34 Castle Street

Number 34 Castle Street in Thornbury is the grey house in the photograph on the left.  The early history of this house is linked to that of its neighbours as the six houses which are now numbers 32 to 42 Castle Street were all built by the same person, Joseph Parslow. 

Click here to read about the early owners of property on this site

The 1840 Tithe Apportionment Map shows that Thomas Savery lived  in the house and that it was owned by William Reeve.  We have not been able to trace any information about William Reeve or Reeves.

The 1841 Census shows that Thomas Savery aged 45, a watchmaker and his wife Elizabeth Savery aged 47 lived in the house that became 34 Castle Street with their children; John aged 19 William aged 12 Joseph aged 10 Robert aged 8 and John Cullimore aged 82 a labourer.  Click here to read more about Thomas and Elizabeth Savery.


The 1851 Census has Grace Reeves a nurse from "Luckam" (actually Luckham) in Somerset with her 30 year old unmarried niece a dressmaker Elizabeth Gibbs who was born in Thornbury.   We do not know very much at all about this family.  It seems probable that Elizabeth Gibbs was the daughter of William and Sarah Gibbs who was baptised 11th September 1814.  William Gibbs married Sarah Reeves in October 1811.  We believe that Sarah Reeves would have been the sister of Grace Reeves's husband.

1861 Census describes Grace Reeves as a widow aged 78 who was a nurse born in "Luckin" in Somerset and her niece Elizabeth Gibbs aged 40 and an unmarried a governess from Thornbury.  There were also three children in the household Mary Gibbs aged 15 also a niece and Frances Weekes a boarder aged 5 and Wesley Whitfield also a boarder aged 5.

Grace's "niece", Mary Gibbs was the daughter of Charles and Elizabeth Gibbs.  This would make her actually Grace Reeves's great niece rather than her niece as Mary's father, Charles Gibbs, was Grace's nephew.  Charles was a cordwainer.  In 1851 Mary had been living with her parents Charles and Elizabeth in the High Street.  In the 1861 Census Charles Gibbs a shoe maker was aged 43 and living with his wife Elizabeth and young Charles aged 12 and Elizabeth aged 10.

The 1867, 1869 & 1871 Rate Books show Mrs Reeves as the occupier of the house.  The 1871 Census shows Grace Reeves a widowed monthly nurse aged 94 from Somerset living with her lodger Mary Gibbs a 46 year old unmarried school mistress from Grovesend.  This Mary Gibbs was actually a niece of Grace Reeves.  She was the daughter of William Gibbs and his wife Sarah and would have been the sister of Charles Gibbs.

Grace died in Thornbury in the March quarter of 1872 aged 95.

It seems that one of Grace Reeves's nieces actually owned the house after her death because the 1876, 1878 and 1879  Rate Books shows that Ann Bevan lived in this house and that it was owned by Miss Gibbs.  Possibly this would be the niece, Mary Gibbs, who was living with her before her death but we have no confirmation of this.

The 1881 Census shows that Ann Bevan, a staymaker  54 years of age, was living in the house with a blind lady Harriett Griffin who was a boarder aged 69 and a widow maintained by her son.  They had a visitor Mary Griffin who was an unmarried laundress born in Devizes Wiltshire and aged 34.  Click here to read more about Ann Bevan and her husband Thomas Bevan, a beer house keeper 

The Rate Books of 1880, 1885, 1890 and 1894 continued to show Ann Bevan lived in a house owned by Miss Gibbs.

Caroline Butler nee Bevan.  The Rate Book of 1899 shows that Ann Bevan continued to live in the house but that it was owned by Mrs Butler.  We believe that "Mrs Butler" was the daughter of Ann and Thomas Bevan.  Click here to read about Caroline Butler.

In the 1901 Census Ann Bevan was a 76 year old corset maker living on her own in 34 Castle Street, which had three rooms.  Ann Bevan died on 23rd June 1903 aged 78.  Her address then was given as "High Street."

The Rate Book of 1905 shows that Charles Phelps lived in the house and that it was owned by the Representatives of the late H Butler.  Charles Phelps married Ella Alpass.  Click here to read about Ella Alpass and her family.  In 1901 Charles Phelps was a 26 year old tailor.  Click here to read about Charles Phelps.

The Rate Book of 1910 shows that Mary Reeves lived in a house owned by the representatives of the late H Butler.  At this point we do not know anything about Mary Reeves.

The 1911 Census shows that Charlotte Alice Maud Price aged 48 and unmarried.  Charlotte was a school mistress at the Council School.  She was born in Bristol and was the daughter of Jonathan and Frances Price.  In 1881 she was living with her parents in Hotwells Road in Clifton.  She was 18 years old and a pupil teacher.  In the 1891 Census she was teaching at a National School in Imber in Wiltshire.  In 1901 she was living in Baylham in Suffolk, where she was a schoolmistress living in the School house next to the Rectory.  She seems to have moved into Thornbury about 1910.  She died in Bristol in 1944 aged 82.

The next occupant of 34 Castle Street was Arthur John Barge.  Arthur John Barge was born in Thornbury in 1888.  We believe he was the son of Samuel and Emma Barge and that he appears in the 1891 Census as "John Barge" living in St Mary Street.  Click here to read about his family.  On 23rd February 1914 Arthur John Barge, 25 chauffeur of Thornbury married Emily Mary Bowyer aged 20 of Kington.  When he joined the  Army Service Corps he described himself as "Arthur John Barge of Castle Street aged 27 years 7 months."  At the time of enlisting he was a chauffeur.  The record says he was "Church of England religion, 5ft 4 inches, 140 lbs, 37.5. inch chest with 2 inch range."  The record also says his children were Edith Leah born 12th December 1914 and Herbert John was born 4th May 1916.  The campaigns he was involved in were in England 27th April 1917 to 21st May 1917 and in France from 22nd May 1917 to 10th July 1918.  He was demobbed from the army 7th December 1919.  He embarked on ‘Archimedes’ from Southampton to Le Havre on 6th May 1917.

On 7th September 1918, 34 Castle Street, amongst other properties was put up for sale.  It was said to be "in the occupation of Mr J Barge at £10 and 10 shillings a year".

The Electoral Rolls up to 1954 show Arthur John Barge and Emily Mary Barge.  Emily Barge is in the photograph on the right. The photograph on the left shows Arthur John Barge in his garden.  From 1950 the Electoral Roll also showed Leah M Barge in Castle Street with her parents.  In 1954 the Roll showed Leah Barge and Roy C Barge at 34 Castle Street with their parents.  The same record also shows Olive and Ronald York at 34 Castle Street.  It seems possible that Emily Barge died between 1958 and 1965 as she does not appear in the Electoral Roll for 1965.  After 1975 Roy Barge occupied the house

Click here to read about the other five houses which share the same early history
 

This page was last updated: 29/01/2012