4 Castle Street

The Later Occupiers

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Click here to read about the earlier occupiers of 4 Castle Street

Charles Olds. In the Rate Books of 1876, 1877 and 1879 the house was occupied by Charles Olds but owned by Richard Scarlett.

Charles Olds was born in Bitton, Hanham about 1831. The 1841 Census shows us that his father, Edward, was a cooper in Bitton. By the 1851 Census there was a change of employment. Edward and Rachel Olds, Charles's parents were farming 4 acres and employed one man. By this time Charles aged 20 was already a shoemaker. He was living on the farm with his parents and sisters, Salley, Jane, Mary, Ellen and Elizabeth. Of his brothers Jonathan aged 18 was working on the farm and Edward aged 5 was still at school.

In 1854 on 30th September Charles Olds married Charlotte Pitcher of Alveston in Clifton in Bristol. Charlotte Pitcher was the daughter of James and Mary Pitcher. The 1841 Census shows Charlotte Pitcher aged 8 with her parents, James and Mary Pitcher farmers at Upper Morton. The 1851 Census shows that the Pitcher family were living in Kington near the White Horse Inn. James Pitcher was 58 and born in Alveston. He was farming 115 acres and employing three labourers. His wife Mary Ann was aged 39 and born in Morton. Charlotte was aged 18 and born in Alveston. She had a sister Caroline aged 11 and brother George aged 9. The family had a servant, Elizabeth Potter and two labourers William Summers 18 and Charles Taylor aged 14 living in the household.

By the 1861 Census Charles and Charlotte Olds were living in the High Street in Thornbury. They seem to be successful. Charles Olds aged 30 was employing 4 men and an apprentice in his boot and shoe making business. Charlotte his wife was then 28. They had two sons by this time, Edward was 4 years old and William two. Their shop was next to the inn owned by Francis Gaynor. We have a photograph of the shop in this position. On the right you can see the line of civic dignitaries leading the "grateful" poor down to the church on Christmas morning. The dignitaries have just left the Swan Inn next door where they had breakfast and are lining up right outside Charles Old's business.

William Henry Olds sadly did not live very long. A memorial inscription in the churchyard of the United Reformed Church shows that he died on June 15th 1863 aged only four years.

The family attended what is now the United Reformed Church in Thornbury and their daughter Ann Francis born on 6th December 1865 was baptised there on 16th June 1867.

The photograph shown on the right was probably taken twenty years after Charles Olds set up his shop but the position seems to have remained the same. However this does not imply that he actually lived there very long. The 1871 Census shows that the family were living at Morton. Charles Olds was aged 40 and still a boot and shoe maker employing seven men and two apprentices. By this time their children were; Edward James Olds aged 14, Arthur Charles Olds 8 and Annie Francis Olds aged 5. However the 1871 Rate Book also makes it clear that Charles Olds owned premises on the High Street next to the Swan Inn.

It is not clear why Charles rented 4 Castle Street from Richard Scarlett. He continued to own the shop in the High Street. However he seems to have moved from the farm at Morton into the house at 4 Castle Street for a few years. The rate books from 1876 to 1879 make it clear he was renting 4 Castle Street and the trade directories of the period also refer to Castle Street as his private address.

The 1881 Census shows that they had returned to Morton to a house called Severn View and was a farm of 27 acres. At this time Charles and Charlotte had only nine year old Mary living at home with them. In 1899 the records of what is now the United Reformed Church show that Mary Ann Pitcher Olds aged 27 years married Frederick Bladwell a builder from Bath on March 15th.

The Trade Directories of 1889 and 1899 also mention that Charles Olds was a deputy registrar of marriage. Charles Olds died on August 16th 1904 aged 73 years. His wife Charlotte died November 23rd 1915 aged 84 years.

Joseph Young Sturge. In 1880 the Rate Book showed that J Y Sturge occupied 4 Castle Street which was owned by Richard Scarlett. In the 1881 Census they were living there with their daughter Mary then aged 25 born in Thornbury. In 1890 Joseph Young Sturge was living in this house now owned by the Trustees of the late Richard Scarlett. Click here to read more about Joseph Young Sturge.

