Crispin House - 2 Crispin Lane

William Cullimore

William Cullimore was born in 1842, the son of James and Hester Cullimore.  James was a beer house keeper and shoemaker.  The family was living in Crispin Lane when William was born.

The 1861 census shows William was now working as a carpenter's apprentice.  In 1868, William inherited a share in the ownership of The Crispin from Luke Withers.  In his will, Luke's bequeathed the property to William and his brother, Luke, on the condition that their parents could continue to live in the house until their deaths or, in event of James dying first, that Hester could continue to live there until she died or re-married.

William's father, James Cullimore, died in 1869 aged 54 years.  The 1871 census shows that his mother, Hester, continued to run the beer house, now referred to as 'The Jolly Crispin'.  William had married Eliza Main in Bristol in 1864.  Eliza had been born in Stanton Wick, Somerset.   By 1871 William had become a carpenter, but he was also running a public house in Gillingstool known as 'The Black Horse'.  At this time William and Eliza had three children: Florence Mary aged 6, James aged 3, and Julia Gertrude aged 2.  The family must have been living for some time in Stanton Wick as Florence Mary had been born there.

The 1881 census shows that William and Eliza had moved back to live with his mother, Hester, at The Crispin.   There were now six children: James aged 13, Julia Gertrude aged 11, Ada Blanche aged 9, Laura May aged 7, Smart aged 3 and Austin Shepherd Cullimore aged 2 months.  William was still a carpenter.

William's wife, Eliza, died in 1884 aged 41 years.  In 1891, Hester aged 70, was still running the pub but she now had the four youngest of William's children living with her.  Ada is a dressmaker and Laura a shopkeeper.  William was living in 36 Bath Buildings, Bristol.  He was said to be a widower, a carpenter aged 48.  He was boarding with Arthur Carwardine, a butcher.  Shortly after the census, in June quarter 1891, William married Frances Carwardine, Arthur's sister, who was also in the house at the time of the census.  At that time Frances was shown as a single woman 'living on her own means'.

The 1894 Rate Book indicates that the Crispin Inn is being run by Hester and William Cullimore so we assume that William and Frances had moved back to Thornbury to help his mother run the beer house.  We note that the Kellys Directory of Thornbury in 1894 shows William Cullimore of Pullins Green was a coal merchant so we assume that this was his second occupation. 

Hester died in 1899.  We are not sure when the property stopped being run as a beer house.  The 1901 census shows  the house was occupied by William a retired carpenter aged 58, Frances his new wife also aged 58 born in Mardon, Herefordshire and his son, Austin who was a tailor.  The 1904 Trade Directory however includes the name of William Cullimore as publican of The Crispin in Mutton Lane.

We have a copy of a deed dated 1909 which showed that William also owned number 4 Crispin Lane (then referred to as Mutton Lane) and he sold this property to his wife, Frances for the sum of £150. 

William died in September 1913 aged 71 years.  It was reported in the Gazette that William had been out for an early morning walk and had returned home at 6.30am when he sat down in the kitchen and died.   In his will dated 1911 he made his son, Smart and his son-in-law, Albert Jacob Gore, the husband of Florence Mary, his executors and trustees.  As the image on the left shows The Crispin was put up for sale at auction on 18th November 1913.  It was clearly referred to as a house at that time.

We know quite a lot about Smart Cullimore, the son of William and Eliza, thanks to the fact that his achievements were frequently appearing in the newspapers.  He was born on 3rd April 1878.  Smart applied to go to Thornbury Grammar School on 9th January 1890, but he failed to gain a scholarship.  He left Thornbury to become a police officer in Newport, Monmouthshire.  He was frequently seen by the public acting as mounted officer on ceremonial duties.  In July 1911 he was awarded the Royal Humane Society's medal for jumping over the Newport Bridge in his uniform to save the lives of two men.  In the First World War he was acting as assistant drill instructor for the Police when the call came for instructors to join the Army.  Smart joined the 1st Monmouthshire Regiment and 4th Welsh Brigade, R.F.A. reaching the rank of sergeant.  In February 1915 Smart was promoted to Lieutenant in 11th Battalion South Wales Borders (2nd Gwent) and became a Captain by October the same year.  In November 1915 the Gazette published a report showing that Smart had written to the Newport Watch Committee asking that they stop paying him the 8 shillings each week to which he was entitled.   He was killed in February 1916 and was buried in Le Tueret Cemetery, Richebourg - L'Aoue in France.  Apparently he had been visiting some advanced and very exposed posts held by his Company when he was hit by a rifle bullet which entered his left lung.  He was said to have remarked "They have got me this time" and never recovered.

Frances died in Thornbury in the 3rd quarter 1917.  She was 74.  Thus, in 1919, it was left to Albert Jacob Gore to settle William's estate.  An arrangement was made with Laura, William's sister, now married to Samuel Young Sainsbury, a guard on the railway and son of John Sainsbury, farmer, to reduce her annuity and enable the property of William's to be sold. 

Albert Gore was a pork butcher and it is interesting to see that he sells the property to John Taylor, another butcher. 

The house was put up for auction on 11th July 1917 when it was described as: "a freehold residence with capital walled-in garden, large lawn in front and good range of outbuildings in the occupation of Mr Mogford at the rent of £17 per annum.  The house contains five bedrooms, attic, two front sitting rooms, back sitting room, kitchen, back kitchen with loft over, large boiler house and underground cellar.  The outbuildings comprise large range of buildings suitable as storing sheds, stable, two good pigsties etc."

There is a reference in a Thornbury street directory of 1925 showing that E.W. Ball was occupying Crispin House.  When John Taylor sold the property in 1926, the previous occupant was said to be Frank Taylor, presumably a relative of John's.

Click here to read what happened next to the property

This page was last updated: 11/07/2011