24 High Street

Later history

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THE WINE AND SPIRITS SHOP

Emily Anstey - Emily was born about 1851 and baptised on 17th January 1860 when she was 9.  Her parents were William Eddington of  4 The Plain a plasterer and his wife, Jane (nee Tanner) whose home was in Wickwar.

Emily Eddington married Thomas Anstey in the Barton Regis area of Bristol in December quarter 1879. 

Thomas Anstey was baptised on 20th October 1850, the son of Thomas Anstey, a tailor and draper and his wife Anne (the daughter of Daniel Burchell).  Tragically Thomas's father had died before Thomas was born and he was buried on 29th April 1850 aged 28.  In the 1851 census Ann was a grocer aged 28 living in the High Street with her children: Henry aged 3 and Thomas aged 6 months.  Her brother, John Burchell was also living in the house.  In 1861 Ann was still living there with the two boys.  By 1871 Thomas had become a carpenter and he was living with his mother who was still a shopkeeper in the High Street.

In the 1881 census Thomas Anstey was a carpenter aged 30 living with Emily, a fancy shopkeeper aged 29.  They were living with Emily's aunt, Elizabeth Ford at her premises at 24 High Street.  Thomas and Emily had a son, Thomas Ford Anstey, baptised on 2nd October 1881.  A daughter, Emma Jane Anstey was baptised on 7th October 1883.

Thomas and Emily continued to live at 24 High Street and after Elizabeth Ford died Emily became the owner of the premises.  She also owned the house known as 50 High Street but we don't think Thomas and Emily ever lived there.

In August 1884 Thomas obtained a beer wine and spirit shop licence which was transferred to him from Jane Ellis.  The 1891 census shows Thomas as a wine and spirit merchant.  The trade directory shows that he was also still a china dealer (presumably that was Emily's responsibility) and he was an agent for Northern Assurance.  He carried on his business until at least 1914 and he is listed as living there in the 1918 electoral register.  He died on 25th December 1920 aged 71.  Emily died on 18th April 1921 aged 70.

Under the terms of the will of Emily Anstey dated 1st August 1919 she arranged that the income from 50 High Street should be given to her husband, Thomas Anstey, during his lifetime and then the property would be given to her daughter, Emma Jane who had married John Godfrey Taylor in Thornbury in 1908.  We are not sure what was specified in the will about 24 High Street.  Thomas Anstey died on 26th December 1920.  Emily Anstey died on 18th April 1921.  The premises at 24 High Street was put up for sale at auction in May 1921.  It was described as a valuable freehold full licensed shop, dwelling house, garden etc and business and goodwill of a wine and spirit merchant in the High Street belonging to the estate of late Mr Thomas Anstey of Thornbury.  It was bought for £1750.

W. E. Truebody & Co - various records show that the next owner of the property was W. E. Truebody (or Trubody) & Co. who continued trading there as a wine and spirit merchants.   They were advertising under that name in September 1921 in the South Gloucestershire Chronicle and they are listed in several trade directories up to 1936.  It appears from the 1925 Valuation List and 1926 Rate Book that although Trubody owned the property, it was occupied by Thomas Gale, who was presumably managing it on their behalf. 

Thomas and Elizabeth Gale - the 1925 Valuation list and 1926 Rate Books both show Thomas Gale as the occupant of the property.  We assume that they managed the wine and spirit merchants on behalf of the owners, Truebody & Co.  The 1927 electoral register shows that this was Thomas Frederick Gale and his wife, Elizabeth Maud Gale.  Thomas Frederick Bartlett Gale was born in Thornbury in 1889 and baptised on 2nd February 1890.  His parents were Stephen Gale, a shoemaker and his wife, Elizabeth.

Thomas had married Elizabeth Maud May in Thornbury in 1916.  They appear to have had three children: Douglas W was born on 7th June 1919 and his birth was registered in Bristol, Leslie J whose birth was registered in Newton Abbott in 1921 but he died there in 1920 and Rowena Margaret who was born in Thornbury on 21st January 1925.   Douglas started at the Council Infants in 1923 and the family's address at that time was the High Street.  This might indicate when Thomas took over 24 High Street, although Douglas was taken away from the Council School in 1925 for a short time when he was shown as going to Malvern and he then returned from Malvern in 1926.  In 1928 Douglas was admitted to Thornbury Grammar School in 1928.

We don't know how long Thomas was manager of Truebody's wine and spirit merchants.  His death was registered in Bristol in March quarter 1930.  He was aged 40.  In 1931 Elizabeth Maud was still being listed in electoral register as living in the High Street.  In 1931 she re-married.  Her second husband was Leslie W. J. Pocock.  They appeared to have moved away from Thornbury.

Ernest John May - in his account of Thornbury in the 1930's Walter Phillips, mentioned that the wine shop was run by Ernie May.  The records of the Council School show that Ernest John May was living in the High Street in 1930 when his children, John and Peggy, moved to the school from Ross on Wye.   The 1931 electoral register shows Ernest John May and Kathleen Esther in the High Street.  The school records show that the family moved to Chippenham in 1934. 

The Huggins - at some time between 1931 and 1935 the shop was taken over by the Huggins family, Percy and Elizabeth Huggins and their son Percy Reginald Grantley.  They were there in the 1935 electoral register and continued there until 1954.

Percy Knapp Huggins was born Barnby Dun in South Yorkshire in 1875.  He was the son of Joseph K Huggins and his wife, Catherine.  The 1891 census shows Joseph was a licensed victualler at The Globe in Frampton Cotterell.  By that census Percy had become a butcher.  In 1898 Percy married Elizabeth Stone in the Chipping Sodbury area.

The 1901 census shows Percy as a butcher in Church Lane, Frampton Cotterell.  He was living with Elizabeth aged 25 who was born in Westerleigh and their children: Frederick Charles aged 1 and Percival Reginald Grantley aged 9 months.  There was also a nurse living with the family as a servant, presumably to give Elizabeth a hand with the children.

The 1911 census shows Percy and the family were living in Bristol.  We do not know where they were living.  We don't know when or what made them move to Thornbury.  The 1935 electoral register lists Percy, Elizabeth and Percy Reginald living in the High Street.  We understand that it was Percy and 'Grantley' who ran the off licence. 

They carried on living at 26 High Street.  We understand from locals that the shop was remembered by them because of the smell of drink.  Beer was sold by the jugful.  Elizabeth was remembered  as a large and friendly lady frequently seen looking out of the upstairs window watching things happening in the High Street.

In 1948 Percy and Elizabeth celebrated their Golden Wedding and the photo of them below was published in the Gazette.

Percy died in 1954 aged 79.  His death was registered in Bristol.  This seems to led Grantley to give up the business.  The 1958 electoral register shows Elizabeth and Grantley living at High Porch in Park Road.

The obituary in the Gazette mentioned he was a member of the Thornbury Bridge Club, a committee member of Thornbury Conservatives and a member of the Royal Lodge of Faith and Friendship at Berkeley.  Elizabeth died in 1969.  Her death was also registered in Bristol.  Grantley died in 1965 at High Porch. 

In the 1970's the office licence was run by the Witchells for a short time.  It was taken over by Victoria Wine who shared the property with an unidentified estate agents before they moved to 26 High Street in the 1980's at which time Heritage (a shop selling high quality crafts and gifts) took over at 24 High Street.