Horseshoe Lane

Occupants of number 15

Joseph Pym (or Pymm) - in 1841 the house was occupied by Joseph Pym, a shoemaker aged 47, his wife, Hester aged 49 and their children: John aged 10, Sarah aged 16, and Mary aged 14 and Sarah Iles aged 55.

Joseph was born in Olveston about 1792.  We have not found Joseph's birth records, but he is likely to be the son of Thomas Pymm and Sarah Shill who married on 16th June 1793.  Thomas came from Olveston which is where Joseph was born, although one census record says it was nearby Tockington.

We haven't traced any details of Joseph's marriage to Hester, nor the birth of their children.  Six of the children were baptised in Thornbury, but they seem to have been organised in batches: twins Joseph and Thomas were baptised on 10th November 1822 and four others, Elizabeth, Sarah, Mary and John, were baptised on 23rd October 1833.

In 1851 census shows Joseph as a shoemaker aged 55 with his wife, 'Sarah' who was 55.  We can't understand the change of name as his wife appears as Hester in earlier and later censuses.  They were living with their children: Joseph an agricultural labourer aged 28, Mary 22 and John an agricultural labourer aged 19, in Back Street (which we believe was actually Outer Back Street now called Rock Street). 

In 1861 Joseph aged 66 and Hester aged 69 were living in Back Street (at the house which later became known as 1 Rock Street) with their daughter Mary unmarried aged 38 and grandson, Thomas aged 5.  Joseph was now working as a gardener.

Hester died aged 70 and was buried on 26th January 1862.  The 1871 census shows that the house at 1 Rock Street is taken over by Joseph Pymm (junior) and his wife, Elizabeth.  Joseph (senior) was living in Gloucester Road, Horfield in Bristol with his married daughter, Sarah Wade aged 47, her husband William Wade a labourer aged 50 and their children.  Joseph is still described as a shoemaker.

Joseph died in Bristol in 1879 aged 85.    

Samuel Haynes - in 1851 the house appears occupied by Samuel Haynes, an agricultural labourer aged 40 from Glastonbury and his wife, Caroline, a washer and ironer aged 46 from Thornbury and their daughters: Eliza a general servant aged 10 and Martha aged 6.  We know from the will of the owner of the houses, Mary Wilkes, that Samuel was shown as living in these houses in 1845.

Samuel had married Caroline Moxham on 9th December 1832.  Caroline was born on 31st October 1804 and baptised on 26th December, the daughter of Thomas and Unity Moxham.

Caroline had a son, Thomas Moxham, baptised on 17th September 1827 before she was married.  In 1841 census Thomas was living with Samuel and Caroline in an unidentified area of Thornbury.  They were living in Horseshoe Lane in 1851  and in 1861 they were in St Mary Street with daughters, Eliza, aged 22, and Martha aged 17, both dressmakers.  By 1871 Eliza had left home and it was just Samuel, Caroline and Martha living in St Mary Street.

Caroline died in 1873 aged 69.  Samuel re-married in 1875.  His new wife, was Eliza Wilkinson Payne who in 1871 census is living at 13 St John Street, an unmarried shopkeeper aged 57 born in Wotton Under Edge.  The 1876 Rate Book and 1881 census show Samuel had moved in with Eliza in 13 St John Street.  Samuel died in 1883 aged 72.  .

William Pearce - in 1861 the house was occupied by William Pearce, an agricultural labourer aged 53 and born in Littleton, his wife, Hannah aged 56, and sons: William aged 28 and Thomas aged 21. 

We are puzzled by William and Hannah's relationship.  We have traced the baptism of a William Pearce on 23rd September 1835 and the record shows that his parents were William, a labourer, and Hannah who lived in Littleton.  At first glance this appears straightforward, however the 1851 census shows William Pearce was an unmarried agricultural labourer living in St Mary Street with Hannah Hollister, unmarried  and three 'lodgers': William Hollister aged 18 born in Littleton, George Hollister aged 14 born in Kington and Thomas Hollister aged 11 born in what appears to be Abbersencum, Wales.  Furthermore William and Hannah were married shortly after the census on 18th May 1851.  The marriage details show William's father as Morecai Pearce, a labourer and Hannah's father as William Hollister, a butcher.

