6 St John Street

Occupants

We are not really sure when the house was built or who lived in the house in the early years.  We are also disappointed that we have not been able to find out more about the various occupants of this house.  We do know that the following families lived there:

Thomas Donaldson - Reverend Donaldson lived in this house according to the 1876 Rate Book and rented it from Mr Bryant Jenkins Burchell. Click here to read more about him.

Charles Bevis -  The 1880 Rate Book shows that Charles Bevis lived here.  The 1881 Census shows that he had already moved to 10 The Plain by the time of the census.  He was a  26 year old Inland Revenue Officer born in Suffolk.    In the census he was living with his father, George, a mathematical teacher from Ramsgate aged 54, and  mother, Elizabeth aged 60 who was born Folkstone.  By 1884 an advertisement shows that Charles Bevis's house on The Plain was up for sale but 1885 Rate Book shows he continued to rent the house.   Elizabeth Bevis died September 23rd 1913.

The 1885 Rate Book shows that one of these houses may have been empty.  It would appear to be this one as the other was occupied by Henry Eddington and we have later evidence to show he lived in number 8.

David Cogswell Ovens - in 1891 the house was occupied by David Cogswell Ovens, described as a sergeant major pensioner aged 47 years from Cirencester.  We later found that he had been a soldier in the "13th Regiment".  We believe that this might be the 13th Brigade of Royal Artillery "The Gunners."  His wife, Sarah Jane, aged 47 years was from from Broadstairs in Kent.  They had two daughters, Sarah Natalie aged 13 who was born in Natal, South Africa and Jane Margaret aged 7 years born in Taunton. 

David Cogswell Ovens was born in the Cirencester area in the March quarter of 1844.  David was the son of Joseph Owen Ovens a furniture broker and his wife, Jane (nee Cogswell) who were married in Trowbridge on 22nd April 1835. 

On 24th August 1886 there was a newspaper report of "Volunteer Evolutions."  This was part of the training of The First Gloucestershire Rifle Volunteers who were training under Leiut. H. P. Thurston.  The troops were divided into two groups to practise manoeuvres around Tytherington Hill.  Leading the main group was Sergeant David Cogswell Owens or Ovens.

The records of St Mary's Church in Thornbury show that  David's second wife was Sarah, whom he married on January 9th 1887.   The entry describes him as a widower.   Sarah Jane was Sarah Jane Brown a widow and the daughter of Christopher Pierce, a civil servant.

Looking through the various census records it appears that David and Sarah Jane had been living together for a long time before their marriage.  The 1871 census shows them living in the Defensible Barracks, Pembroke.  David was a Corporal in the 13th Regiment aged 27.  His 'wife' was Sarah Jane aged 28 from Broadstairs in Kent.  They had two daughters, Frances Ann aged 8 who was born in Ireland and Ann aged 3 born in Portland.  In the 1881 census their names are shown as 'Owen'.  They were living at the Full Moon in Taunton.  David C was an Orderly Room clerk 36 BD.  He was aged 37.  Sarah Jane was a ladies nurse aged 37 born in Deal, Kent.  They now had four children: Frances J was a school teacher aged 16, Annie E was aged 13, and they now had David J aged 9 born in Pembroke and Sarah N aged 3 born in Natal (British subject).

A year after their marriage the Bristol Mercury for Saturday, May 19th 1888  reported a court case which gave an interesting insight into the personality of David Cogswell Ovens (or Owens as he was called in the article).  The court case was against Austin Edgar Hodges for assault on Cogswell Owens.  It seems that on several occasions when Cogswell Owens was walking down John Street he had buckets of "filth" thrown over him.  There were also instances of a bucket of tar being aimed at him and an egg shell containing red paint.  These came from more than one house.  The home of George Hodges seemed to be the main source of these mysterious missiles.  Eventually when an egg shell of blue paint was flung at him David lost his temper and forced his way into the house and found Austin Edgar Hodges hiding behind a door.

The reason for all these assaults became clear in the cross questioning of Mr Cogswell Ovens.  The first revelation was that on an earlier occasion they had been fighting over a young girl called Miss Nelmes.  It also mentioned that he had been in court before; once in Taunton for assaulting a little boy who had hit his son and once before a court martial for embezzling 2s 4d.  Mr Cogswell Ovens' private life also appears to have been complicated.  He was asked if he had been married in South Africa ("never"), in Ireland ("I refuse to answer") and in Thornbury ("yes").  He refused to answer whether his present wife was the mother of all four of his children.  He admitted that he had lived in Taunton but appeared to have left after the inhabitants burned an effigy of him.  When asked if once he came to Thornbury he seduced Emma Hodges whilst she was under the influence of a drug, he gave the interesting answer that "she was not unconscious at the time".  The defence lawyer also mentioned a seduction in Malmesbury.  There was also a Miss Fitzpatrick whom Cogswell Ovens had sent to school in Stroud.

