8 Castle Street - Oriel House

Later Occupiers

1840 Tithe Map
(PDF file format)

Castle Street
Numbers
 1
 2
 3
 4
 5
 6 Oriel Cottage
 7
 8 Oriel House
 9 Lion House
10 Wigmore House
11 Porch House
12 Epworth House
13
14 Bank Cottage
15 Clematis Cottage
17 The Priory
20
22
24
26
28 & 28A
30
32 to 42
44
46
48
50 Munday Cottage
Fairfield House
Stokefield House
Stokefield Cottages
The Hatch
Thornbury Cottage 
Thornbury House

Oriel House in Castle Street, Thornbury is the red brick one on the extreme right of the photograph.  In the photograph here it still had a dormer window which is no longer the case.  The house was occupied from about 1867 by Charles Augustus Porter.

Charles Augustus Porter.  The 1867 and 1869 Rate Books show that the occupant of the house was Mr C A Porter.  On 20th April 1867 there was an advertisement for " Thornbury Books; stationery and fancy goods in great variety Bibles and Church Services, Tracts, Hymn Books, Maps, Pictures and School Materials, periodicals supplied to order printing and bookbinding neatly executed a London book parcel weekly; lending library Porter's Book Depository Castle Street Thornbury."

It seems that Charles Porter did more than just sell books.  He also appears to have printed them.  In Thornbury Museum there is a copy of the March 1869 issue of the Thornbury Monthly Illustrated Journal. This small magazine was published at Porter’s Book Repository in Castle Street and priced at 2d.  It featured general articles of interest but also some local news and advertisements. This issue included a lot of local history.  The museum also has a bound copy of 12 issues of the Journal in 1892.

The 1871 Census shows the house is listed as Oriel House and the occupant was Charles Augustus John Porter aged 34 an accountant and bookseller from Bath in Somerset.  He was living with his wife Mary Ann Porter also aged 34 and from Street in Somerset.  They had a 10 year old daughter Ellen, and sons William Petvin Porter aged 6 and Edwin Howard Porter aged 5, all born in Thornbury.  They had a servant Ann Wheeler and two visitors Mary Mack 41 from Reading and her 5 year old daughter Anne from Bristol.

Charles Porter was born in 1836 in Bath and he married Mary Ann Petvin in Wells in Somerset in 1859.  We have learned from the Moore Bishop family on "Rootsweb" that Mary was the daughter of Samuel and Mary Petvin (nee Mary Pople). 

The 1861 census shows Charles and Mary Ann had moved to Thornbury and were living in 9 The Plain.  The house was occupied by Charles Augustus Porter, an accountant and clerk, his wife, Mary Ann, a schoolmistress aged 24 and their daughter, Ellen, aged 2 months.  Charles was born in Bath, Mary Ann was born in Street.  The 1862 Rate Book indicates that Charles had recently left 9 The Plain and moved to a property in St John Street owned by the late William Knapp.

Charles and Mary Ann had four children Ellen Porter registered in Thornbury in the March quarter of 1861, William Petvin Porter born 27th July 1864 and baptised at Thornbury's Congregational Church,  Edwin Howard Porter born 6th October 1865.  Ernest Samuel Porter was baptised on 28th October 1874.

We know that as early as 1863, soon after coming to Thornbury, Charles became a trustee of the British School (or Council School).  The records of the school show that at that time Charles was an accountant.  In a newspaper article of 21st September 1865 Charles Porter gave evidence in court about a forged note and he says that he was cashier at the bank.  The Gas Rate Books of 1871 shows only the occupier and Charles Porter is listed in 8 Castle Street.  The Rate Books of 1876 1877, 1878 and 1879 show Charles Augustus Porter as the occupier and Samuel Petwin (or Petvin) as the owner.  Samuel Petvin was his father in law.

On the left we have a receipt that Thornbury Museum tells us was dated 1872.  It shows that that Charles had another occupation.  The shop as well as selling books and stationery includes more feminine items such as perfume and jewellery and so it is possible that Mrs Porter assisted in the business.

