7 Horseshoe Lane

Occupants

The 1840 Tithe survey shows the two houses were owned by Thomas Wise, and that he occupied one and the other was occupied by Sarah Hopton:

Sarah Hopton - Sarah was a widow.  We think her maiden name was Sarah Gwilliam and she had married John Hopton in Newland, Gloucestershire on 13th October 1792.  They had one child, William Gwilliam Hopton baptised in Newland on 18th August 1793.  The family then seemed to move to Slimbridge where a daughter, Sarah, was baptised on 30th August 1796 and a son, Charles baptised on 17th November 1799.

John and Sarah then moved to Thornbury where a son, John, was baptised on 25th October 1800. Their other children were daughters; Mary baptised on 24th October 1802 and Mary Ann baptised on 28th July 1805 and finally Mildred born on 28 March 1808 and baptised on 12th June 1808. 

John  described his occupation as a labourer in some church records, although the marriage record of his daughter, Mildred, notes he was a gamekeeper.  John died and was buried on 30th August 1808 aged 48 years.

The 1840 Tithe Map and 1841 census show Sarah living in Horseshoe Lane in the house later known as number 7.  In 1841 she was described as a pauper aged 78 years.  Living with her was Mildred, a charwoman aged 25, and Charles aged 11. Mildred was her daughter who was to marry William Matthews, a cordwainer (shoemaker) on 11 August 1844.  Charles was Sarah's grandson, the son of her son, Charles, who was living in St John Street - click here to read more about this Charles Hopton

Sarah was buried on 26th February 1845 aged 83 years.

Joseph Mabbott - in 1851 census the house appears to be occupied by Joseph Mabbott, an agricultural labourer aged 52, his wife, Sarah aged 49 from Stone, and daughter Eliza aged 17, and a granddaughter, Mary Ann aged 9.

Joseph was born on 15th June 1798 and baptised at St Mary's Church in Thornbury on 1st August 1798.  He was the son of John and Hannah Mabbott.   In 1841 Joseph was living in St John Street - he was an agricultural labourer aged 42, living with was his wife Sarah aged 38.  Their children were Maria aged 18, John aged 14, Annas aged 12, Frances aged 10, Eliza aged 7, Emma aged 4 and Mary Ann aged 1.  Maria was the unmarried mother of Mary Ann who was living with Joseph and Sarah in 1851.  Maria was living in the 'Poor House' when Mary Ann was born in 1842.

In 1861 Joseph and Sarah were living in St John Street.  In 1871 they were living in what we believe to 2 Saw Mill Lane with their grand-daughter Emma Greenman aged 16.

Joseph died aged 79 years and was buried in Thornbury on 26th November 1877.  Sarah died aged 78 years and was buried in Thornbury on 4th December 1880.  Sara's address at the time of her death was the Thornbury Union Workhouse.

Henry Withers - in 1861 census the house appears to be occupied by Henry Withers, a gardener aged 54 and his wife, Sarah aged 56 from Alveston, and children: Frederick a house painter aged 22, Anne a dressmaker aged 18, Isabella aged 14, and a grand-daughter Anna Louisa Turvey aged 3.

In the 1851 census Henry was a groom aged 44 living in Castle Street with Sarah, a schoolmistress aged 46, and their children: Henry aged 14, Frederick aged 12, Ann aged 8, Joseph aged 7, and Isabella aged 4.  They had at least one more child: Edward born about 1839 and he was baptised with their other children on 10th December 1848.

We are puzzled about when Sarah died.  The 1871 census shows a widowed Henry Withers living in Castle Street as a 64 year old labourer boarding with Charles Morgan.  However the only record of her possible death was in 1880 when a Sarah Withers died 74. 

In 1881 there is a Henry Withers, a widowed gardener boarding at the Black Lion Inn, Castle Street.  His age is shown as 70.  Henry died in June quarter 1888 aged 81.   

Matthew Marsh - the 1871 census shows the house was occupied by Matthew Marsh,  a railway labourer aged 27 from Dorset, his wife, Sarah aged 20 from Portland, their son William aged 1 born in Thornbury and 2 lodgers who were also railway labourers.  This illustrates the fact that there was an influx of workers coming to the town to build the Yate to Thornbury branch line which opened officially on  September 2nd 1872.  Presumably the labourers all moved on after this date.  Matthew and his family had moved to Lowton in Lancashire by 1881 where he had become an engine driver, a much more prestigious occupation.

Thomas Martin - the 1876 Rate Book shows that the house was occupied by Thomas Martin.  We don't know any more about Thomas.

George Thorn - we believe that it was this house in which George Thorn was living in the 1881 census.  George was a labourer aged 41 living with his wife, Harriett, also 41, and a boarder, Henry Isaac Thorn aged 6.  In 1891 George and Harriett were still living in the house. George is now described as a farm labourer and Harriett as a dressmaker.  They now have a step-daughter, Harriett Thorn aged 13, and a visitor, Mary Flora Thorn aged 5.  Henry Isaac, the boarder, and Harriett, the step-daughter appear to be the children of Isaac Thorn, George's cousin who was a  sailor and ship's steward.

