19 Horseshoe Lane

The Mahagans

The Mahagan family occupied 19 Horseshoe Lane from about 1938 until it was demolished in the early 1960's.

The Mahagans were of Irish descent.  Jeremiah Mahagan was born in Rathcormack in County Cork about 1834.  On 5th October 1858 he married Ruth Walker in Thornbury.  Click here to read more about Jermiah and Ruth Mahagan who lived in the Rock Street area

Henry and Sarah Mahagan - Henry was baptised in Thornbury on 3rd February 1861, the son of Jeremiah and Ruth Mahagan.  He was at home with his parents in Rock Street in the 1861 and 1871 censuses.  He was not at home in 1881 and we have not yet found him.  The 1891 census shows Henry as boarding at 29 Morley Terrace, St Phillips in Bristol.  He was a butcher's assistant.

On 22nd October 1892 at Thornbury, Henry married Sarah Ann Ball, the daughter of Luke Ball, a labourer.  They both gave their address as St Phillips in Bristol at the time and it was in Bristol they baptised their first five children: Dennis Henry Luke born on 10th October 1893, Nellie May born on 9th March 1897, Albert Ernest born on 2nd April 1898, Baden Edward born on 18th November 1900 and Mary Ann Alice born on 28th April 1903.  The 1901 census shows the family living at 28 Highgrove Street, Knowle and that Henry was employed as a carter for the Bristol Sanitary Authority.

Henry and Sarah moved to Thornbury in 1903, we know this because their three oldest children transferred to the National School from a school in St Phillips, Bristol.  Another four children were born in Thornbury: Miriam Ruth born on 7th November 1905, Amy Doreen baptised on 26th February 1908, Isobel Norah was born 1st June 1912 and Alwyn Louise born on 17th January 1916. We don't know what happened to Amy Doreen as she doesn't appear in any school records.

We know that the family moved to live in Crossways when they first came to Thornbury, but by 1904 when Baden started at school  they were living at Marlwood Lower Lodge and they were still living here in 1912 when Dennis enlisted in the Army and in 1922 when Alwyn started at the Council Upper School.

Henry was a labourer.  He died on 14th July 1923 aged 62.  We have assumed that Lower Lodge, being on the Marlwood Estate would be a tied cottage.  This might be the reason why the Mahagans left Thornbury Council School in 1925 and were enrolled in Tytherington School on June 10th 1925. 

It is possible that the Mahagans moved to Grovesend to live with other members of the family.  Mary Ann Alice Mahagan (Henry and Sarah's daughter) had married Ernest Cole and they were living in what they described as Itchington in the baptism record of their son Ernest John but could also be described as the Slad at Grovesend.

The Mahagans stayed in this area for a little while.  We know this because Henry & Sarah's grandson, Kenneth who was born 15th May 1922, was also enrolled at Tytherington School on 7th June 1927.  Isabel and Alwyn stayed at Tytherington School until they reached the school leaving age of 14 years. 

Kenneth left the school in 1931 and the record says  "left district".  He was enrolled at Thornbury Council School and his address was Crossways, where his guardian was "Mrs Cole".  The 1931 Electoral Roll confirms that the Coles were at Crossways.  However the same Electoral Roll suggests that Sarah Ann and her son Henry Dennis were living at Grovesend.  We cannot at this stage be sure that they were not still living with the Coles.  It might just be a different address for the same house!

In 1935, Sarah Ann, Henry Dennis and Isabel Nora are listed in Outer Back Street (now Rock Street).  By 1938 Sarah Ann and Henry Dennis had moved into 19 Horseshoe Lane and they were still there in the 1946 electoral register.  By 1950 there is no sign of Sarah so we have assumed she had died.

Of Henry and Sarah Ann's children:

Dennis Henry Luke - born in 1893 and sometimes referred to as Dennis, sometimes Henry, Harry and local people still refer to him as 'Jerry'.  Dennis left the Council School in 1907 to start work.  We know that Dennis enlisted in the Gloster Regiment on 29th April 1912.  At the time he was working as a tram conductor for Bristol Tramways Company and living at 12 St Leonards Road, Horfield. 

On his enlistment papers Dennis was described as being: height 5ft 3 inches, chest 32 inches when expanded with range of expansion of 2 inches, good vision and fair physical development.  He served for 1 year and 129 days until discharged on 2nd September 1913.  We do not know the reason for his discharge.  The records indicate that Dennis re-enlisted on 8th January 1914.  He was admitted to hospital on 9th November 1914, presumably in France,  and put on a ambulance ship, St Patrick, back to England on 9th December 1914.  The Roll of Honour printed in the Dursley Gazette in 1915 lists both Dennis and Albert Mahagan as serving in the Army so presumably Dennis went back to the fighting after recovering from his injuries.

