4 Horseshoe Lane

Occupants

George Hoare - the handwritten transcription which we have seen of the 1840 Tithe Survey shows the property was occupied by George Hare, but we feel that his name was George Hoare.  The survey results were probably based on the situation a year or two before 1840 as in the 1841 census George is shown as living in Bulls Lane (now Bath Road).   On 22nd October 1834, George Hoare had married Anne, whose surname is uncertain, possibly Jehn.

George was a schoolmaster.  By 1851 he and Ann had moved to live in Castle Street.  This shows that George was born in Ringwood, Hants about 1808.  Ann was born in Shropshire about 1800.  They had one son, George born in 1837.  The 1852 Thornbury Trade Directory shows George as a schoolmaster of a Day School.  The family seem to have moved again and in 1871 the census shows that young George was a commercial traveller in the drapery business.  He was living  in the Newington area of London and his widowed mother, Anne, now 70 years old was living with him.

In 1841 the house was unoccupied.

Elizabeth Weeks - in 1851 the house was occupied by a widowed annuitant, Elizabeth Weeks aged 78 years and her married grand-daughter, Elizabeth Bryant, aged 26 years.   Elizabeth was Elizabeth Hendy who married John Weeks on 2 August 1795.  

John and Elizabeth had several children in addition to Elizabeth including Thomas baptised on 30th March 1796, John baptised on 30th January 1799 and Henry baptised on 2nd February 1806.  One daughter, Maria, married Daniel Neale on 6th May 1822 and she died on 9th January 1827 aged 27 years.  A son, Charles Hendy Weeks was born on 5th June 1808 and he died on 28th August 1828 aged 21 years.  Both Maria and Charles are buried in the same grave as their parents in St Mary's churchyard.

John died and was buried on 31st January 1825 aged 53 years.  Elizabeth died on 8th March 1859 aged 86 years and was buried on 14th March 1859 . 

Hester Walker - we know from the Will of Sarah Trayhurn who owned the property that Hester Walker was occupying this house in 1866.  The 1861 census shows her in the house at that time.  She was described as widowed schoolteacher aged 55 years.  Click here to read  more about Hester

Reuben Crokam - in 1871 census the house appears occupied by a surprisingly large group of people and it may be we have identified the wrong house.  On the other hand, they appear to be navvies in Thornbury to work on the construction of the railway line so maybe they were happy to squeeze into such as small house.  Reuben Crokam was an excavator aged 35 from Exeter.  He was living there with his wife, Susan, aged 36 from Axminster and 2 boarder and 3 lodgers.

In the 1881 census we have been unable to identify who occupied the various houses in the Lane.

Frederick Golding - in the 1891 census it appears that the house is occupied by Frederick Golding, a retired coachman aged 66 and his wife, Sarah aged 67.

Frederick James Golding was born in Widcombe near Bath about 1827.  In 1851 Frederick was an agricultural labourer living at Dunkerton with his father, William Golding an annuitant, and his stepmother, Maria.   In 1852 Frederick married Sarah Miles in Bath.  Sarah also came from Bath.

By 1861 they had moved to Alveston where Frederick was farm bailiff for Edward Bush, an engineer living at The Grove.  They had two children: Charlotte who was aged 7 born in Camerton, Somerset and Frederick William aged 1 who was born in Alveston.  The 1871 census shows the family still in The Grove.  Sarah had become a cook there and their son, 'William' had become a page.  They had one new daughter, Eliza F then aged 9.

The 1881 census shows that Frederick had become a coachman.  His daughter, Eliza, was a ladies maid.  Sarah was staying in the High Street, Thornbury with Charlotte, their other daughter.  She was now married to Francis Williams, the brushmaker.

Frederick James Golding died in 1891 aged 65.  Sarah died in 1894 aged 71.

Sarah Winstone - in the 1901 census the house appears occupied by Sarah Winstone a single lady aged 76 from Tytherington.  Sarah, who was described as 'living on her own means', shared the house with Ellen Bennett, a widowed sick nurse aged 60. 

In 1841 Sarah was living in Tytherington with her mother, Sarah, a seamstress, and her brother George. We can't find her in 1851 census, but in 1861 Sarah was a housekeeper for Thomas Ann in St Mary Street.  In 1871 she was a domestic servant for William E. Bletchley, a general practitioner living in Olveston.  By 1881 she had come into some kind of windfall as she is described as living on 'interest from money'.  Sarah was visiting Henry Knapp, a retired ironmonger, and his wife Emma in Castle Street.  In 1891 she is listed at Grove House, Bedminster with Samuel M Wilmot, a manager of an iron works and his wife, Mary Ann.  Sarah is described as a cousin.  Sarah died in Thornbury in 1909 aged 83.

Ellen Bennett was the wife of Thomas Hall Bennett, a labourer, whom she married on 14th May 1865 at Oldbury.  Her maiden name was Ellen Davies and her father was John Davies, a labourer from Oldbury.  In the 1871 census they were living at Oldbury Naite with their three daughters: Hannah aged 5, Margaret aged 4 and Elizabeth aged 5 months. 

Thomas died aged 36 and was buried on 1st September 1877 at Oldbury.  By 1881 Ellen had become a nurse and she was living at Naite Road cottages, Oldbury with children: Charles aged 6 and Emma aged 4. 

We don't know who was living in the house for many years.

Henry Hook - the 1946 electoral register shows Henry Hook living in Horseshoe Lane.  We have been told that Henry lived in this house.

The Bonds - from about 1954 John and Louisa Bond were living at number 4 Horseshoe Lane.  Following their deaths, their grandson, Keith, lived there with his wife, Patricia. They were still living there in 1965 electoral register.  Click here to read more about the Bond family

Just before the house was demolished in the early 1970's, it was occupied by Derek R Brooks and Ashley Drew 

This page was last updated: 02/10/2008