ST MARY STREET

The photo above taken in 1969 shows the two houses on the west side of St Mary Street just down the street from the Barrel.  Number 6 St Mary Street was the house with the two bay windows on the ground floor and Number 4 St Mary Street was next door.  The part of the building at the bottom (northern) end of number 4 was a barn used for storage.

The early history of Number 4 is hazy.  The 1840 Tithe Map shows it was Plot 174 described as a house and court owned by Frances Gayner and occupied by George Withers. 

The Rate Books shows us that it was owned by William Henry Councell, possibly as early as 1859 and may be earlier.  William Henry was a grocer operating from the shop on the High Street.  His property extended back to St Mary Street including number 4, the barn next door and several large outbuildings fronting the yard between the two streets.  This became known locally as Councell's Yard.  Click here to read more about the Councell family

William Henry Councell died in 1887 but his family retained ownership of the house and the business was run under the name of 'Councell and Sons' until around the Second World War. 

Then on 9th October 1947, Edith Caroline Councell and Irene Clarice Stokes (whose first husband had been Henry Martin Councell), both living in Windsor Road, St Andrews, Bristol sold the property to Thomas Henry Ashcroft for £300. 

The Ashcrofts - Thomas Ashcroft was a cycle dealer who ran his business in Silver Street.  He was born on 1st January 1911, the son of Albert Ashcroft and his wife, Annie Louise (nee Gingell).  Tommy married Felicia Tuner in Thornbury in the December quarter of 1936.  They had two children Sally born in 1941 and John in 1944.  We have been told that Tommy and Felicia bought the "Firs" at Milbury Heath while Tommy was still running his motor cycle business in Silver Street. 

We think Thomas rented out 4 St Mary Street to other families during his ownership of the property, although he was to live there a little later when his mother re-purchased the property.  On 24th June 1954 Thomas Ashcroft conveyed the property to Grantley Charles Parsons of the High Street for £450.

On 9th November 1955 Grantley who was living there at the time sold 4 St Mary Street to Annie Louise Ashcroft, widow of Crossways.  She paid £950.  Annie was Tommy's mother.  Tommy died in 1957 aged 46.  Felicia is said to have sold both the property in Silver Street and the Firs while living in the house in St Mary Street.  She married Dudley Cullimore in 1971 and finally moved to live in Shirehampton.

Annie Louise carried on living at the house.  On 21st January 1967 she died aged 82 at Thornbury Hospital.  Annie died intestate, but her daughter Doris Georgina Duck was granted administration of her estate.   On 1st January 1968 Doris Georgina Duck of 45 Cleeve Drive, Cleeve sold the property to Thornbury Rural District Council for re-development of the Town Centre.

Grantley and Eileen Parsons  - on 24th June 1954 Thomas Ashcroft conveyed the property to Grantley Charles Parsons of the High Street for £450. 

Grantley Charles Parsons was born in Thornbury on 6th December 1923.  He was the son of Henry Herbert Parsons who ran the White Lion.  Grantley attended the National School and then went on to Thornbury Grammar School. In 1951 he married Eileen Francis King, the daughter of Walter and Eliza King  who lived in what is now Laburnum House in Gloucester Road.  Grantley was a land drainage worker at the time of the marriage. Eileen worked for the Co-op and for Thompsons (bottom shop).  Grantley and Eileen lived for a time in a flat above The Picture House in the High Street.

He didn't keep the property long.  On 9th November 1955 Grantley who was living there at the time sold 4 St Mary Street to Annie Louise Ashcroft, widow of Crossways.  She paid £950.  A deed in the collection of documents belonging to the Eyles family shows that Grantley and Eileen Parsons bought a bungalow in Gillingstool from Minnie Eyles on 20th June 1958.  At the time of the sale, Grantley's address was The Black Horse, Gillingstool.  Grantley died in 2005.

In the town re-development, the houses were demolished and a shopping arcade was built there.  Click on the thumbnail on the right to see where the houses were.

Click here to read about the OCCUPANTS of number 4