Grace Commeline In 1894 the Rate Book shows that Grace Commeline was occupying the house and garden owned by the Trustees of the late Richard Scarlett at 4 Castle Street. It is not clear how long Miss Commeline stayed at this house, as by 1899 the Rate Book shows that she was renting a house from Henry Craven St John further down Castle Street at The Priory.

Grace Commeline was born in the December quarter of 1859 and her birth was registered at Shipston on Stour, Gloucestershire. The 1861 Census shows that Grace was a year old and was living with her family in the Gloucestershire Bank in the High Street of Moreton in the Marsh Gloucestershire. It shows that Grace's mother, Emily Charlotte, nee Morrisson, had died because her father Thomas, the manager of the bank, was a widower. Emily Charlotte's death was registered in Shipston in the December quarter of 1860. He was looking after after his young family, Archibald 8, Charles aged 5 and baby Grace with the help of a cook and a nursemaid, a footman and a housemaid.

Grace's father, Thomas appears to have married Emily Margaret Prosser in the September quarter of 1862. The marriage was registered in Cirencester. Emily Margaret Commeline died in Cirencester aged 33 in Sept 1870 as did her baby, Rachel Maude Commeline. In 1881 Grace was living in Gloucester with her father Thomas who was a bank manager in Eastgate Street. She had a sister Alice aged 24 and two younger sisters Edith Emily 15 and Margaret Laura 12. Thomas Commeline died in Barton Regis in the March quarter of 1890 aged 78.

The 1891 Census shows that Grace was living at number 8 Castle Street with Mrs Porter, who was the wife of the Thornbury Bank Manager, Charles Augustus Porter. Mrs Porter had been Mary Ann Petvin before she married Charles Porter in Wells. In this Census Edith was said to be a 31 year old spinster from Moreton in the Marsh living with a servant Hester Blizzard.

The Electoral Registers show that she continued to live in Castle Street at various addresses until at least 1950, at which time she was living at Threeways in Castle Street. The Free BMD website shows that she died in Thornbury aged 90 in 1950.

One of Grace's sisters travelled extensively. Margaret Laura Commeline died 6th October 1915 in Kadun, northern Nigeria. She had obviously maintained her links with Thornbury as her address was given as "of Thornbury" and her executors were Lionel Williams and her solicitor, John Gammon Wicks. Two of Grace's sisters married men who lived in Castle Street, Thornbury. First, Alice Commeline married Henry Hume Lloyd of Fairfield House in 1887 and then Edith Emily Commeline married Dr Lionel Williams of Oriel House in Castle Street in July 1891.

Frances Elizabeth Westcombe. In 1899 the Rate Book shows that Frances Elizabeth Westcombe was occupying the property owned by the trustees of the late Richard Scarlett at 4 Castle Street. The 1901 Census shows that Frances Westcombe was living there and that she was a widow aged 45 from Gaunts Earthcott living on her own means. She had a servant Agnes Hamlett from Gloucester and a lodger Caroline K Gilson aged 59 from Chelmsford in Essex.

Frances Savery was born in the June quarter of 1856 and was the daughter of Mark Savery a blacksmith and his wife Eliza a dressmaker. They were living in Gaunts Earthcott. In 1871 she was at a boarding school in Upper Back Street in Clifton. She married Thomas Westcombe in the March quarter of 1878 in Thornbury. In the 1891 Census she was living in the High Street in Thornbury with her husband Thomas a grocer from Boxford in Berks with a servant Annie Savery. We know that there was a partnership trading in Thornbury as Councell and Westcombe. We know that "Councell" was the family of Edward Gough Councell who was also associated with this house. We believe that "Westcombe" was Thomas Westcombe, Frances' husband. We do not know what the connection is between the families, if any. Thomas Bradfield Westcombe died on 20th July 1899 aged 47. A newspaper report of 26th July 1899 describes his funeral at the Thornbury Wesleyan Chapel. Two of his brothers were Methodist ministers. The article makes it clear that although Thomas had lived in Thornbury for twenty five years he had recently moved to Clevedon. The service was attended by a large number of Methodist circuit stewards and representatives of various chapels.

In the 1902 Trade Directory Frances was shown to be living at Wellspring House which is the name used for number 4 Castle Street to this day.

By 1905 Samuel Fudge had moved into this house.

Click here to read about the owners of 4 Castle Street

This page was last updated: 09/05/2012