5 Castle Street

The  Owners

The only indication we have at this stage of the earliest ownership of number 5 Castle Street is a mention in the deeds of the fact that when William Pitcher raised a mortgage using the house as security in 1779 it was part of a property previously occupied by Deborah Green.  At this time we know no more of Deborah Green, although Scribes Alcove Website shows that a Deborah Green was buried in St Mary's Churchyard on 27th September 1715.  This is likely to be the same Deborah Green who was baptised at the age of about 20 on 14th August 1706.  Her father's name was given as John Green.  John seems to have died in 1705.

The owners of the house next door which is now known as Dot Cottage have deeds dated 1768 and 1771 which refer to William Pitcher, a tailor as the occupant of this house (number 5).

An indenture in the deeds of number 5 Castle Street dated 26th September 1808 between Ann (or Hannah) Barton of Starvall in the parish of North Nibley relict of Richard Barton late of Starvall yeoman and William Pitcher a tailor of Thornbury explains that William Pitcher was the owner and occupier of the house.  It says that from 22nd April 1779 he was using the house as security for a mortgage, firstly from George Cossham, a carpenter,  then from Richard Barton and after that Richard's widow, Ann (or Hannah) Barton.  The indenture yet again transfers the mortgage  this time to George Rolph. 

A second indenture of November 1816 transfers the mortgage from the William Rolph the trustee of the late George Rolph to William Taylor of Littleton, providing he takes out fire insurance to protect the security.  By this time the mortgage has gradually risen to £170 still outstanding.  In the  third and last indenture in this sequence, dated 23rd October 1819,  the amount owed (£170) is paid by Jane Pitcher of Holford "daughter of John Pitcher a tailor" to William Taylor.

Throughout this period the house was owned and used by William Pitcher who was a tailor and married to Jane Bill, by whom he had nine children.  Jane died 9th July 1777 aged 40 a few months after the death of her baby daughter, also called Jane.

The sixth child and third son of Jane and William Pitcher was John  Pitcher born on 5th September 1767.  John married Margaret Webster in March 1795.  They had at least two daughters; Jane born 25th March 1796 and  Mary Pitcher born 21st March 1800.   John Pitcher died 4th December 1818 aged 51.  He died intestate and on 9th June 1819 his widow Margaret Pitcher had to sign papers of administration swearing that she was the natural and lawful widow  and heir to his property, which appears to be worth less than £50.

A Rent Roll of Borough Rents paid by freeholders to the Mayor of Thornbury was drawn up between 1807 and 1810.  In this, the owner of the house which is now 5 Castle Street was shown as William Pitcher but the occupant was said to be Margaret Pitcher.  It would seem possible that Margaret Pitcher was a resident of the house before William Pitcher died but the records are not accurate enough to be sure.  It is also difficult to explain why Margaret would be shown as the tenant of the house while her husband was still alive.

William Pitcher died died on May 28th 1823 aged 92.  The 1824 Land Tax Records show Margaret Pitcher now owned the house.

The Tithe Map of 1840 shows the house as plot number 40 now both owned and occupied by Margaret Pitcher, the widowed daughter in law of William Pitcher.  It seems possible then that the Jane Pitcher who paid £170 mortgage to William Taylor in 1823 was William's own grand daughter and the daughter of Margaret.

The 1841 Census shows Margaret Pitcher aged 80 of independent means living in Castle Street with Mary Trayhurn aged 30.  Margaret Pitcher died January 28th 1849 aged 88. 

Margaret was buried in the Churchyard of St Mary's Church in Thornbury with her husband John Pitcher.

The conditions of sale of this property which took after the death of Henry Knapp explain that the title to it commenced with  an indenture dated 21st March 1849, the year of the death of Margaret Pitcher, made between Mary Pitcher of the one part and Henry Knapp of the other part.  The indenture in question makes it clear that Mary Pitcher was the grand daughter and heiress of William Pitcher who died intestate.  Mary Pitcher's address at this time was London Road in the parish of St Catherine's in Gloucester.

