St Mary Street

The 'Birt' House

The photo on the right shows where this house used to be.  Since replaced by the public conveniences, it was attached to the Malthouse, the property most people remember as being the shop for many years used by Green and Burton. 

This house was never officially known by the name of the 'Birt House' but in the absence of house numbering we are calling it by that name in recognition of the family that lived there for a long time. 

We are confused about the ownership of the house.  In the 1840 Tithe Survey the house was plot 205 owned by Samuel Leonard and occupied by Joseph Birt.  The only Samuel Leonard in the area at that time was a farmer at Nupdown Farm.  However we know from the Mayors Accounts Books and later by the Rate Books from 1876 to 1885 that the Corporation of Thornbury owned the property from as early as 1820 and that the Birt family, starting with Joseph Birt, paid them rent until about 1886.  We cannot explain this, but we would like to see an original copy of the Tithe details, rather than a transcription. 

In 1890 the Thornbury Town Trust took over the property and administration of the charities which had previously been in the hands of the mayor and aldermen of the Corporation.  Until 1899 the property was used as a dwelling house.  From that time the house became a storeroom used by John Hodges Williams who ran a shop on the corner of the High Street and The Plain. 

John Hodges Williams finally bought the property in 1924.  The house building can just be seen in an aerial photograph taken in the 1928.  On 28th February 1934 John Hodges Williams gave the property to the Town Council 'in consideration of the affection which he has for the Town of Thornbury'.  The Council had expressed a desire to erect a public lavatory in the Town. The single storey building shown in the photograph above was the result, presumably built shortly after.  John Thomas Oates, the councillor has been acknowledged as being the person who was responsible for the provision of toilets.

Occupants of the house

Joseph Birt - the Mayors Accounts Bok show that Joseph was living in the house from at least 1820 paying a rent of £1 per annum.   Although the 1840 Tithe Survey shows he was renting the house at the time, he had in fact moved away and his son, George Birt had taken over this house.  The 1841 census shows Joseph had moved to Castle Street.  Click here to read more

George and Harriet Birt - George was listed as living in the house in the 1841 census.  He was one of the sons of Joseph Birt who had been living here previously.  George and Harriett, his wife, continued living for most of their lives.  George died in 1871 and Harriett moved away about 1886 a few years before she died in 1889.  Click here to read more

The Wilsons - the Mayors Account Book shows that following the departure of Harriett Birt, the house was taken over by 'W. Wilson' in 1887.  The 1887 Rate Book adds that this is William Wilson.  The Mayors Accounts show that in 1888 and 1889 it is let to 'Mrs Wilson'.  We don't know if this is the same person or anything else to identify them.

Lucy Gough - in 1890 the house was taken over by her daughter-in-law, Lucy Gough.  Lucy was married to James Gough, Harriett's son by her first marriage to James Gough.  Lucy Dartnell came from Swansea and in 1851 census she was working as a cook in service on College Green in Bristol.  She married James Gough in 1859 and in 1861 they were living in St Mary Street, we think it was at the house which later became number 13 and they were still there in the 1871 census when they appear to be sharing the with other families.  James was a  blacksmith.  He and Lucy had two children in 1871: Mary Jane aged 10 and James G aged 8.

The 1876 Rate Book and the 1881 census show that James and Lucy had moved to the house which later became known as 11 Gloucester Road.  The census shows that James was an unemployed blacksmith and that their son, James was a shoemaker's apprentice.  They were still living in Gloucester Road in the 1885 Rate Book.  James died 1890 aged 56.

The 1890 Rate Book shows 'Mrs Gough' was now living in the house in St Mary Street.  The 1891 census shows she was living there with her young grandchildren: Ellen Wellington and Thomas John, the children of Lucy's daughter Mary Jane.  Lucy continued living in the St Mary Street house until she died aged 77 and was buried on 29th December 1899.

John Hodges Williams - on the 4th February 1901 the Trustees of the Thornbury Town Trust agreed to lease the property to John Hodges Williams for a period of 21 years for an annual rent of £8.  He already owned some of the adjoining properties on The Plain/High Street and the old Malthouse next door on St Mary Street.  The indenture shows the lease includes the cottage and garden now void late in the occupation of 'Gough Widow' and the small shed or office used as a weigh office by the proprietors of the Thornbury Weighbridge Company as tenants.

We know from correspondence that in 1924 the property was still being leased by the Thornbury Town Trust to John Hodges Williams.   The old cottage was now being used as a storeroom.  It was put up for auction in 1924 with the adjoining garden land and sold to John Hodges Williams for £640.  The property was almost 15 perches including a frontage of 58ft 3inches on St Mary Street and a frontage of 46ft 6 inches on The Plain.   Click here to read more about the Williams' estate.

This page was last updated: 29/03/2012