13 The Plain

Occupants

 Click here to read about the OWNERS of the property

Miss Palmer - the Land Tax records of 1812 and 1814 show that the property owned by William Scott was occupied by 'Miss Palmer'.  We are unable to identify who this person was.

Obadiah and Eleanor Anburey -  the 1819 Land Tax record shows the property owned by William Scott was occupied by Obadiah Anburey.   Obadiah was baptised on 6th May 1730 at St Saviours in Southwark, Surrey.  He was the son of Robert and Amy Anburey.  We don't know anything about Obadiah's first marriage.  He married again on 15th January 1803 at Saint Mary's Marylebone Road, London.  His second wife was called Eleanor Douglas.

Obadiah is remembered on two memorials in Thornbury St Mary's Church, one in the floor and one on the wall.  The inscription on both shows that he came from Peckham in Surrey.  He was described as a gentleman who had lived in Thornbury for 18 years as 'a much respected inhabitant'.  He was aged 89 when he died on 16th January 1820.  A notice of his death in the Bristol Mercury show that he was the father of Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Anburey C.B. of Bengal Corps of Engineers who was later made a Knight.

Later land tax records up to 1826 show that Obadiah's wife, Eleanor, continued to live in the property.  Eleanor is only mentioned on the wall memorial in St Mary's Church - she died aged 89 on 5th May 1832. 

Thomas Inman Councell - the Land Tax records of 1827 and 1829 show that the property owned by William Scott was occupied by T. I. Councell.  We don't know whether Thomas actually lived in the house as he is shown in the land tax records as owning and occupying another property in the High Street.  Click here to read more about the Councell family

The 1830 Land Tax shows the property was owned and occupied by William Scott.  We are not sure if William was actually living in the house.

William Dove - in the 1840 Tithe Survey the property was plot 261 owned by William Scott and occupied by William Dove.   The 1841 census shows William was a minister aged 40 from Scotland - he was living with William aged 9, John aged 3, Eliza aged 30, Selina aged 7 and Mary aged 5, Eliza aged 7 and Marianne Norton aged 36 an independent and a female servant, Harriett Holloway aged 20.

William was born on 24th March 1797 in Monikie in Angus, Scotland.  In 1830 William married Eliza Matilda Woodman, the daughter of William Woodman.  There was a marriage settlement dated 22nd December 1830 which ensured that income would be  paid to Mrs Dove for life, and afterwards to William for life and then in trust to any children.  we have only seen the catalogue reference for the London Metropolitan Archives which mentions sums for interest and income of £3630 and £448, and we don't know what this means.

William became the pastor at Thornbury Congregational Church in 1831 and remained in the pastorate until 1843.  Click here to read more about William's activities at the Church.  We are not sure where he lived in his early years in Thornbury, possibly it was in 13 The Plain where they were in 1840 Tithe survey and the 1841 census.   William and Eliza Matilda had several children: William Woodman Dove was born in Thornbury on 29th December 1831, Eliza Matilda was born on 24th September 1835 and Marianne Selena was born on 17th June 1835.  All three were baptised in Thornbury by their father on 9th August 1835.  There were two other children: John Reuben Bathurst Dove was born in December quarter 1837, and Susanna Elizabeth born on 5th August 1842.

By 1850 they were living in Falfield House, Falfield, a cottage they were leasing from the Earl of Ducie which was located next to the Mount Pleasant Chapel.  In 1851 on February 23rd The Bristol Mercury reported the death of Eliza Matilda aged 16 the eldest daughter of the Rev William Dove of Falfield.  In the 1851 census William was shown as an Independent minister aged 51 from Scotland, Eliza Matilda was aged 49 from Affington in Devon.  William died on 19th June 1855.  The newspaper reported that he died at Falfield after only a few days illness.  Eliza Matilda continued to live in Falfield with her unmarried daughters, Marian and Susanna.  When Eliza died in 1880 aged 74, the two daughters continued to live in the house.  Marian died on 7th September 1895 and Susannah died on 13th August 1937.

Of William and Eliza Matilda's other children, we know that their daughter, Eliza Matilda died in Falfield on 16th February 1850 aged 16.  William Woodman emigrated to New South Wales and became a Reverend just like his father.  He died in 1880.  John Reuben Bathurst settled in Pinner in Middlesex where he was a general practitioner.  It is interesting whilst living in Northwood near Pinner in the 1890's John's house was named 'Thornbury'.

Dr Edward Mills Grace - by 1871 Dr. Edward Mills Grace had moved to a rented house at 13 The Plain which he rented at £55 per annum.  The 1871 census shows Edward Mills Grace as a physician and surgeon aged 29 living with his wife, Annie White aged 27 born in Demara West Indies and their two daughters, Annie Ethel aged 1 and Edith Mabel aged 8 months.  They lived here until 1879 when the house was being put up for sale.  Click here to read more about the Graces

Thomas Henry Taylor - Thomas bought the property in 1879 and lived there until 1897.  Click here to read more about Thomas

The Savery family - the house was bought by Edwin Savery in 1898 and converted into a shop and he and his descendants have traded her and lived above the shop ever since.  Click here to read more.

This page was last updated: 26/11/2011