Horseshoe Lane

Numbers 13 - 19

The houses which became known as number 13, 15, 17 and 19 were a block of 4 terraced cottages.  It is frustrating that we do not have any photos of these houses which were on the right-hand side going down Horseshoe Lane from St Mary Street.

We have been told they were very similar in appearance to a row of 4 houses in Rock Street which we do have a photo of and will be putting on the website soon.  We have been given a good description of the houses by Win Jenkins (nee Webb) who was brought up in one of them as a child.  Click here to read Win's description

In the 1840 Tithe Survey, the houses were part of Plot 133 which also included the 4 similar houses in Rock Street referred to above.  All these houses were owned by Mary Wilkes.  The eight houses were occupied by Thomas Grigg, John Thomas, William Clutterbuck, Thomas Smith, Thomas Elton, Joseph Pym and William Matthews.  We know from the 1841 census that Thomas Smith, Joseph Pym and William Matthews were living in Horseshoe Lane at that time, and we assume that Thomas Elton was also there.   However, in the absence of any deeds for these houses, it is extremely difficult to identify which family occupied each house until the period in the 1900's which Win was able to tell us about.   Until that time, we have based our findings on the tithe records, census records and other sources, but please remember it is still just 'informed guesswork'.

Mary Wilkes was a widow.  In the 1841 census she was shown as a grocer.  Her husband, Henry Wilkes, had been a watch and clockmaker and he died on 17th April 1828 aged 48 years.  Henry married Mary Williams at St Phillip and St Jacob Church in Bristol on 23rd September 1811.  They had three children: Ann baptised on 14th July 1813, Jane baptised on 12th July 1815 and buried on 17th December 1815 and Emma baptised on 18th June 1817.

The Land Tax records show that Henry had become the owner of several plots of land and houses around the centre of the town.  On Henry's death, Mary became the owner.  Some of Mary's properties are shown on 1840 Tithe Map, others were in St Mary Street including the house where, in 1840, Mary was living on the corner of St Mary Street and Horseshoe Lane and several other adjoining properties in St Mary Street.  She owned other property in Tytherington.

Mary died and was buried on 28th March 1849 aged 70 years.  In her Will she left the properties adjoining the property where she lived in St Mary Street to her daughter, Ann Ann (the wife of Thomas Ann), the rest (including those in Horseshoe Lane) was left to her daughter, Emma.

We don't know who owned the Horseshoe Lane properties after this time.  We have a newspaper reference to them being up for sale at auction in 1924 but they failed to find a buyer.  Win Jenkins who lived there thinks the row of houses may have been owned by the Cornock family but she can't be sure and she remembers Charlie Pitcher collecting the rents.

Click here to read about the occupants of number 13
Click here to read about the occupants of number 15
Click here to read about the occupants of number 17
Click here to read about the occupants of number 19

This page was last updated: 10/07/2008