7 Pullins Green

Occupants

By 1851, the house was a lodging house run by a widow, Dinah Barnett.  Dinah was aged 43 and born in Compton in Gloucestershire.  She had two children living with her: Clara and Matilda aged 14 and 13 respectively.  Both girls were born in Dursley.  In 1841 Dinah had been living in Dursley with her husband, Thomas. 

Thomas and Dinah had moved to Thornbury between 1841 and 1843 when he died on 3 March aged 37 years.  He is shown in the trade directories as providing a van "for passengers and luggage from Thornbury to Berkeley and Dursley every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday".  He also operated a van to Bristol each day.  He was buried in St Mary's Church.  Matilda is also buried there, buried in 1865 when she was aged 26 years.  She was living in Bristol at the time of her death.

In 1861 the house was occupied by James Bevan, a journeyman carpenter and his wife, Elizabeth.  James was born in Thornbury on 26 October 1810, the son of James Bevan (Junior) and his wife, Ann.  Elizabeth was a fundholder, aged 59 and born in London.  Their niece, Louisa Stinchcombe, a scholar, aged 11 from Berkeley was also living there.  Elizabeth died in 1869 aged 62 years.

In 1871 James is sharing the house with another family.  He has his 10 year old niece, Emma Prewett living with him.  The other family is that of Henry and Charlotte Clutterbuck, although Henry is not at home on the night of the census.  He is a coachmen so he could presumably be 'on the road'.  Charlotte was born in Thornbury in 1843, the daughter of Thomas Morgan, chimney sweep and his wife, Charlotte.  She married  Henry in Bristol in 1863 and they now had Henry aged 6 born in Bristol, and Ernest aged 3 and Percy aged 11 months, both born in Thornbury.

James Bevan died in 1874 aged 64 years.

In 1881, the house was occupied by Richard and Caroline Salmon and their very large family.  Richard was a painter born in Bruton, Somerset about 1842.  In 1851 he was living in Shapway Lane, Evercreech with his mother, Frances a widowed silkwinder aged 37 and his sisters, Elizabeth and Mary Ann.  By 1861 Richard had moved to Thornbury and he was living in Castle Street with his elder sister, Mary Ann who was a grocer.  In 1864, he married Caroline Howes who was born in Thornbury about 1841.  Caroline was the daughter of John Howse an agricultural labourer from Kington and Emma his wife. 

In 1871 Richard and Caroline were living in Castle Street with Emily aged 5, Edwin John aged 4, Ellen aged 2 and Selina aged 1.   The 1881 census shows Caroline was a dressmaker.  They had Emily aged 15, Edwin, a painter aged 14, Ellen aged 12, Selina Caroline aged 11, William Henry aged 8, Catherine aged 6, Elizabeth aged 4, Frank aged 3 and Hector aged 6 months.  Another child, Herbert George was born in 1885.

In 1891 the house was still occupied by Richard and Caroline.  Of their children, only Elizabeth and Frank were living with them.  Frank had become a tailor's apprentice.  By 1901 all their children had moved away and Richard and Caroline had moved to number 12 Pullins Green. On the 4 April 1904 their daughter, Elizabeth, married Frederick Shaw a draper's assistant from Witton in Wiltshire.

Richard died on 31 October 1920 aged 73 years.  Caroline died on 19 January 1922 aged 80 years.  They are buried in the non-conformist section of Thornbury Cemetery.

In 1901 the house was occupied by Charles Eddington, a composite printer aged 32 and his wife, Flora aged 32.  Charles was born in Thornbury in 1868, the son of Thomas Eddington, a painter and his wife, Elizabeth.  Flora was born in Cannington, Somerset.  They had one son, Raymond Thomas born in 1900.  A daughter, Ivy Gwendoline, was baptised on 10th June 1903 when Charles was still living in Pullins Green.  The baptism record shows his wife as Florence.

In 1891 Charles had been living with his parents in Castle Street.  His father, Thomas was a house decorator, his elder brother Edward was a printer and stationer and solicitors clerk.  Charles was a printer-compositor and his younger brother, Robert was a carpenter. 

In the Thornbury Trade Directories Charles was listed as a photographer.  He is known to have taken several photographs of the Thornbury Gleemen Society, of which he was a member.  He played the cornet and there are several photographs of young Charles together with the Gleemen or as a member of the Thornbury Brotherhood (see image on the right taken in 1912).

We don't know when the Eddingtons left the property.  The next occupants which we know of were Eunice Davis and her daughter, Mary Ann.  Miss Higgins remembers that they lived there.  They were listed in the 1918 electoral register,  but they may have lived there earlier as they would not have been shown in the register until 1918 when they became eligible to vote.

Eunice was born in Alveston about 1847.  In 1851 she was living with her parents on Alveston Down - they were Samuel a shoemaker from Cam, and Caroline - interestingly her name was  spelt clearly as 'Unis'.  The 1871 census shows her mother, Caroline, had re-married to George Smart, an agricultural labourer.

Eunice married Walter Davis in Bristol in 1877.  Walter was born in Thornbury in 1848, the son of Lewis Davis, a painter and Eliza.   Walter was also a painter.  In 1881 she and Walter were living in John Street.  It seems likely that they were living at the other end of John Street, near Trayhurns, possibly what became known as number 4.  At this time they had a son, Lewis aged 2 and a daughter, Caroline aged 10 months. By the 1891 census, they had three more children, Walter William born in 1883 (when his mother's name was spelt Unise), Mary Ann born in 1885, and Albert born in 1891.

Walter died in 1901 aged 52 years and he is buried in Thornbury Cemetery. 

The 1901 census shows that Eunice, now a widow, had three children living with her, Walter William, a house painter aged 18, Mary Ann aged 15 and Albert aged 10. 

By 1921 only Mary Ann is listed and she is still there in 1925.

In 1927 the house is occupied by William James and Hilda Victoria Short.  'Bill' was a engine driver employed by the Midland Railway Company.  He used to drive a steam train from Thornbury Station.  The photo on the right shows Bill alongside his steam engine at Thornbury Station.  They had at least two children.  A daughter, Barbara Florence Short was admitted to the Council Infants School in 1932, and a son, John was admitted in 1933.   The family is shown as living there in 1930 and 1935 electoral registers, but not in 1939.  We understand they moved to Dursley.

From 1939, the house was occupied by the same family for 60 years. Click here to read about the Hughes and Lewis family.

This page was last updated: 30/06/2008