21 St John Street

Occupiers

Mark Williams - an indenture date 1812 mentions that the house was previously occupied by Mark Williams.  We suspect this Mark Williams might have been a blacksmith, the father of the Mark Williams who later operated the forge and lived in the house now known as 13 Pullins Green.  Mark senior would only have been aged about 23 years at this time, so we cannot be sure. 

Isaac Pullen - an indenture date 1812 mentions that the house is now occupied by Isaac Pullen.  We are aware of a Will of George Cossham a carpenter who owned property in Thornbury including the High Street.  The will dated  1785 refers to a property which was then in the occupation of Isaac Pullen. This means that we can only say the Isaac moved into the cottage between 1785 and 1812.  We assume from the date the cottage appears to have been built and from the fact that Mark Williams lived there before him that it was rather nearer 1812 than 1785 that he moved. Bailey's British directory of 1784 apparently has an entry for Isaac Pullen of Thornbury and says that he was a currier involved in leather work.  We don't know any more about Isaac.

Charles Hopton - we know that when Charles bought the house in 1834 he was already occupying it and that he seemed to be using the house as a beerhouse.  Although he is shown as living elsewhere in the 1840 Tithe Map (when William Cullimore is shown as living in the house) Charles and his family were living in number 21 St John Street at the time of the 1841 census but sold the property shortly after in August 1841.  Click here to read more about Charles and his family

William Cullimore - is shown as living in the house on 1840 Tithe Map.  We cannot be sure but the only William Cullimore listed in the 1841 census was a beer retailer aged 30 who was living in St Mary Street.  He later became beerhouse keeper in what became known as the Horse Shoe in St Mary Street.  It looks likely that William is the brother of James Cullimore, the beerhouse keeper at the Crispin.  It is possible that William was carrying on this trade in number 21 St John Street in view of Charles Hopton's association with the trade.

Lewis Davis - Lewis was born in Wickwar about 1817.  The 1841 census shows him living in the High Street, Wickwar.  He appears to be lodging with Sarah Millard, a schoolmistress with his wife, Mary Ann.  It is possible that this Mary Ann is Lewis's sister, not his wife, but she was born outside Gloucestershire unlike Lewis, and there is a record of a Mary Ann Davis dying in Thornbury in September quarter 1842.  We do know that Lewis married in Clifton in  March quarter 1843 - this time his wife was Eliza Maggs.    

The 1851 census shows Lewis and Eliza living in 21 St John Street, Thornbury.  Lewis is shown as a master plasterer and tiler aged 34.  Eliza is aged 36 from Winterborne.  Also living there are Hannah Lewis, a visitor aged 56 presumably Lewis' mother (who was described as an owner of houses from Wickwar), Lewis's son, Walter aged 3 and brothers, Albert, a  plasterer and tiler aged 22, and Worthy, an apprentice plaster and tiler aged 16. 

An Indenture dated 26 August 1851 also mentions that Lewis is occupying the house.

By 1861 they had moved to Castle Street.  Lewis was now a painter aged 43, and Eliza was aged 44.  Walter was aged 13, a scholar.   Anna Franklin, a widow aged 64 was visiting them who was born in Wickwar.

George Wiltshire - bought the house in August 1851 and was still living there in the 1861 census.  He sold the property in 1865.  Click here to read more about George

George Walker - in 1871 the house was occupied by George Walker, a butcher aged 41 from Thornbury and his wife, Elizabeth, aged 38 who was shown as being 'blind'.  Click here to read more about the Walkers

Joseph Stevens the 1876 and 1880 Rate Books show that Joseph Stevens rented the property from Thomas Watson.  The 1881 census gives more details about  Joseph who is  occupying the house with his family.  Joseph was an engine driver aged 58 from Spongon in Derbyshire.  His wife was Caroline aged 61 from Warwick.  They had a daughter Sarah A aged 19 born in Birmingham living with them.

Caroline died aged 66 years and was buried on 16 February 1886.  Joseph was still living in the house in the 1891 census.  This shows he was now a widower aged 69, but still working as railway engine driver.  His daughter had married Alfred Gill, a railway engine stoker aged 29 and they were living with Joseph in the house, together with their children: Bessie aged 2, Alfred aged 1 and Stella aged 7 months and Alice Newman shown as Joseph's grand-daughter aged 13 born in Thornbury.

