the grant had not the managers already dismissed the Master, though I believe on other grounds, and not for the inefficiency of the teaching”.

The Chairman of the School at the time (and presumably one of the people responsible for the report) was Reverend Charles Gayler, an Independent Minister who in the 1881 Census was shown as a lodger, either living in James's house or next door with Mark Williams, the blacksmith.

Mr Reid's teaching career continued elsewhere.  In 1891 he and his family were living in Greatworth near Brackley in Northants, he as a certified master and his wife as a sewing mistress.  By 1901 they had moved to St Mabyn village, Cornwall.

Edward and Lucy Liddiatt - click here to read about the Liddiatts

Arthur Conway and Lily Lewis - click here to read more about the Lewis's.

Thomas Patrick and Eleanor Kirby - they took over the shop from the Lewis's shortly after the War and converted it into a fish and chip shop.  The 1951 Festival of Britain programme for Thornbury includes an advert which refers to their 'Fish and Chip Restaurant - minerals and teas'.   They continued running this business until about 1972.

John and Joy Liew took over the house and shop in 1972 and ran the shop as The Hong Kong Fish Bar until about 1987.

The Chan family took over from the Liews and we would like to learn more about them.

Scott Li - took it over in 2000 and renamed it Hing Tai which means 'Two Brothers' in English.  Scott's family were from Vietnam and they settled in Birmingham.   

This page was last updated: 09/04/2010