We have also traced the baptism records of George Hollister on 17th January 1844 and Thomas Hollister on 6th April 1851 and in both cases the only parent mentioned was Hannah.   It appears therefore that William have have been the father of all three children and that he and Hannah had a long term relationship before getting married.

William died aged 55 years and was buried on 15th December 1861 and Hannah died aged 64 years and was buried on 28th January 1867.  Hannah's abode at the time of her death was the Thornbury Union.

Alfred Lippiatt - in 1871 the house appears occupied by Alfred Lippiatt, an agricultural labourer aged 30 and his wife, Hannah aged 34 and their children: Eliza Jane aged 11, Ellen aged 9, William aged 7, Charles aged 5 and Frederick aged 1.

Alfred was baptised on 27th December 1840,  the son of William Lippiatt, a labourer and his wife, Jane.  In 1851 the family were living in Gillingstool.  We have not found Alfred's marriage, but by 1861 he and his wife, Hannah, were living in Eastland Hill. 

By 1881 they had left Thornbury and were now living in Newport at 67 Marshes Road.  They had six children living with them: Helen aged 12, William a nail worker aged 17,  Charles aged 15, Frederick aged 11, Joseph aged 9 and Robert aged 5, all born in Thornbury.

By 1901 there were just Alfred and Hannah living at 192 Shafts Road, Newport.  Hannah died in 1909 aged 70 and Alfred died in 1923 aged 82.

Susan Moxham - the 1880 Rate Book shows Susan was living here, but the fact that her name had been crossed through suggests she had just moved away.  Click here to read more about Susan

Elizabeth Ball - in 1890 Rate Book and the 1891 census the house was occupied by Elizabeth Ball a widow aged 72 who was born in Crossways.

Elizabeth was baptised on 2nd July 1820, the daughter of John Jenkins, farmer and his wife, Elizabeth who both lived at Crossways.  Elizabeth had two children before she married: Sarah Anne was baptised on 22 July 1838 and Eliza was baptised in December 1840.  The entry shows only Elizabeth Jenkins of Crossways so we cannot be sure who the father was.

On 23rd December 1849 Elizabeth married Henry Ball, a labourer, the son of Thomas Ball, another labourer.  Elizabeth's father John Jenkins had died on Feb 25th 1849 so this is presumably why the 1851 census shows the family living in the Hackett with the widowed Elizabeth Jenkins.  Henry Ball is an agricultural labourer and he is the only wage earner.

The other children were baptised, and presumably born, after the marriage of Elizabeth and Henry Ball;

Henry died aged 46 years and he was buried on 29th January 1854.  In 1861 census Elizabeth is shown as working as an agricultural labourer and living at Hackett Lane with her three children: Eliza a domestic servant aged 17, Anne Maria and Emily both aged 7, and Alfred aged 2.  Although shown on the census as the same age, Anne Maria was baptised on 10th December 1851 and Emily on 4th June 1854.

In 1871 Elizabeth was living at Whitfield where she was working as a laundress and living with her son, Alfred, now an agricultural labourer aged 12.  By 1881 Elizabeth was in Sibland Road and working as a domestic servant.  Alfred was still with her and working as a labourer.

Elizabeth continued to live in 15 Horseshoe Lane and she was listed in the 1894 Rate Book.  She died on 19th March 1897 aged 77 years.

William Henry Hayward - the 1899 Rate Book and the 1901 census show the house was occupied by William.  The census shows William was a general labourer in a quarry aged 39 and born in Olveston, his wife, Eunice aged 35, daughter Fanny aged 4 born in Olveston and widowed mother Ann Ferris aged 68 from Olveston. 

William had married Eunice Poole in September qtr 1885.  In 1891 census they were living in 'Canada' in Littleton upon Severn.  The family had a visitor called Mark Poole whom we believe may have been Eunice's father.  William was a farm labourer at this time.  This census shows that Eunice was born in Alveston.

Apart from Fanny, William and Eunice had at least one more child: Mark Edward Hayward was baptised on 2nd July 1899.  The baptism record shows the family were living at Horseshoe Lane at that time.  Mark died aged 3 months and was buried on 26th August 1899.

The Webbs and the Whites - the house was occupied by the family of Henry Arthur Webb from about 1921 to the time when the house was demolished in the early 60's.  Henry himself died about 1933 and his wife, Jane, re-married, her new husband was Henry White.  Click here to read  more about the Webb and White family 

This page was last updated: 12/11/2008