7 Pullins Green

Occupants

By the Census of 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 3rd 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 was also buried there in 1865 when she was aged 26 years.  She was living in Bristol at the time of her death.

The 1859 Rate Book and the 1861 Census show the house was owned and 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. 

We have learned from a family tree on the "Ancestry" website that James Bevan married Elizabeth Pearce but we have as yet been unable to trace this marriage.

James and Elizabeth Bevan had at least seven children who were all baptised in Thornbury.  These were; Elizabeth (baptised 24th November 1831), Louisa (baptised 22nd September 1833), Anne Pearce Bevan (baptised 30th April 1837),  Edward Pearce Bevan and Fanny Bevan (who may have been twins as they were both baptised 25th July 1841) and finally Jane Bevan (baptised 27th July 1845).

The 1851 Census shows that the family already lived in the Pullins Green area, possibly in what is now 4 Pullins Green.  At that time James was 40 years old and a carpenter.  His wife Elizabeth was 44.  Their daughter Elizabeth then aged 19 was a staymaker and the youngest child, Jane, was only  five and still at school.

Elizabeth Bevan was said to be a fundholder in the 1861 Census.  She was aged 59 and this Census says that she was born in London.  Their niece, Louisa Stinchcombe, a scholar, aged 11 from Berkeley was also living there.  "Louisa" appears to be Matilda Louisa Stinchcombe who was born in Stone near Berkeley and was the daughter of Henry Stinchcombe a music teacher, who died in 1853 aged only 40. 

Elizabeth Bevan died in 1869 aged 62 years.

In the 1871 Census James was sharing the house with another family.  He had his 10 year old niece, Emma Prewett living with him.  Emma was the daughter of Charles Prewett.  Her mother Emma (nee Bevan) had died in April 1861 when Emma (baptised Ada Emma Prewett) was born.

The  family lodging in the house is that of Henry and Charlotte Clutterbuck, although Henry was not at home on the night of the Census.  He was 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.

Of the children of James and Elizabeth Bevan;-

The 1876 Rate Book and the 1881 Census show the next family to occupy the house was that of Richard and Caroline Salmon.  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. 

A report of the sale of property at 32 Castle Street which appeared in a newspaper of 17th September 1870 refers to "lot 2 All that Freehold Messuage or Dwelling -house with walled gardens and premises situate in Castle Street Thornbury in the occupation of Mr Richard Salmon demonstrates that Richard and Caroline must have moved to Castle Street  soon after their marriage and this is confirmed by the fact that Richard Salmon's name appears as tenant of a house in Castle Street as early as the Rate Book of 1867.

The 1871 Census shows that 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 the 1899 Rate Book shows Richard and Caroline had moved to number 12 Pullins Green and the 1901 census that their children had moved away. On the 4 April 1904 their daughter, Elizabeth, married Frederick Shaw a draper's assistant from Witton in Wiltshire.  The 1910 Rate Book shows that Richard had moved again, this time back to Castle Street.

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 on 8th April 1868, the son of Thomas Eddington, a painter and his wife, Elizabeth.  In 1880 Charles failed to gain a scholarship to attend Thornbury Grammar School, but in 1882 he obtained an 'Edwards Scholarship' which enabled him to join the School. 

In 1891 Charles had been living with his parents at 28 Castle Street.  His father, Thomas was a house decorator, his elder brother Edward was a printer and stationer and solicitor's clerk.  Charles was a printer-compositor and his younger brother, Robert was a carpenter.  We have been told that Charles used one of the buildings at the back of 28 and 28A Castle Street as a printing workshop.

The 1899 Rate Book shows Charles as the occupant of 48 High Street.

Flora Burnell was born in Cannington, Somerset on 6th March 1869.  They married in 1899 in Bristol and had one son, Raymond Thomas born on 7th August 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.  We have no further records of Ivy Eddington.

