10 Castle Street

Wigmore House

Roger Howell, a local archaeologist and historian says that "the property was once large with several barns and outhouses and several acres of land attached and must originally have had more the appearance of a farm than a town house.  The older part of the house stood sideways on to the road facing north towards the church and castle.  A Georgian wing was added to this on the west, facing Castle Street thus bringing it closer to the street."

A group of researchers from Thornbury Museum were lucky enough to be given a tour of Wigmore House by its owners in 2005.  These researchers (Roger Howell, Meg Wise, Heather Palmer and Liz Wilkins) commented on the wonderful plaster ceiling decorations, cellars, a possible ice house, a spice cupboard, a bread oven and underground water cisterns.  They were able to see that the original front door was still in position on the side of the house and where the Georgian front of the building was added.  The owner also allowed them to examine the deeds and some of the information we have here on the website come from the notes they were able to make.

The earliest records which relate specifically to Wigmore are in those of Thornbury Court Leet which were recorded in Caffell's notes.  "Thornbury Court held 21st January 1635/6 William Barton comes and produces a deed by Katherine Tayer widow dated 1 November 8 Charles (1633) by which said Katherine granted to said William a messuage and barn called Wigmores and 4 acres of land within the borough without licence".

The descriptions of Wigmore House included mention of the land and outbuildings (generally a barn or coach house) for much of its history.  Roger Howell notes;  "In an indenture dated the 29th of September 1841 it is stated that part of the house had been rebuilt.  This was perhaps the Georgian wing that was added to the older house sometime between 1818 and 1841.  Included with the house were four acres of pasture or arable land called Mondays or Mondays Land which had belonged to the house and two acres of pasture or arable land adjoining a house formerly belonging to John Putley (22 Castle Street) which had been planted with fruit trees and was called the orchard also another two acres of Mondays Land and two acres of arable that had been enclosed out of the common field known as the Tiltfield in the tithing of Kington in the manor of Thornbury. The last two plots of land had formerly been copyhold land of the manor but had recently been enfranchised and were said to adjoin and lie open with the four acres first mentioned. Also included were a stable and coach house, formerly a barn or workhouse adjoining the yard of the house."

indeed when Edward Long came to sell Wigmore House in 1863, nearly 230 years after the first description of the property it still recognisably a farmhouse, although the land has been reduced and the house has been much gentrified and modernised according to the fashions of the time

"Lot 1 – An Excellent and convenient Dwelling House, desirably situated in Castle Street, in the town of Thornbury, for some years past in the occupation of Mr Edward Long, Surgeon, containing on the ground floor Drawing, Breakfast and Dining Rooms, Surgery, Kitchens, and all usual and necessary offices; on the first floor four Bedrooms and Dressing Room with four Attics over. There is a capital underground Cellar, and a good supply of hard and soft water. Also the Lawn and Pleasure Garden, Greenhouse, Stables, Coach-House, Cowhouse and other Outbuildings and large Yard as now marked out from Lot 3, all adjoining the same and containing 1R. 27P.  And the Orchard immediately behind the same, well stocked with Fruit Trees, and containing 1A. 0R and 8P.  And the very productive Kitchen Garden adjoining and containing 1R. 34P. (the whole Lot containing nearly two acres)."

The photograph above right was taken in February 1963 before a major refurbishment took place. The photograph on the left was taken in June 1963 after the refurbishment.  Note that bay windows have been added upstairs and all the window frames seem to have been replaced.

The earliest continuous account of the history of the ownership of this house can be found in the Gloucester Record Office amongst the papers of the Harwood family of Thornbury and Alveston.  They begin with an Abstract which accompanies an indenture dated 22nd August 1754.  It is difficult to identify at this stage which of these people owned the property and whether any of them lived in it.  The beginning of the Abstract seems to relate to relates to properties in Kingswood near Wotton Under Edge which was once a detached portion of Wiltshire and only transferred to Gloucestershire in 1844.  It begins in 1615 with Robert Spark and Robert Itholl.  By 1688 the name of Richard Wilkins,  who is later associated with both the Wiltshire properties and what is now Wigmore House, appears in the Abstract.

The later part of the Abstract relates to a  house in Thornbury which appears to be Wigmore House.  It says that on the 12th May 1688 there was an indenture between Richard Cooke and John Mabbott. 

The Tithe Terrier of 1696 for this area of Thornbury has an entry confirms that John Mabbott owned property in what is now Castle Street.  "Item one of the grounds belonging to Thomas Stafford Gent called Wiggs moores by estimacion about two Acres and a half bounded North by John Mabbutts garden and orchard East by Mr Staffords Mundays Lands South by his aforesaid Close and his garden and West by the High Streete of the Burrough." This is interesting because it shows that the name of "Wiggs Moores" in this document is being applied solely to a piece of ground . It would seem most likely that John Mabbott who owned the adjoining garden and the orchard owned the actual house, whereas  John Stafford owned both Mundays (or Mondays) Land and "Wiggs moores".  These eventually were all held by the same owner because they were all lots in the sale of John Fewster's property which took place after the bankruptcy of Dr Long.

On the 25th March 1712 there was another indenture made between John Mabbott and Richard Wilkins. This was followed on  29th and 30th September 1713 by an indenture of Lease and Release  made between John Mabbott and Richard Wilkins. 

We feel that this is a strong indication that Richard Wilkins bought the property (which he then left to his son) from John Mabbott who in turn had bought it from Richard Cooke.  However at the present time we know nothing more about either John Mabbott or Richard Cooke.

Click here to read Roger Howell's speculation on the origins of the name and of the very early history of the house itself

Click here to read about the owners of Wigmore House from 1713 to the present day

This page was last updated: 16/07/2010