The questioning about David's marriages seem to stem from the fact that he was to have married Emma Hodges and that he had first told her that he was married and then that he was a widower.  The case against Austin Edgar Hodges was not proven because a Mr Cornock was in the house at the time and he said he had not seen Hodges throw the egg.  However the defendant, Cogswell Ovens was imprisoned for 21 days with hard labour and the payment of £1 10s 6d costs and other sums for the damage caused to the property of George Hodges and other costs.

A year later David was in trouble again.  This time he was fined £2 8s 6d with £2 11s 6d costs for the assault of John Evomy Phelps on 17th October 1889.  He seemed to have a grudge against John as he was up for assaulting him again on two other occasions, on 3rd May 1891 (for which he was fined £2 3s including costs) and on 21st July 1891 (for which he had to pay a further £2 12s including costs).

The marriage did not last much longer as Sarah Jane died on October 12th 1897 aged 54 years.  On the other hand David Cogswell Ovens seemed to prosper.  Mr Cogswell Ovens appears as the tenant of 6 St John Street in the Rate Book of 1894 but he has left by 1899.  By 1901, David had moved to Oak Villa, Morton Lane where he was living with his daughter Jane.  By 1910 the trade directories show that he had moved to Epworth House, Castle Street.  He died on June 11th 1913 aged 69 years.

Of David's children:

David John - joined the Somerset Light Infantry and was a Lieutenant and Quartermaster in the First Battalion in 1907 when his son was admitted to Thornbury Grammar School in 1907.   His son, David Theodore Cogswell Ovens (or Owens as it was shown on the school admissions register) was born on 27th March 1899 and had been attending Regimental School in Cawnpore in India.  The register shows he left the school on 10th April 1911 and was to attend Taunton School, although there is note to say he spent the Autumn term 1911 in Malta.  We do not know whether David John returned to England with his son or whether the boy had been sent back to England to attend school.  David Theodore's address on admission to school was Castle Street which could have been his grandfather's address.

Jane Margaret  - married George Till Young, a highway surveyor from Morton, on 9th November 1910.  George died on 5th December 1918 aged 36.  The 1926 Rate Book shows Jane living in 5 St John Street.  She must after re-married at some after this because although she is buried with George, her name is shown as Jane Margaret Wills.

Sarah Johnson  - the 1899 Rate Book shows that Sarah Johnson is living in the house and the 1901 census gives more details.  Sarah was a single lady aged 67 years who was born in Winchcombe and described as 'living on her own means'.  Living with her was her niece, Mabel A Clark, who was single, aged 20 and born in Painswick.  The 1861 and 1871 censuses show that Sarah was the servant of Sophia Evans of "Greenfields" in Leckhampton.  She died 6th October 1903 aged 70 years.

Mabel Clark - the 1905 Rate Book shows that Mabel Clark continued to rent the house after Sarah Johnson's death (see above).  She was renting the house in 1905 from Emily Weatherhead.  The 1910 Rate Book shows that the next tenant was Robert Clark.  Robert Clark may have been Mabel's father (her brother and her father were both called Robert).  Mabel was the daughter of the police Sergeant Robert Clark and his wife Mary Ann.  The 1926 Rate Book shows Mabel Clark as being the tenant.

The 1891 census shows the family living together in the Police Station in the High Street.  In 1899 Robert rented number 5 St John Street from George Hodges.  Mabel's mother, Mary Ann died in April 1911 aged 57 and it is possible that Mabel was living with her father to  look after him.  The names of Mabel and Robert Clark appear in the electoral rolls of 1926 and they were described as living in St John Street so we have assumed they stayed  in this house.  Robert Clark died in May 1926 aged 78.  Robert and Mary Ann were buried in Thornbury with their son Charles Albert.  Charles had initially left home to go to America, but moved on from there to Australia.  When the War started he joined the Australian forces and was sent to fight in Turkey.  In 1915 there is a newspaper report which shows he was sent home to Thornbury on sick leave after fighting in the Dardanelles.  He went back to join the fighting and he was killed in Ismailia in Egypt on June 6th 1916 aged 34 years.

Newports - the house was occupied by Leonard Charles Newport and his wife, Lilian May from about 1930 until just the early 1950's.  Leonard was the manager of P. G. Hawkins builder's merchants business.  They had at least 2 children, Gerald Leslie born in 1932 and baptised in St Mary's church Thornbury 3rd July of that year and Stella Vivienne born in 26th June 1946.  The Council School records show that they also seemed to look after, at least for a short time, Emily Violet and Nancy Agnes Newport.  These girls came from Dornock and attended the school for a couple of years whilst living with the Newports in St John Street.  We understand Leonard and Lilian moved to Bristol.

The accounts of the building firm of W.W. Pitcher & Sons show that when they carried out some building work on 'Newport's house' in 1935, it was owned by a Mrs Prickett who lived in Blackpool.

Wilkinson - from 1954 until at least 1965 the house was occupied by Cyril and Kate Wilkinson who were operating the bakery business next door.  Click here to read  more

The house was demolished about 1970 as part of the town's re-development.  The house has been replaced by a new section of road linking St John Street to Rock Street.

This page was last updated: 19/08/2010