Crispin Lane

Numbers 4 & 6

We haven't yet seen the deeds of theses houses, but we understand that they were both built by the Tucker brothers: number 4 in the 1890's and number 6 in 1902.  George and Frank Tucker owned the land next to the houses and behind them which they used as a builders' yard.  They also used a plot of land opposite for the same purpose.

Earlier in time, the land was used for an orchard.  The orchard is referred to in a document dated 1743, which relates to what is now Crispin House.  It says the land on which Crispin House now stands is bounded by "a paddock belonging to Mrs Hester Raymond (formerly Mrs Hester Tayer) on one side, by a garden or orchard belonging to George Cossham on another side, by a lane leading to Hester Raymond's paddock on another side and by another lane leading to Mr Parnell's ground called Blakes on the other side.  "

The garden or orchard belonging to George Cossham appears to be the land on which numbers four and six Crispin Lane now stand because in the Tithe Survey of 1840 this plot was owned by John Cossham.  We believe that the first of the two lanes referred to is at the back of the property and is now part of the garden of number 17 Pullins Green, the size and shape of which makes it clearly part of this ancient lane.  The second lane is probably what is now called Crispin Lane, which runs into what was Blakes and is now partly the playing field of Castle Upper School.

The photo above was taken in the 1970's before number 4 was extended.

The map on the right shows the 1840 Tithe Survey map.  It shows four cottages all fronting Mutton Lane, now Crispin Lane.  Although they are on the plots where numbers 4 & 6 Crispin Lane, Crispin Lodge and Crispin Cottage now stand, they are almost certainly not the same buildings.  Benjamin English owned and occupied the cottage and garden on plot 228, and John Cossham owned the three cottages on plot 229 and he lived in one of the cottages.  The other two were occupied by James Nelmes and Joseph Savery.

Benjamin English was an agricultural labourer - in 1841 he was aged 45 living in Back Street (St Mary Street) with his wife, Elizabeth aged 45 and their six children including James aged 15 who had started work as a blacksmith.

James Nelmes was a blacksmith, born in 1808, the son of James Nelmes (a member of the South Gloucestershire Militia) and his wife, Mary.  The 1841 census shows that James Nelmes was living in the lane, then called 'Mutton Lane' with his wife, Louisa aged 24.   By 1861 they had moved to the cottages in Pullins Green.  By then he and Louisa had children; Leonard aged 6, Ellen, a dressmaker aged 18, and Emily aged 11.  James died in 1873 aged 61 years.

Click here to read about the occupants of number 4

Click here to read about the occupants of number 6

This page was last updated: 28/08/2007