Pullins Green

Numbers 2 - 12

Numbers 2 - 12 are the row of six old cottages facing the old smithy on Pullins Green.  We had heard that they were built in the early 19th century for quarry workers, but we have not yet found any evidence to support this theory.  They were built by Daniel Burchell on land he had bought in 1823.  The land was part of a burgage plot bordered by St Mary Street, Horseshoe Lane and Pullins Green.   Click here to read about the early history of that land 

The cottages were listed in the 1840 Tithe Survey when they were owned by Daniel Burchell, a carpenter then living in St Mary Street. 

The cottages were owned by the Burchell family for a long time.  Daniel Burchell died on 16th September 1866 and after a period when they were administered by his Trustees, Jane Burchell, one of Daniel's children, exercised her right given to the children in his will and bought the six houses from the Trustees for £565.  Jane died on 9th January 1903 and her Will directed that the properties be passed to her brother, Frederick Burchell.  Frederick died in 1905 and the houses were put up for auction in 1907.  On 9th January 1908 Frederick's son, Frederick Henry Burchell, bought the six properties, paying £730 for the six properties.  

We know that in 1909/10 rents of about three shillings per week (£8 per year) were being paid to Frederick Henry Burchell.  In 1918 the houses were put up for sale at auction as three separate lots of two houses.  We know that two of the lots (i.e. the four houses later known as 6 - 12 Pullins Green) were bought by Charlie Davies for £437 10s on 29th October 1918.  It is possible that Charlie bought the other two houses at a later date.  Number 4 continued in the ownership of Frederick Henry until 8th May 1951 when he sold the property to Mabel Victoria Spill.  On 16th May 1951 Frederick Henry sold number 2 to William Donald Reeves, for £325.  He had previously been the tenant of the property.  On 4th January 1974 Charley Davis sold the four properties he owned to Thornbury Rural District Council for £6500.  Further changes of ownership of the properties is described on the individual pages for each house.

By the 1960's, the rented houses had fallen into disrepair and lacked modern amenities.  They were at one stage condemned by the Council.  They were however saved and the Council chose to renovate and modernise them as part of the town centre development which took place in the 70's.

The Occupants
Although the Tithe Survey lists the occupiers of the six houses in 1840, it does not make it clear who is living in each house.  The six people were: John Screen, Charles Owen Pearce (a cordwainer), Mary Jackson, Mary Langobeare, Mary Olive and John Birt.   In many cases like this, we can link people to houses by using the 1841 census.  However in this case it is difficult to link the names in the census to any of these houses and none of the people listed in this census (or the 1851 census) are the same as those listed in the Tithe Survey.

Click on the hyperlinks in the column on the left to read about the OCCUPANTS of each house.

This page was last updated: 30/11/2011