George was baptised on 8th September 1839, the son of Thomas and Anne Thorn of Crossways.  Thomas was a labourer and George also became a labourer.  The Thorn family lived in Hackett Lane and there were plenty of other Thorn families in the area. On 16th June 1860, George married Harriet Clarke, the daughter of Thomas Clarke, a blacksmith from Morton and the 1861 census shows that they too settled into Hackett Lane in a house close to his parents and other relatives.  On 1st September 1861 they baptised their only child, Albert George and they continued to live there in the 1871 census when Harriett's widowed mother, Flora Clark aged 69 was also living with them.

By 1881 they had moved to  7 Horseshoe Lane, and they continued living there until George's death in 1892.  He was buried on 14th April 1892 aged 52 years.  We don't know what happened to Harriett.

Martha Mills - in 1891 census we believe the house was occupied by Martha Mills, a widowed laundress aged 69 and her grandsons, James aged 15 who was working for his grandmother and Robert a gardener's boy aged 12.

Martha had been born in Thornbury about 1822.  We have not been able to trace her maiden name or her marriage to George Mills.  In the 1851 census, George was an unmarried journeyman mason living with his widowed father, Michael, in Gillingstool in 1851.  George and Martha's first child, Amelia, was baptised in Crossways in September 1852.  They had several other children.  Elizabeth was baptised at Crossways on 9th August 1854.  Anna Maria was baptised in Thornbury  on 4th January 1857, but this does not indicate a move necessarily as Georgina was baptised on 11th April 1860 in Crossways. Charles John baptised on 5th October 1862.  They also had one more daughter, Hannah Maria born in December quarter 1856.  Hannah is not living with the family in the 1861 census but does appear in the 1871 census.

In 1861 the family were living at Sibland.  George is shown as aged 29 and Martha aged 38.  In 1871 George and Martha are listed under Gillingstool, although George is now shown as aged 45 and Martha aged 51.  The 1881 census shows the family have now moved to St Mary Street.  There are several worries about the detail shown on this census.  George is shown as a mason aged 54 which fits.  His wife, however is shown as 'Sarah' aged 60.  It is possible that she used the names of Martha and Sarah, or that the enumerator made a simple mistake.  She is listed under the name of Martha in the 1891 census and in the burial record showing she was buried on 23rd June 1900 aged 78 years when it was recorded that she was living in St Mary Street.

The 1881 census record also shows that George and Sarah had two sons, James aged 5 and Robert aged 3.  These are unlikely to have been Martha's children as she would have been in her late 50's by the time they were born and we know that in the parish register Robert is shown as being the son of their unmarried daughter, Georgina.  In 1891 census James and Robert are shown as grandsons of the widowed Martha and James's occupation is working for grandmother. The word "domestic" appears as a note so we must assume that he was caring fulltime for her.

George died aged 64 years and was buried on 31st January 1891. 

Ann McGreavy - in 1901 census the house appears occupied by Ann McGreavy, a widowed charwoman aged 80 and born in Alveston and her unmarried daughter, Eliza, a dressmaker aged 38 who was born in London. 

Note the spelling of the McGreavy surname varies a lot in different records, sometimes it is McGrevy and on one occasion MacGreavy.  It looks likely that Ann was the Ann Osborne who married Peter McGrevy in the Bedminster area in September quarter 1840.  We don't know where they were living in the 1841 and 1851 censuses.  Peter died in December quarter 1858 in the St Saviours Registration District which includes Southwark which is where Ann's daughter was born in 1858/9.

In 1861 Ann had returned home to Thornbury and she was now living in the Thornbury Union Workhouse with Eliza.  She is shown as working as a domestic servant.

By 1871, she had left the workhouse and was now living with Eliza in Gillingstool where Ann was working as a laundress. In 1881 they are living in Gillingstool Road, although the census enumerator has written their surname as 'McGrady' and Eliza is now listed as 'Alice E', an unmarried dressmaker aged 22 with a daughter, Elsie E.  They are still in Gillingstool in 1891.

Ann died aged 87 and was buried on 16th April 1909.  Her address at the time of her death was in Rock Street.

We are not sure who occupied the house between the McGreavys and the Neal family.

The Neals - the house was occupied by the Neal family from the early 1920's, possibly earlier, to the late 1950's.  Click here to read more about this family

The Edwards - the 1965 electoral register shows Peter R and Margaret E Edwards were occupying the house. 

The Reeves - Joan Green who lived next-door at number 5 remembers that David Reeves lived here  with his wife.  In the 1970 electoral register David J & Pauline M Reeves are listed.

In the late 1960's the house was earmarked for demolition in the plans for the re-development of the town centre.  At that time, the house was owned by F.G. Bond who also owned number 5.

This page was last updated: 13/10/2008