We know that Dennis, now using the name of Henry D, had moved back to live in Thornbury by 1931 when he was living with his mother at Grovesend.  In 1935, Henry was living with his mother and sister, Isobel Nora in Outer Back Street and by 1938 he and his mother had moved to 19 Horseshoe Lane.

We believe that Dennis was married as he seemed to have a son called Kenneth Cyril born on 15th February 1922.  In 1942 when Kenneth was serving in WW2 a newspaper article refers to him as 'son of Mr D. H. Mahagan and grandson of Mrs S. A. Mahagan of Horseshoe Lane'.  However we can find no trace of a marriage, Kenneth's birth, or any record referring to Dennis's wife.   Although the various documentary sources refer to Dennis' son as being 'Kenneth', he was known locally as 'Jerry'.  It seems likely that he had the middle name of Jeremiah taken from his great grandfather.

Dennis continued to live in 19 Horseshoe Lane  until the house was demolished in the early 60's.  There was no sign of any Mahagan in Thornbury in 1965.

Albert Ernest - the Roll of Honour printed in the Dursley Gazette in 1915 lists both Dennis and Albert Mahagan as serving in the Army.  Albert Ernest (shown in the photo on the right) died in France on 9th September 1916. He was serving as a Private with the 1st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment. 

Nellie May - a marriage certificate shows that on 24th September 1924 Nellie married Alfred James Hunt (otherwise Rugman).  He was a labourer aged 40 from Bath Road. 

We are puzzled why he chose to use the names of Hunt and Rugman.   We have discovered that his parents were John Rugman who married to Ellen Hunt after he was born.  However the mystery deepens because we know that he also used different forenames.  His birth was registered as Arthur James Hunt in Chipping Sodbury in 1884.  He was however baptised in Thornbury in 1897 as Walter Rugman, the son of John and Ellen Rugman.  He married Edith Webb in 1918 and the FreeBMD website shows that Edith married both Arthur J Hunt and Walter Rugman so both his names were noted on the marriage certificate.  Arthur and Edith had four children: Violet Margaret born June quarter 1921, twins, Edith J and Walter H born in September quarter 1922 and Kenneth J born in June quarter 1924.   Both the twins died in 1923, as did Ellen Rugman, Arthur's (or Walter's) mother aged 56. The following year, in the June quarter 1924, he lost his wife, Edith aged 25.  It did not take him long to marry again; this time to Nellie May Mahagan.

When his daughter, Violet, started at Council Infants School in 1925 and the Upper School in 1927 her father was noted as Walter Rugman and we can find no further references to Arthur James Hunt.  We don't know what happened to Violet or Kenneth.

We know that the 1931 electoral register and later ones show Nellie as living with Walter Rugman in Outer Back Street.  The 1946 electoral register shows them in Bath Road and in 1954 when house numbering was introduced and in 1958 they are shown in 12 Rock Street.  We suspect these were the same houses.  By 1965 Nellie has moved to the new houses at 18 Streamleaze living with Barrie, her nephew and son of her sister, Miriam Ruth.

Mary Ann Alice - 'Alice' was one of the many Thornburians who were caned at school.  The Council School log book shows that in 1914 she was given one stroke of the cane for 'continued inattention'.   In 1921 she married Ernest Cole.  In 1931 they were living in Crossways and they continued living there until the late 50's.

Miriam Ruth - married Hubert T. C. Rugman in 1929 and they had two children: Francis Henry Charles born on 31st March 1929 and Lawrence John Barrie born on 28th February 1936.  In August 1942, Miriam died aged 36.  We understand that Francis and Barrie were brought up by their Miriam's sister, Nellie.  Francis worked in Berkeley Power Station and Barrie worked in the quarry before moving to Oldbury Power Station.  In 1958 Barrie is living with his uncle and aunt, Walter and Nellie Rugman in 12 Rock Street, and then following Walter's death in 18 Streamleaze.  Barrie died on 27th October 2000. 

Isobel Nora - we think Isobel went to school in Tytherington and we've been promised a photo of her there.  We know she was living with her mother and brother, Dennis, in Outer Back Street in 1935 and shortly after this she married Ronald Glenthorne Bull, the son of Thomas and Emily Bull who lived at Gillingstool Cottage.  In 1938 they were living in the High Street, in a flat above Thompson's Shop.  Miss Higgins and others have told us that Isobel was a receptionist at a doctor's surgery on the corner of High Street and Chapel Street.

Alwyn Louise - Alwyn married Thomas Kerr.  They do not appear in the Thornbury electoral registers until 1950 when they were living in 7 Severn View Road.

This page was last updated: 20/10/2008