Henry was related to Margaret Pitcher and her family through his mother who was born Elizabeth Pitcher the daughter of Daniel Pitcher and he is described in the indenture of March 1849 as her kinsman.  Henry was baptised on 1st March 1820 and he was the son of William and Elizabeth Knapp.  Henry  continued to own the house for the remainder of his life.  On December 16th 1882 soon after the death of his wife,  Henry Knapp died.

The Bristol Mercury has the advert for the auction of the property on Saturday 27th Jan 1883.  It mentions Henry Knapp’s own house on the east side of Castle Street with a bay window, stabling and both sorts of water.   Number 5 Castle Street was a less grand affair.  It was described as Lot two - "A compact Dwelling house situate to the west side of Castle Street in the town of Thornbury containing sitting room, kitchen, scullery, pantry, underground cellar and three bedrooms with attics over. There is a small garden at the back and a rainwater cistern and a pump on the premises.  This lot is in the occupation of Mr John Allen a yearly tenant at £12 a year."

This house was sold to Phoebe Ricketts for £210 on 29th March 1883.  Phoebe was the sister of Henry Knapp.

Phoebe Elizabeth was baptised on 28th September 1814 and was the daughter of William Knapp and Elizabeth nee Pitcher.  Phoebe married Thomas Ricketts, a trustee of the British School and a cooper.  He appeared in the Trade Directories between 1842 and 1877.  In the 1871 Census  Phoebe aged 55 and Thomas aged 61 were living near to the Swan Hotel in the High Street.  Thomas was a cooper.  The couple were living with Phoebe's mother, Elizabeth Knapp and her niece Hannah Hodges.  The 1881 Census shows that Phoebe Ricketts and Hannah Hodges had had a shop in the High Street next door but one to The Swan.  After the auction of Henry Knapp's property, the Rate Book of 1885 confirmed that the house now known as 5 Castle Street was owned and occupied by Phoebe Ricketts.

In the 1891 Census Phoebe Ricketts was aged 76 and still lived with Hannah Hodges, then aged 38.  The 1901 Census shows  that Phoebe Ricketts was an 84 year old widow living on her own means and born in Thornbury.  She was living with her niece Hannah Hodges who had been born in Llantilo Glamorgan.  There was also a domestic help, Mabella M Liddiatt  from Thornbury.  The 1896 Voters List shown that Phoebe Ricketts lived in Thornbury but also had property in Crossways.  Phoebe died on 28th January 1902.  Her will made on March 18th 1876 appointed John Crowther Gwynn and Thomas Evans Hignell as executors of her estate.  Click here to read more about the family of Phoebe Ricketts nee Knapp.

The 1905 and 1910 Rate Books show that the house was owned by Hannah Hodges, the niece of Thomas and Phoebe Ricketts.  Hannah Hodges died in Thornbury on 14th August 1922 aged 72.  We have no evidence of Hannah living with her parents.  From as early as the 1861 Census, at age 11, she was "visiting" Phoebe and Thomas in Thornbury.

On 17th October 1922 the house was sold to Oliver James Taylor a butcher and purveyor of 31 Castle Street Bristol. On 12th June 1929 Oliver James Taylor then occupying 5 Castle Street agreed to sell  the house to Eliza Fudge. Presumably Oliver James Taylor returned to Bristol as there is no mention of him in the Electoral Register of 1931.

Eliza and her husband Samuel Fudge were the owners of 4 Castle Street and were very well known in the area.  Please click here to read more about them. Eliza Fudge died 27th March 1942 by which time the house was called 'Glenlyn'.  Probate was granted to Eliza's son, Hubert Fudge and daughter, Marjorie, as her executors.  Samuel and Eliza's daughter, Marjorie Kathleen Fudge remained unmarried and she continued to live in 5 Castle Street until her death on 1 February 1957.   Marjorie's name appeared in the Electoral Registers of 1946 to 1954 with this address.

On Marjorie's death the house was left to Hubert and Edna Fudge in trust for their daughters Angela and Judy Fudge who became the owners on 10th June 1964 by which time both girls had become 21 years of age.

On 1st September 1976 the house was sold to Christine Thomsen the then tenant. 

The house has subsequently been owned by Angela and Clifford Jones and Jean and Colin Houghton and later Martin Edmonds.

Click here to read about the occupiers of the house

This page was last updated: 16/07/2010