The Rate Book of 1880 shows Charles Augustus Porter as the occupier of what is now Oriel House but the owner was listed as Samul Petvin which is crossed through, suggesting a recent change of ownership.

The 1881 Census shows that  the occupant was Charles A J Porter then aged 44 an accountant and bookseller from Bath.  In the house is Ellen Porter his daughter aged 20 who is a stationer’s assistant born in Thornbury and two sons; William aged 16 a grocer’s apprentice and Ernest Porter aged 6 both were born in Thornbury.  They have a maid aged 18 called Elizabeth Eyles.  Mrs Porter is not at home for the census but Charles is described as “married”.  In fact Mary Ann Porter aged 43 and described as the "wife of a bookseller etc" was staying with her parents Samuel and Mary Petvin aged 70 and 72 respectively who had remained in Street in Somerset.  Samuel was a retired builder.  Mary Ann Porter may have been with her parents because her father was ill in health.  Samuel Petvin who owned Oriel House died in Street in the June quarter of 1881.

The Rate Books of 1885 and 1890 show that the property was owned and occupied by Charles Augustus Porter.

In 1889 Charles Porter was also an agent for Lancashire Fire and Life Insurance and Railway Passenger Insurance.

The 1891 Census shows that Mary Porter was living in the house.  Unusually the household does not have anyone designated as “head.”  Mary A Porter was described as a "wife" which implies that her husband was normally resident.  Her widowed mother in law also Mary A Porter aged 80 was also living in the house.  The 1891 Census shows that Charles Augustus Porter, now described as a bank cashier, was staying with his son Edwin, a colporteur, in Malvern in Worcestershire.  In 1892 the death of Mary Ann Petvin the widow of the late Samuel Petvin of Street in Somerset aged 83 years was reported in The Family Friend.  The article says she was interred at Street Church in Somerset.

The Rate Books show that by 1894 Charles had moved to The Thornbury Bank on The Plain and  on December 18th 1894 a newspaper article refers to Charles Porter as the Bank Manager.  In 1896 the Bristol Mercury Charles Porter made a donation of £1.11s to the Bristol Children's' Hospital on behalf of the Thornbury Union of Free Churches.  By the 1897 Trade Directory he was listed as being Secretary and Manager of the Cossham Hall in Thornbury as well as Bank Manager.

On the 1st August 1897 Charles Porter bought Prospect House on The Plain from a surgeon called Thomas Henry Taylor.  It does not appear that Charles lived in the house and he sold it in 1898 to Edwin Savery the blacksmith.  In 1899 Charles was elected a Councillor of Thornbury.

In 1900 Charles Porter  was elected to  the Thornbury School Board.  The 1901 Census shows that Charles Augustus Porter and his wife Mary both then aged 64 were living in Thornbury Bank on The Plain.  Charles was the bank manager.  Their 36 year old son William an accountant was living with them.  They had a 19 year old servant living with them.

On October 19th 1905 Charles died aged 68 years.  The 1905 Trade Directory shows that his widow was living at Bank Cottage in Castle Street.  Mary Ann died on March 9th 1909 aged 72 years.  They were buried in Thornbury Cemetery and their son William Petvin Porter was buried with them in April 1908.

Doctor Lionel Williams  The Rate Book of 1894 shows that Lionel Williams owned and occupied Oriel House and was letting the next house (which may have been number 10)  to George Henry Bernard Buckley. Dr Williams is always said to have had the first motor car in Thornbury- a Wolseley - in 1903.  Click here to read more about Lionel Williams

The property was conveyed to the Rural District Council of Thornbury on 23rd June 1939.  It was used as the Council's office until the move to Stokefield House in 1959, although even then Oriel House continued to be used as the office of the Council's Housing Department.

It does appear that Oriel House was also used by other private companies and so we have assumed that the building was divided for some time.

We have a letter dated 21st November 1966 from a company called H.E.F. Morris and Company of Oriel House that was trading as an auctioneers, valuers and estate agents .

This page was last updated: 09/05/2012