1 Rock Street

The house on the left in the adjoining photo became number 1 Rock Street when house numbering was introduced in the 1950's.

We don't know when the house was built.  It was there at the time of the 1840 Tithe Survey when it was owned and occupied by Joel Wathen.

The Rate Books show that it was owned by the Feofees of Thornbury Charities in 1876, the Trustees of Jones Edwards and Whites Charities in 1880, the Governors of the Grammar School in 1885 to 1899 and George Henry Baylis in 1905 and 1910.

The house had a very large rear garden and orchard.  It must have been very fertile ground as several of the families living in the house were frequent winners at the local horticultural shows.

Joel Wathen - the 1841 census shows that Joel was a gardener aged 75 living with his wife, Flora who  was aged 74 and Hannah Woodward aged 50 who was of independent means.  The Tithe Survey shows that Joel owned the property as well as occupying it.

The International Genealogical Index seems to indicate that Joel may have been baptised in Cromhall on 19th April 1767.  Flora was born in Wickwar.

We don't know how long Joel and Flora had been living in the house.  We do know that they had a large family:   Elizabeth born 20th April 1795, Hannah born 25th April 1797, William born on 20th October 1799 who died in 1803 aged 3, John born on 17th March 1802, another William born on 18th April 1804, Jabez born on 18th February 1807, Prudence born on 23rd December 1808, Phoebe born on 28th October 1812, Julia baptised on 10th October 1813 and Enoch baptised on 18th September 1814.

The baptism records show that Joel was working as a labourer at the time and all the records show Flora's name as 'Flower'.

Joel died on 26th April 1845 and was buried in Thornbury St Mary's.  He was aged 80 years.  Flora, or Flower as she was called in the 1851 census, went to live in an Alms House in St Mary Street.  She was buried on 18th December 1853 aged 86 years.  Their son, William Wathen, settled in the house later known as The Cottage, 1 Horseshoe Lane.  Click here to read more about William
 

Joseph and Hester Pymm - the 1861 census shows the house occupied by Joseph Pymm, a shoemaker and his wife, Hester.  Click here to read more about Joseph and Hester

Joseph and Elizabeth Pymm - the 1871 census shows the house occupied by Joseph, a labourer aged 50 and his wife, Elizabeth aged 47 from Chepstow.

This Joseph was the son of Joseph and Hester who had lived here previously.  Elizabeth is shown as being deaf.  We don't know much about Joseph and Elizabeth's earlier life.  They seem to have lived in a small labourer's cottage off Castle Street (on Tithe plot 346) according to the sale advert for the property in 1868. 

In 1881 they were still in 1 Rock Street - Joseph was described as a gardener.  In 1891 they had moved to a small 3-roomed house in Mutton Lane. Joseph is still working as a gardener aged 68, and Elizabeth is aged 66.  Elizabeth was buried on 2nd November 1892 aged 69 years and Joseph was buried in Thornbury Union Workhouse on 27th December 1899 aged 77 years.

William Stinchcombe - in 1885 Rate Book the house was occupied by William Stinchcombe.  Click here to read about the family

John and Lydia English - in 1891 census the house appears to be occupied by John English, a baker aged 27 from Malmesbury, his wife, Lydia aged 26 and their children: Wesley John aged 2, and Charles Elton Victor aged 10 months.  Click here to read more about the English family

Sidney Tyler - in 1894 Rate Book shows that Sidney Tyler was living in the house.  We do not know anything about Sidney.

George Henry Baylis - in 1901 the house is occupied by George Henry Baylis, a carrier aged 42, his wife, Louisa aged 40 from Taunton, and their children: Dora G aged 13, Robert B aged 11, Mabel E aged 8 and Reginald G. H. aged 6.  The Rate Books show that George was occupying the adjoining agricultural land in 1899. 

George was baptised on 6th February 1859, the son of Henry and Amelia Baylis.  Henry Baylis was a carrier and the family lived in St Mary Street during George's early years.  By the 1881 census George had joined his father in the carrier business and they had moved to a house on the junction of Lower Bath Road/Bulls Lane which became the family home/business for many years.  In 1887 George married Louisa Dollin in Taunton and the 1891 census shows they moved in to a house on the High Street.   In 1894 they were renting the house which became known as 4 Horseshoe Lane.

By 1901 George had moved into the house behind his parents house which later became 1 Rock Street.  By 1905 he owned and occupied the house, garden and surrounding agricultural land and this continued in 1910.

Joseph & Emily Tuck - from 1918 the house appears occupied by Joseph and Emily Tuck.

William Joseph Tuck was born in Hawkesbury Upton in 1852.  He was the son of Robert Tuck, a farmer and his wife, Harriett.  In 1861 the family were living in Back Street, Hawkesbury Upton.

