28A Castle StreetThe Early Occupants |
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Click here to read about the early history of the property that is now 28 and 28A Castle Street The Land Tax Records of 1800 shows that the tenant of what we believe to be 28 Castle Street was owned by Abraham Riddiford and tenanted by Ann Reed. Ann Reed was a tenant of 28 Castle Street up to the time of death aged 92 in January 1823. William Philpot. By 1822 the Land Tax records show that the house was occupied by William Philpot. William Philpot was a basket maker. He and his wife Elizabeth had a son baptised on 11th October 1818 called John Park Philpot (the spelling is very variable but we have decided on this version for consistency). Their daughter Mary Ann Philpot was baptised 18th June 1820. A second daughter Eliza was baptised 9th June 1822. A second son William was baptised 22nd August 1824. Their son Isaac was baptised on 10th May 1826. Click here to read more about Isaac. By 1826 William Philpot no longer appeared in the Land Tax Records. More children followed and the baptism record for each one shows that although the family seem to have moved they still lived in the Borough of Thornbury. Alfred was baptised 4th November 1827. Daniel Park Philpot was baptised 28th March 1830. Henry was baptised 29th July 1832. Martha was baptised 4th May 1834. Henry Daniel Philpot was baptised 18th December 1836, the same year that six year old Daniel and four year old Daniel died. Elizabeth and William lost other children; Eliza died June 2nd 1844 aged 22 years and Mary Ann died November 6th 1845 aged 25 years. The 1840 Tithe Survey shows William as the occupant of Plot 46, a house and garden next door to the White Hart on The Plain. The house was pulled down at the same time as the White Hart to make way for the new bank. The 1841 Census shows that William and his family lived there. He was aged 42 and his wife Elizabeth was 47. Their son John was a basket maker like his father. William aged 16 had become a carpenter. Isaac was 14 years old and no occupation was shown. Alfred was aged 12, Martha seven and Henry five. William Philpot died on April 20th 1849 aged 51 years. His wife Elizabeth died July 22nd 1852 aged 57 years. Nearly all the remaining children also died young. John Park Philpot died aged 36 on January 9th 1854. Interestingly John's memorial says that he died on a voyage to New Zealand. Martha died January 6th 1857 aged 22 years. By 1826 the Land Tax Records show that the tenant of the house was now William Liddiard. We cannot be sure that the records were kept up to date but William Liddiard is referred to as a tenant in Abraham Riddiford's will of 1827. The will of Abraham Riddiford shows that he left the properties that became 28 and 28A Castle Street to his daughter Ann. In 1827 the will described them as follows; "all that my freehold messuage or dwellinghouse in three tenements in the several occupations of William Liddiatt John Longden and Mary Hopkins widow as my tenants thereof with the gardens and appurtenances thereto adjoining and belonging and which said I bought and purchased of Mark Nash and also all that messuage or dwelling house in two tenements in the several occupations of Richard Lansdown and …(left blank)..Carter as my tenants thereof with the garden and appurtenances thereto adjoining and belonging which I bought and purchased of William Taylor all which said messuages tenements or dwellinghouses gardens and premises are lying and adjoining on the East side of the …street of the town and borough of Thornbury aforesaid." The second property which appears to be what is now 28A was divided into three and in 1827 the occupants there were William Liddiatt, John Longden and Mary Hopkins. The Tithe Map of 1840 confirms that the property was given the reference number 278 and was at that time occupied by Sarah Webb, William Liddiard and Joseph Birt. John Longden may be the man who died in the poorhouse in December 1841 aged 72 years. The registers of St Mary' Church show that a man called John Longden was married to Hannah nee Edmunds (or Edmonds) on 20th April 1796. Hannah was the daughter of John and Mary Edmonds. John and Hannah Longden had several children, some of whom died very young; William born 15th March 1799, John born 25th December 1801, George 7th May 1804, Emma born 20th December 1806 and died in 1818 aged 11 years and finally James 28th August 1809 and died in 1817 aged 7 years. We have seen a receipt for work done by John Longden for Thomas Rolph dated 1809. The receipt is for building work done which seems to include stones for a wall to be built and two gate posts. The receipt mentions labourers which implies that John had men working for him. John and Hannah Longden may have lived in one of Stokefield Cottages from about 1812 to about 1821. This property had previously been tenanted by Hannah's mother Mary Edmonds. In 1827 on the 12th November there was a newspaper report of the commitment to gaol of two men, one Ephraim Wilson and the other George Longden. They were charged with entering a wood in Thornbury at night with guns "with intent to destroy game." George Longden would have been the right age to be the son of John Longden, who was baptised in in 1804 and he would be a couple of year younger than Ephraim Wilson who was with him. Poaching seems to have been a common crime in the area. John's wife, Ann, died aged 65 in February 1837. William Liddiatt is presumably the same person as "William Liddiard". The 1841 census shows that he was aged 64 and a sawyer. He was living on this property with his wife Ann Liddiatt aged 62. Ann died later that year on 1st September aged 62 and William died 19th April 1846 aged 70 years. In Gloucester Record office there are documents amongst the papers of John Thurston which refer to receipts for rent and for timbers in 1839 and 1841 respectively. We do not know what premises William Liddiatt would have been renting, perhaps this was connected with his business. We believe that William Liddiatt junior, the son of William and Ann Liddiatt married Margaret Mitchie and lived at 13 Castle Street and 4 Sawmill Lane. Mary Hopkins the widow in 1827 married Joseph Birt on 10th July 1836. The 1841 Census shows that they were still living in the house and Joseph Birt was a 58 year old agricultural labourer and his wife Mary was 59. Click here to read more about Joseph Birt Sarah Webb was 48 in the 1841 Census and was living with Charlotte 15, Thomas 11 and Sarah 8 (baptised 23rd Sept 1832). She was living with George Webb who was 87. The 1851 Census shows that Sarah was 59 and a milk carrier still living in this house. An indenture of 1852 says that the houses were then or late occupied by five householders. The households in 28A were Sarah Webb (widow), William Liddiatt and Joseph Birt. The 1851 Census suggests that this is more likely to have been the situation some years earlier although Joseph Birt and Sarah Webb were indeed living here in the 1851 Census. By the 1861 Census Sarah was an occupant of Sir John Stafford's Almhouses. Click here to read more about Sarah Webb and her family. James Moxham. In the 1851 Census James Moxham and his family were also living there. Presumably they had moved into the property previously occupied by William Liddiatt. In 1851 James Moxham was aged 34 and an agricultural labourer from Thornbury. His wife Elizabeth was 36 and they had five children George 6 James 4 Elizabeth 3 Jane 1 and baby Mark. Click here to read more about the family The 1861 Census shows that the number of occupants of the houses had reduced to three families. One of these was the family of Thomas Eddington who eventually bought the property from George Danvers Crossman some time between 1880 and 1885. The Eddingtons appear to have gradually taken over the smaller units. When the Embletons owned the property in the 1980's the larger one was 28A and the smaller 28 was occupied by Mrs Embleton's mother. In the absence of other evidence we have assumed that the Eddingtons lived in 28A. Click here to read more about the Eddingtons. Subsequent occupiers of 28A appear to have owned it. Click here to read about the earliest owners of the houses Click here to read about the Riddiford and Freeme Families the owners of the properties. Click here to read about the Mills family who also owned the houses. This page was last updated: 09/05/2012 |