4 St John Street

Occupiers

The building was occupied by:

Aaron Tidman - when the house was put up for sale by auction in 1859 it was occupied by Aaron Tidman. Aaron was born in North Nibley, Gloucestershire about 1801.  In 1851 he was a cloth manufacturer aged 50 living in Water Lane, Wotton Under Edge with his wife, Elizabeth who appears to be aged 50 born in Potterton, Wilts, and their children: Charles aged 14 and Mary aged 15 both born in Chippenham.

In the 1850's the Tidmans moved to Thornbury and we know from the sale of the property referred to above that Aaron was living in St John Street in 1859.  By 1861 they had moved to the High Street where Aaron was a grocer.  Interestingly there is a big difference in Elizabeth's age - she is now shown as being 43 and born in Chippenham.  The 1871 census shows them still living in the same place.  Aaron was listed as a butcher and grocer aged 70 from North Nibley living with Elizabeth aged 52 from Chippenham.  Aaron died in 1879 aged 81.

George Thomas - in 1876 the Rate Book shows that the building is tenanted by George Thomas.  In the Trade directory of 1877 he is a baker.  The census of 1871 shows that George Thomas was a baker and grocer who occupied the premises with his wife Susanne.  George was aged 63 and came from Stone.  His wife was 60 and was born in Thornbury.

The Trade Directories show that George was trading as a grocer and baker from as early as 1849.  The 1851 census shows the family is living near the bottom of St Mary Street.  At that time George was trading as a grocer.  He was 44 born in Berkeley and married to Hannah who was 42 and born in Elberton.  They were living with their children: Edwin aged 18 born in Almondsbury, Ann aged 13, Jane aged 10 and John aged 8, all born in Alveston, and a visitor, John Bendall an unmarried agricultural labourer aged 46 from Elberton.  On 13th March 1831, George Thomas married Hannah Bendall.

The 1861 Census shows that George was living in St John Street and trading as a master baker.  He was aged 54 and but his wife, Hannah aged 52.   Their children in this census were children Ann aged 23 from Olveston, Jane aged 20 from Olveston who was working as a dressmaker and John aged 18 born in Thornbury and working as a painter. 

Hannah died aged 55 and was buried on 20 September 1863.  George re-married in June quarter 1864 - his wife was Susannah Whitfield.  George died aged 72 and was buried on 5th May 1879.  Susannah died aged 69 and was buried on 31 March 1882.

John Thomas - the 1880 Rate Book shows that the house was occupied by John Thomas, the son of the George Thomas who had lived here previously (see above).  The 1881 census shows that John was a painter, now aged 38 born in Oldbury on Severn, and he was living with his wife, Mary A, a shopkeeper aged 33 and their children: Frederick J, a baker aged 14 from Alveston, Hubert J aged 9 and Kate J aged 5, both born in Oldbury and Edwin aged 2 born in Thornbury.

By 1891 the family were living in Oldbury.  John was a house decorator, aged 48 born in Rudgeway, Mary A was aged 43 from Oldbury, Frederick G was a painter aged 24, Hubert J a tailor aged 19, Kate was a  teacher in N School (presumably National School), Edwin aged 12 and John A aged 8.

Thomas Eldridge English - the baker who operated from the building from the 1880's up to 1934 - click here to read about the English family

Ernest Joseph Pearce - ran the bakery for a few years between 1934 and 1937.  Joseph and his wife, Alice Elizabeth, moved from The Bungalow, Siblands.  They had one son, Donald Short Pearce, who was born in 1929.  The use of 'Short' as a middle name presumably shows a connection to the Short family.  Donald started at the Council School in 1934 and went on to work in the legal profession.  He is believed to have worked at one time for Hugh Wells.

After leaving the bakery, the family moved to 1 Rock Street (the first house on the left going up towards the Market).  They didn't stay there long, moving to Hillside, Siblands, by 1950.  Joseph died 3rd February 1955 aged 52 years. Elizabeth died on 15th December 1979 aged 79 years. The photo on the right shows the shop in 1937 at the time of the Coronation of George the sixth.

John Victor Spencer - took over the bakery in 1937 and operated it until 1947.  John and his wife, Grace Emily Spencer, are listed in the electoral register of 1939.  They seem to have at least two children: Doreen N Spencer was listed in the 1946 electoral register and the marriage register of St Mary's Church shows that their daughter, Joan Hazel May, married Stanley Norman Hampton in 1946.  Joan was a clerk aged 25.  We believe Doreen married Sam Speed.

It is interesting to note that John was born in Malmesbury, Wiltshire in 1893.  He was the son of Garibaldi John Spencer, who was also a baker.  We have not found any obvious connection between John and the English family who also stemmed from Malmesbury.

Cyril S. Wilkinson - took over the bakery in 1947.  He and Kate, his wife, appeared to have had big plans to extend the business.  They submitted plans to build to build a 'model' bakery in the orchard which they rented from the Council.  This orchard was further along St John Street towards Pullins Green and went through to St Mary Street.  Looking at later maps of the area, this building was never built, but it seems like they did build a new bakery at the rear of their shop.

Cyril and Kate also moved next door to live at number 6 whilst carrying on with the shop.  They are shown in the electoral registers of 1954 onwards as living in number 6.  The electoral registers show that they lived in St John Street until at least 1965, after which their son, David, took over for a short while with his wife, Patricia.  David and Patricia are listed in the 1970 electoral register.  Cyril and Kate had a daughter, Mary Elizabeth.  In 1965 she married Michael Frederick Holmes, a corporal in the Parachute Regiment who came from Bradford.

And finally the building was shared between an electrical business operated by Blanchard and White (which later moved to the corner of The Plain and Gloucester Road) and a travel agency called 'Blue World Travel'.

 This page was last updated: 08/11/2008