By 1881, Joseph had moved to the Thornbury area.  He was living in Mumbleys Lodge and working as a mason.  He was now married to Amelia Meredith who was born in Alveston about 1853.  They had 3 children: William J born in Hawkesbury Upton about 1875, Harriett E born in Alveston about 1876 and Kate born in Alveston about 1879.

Amelia Meredith died and was buried on 21st April 1886 aged 33 years.  Joseph re-married in 1887.  His new wife was a widow, Elizabeth Coates born in Wotton Under Edge about 1856.  The 1891 census shows Joseph and Elizabeth living at Mumbleys Lodge with children: William J, now a mason's labourer aged 16, Harriett E a domestic servant aged 15, Kate aged 12, Vashti Edith aged 8 and Amelia Winifred aged 4 months, and two of Elizabeth's children: Frederick and Arthur Coates aged 10 and 5 respectively.

In 1901 Joseph and Elizabeth were still living in Mumbleys Lodge.  They had had one more child: Doris Annie baptised on 26th June 1895.

Elizabeth died in 1911 aged 55.  By 1913 the trade directories show that Joseph has moved to Crossways and become a market gardener.  In 1916, Joseph re-married yet again - this time to Emily Stinchcombe.  Emily was born in Aust in 1860.   She was the daughter of William Stinchcombe, an agricultural labourer and his wife, Hannah, who was a charwoman when they were living in Mutton Lane (now called Crispin Lane) in 1871.  William later lived at 19 St John Street between about 1918 and 1925.

The 1918 electoral register shows Joseph and Emily living in Outer Back Street (which is now called Rock Street) and we were told that they lived in the house which later became number 4.  They continued to live here throughout the 1920's and early 30's, last appearing in the electoral registers we have seen, in 1935.

We know that in 1924 Joseph bought the pair of houses on the junction of Rock Street and Horseshoe Lane (which later became known as numbers 9 and 11).  He paid £300 for these houses.

We were told by Miss Higgins that a Mr Stinchcombe moved in with the Tucks 'when he was getting old'.  It is possible that it could have been Emily's father who was listed as living in St John Street in the street directory 1926/27.  Alternatively, there was a Charles Stinchcombe living in Horseshoe Lane in 1927 but we don't know his connection to Emily's family.

Emily died on 24th November 1937 aged 77 and is buried in Thornbury Cemetery.  We haven't found any record of Joseph's death and he seems to have been buried elsewhere, presumably in the grave of one of his earlier wives.

Of Joseph's children, we know of only one with a Thornbury connection.  His daughter, Harriett, married William J Garrett in 1915.

Ernest John Pearce - the 1938 electoral register shows the house occupied by Ernest John Pearce and his family.  Click here to read more about this family

The Staffords  - the 1946 and 1950 electoral registers show the 1 Rock Street occupied by William George and Marian A Stafford.

William was born on 15th February 1911, the son of Robert and Emma Stafford.  Robert was a coachman when he married Emma Skuse on 12th March 1904.  His job became a motor driver and then chauffeur as the car became more popular.  Robert applied for exemption from military service in 1917.  He was aged 40 at the time and we are not sure if he was successful.   The application shows he had been a chauffeur for 17 years for Dr Lionel Henry Williams of Oriel House, Castle Street.

The family were living in Castle Street in the 1907 electoral register, presumably at the house of Dr Williams at Oriel House.  They were still there when William was born in 1911 and his brother, Richard Henry, was born in 1916.  Then they seemed to move about a bit.  In 1919 when Betty was born they were living in Raglan Castle.

William started at the National School in 1915 but left in 1917 to go to the Hackett School.  Then in 1920 he re-joined the National School from St John's School in Clifton.  The family were then living in Gloucester Road.  In 1922 when Betty started at the National School, they had moved again to St Mary Street.  

In the electoral registers from 1927 to 1935, Robert and Emma were living in the house which later became number 10 Upper Bath Road.  By 1938 they had moved back to Oriel House, Castle Street with Dr Williams.  By 1946, William had married and settled in Rock Street, Robert was living on his own in St Mary Street, and Richard had moved to North Road.  In 1947, when Robert's daughter, Betty Hull, married for a second time her address was given as 'Benford House, Rock Street' so we assume that she was living with her grand-parents at the time and that the house had been given a name.

After 1950, there is no sign of William and Marion in Thornbury.

Leonard Smith - Leonard Smith, the carrier and his wife, Mary Louise (nee Clutterbuck) moved here from 16 Gloucester Road about 1954.  They were still there in the late 60's when the house was earmarked for demolition as part of the town's re-development.  Click here to read more about Smiths, the carriers

 This page was last updated: 17/11/2008