The Sainsbury Family

Frederick and Ellen Sainsbury

Frederick was born in 1828, the son of William and Hannah Sainsbury, farmers of Kington.  Click here to read  more about William and Hannah and the other members of their family.

Up to the time of the 1851 census, Frederick lived and worked as an agricultural labourer on his parents farm.  Later in 1851 he married Ellen Webb from Thornbury. 

By 1861 Frederick and Ellen were living at Grovesend with their children: John born in 1851, Thomas born in 1852, Joseph born in 1854 and Frederick born in 1857.  By 1871 we believe that they had moved to Horseshoe Lane, in the house which later became number 11 Horseshoe Lane.  This is confirmed by the Rate Books of 1876, 1880 and 1885 which shows them in one of these two houses.  The 1871 census shows that they had had more children: Elizabeth Celia (or Selina) born in 1861, Henry born in 1865, Charles born in 1867 and Ellen born in 1870.  Their son, Joseph, had become a plasterer by this time aged 16.   Their son, Charles, died in 1873 aged 6.

By 1881 Frederick and Ellen were still living in what we believe to be 11 Horseshoe Lane.  They grand-daughter, Kate, was living with them and their son, Frederick, had become a painter.

In the 1891 census, Frederick was still working as an agricultural labourer now aged 64, Ellen was aged 61 and only Elizabeth now a dressmaker aged  29, Ellen now a teacher in elementary school aged 20, and Kate their grand-daughter aged 18 were living with them.

Frederick died in 1893 aged 67 years and is buried in Thornbury Congregational Burial Ground.   In 1901 Ellen was living with her daughter, Ellen, and her husband, William Wall at 25 Pullins Green.   Ellen died in April 1917 aged 87 years.

Of their children:

John married Eliza Mainstone in the March quarter 1873 in Clifton.  We suspect that they had a child, Kate who was born in Clifton in the March quarter 1873.  It looks like Eliza died in child-birth or shortly after as the records show the death of an Eliza Sainsbury in March quarter 1873 and John seems to have re-married in 1880 to Mary Ann Cullimore from Tytherington. 

In 1881 John was a gas fitter living at 35 Bellevue Crescent, Clifton.   Mary Ann was aged 35 - they had no children.  Kate was living with her grandparents, Frederick and Ellen, in Thornbury and then moved in her aunt Ellen and her husband, William Wall at 25 Pullins Green.  It appears that John and Mary Ann separated as she is shown as living on her own at the bottom of the High Street in the 1891 and 1901 censuses.  She was a married confectioner.  We are not sure  where John was.  Mary Ann was shown in the 1926 Rate Book as living in 20 Gloucester Road and she died in 1928 aged 82.

Kate never married and she continued living with the Wall family and assisted William and Ellen in the running of the shop.  She died on November 15th 1960 aged 87 years.  She is remembered by many of the older residents of Pullins Green and customers of the Wall shop.

Thomas became an haulier.  He married Annie H. (surname possibly Dalancy) and in 1881 they were living at 22 Peel Street, Bristol.  By 1891 Thomas had become a carman and the family had moved to 32 Callowhill Road, Bristol (which they shared with several other families) with their children: Joseph aged 5, Ellen aged 7, and Caroline aged 2.  

Thomas's wife, Anne, died in 1892 aged 34.  In 1901 census, Thomas was now living in 3 rooms in 3 Chelsea Park, Easton, Bristol with his three children: Ellen had become a cream cocoa maker and Joseph was a porter (oil and colour).

Joseph became a plasterer and tiler.  On 31 July 1875 he married Mary Bevan, the daughter of Thomas Bevan, publican at the Seven Stars, Back Street.  Mary was eight years older than Joseph and she was born on April 6th 1846.  In 1881 Joseph and Mary were living at 4 Horseshoe Lane with Harry born in 1876, Charles Albert in 1878, and Ada in 1880, and sister Elizabeth C a dressmaker aged 19.  

In 1891 the family had moved to High Street where Joseph was a plasterer and china shopkeeper. (The trade directories shows Joseph as an earthenware dealer).  They had two extra children: Frederick born in 1883 and Mabel in 1888.   Harry was now an outfitter's apprentice aged 15.  The 1901 census lists their shop between the Register Office and the Wesleyan Chapel, but we believe that it was below the Wesleyan Chapel in the building now occupied by the Italian restaurant.  Joseph is described as a house decorator assisted by his son, Frederick.  Their daughter Mabel is still at home. 

Mary Sainsbury died October 12th 1915 and on 23rd October 1915 there was a newspaper report of her funeral which was conducted by a Wesleyan minister. Joseph and Mary's sons; Charley, Fred and Harry attended the funeral with Mr Austin Wilmot his son in law.  Another newspaper article explained that Mrs Sainsbury was 69 when she died.  It also said that before they came to live at Epworth House, Mary Sainsbury had carried on a business of a china dealer.

Although the family lived at Epworth House it was still owned by the representatives of David Cogswell Ovens.  However on 10th December 1918 a Joseph Sainsbury then a house decorator bought Epworth House for £450 at an auction.

On 19th April 1921 Joseph married a spinster, Ellen Barber whose address was given as 'The Castle'.  Ellen was the daughter of Daniel Barber, a butcher.  The Electoral Rolls of 1925 to 1927 show that Joseph and Ellen Sainsbury continued to live at Epworth House.  The Electoral Rolls of 1931 to 1938 show only Ellen Sainsbury's name as a resident of Epworth House.  However we know that it was also the home of Miss Mabel Sainsbury because a newspaper article of this period shows that Mabel Sainsbury's pupils had gained success in the music exams and described her address as Epworth House.

Ellen Sainsbury died in the December quarter of 1938 aged only 36.

On 26th April 1949 the sale was announced of Epworth House and its contents.

 Click here to read more about Joseph's son, Frederick

Frederick - In 1882, Frederick married Elizabeth Bethesda King who was born in Ubley and was seven years older than Frederick.  In 1891, they were living at Thomas Street, St Pauls Bristol.  Frederick was a painter and paperhanger.  They had children: Mabel Eveline born in 1884, Eva Blanch in 1887.

Elizabeth Celia was born on June 28th 1861.  On March 22nd  1897 she married John Nathan Bartlett who had lost his wife, Ellen, in 1894.  John was a butcher on The Plain.  Elizabeth died on July 24th 1914 aged 53.  John died January 22nd 1941 aged 77 years.

Henry became an agricultural labourer, like his father.  In 1891 he was boarding with John Clutterbuck at Grovesend Slade.  He was still there in 1901.

Ellen married William Wall in 1895 - click here to read more about William and Ellen.

This page was last updated: 03/09/2010