Henry and Elizabeth Withers

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

By the 1861 Census  24 Castle Street, Thornbury was occupied by Henry Withers aged 24 a butcher and grocer and his wife Elizabeth also aged 24. 

In the 1851 Census Henry had been living with his parents Henry and Sarah Withers.  The family were living at what we believe to be 28 Castle Street.  Henry senior was  a grocer and appears in Trade Directories of 1856 and 1877.  In the 1856 Trade Directory he is said to be trading in the High Street.  However at this time the name 'High Street' could include Castle Street and we do not know whether the Withers family had their shop at 28 Castle Street or in the High Street.

Henry Withers married Elizabeth Parnell in Bristol in the June quarter of 1859.  They had a  baby daughter, Dora who in the 1861 census was aged 8 months.  The family were all born in Thornbury.  Dora was baptised Dora Parnell Withers on 19th September 1860.  They had another daughter baptised Ella Stephens Withers on 15th February 1865.  At least two more daughters were born.  Lily Gertrude Withers was baptised 6th January 1867.  Winifred Kate Withers followed on 5th May 1869.

The 1867 Rate Book is designed to show only the occupants of the houses.  Henry Withers name is written  for both this house and number 26 and the name William Hurd is pencilled in.  It is hard to say what this indicates.  It may mean that Henry Withers owned both properties. It may also imply that Henry moved out about this time and the next occupier moved in.

In the 1871 Census  Henry and Elizabeth Withers were living at Brookend, Woolaston where Henry was an innkeeper.  Their pub was then called the "Duke's Head".  They had five children  who were all born in Thornbury.  These were Dora (aged 10), Ella (aged 8), Herbert (aged 6), Lilley (aged 4) and Winifred (aged 2).  The 1881 Census shows that they had moved to Newent.  By this time they had two more daughters, Eva then aged 8 and born in Lydney and Florence aged 3 born in St Arvans.  Henry was a farmer.  In 1891 and 1901 the family was still farming in the Newent area.  By 1911 they had moved again; this time to Hastings.

of their children

Ella Stephens Withers
Although her family left Thornbury, it would seem that Ella remained in the town.  In 1885 there was a County Court case in which Ella Stephens Withers took action against her employer, Mrs St John of Stokefield House,  to recover £2 which was one month's wages in lieu of notice.  Ella was a lady's maid to Mrs St John and her daughters "at £20 a year and £6 which was allowed for beer money, washing etc."  Ella had eyesight problems and when she was given ten days' holiday she said she would consult a doctor.   When Ella wrote  to her employer she said the doctor had told her to take three months' rest.  When Mrs St John received this letter she took on a new maid and informed Ella.  Ella then wrote back and said she was going to return after her holiday and work out one month's notice.  Before her holiday Ella had had to do other work from being a lady's maid because of her eyesight.  This was obviously considered of lower status because Ella wanted to do her proper job as lady's maid.  There seems to have been a whole series of letters but Ella allegedly lost her temper and wrote angrily.  The judge said this was a pity and decided in favour of Mrs St John.

By the 1891 Census Ella was in Eccles in Lancashire.  She was described as a dressmaker and was said to be a visitor in the home of Thomas Brown an Elementary School Headmaster.

By 1901 Ella and her sister Eva were running their own family draper's and costumier's business in St Helens Lancashire.

Click here to read about the other occupants of 24 Castle Street

Click here to read about the owners of 24 and 26 Castle Street

This page was last updated: 09/05/2012