Charles 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 also have a copy of a photograph of Charles as a member of the Thornbury Society of Change Ringers taken in 1897.  There is a thumbnail image of this photograph here on the left.  Please click on it for a larger image.  You will note that Charles is disabled and used a crutch at this time.  He was an active member of the Workingmen's Club, of which he was an officer at various times.  A newspaper article of October 1896 shows that he had combined his interests by playing the cornet at a concert of the workingmen's club.

On December 18th 1903 the newspaper reported that Charles Eddington was one of the people fined for refusing to have their children vaccinated against smallpox.  Compulsory vaccination had been enforced in England since 1853.  This was a controversial issue as although smallpox caused large scale fatalities and terrible disfigurement  some parents obviously had concerns for the risk to their children of vaccination and others resented compulsion as an attack on human liberty.

Charles Eddington obviously had good cause to be concerned about his children.  The records of the Council Upper School show that Raymond started there in 1908 (his address was given as High Street) but he left to be educated privately because he was "consumptive."

By the 1905 Rate Books Charles had moved to live in 15 The Plain which he was renting from Francis Gayner.  We understand that Charles had a photographic studio in the back garden of this property.  This building had glass panels in the roof to provide suitable lighting.  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.  We have one of his other photographs shown here.  It is a thumbnail image.  Please click on it for a larger photograph.  You will notice that his address as a photographer is given as Castle Street.

By the 1910 Rate Book he had moved again, this time to a property on the High Street, two doors up from the junction with Soapers Lane, a property he was renting from Thomas Anstey. 

Charles Eddington appears in the 1913 electoral register but not that of 1918.  The school records of the Council Upper School show that Ivy Eddington was enrolled in the school in 1911 but left in 1913.  The reason given was that the family had left the district.  They may have gone to live in Wales.

We have no corroborating evidence but Charles Eddington may be the one who died in East Glamorgan in 1939 aged 70.  Flora Eddington died in 1964 aged 95 in East  Glamorgan. 

We believe their son Raymond Thomas Eddington died in 1968 in Hengoed.

Arthur Charles Pitcher - the 1905 Rate Book shows that the house was occupied by Charlie Pitcher - click here to read more about Charlie

Eunice Davis - the next occupants which we know of were Eunice Davis and her daughter, Mary Ann.  Miss Higgins remembers that they lived there.  The Rate Book of 1910 shows that Eunice Davis was the tenant.  The 1911 census shows Eunice was a widowed dressmaker aged 60.  She was living at 7 Pullins Green with her daughter, Ann Davis, a dressmaker aged 22 and son, Albert, a shop assistant aged 20.  Eunice is listed as a dressmaker living in St John Street in the 1916 Prewett's Street Directory.  Eunice and Mary were listed in the 1918 electoral register.  The 1926 Rate Book shows Mary Ann Davis as the occupant.

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 and Mary Ann had moved from 1 St John Street where they were living in the 1905 Rate book.   Click here to read more about the Davis family.

By 1921 only Mary Ann is listed and she was listed as the occupant of the house in the 1926 Rate Book.

In 1927 the house is occupied by William James and Hilda Victoria Short.  William was born on 8th April 1902, the son of William Short, a railwayman, and his wife, Florence Matilda (nee Burchell).  We understand that Bill (Junior) also worked on the railway.  He married Hilda Victoria Vaisey in December quarter 1926.  Bill and Hilda had at least two children.  Barbara Florence Short was born on 25th November 1927.  She was admitted to the Council Infants School in 1932, but she died on 7th March 1936.  The report of her funeral at  the Congregational Church states that Barbara had always been very delicate.   A son, John was born on 2nd August 1929 and was admitted to the Council School in 1933.  The family is shown as living here in the school records and the 1927, 1930 and 1935 electoral registers.  In 1939 young John was removed from school as the family moved to Dursley.

The Hughes and Lewis families - from 1939, the house was occupied by the same family for 60 years. Click here to read more

This page was last updated: 18/08/2011