19 St John Street

Owners

We have not seen the deeds of number 19, so we don't know a great deal about the ownership.

The deeds of next door (number 21 St John Street) include a document dated 24th March 1812 which indicates that the house now known as number 19 was built shortly before 1812 by James Withers and that he was living in number 19 in 1812.

James Withers was a carpenter of Thornbury.  We know a little more about James and his family - click here to read more

We don't know when James Withers moved or sold the property. 

Sarah Thomas - when number 21 was sold in 1815, the deeds refer to number 19 as being occupied by 'Mrs Thomas'.  We know that at the time of the 1840 Tithe Survey, the house was owned by Sarah Thomas, although it was occupied at that time by William Holloway.  We don't know if Sarah was the same person as the 'Mrs Thomas', or if there was any connection between Sarah and the William Thomas who owned number 17.  In fact, we know very little about Sarah.  The only Sarah Thomas living in Thornbury at that time was the wife of John Thomas an agricultural labourer and they lived in St Mary Street.  Sarah was born sometime between 1794 and 1798 and may have been born in Slimbridge.  There is no evidence at present to show she might be a property owner.

The next owner we know about was:

Henry Allen - we have a copy of an abstract of title showing Henry owned number 19.  He was an auctioneer, maltster and grocer from Cromhall who settled in Marshfield.  We cannot find any connection between Henry, or his wife, Keziah and Thornbury, so can't guess how he came to own the house in St John Street.  Henry died on 20th December 1872.  In his will dated 16th December 1863 he left the house in trust to his grandson, Walter Henry Deighton.

Note - there is a reference in the deeds of number 5 St John Street of the owners of other properties in the street adjoining number 5 in 1873.  The list of names does not mention Henry Allen and it does mention a Mrs Barton in the house we think is number 19.  We have found no other references to Mrs Barton and the abstract of title clearly implies that Henry Allen and his trustees owned the property until 1908.

As far as we know, neither Henry nor any of his family ever lived in the house.  It was occupied for much of this period by James Underhill as tenant.  The property was still occupied by him at yearly rent of £8 10s (landlord pays rates) when it was put up for auction on 29^th June 1908.  It was then sold to Charles Fry for £130.

Charles Fry - Charles was baptised on 1st August 1858, the son of George Fry, a tailor and his wife, Elizabeth.  Charles married on 5th May 1881.  He wife was Ellen Lester, the daughter of John Lester, a gardener and his wife, Elizabeth.  Charles became a saddler and harness maker in the High Street in the 1890's.  By 1901 Charles had moved to Tytherington where he was innkeeper at The Swan.  At the time of the census they had four children living with them Fanny aged 18, Hilda aged 11, Charles aged 8 and George aged 5.

Thomas Knight - the Rate Books between 1880 and 1905 Rate books show that Thomas Knight owned the house and was renting it to James Underhill.  At this period there were two Thomas Knights connected with Thornbury.  They were father and son.  Thomas Knight senior was a tailor who made an interesting career change about this time.  He became an innkeeper in Newfoundland Street in Bristol.  The younger Thomas Knight was a blacksmith.

William Wall  - by 1910 it appears that William Wall had acquired the property (also the one next door) which was still being rented to James Underhill.  We know a little about William Will - click here to read more.

We don't know when William sold the property nor anything about the subsequent ownership of the house until recent times when it was acquired by Brian and Janette Cason about 1995, and later merged with number 21 to form a single house.

This page was last updated: 13/11/2008