Joseph died aged 74 years and was buried on 21 January 1896.  Alfred Gill and Sarah Ann continued to live in the house for a short time following the death of her father.  The notice of sale for the house printed on 15th February 1895 shows Alfred Gill as the occupant and the indenture relating to the sale of the property by Thomas Honeyborne to Albert Edward Bevan mentions that the house is being occupied by the 'Representatives of the late Joseph Stevens'.   By the 1901 census, Alfred and Sarah Ann Gill were living in Jubilee House, Gillingstool.  Click here to read more about the Gills

William Richard Shipton - in the 1899 Rate book and 1901 census, the house was occupied by William Richard Shipton, a wheelwright aged 37 from Bishops Cleeve, and his wife, Sarah aged 37 from Itchington.  Mary A Perry, Sarah's widowed mother aged 76 from Whitfield was also living with them. 

The 1871 census shows him as aged 8, living in Oldbury with his step-father, Hubert Brewer, a 24 year old sailor from Weymouth and his wife, Anna, aged 30 from Oldbury.  Also living there were Frances aged 6 and Elizabeth aged 4, also described as Hubert's step children.  Hubert had married Anna Shipton in Bristol in March quarter 1871.  In 1881 William had been an apprentice carpenter living with, and presumably working for, Matthew Cullimore in his place at Grovesend Lane, Tytherington. 

William had married Sarah in June quarter 1887.  In 1891 they were living in Itchington Lane, Tytherington where William was working as a wheelwright. 

The 1896 voters List shows that the Shiptons moved from Tytherington to St John Street in that year.  They were to remain in the house until at least 1925 as they are listed in electoral registers until that date.  We do not know what happened to them after that time.

A daughter, Winnie Shipton, was born on 27 December 1904 - she went to the Council School and then to the Grammar School.  Winnie later married Cyril Smith in Bristol when Nellie Pullen from Pullins Green was a bridesmaid.

The Rate Books of 1905 and 1910 and the 1925 Valuation List show that William Shipton is still the tenant. The 1911 census shows William as a wheelwright for a coachbuilder.  He was living with Sarah and Frances and they had one boarder, a William Brealey, a postman aged 23 from Bristol.

Charles Staite - Charles was a carter employed by Edmund Cullimore, working at the Saw Mills where he drove the horse-drawn wagons hauling timber to the yard.

Based on his age given at his death, Charles was born about 1877.  He married Dorothy Harriett Fowles in the Gloucester area in 1912.  Dorothy was born in the Stroud area in 1883.  They had three children: Dorothy born in the Wheatenhurst area of Gloucestershire on 17 December 1914, Irene May born in the Thornbury area on 15 April 1922, and Stanley Edwin born in the Thornbury area on 21 November 1923.

They moved from Olveston to Morton and then on to 21 St John Street.  Although they don't appear in the 1927 electoral register or street directory, they are shown as living in St John Street when their daughter, Dorothy, started at the Council School in 1926. 

The local Gazette reported that their daughter, Irene, got in trouble with the police in 1942 when she was caught riding with an unauthorised light, presumably at the time of the blackout.  For this offence she was fined 5 shillings.  In 1943 Irene married Leonard Davies, an engineer from Dursley.  The photo on the right was taken at the wedding and it shows Leonard and Irene with Charles in the background.  Leonard and Irene continued to live at number 21 St John Street for several years during which time they had children: Michael Leonard in 1943, Terence in 1945, and Daniel in 1948. The baptism records of these children show Leonard as a bricklayer, a builder and a labourer.

In 1949 there are two Gazette reports involving Stanley Edwin.  In August he was involved in an accident at the junction of Chapel Street and the High Street when a motor cycle he was riding collided with a pedal cycle ridden by Willie Baber of Rudgeway.  In September he married Dorothy Elsie Bellamy, daughter of Mr & Mrs S. G. Bellamy of Field House, Acton Road, Rudgeway.

By 1950 the family had moved to Eastland Avenue.  Charles and Dorothy continued to live together at the house until at least 1957.  Charles died in Thornbury Hospital on 25th March 1958 aged 82.  He was buried in Nibley.  In 1965 electoral register only Dorothy is listed as living in St John Street and she is not shown on the 1970 register.

This page was last updated: 03/12/2011