The Georgian House

William Knapp

William Knapp became the owner of the house on February 12th 1839. The property was bought for a total of £800, £300 immediately and the balance, plus interest, within twelve months.  The agreement described the property as

"All that messuage or dwellinghouse with the small garden in front thereof situate in the town of Thornbury aforesaid at the corner of the High Road leading from that place to Gloucester and known by the name of Colewell Street Lane or Collisters Lane abutting on and bounded in front by the said High Road.  And also all that garden enclosed within and bounded by a high stone wall situate in part behind and adjoining to the said dwellinghouse (except for the wall on the north and West sides thereof which is to remain and be considered as the property of the said James Ford  his heirs and assigns).  All which said premises were lately in the occupation of Mrs Cooke as tenant to the said James Ford and are now in the occupation of the said William Knapp.  And also all that building lately used as a must mill and stable but now converted by the said William Knapp into a blacksmith’s shop adjoining the said dwellinghouse and premises fronting Southwards to a street called St John street and abutting Eastward on a building of the said James Ford formerly used as a flax shop but now converted into  a stable together with the use of the well under or on the outside of the north wall of the said last mentioned garden."

William had to share access to a well with his neighbours as the document refers to the

"the use of the well under or on the outside of the north wall of the said last mentioned garden in common with the said James Ford his heirs or assigns or the owner or occupier for the time being of the adjoining premises on which the said well is situate (excepting and always reserving to the said James Ford a way or passage five feet wide taken from the said last mentioned garden and divided by a stone wall seven feet high or thereabouts leading from the said flax shop or stable to the entrance of an orchard belonging to the said James Ford at the bottom of premises of John Powell mason"

William Knapp was baptised at St Mary's church in Thornbury on 24th September 1797, the son of William and Flora Knapp.  Flora died at the comparatively young age of 45 in 1807.

William married Ann Harding on 31st May 1827 and they baptised their daughter, Mary-Anne Harding Knapp, on 2nd December 1829.  They had three other children who died in infancy.  The parish records show a William Harding Knapp baptised in May 1828.  The grave of their parents also refers to a daughter called Hannah Knapp. We have no further information about the other child who appears to have died in infancy.

William was a blacksmith like his father and grandfather before him.  We don't know when he actually became a blacksmith but he is listed in a trade directory  as early as 1830 when he was described simply as a "blacksmith and ironmonger."  This seems to understate the many talents of William Knapp which are more thoroughly described on the stationary heading above which refers to his making of gunpowder and shot as well as being a cutler, ironmonger and nail manufacturer.

We don't know where the Knapp family lived until they bought the Georgian House on the junction of Gloucester Road and St John Street in 1839, although they seem to  have been renting the property and living there before that date.  According to the purchase agreement William Knapp even seems to have built the forge there before he bought the premises.  The 1841 census shows that William, Ann and their daughter lived in the Georgian House with a young servant girl, Ellen Savery.  The business seems to have thrived because it continued to appear in trade directories and by 1851 William Knapp was shown as employing 2 men. 

On 21 March 1850 William bought two properties, now numbers 7 and 9 St John Street.  They were bought from the devisees of John Powell.  He appears never to have lived in either of these house, but let them out to tenants.

We also know that the Knapp family owned property in the High Street on the site which later became the Methodist church.  The records of the church show that this William's father William Knapp senior, raised £300 by yielding the tenancy of the land in 1811 and in 1817 he raised a further £100 with the property as surety. Eventually he transferred the property and the debt to Daniel Pitcher.  In 1859 William Knapp junior bought it all back and discharged the debt for £600.

On 15th July 1861 William sold various properties, including the two houses, 7 and 9 St John Street, to Mark Crossman Meredith and his wife, Mary Anne Harding.  Mary Ann was William Knapp's daughter.  She married Mark Crossman Meredith a farmer from Alveston in 1851.  

On 23rd March 1861, Ann Knapp had died aged 71 years.  This may explain why the 1861 census, which was taken shortly after Ann's death, showed that William had some visitors in his house, including  Mary- Anne Meredith and her two daughters, Hannah and Ann.  William died shortly after on 4th April 1862 aged 65. 

Mark Crossman Meredith and Ann Meredith nee Knapp became owners of the properties of William Knapp after his death. This property included the land on which the Methodist church was built in the High Street.

Mark Crossman Meredith died in 1894.

This page was last updated: 03/12/2008