William Powell was a mason and we have been told that in 1837 William built the Register Office in Thornbury High Street.

In the Tithe apportionment which accompanies the 1840 Tithe map William Powell was occupying plot number 30 which was a house, now Clematis Cottage in Castle Street and its garden with an adjoining paddock, all of which were owned by Thomas Gwynne

The 1841 Census shows that William Powell was about 50 years old and that he was married to Ann who was 53.  We believe that Ann was Ann Thurston and that they were married in Thornbury on 29th March 1812.  William was born on 23rd May 1789 and was the son of John and Betty Powell.

In the 1841 Census William was shown to be a mason as was his older son who was also called William aged about 20.  William and Ann also had a daughter, Elizabeth aged 18 and a son called John who was aged 15.  We know from the Scribes Alcove website that the couple had baptised their children in St Mary's Church in Thornbury - William on 13th August 1820, Elizabeth on 21st January 1821 and John on 28th May 1823.  We also believe that that William and Ann had other children as Scribe's Alcove also indicates that there were  baptisms of Thomas  on 17th January 1813, Ursula on  22nd April 1815 and Susannah on 6th July 1817.

The 1851 Census shows that William and Ann continued to live at what is now Clematis Cottage.  William was at this time 61 years old and he had become a parish clerk.  Ann, or Nancy as the Census calls her, was 67.  Their son William still lived with them and was now 30 years old and an agricultural labourer.  They had a house servant called Sarah who was only 11 years of age.

The death of Nancy Powell aged 73 appears in the records of St Mary's Church.  She was buried on 25th July 1855.

The 1861 Census shows that William was still living in Clematis Cottage but he was a widower now aged 70, although he was still a parish clerk.  He was living with his 40 year old son William  and unmarried and was a mason, as his father had been.  They had a servant 16 year old Ursula Fry and a visitor called Charles Morgan who was a butler aged 29 from Thornbury.  The 1867 Rate Book shows that Charles Morgan later became the tenant of Clematis Cottage.

We believe that some time after the Census William Powell moved into 40 Castle Street where he died on 16th September 1866 aged 77.

Of the  Children of William and Nancy (Ann)

Thomas Powell was baptised 17th January 1813.  In 1841 Thomas, then aged 29 was a stone cutter.  He appeared to be living with John Morgan a tailor aged 42 and his wife Elizabeth aged 30 and their sons, Thomas aged 15 a shoemaker's apprentice and Charles aged 9.  They were then living at 46 Castle Street.

Thomas married Eliza Beardmore on 9th March 1847.  Eliza was the daughter of Theophilus Beardmore a farmer.  She was born in  Abbots Bromley in Staffordshire.  Their first child Thomas William Powell was baptised on 4th May 1848.  Thomas (senior) was described as a stonecutter.   They had  daughter, Harriett Elizabeth Powell baptised 7th June 1849.  A second daughter, Bertha Hannah Powell was baptised 23rd November 1851.  William John Powell followed on 28th September 1853.  Sarah Ann Powell was baptised 3rd May 1857 and Frederick Charles on 27th March 1861.

By 1859 the Rate Book shows that it was Thomas Powell who owned and occupied the house next door to Clematis, now called The Priory, rather than John Powell who bought it in 1854.  The 1861 Census showed that it was then occupied by Emma Kingdom an unmarried schoolmistress of 28 years born in Bristol. 

The 1861 Census shows that they were actually on the other side of Castle Street in a house we believe may be Threeways.  Thomas was then a monumental mason aged 48 and his wife Eliza was ten years younger.     Their household was a large one.  It included their children; Thomas William aged 13, Bertha Hannah aged 9, William John aged 7, Sarah aged 4 and Frederick Charles aged 4 months.  Thomas Liddiatt a shoe maker aged 36 lived with the family as a boarder.  Mary Olive seems to have a separate household in the same property.  Mary was 45 and the widow of a tallow chandler. 

The 1871 Census shows that Thomas Powell aged 59 and a monumental mason was living at 42 Castle Street.  He was married to Eliza then aged 48.  They had two sons still living at home with them.  The older son, William Powell aged 17 was a plasterer and Frederick Powell aged 10 was still at school.  In July 1871 the sale of the house on the east side of Castle Street (probably 42 Castle Street was advertised in the Bristol Mercury).  The house was said to be in the occupation of Thomas Powell.  Thomas Powell died on 4th September 1876 aged 63.

Ursula Powell died shortly after birth and was buried on 25th April 1815.

John Powell  was baptised on 28th May 1823.  On 7th March 1846 John married Jane Poole, the daughter of Thomas Poole, a labourer.  They don't seem to have had had any children.  In the 1851 Census they lived in what is now 36 Castle Street

On 30th February 1854 Sir John Key and those holding the mortgage of The Priory sold it to John Powell for £215.  When it was sold it was said to be  a property in the occupation of Thomas Smith for many years then of George Nelmes the school master and now of John Powell or his under tenants.  From this we know that John Powell acquired this property.  However we do not have any confirmation that he actually lived there.

By 1861 the Census seems to show that John was living in 12 The Plain with his family.  John was a master stone mason employing 2 men aged 37 living with his wife, Jane aged 36 who was born in Uphill and a niece, Ann Elizabeth Fry a house servant aged 13.  Ann was the daughter of George Fry, a tailor and his wife, Elizabeth (nee Powell) who was John Powell's sister. 

A plan contained in an indenture for the sale of Clematis Cottage in 1867 has J Powell marked on the neighbouring property (The Priory).  It seems that John Powell still owned the property.  By 1869 we believe it was owned by Henry Craven St John. 

The 1871 Census shows John and Jane were living at 40 Castle Street with his brother, William who was working as a milkman.

Jane died aged 54 and was buried on 10th June 1879.  The 1881 and 1891 Censuses show John living with his sister, Elizabeth and her husband, George Fry in the High Street.  John died aged 69 and was buried on 30th December 1893.

Susannah Powell.  We have found no record of Susannah Powell.

William Powell never married and became the owner of what is now number 40 Castle Street.

Elizabeth Powell married George Fry on 21st July 1844.  George was from Tytherington and was the son of Isaac Fry an innkeeper.  George and Elizabeth Fry lived at the Old School house at 13 Castle Street, 3 Horseshoe Lane  and Oriel Cottage in Castle Street.

This page was last updated: 09/05/2012