Church House
In the early 1800s the piece of land where Church House now stands was Plot No 353, a house and garden of 18 perches and was owned by Robert Barnard who also owned land and property elsewhere in the village.
Extract from the 1807 Inclosure Act map for Norton
The Barnard family lost a son shortly after this date and the parish register for Norton records that on 2 February 1809 “John Baylis, John Holder, Richard Lea, John Bridgeman and William Barnard, were buried. The above five last named men were unfortunately drowned”. William still has a memorial at St Mary’s alongside his parents Hannah who died in 1817 and Robert who died in 1823.
“In memory of William the son of Robert and Hannah Barnard of this parish who died January 29th 1809 aged 18 years. Death with … when … my parents … twas God … time.”
“In memory of Robert Barnard of this parish who died Octr 9th 1823 aged 65 years. In action prudent and in word sincere. In friendship faithful and in honour dear Thro lifes vain scenes the same in every part. A steady judgement and an honest heart. Also of Hannah his wife who died May 11th 1817 aged 63 years. Meek was her temper pious was her life A tender mother and a faithful wife Alas ! shes gone dear object of my love To increase the number of the Saints above”.
The cottage can next be identified in the Norton electoral roll for 1837 and again in 1838 when a ‘terrier and valuation of the messuages, lands, and other hereditaments liable to poor rate in the parish of Norton’ tells us that it was a house, buildings and garden, still 8 perches and then owned and occupied by Samuel Ricketts.
Samuel was born at Norton in approximately 1789, married Mary and in 1838 was a churchwarden at St Mary’s. Samuel is listed at Norton in trade directories in the late 1850/60s period and appears here in the 1841, 1851 and 1861 census’ when he was living at a freehold house and land near the church, presumably at what is now Church House, not employed but a fundholder and living off ‘interest off money’. Samuel died in 1868 at St John the Baptist, Gloucester, and by 1872 the house appears to have been owned by James Lionel Ricketts of Abbott’s Lodge, Greyfriars, Gloucester, but it is not known who was living here at that time. James Ricketts was the brother of Samuel and this can be supported by a death notice in the Gloucester Journal newspaper of 16 January 1864; “Jan. 9, an advanced age, Mary, the beloved wife of Mr. Ricketts, of Norton, near Gloucester, brother of Mr. Ricketts, of Abbot’s Hall School, Greyfriars, in this city.”
James Ricketts had married Helen and was a schoolmaster and principal of a private school in Gloucester; Abbot’s Hall School, Greyfriars. Between 1852 and 1876 a schoolroom was registered for public worship at Greyfriars, and an 1852 Board of Health map marks the remainder of the north aisle as Abbots Hall School. James appears on the village electoral rolls throughout his period of ownership until he died in 1891, when his son Lionel James appears to have inherited Church House.
Lionel James was born in 1839, grew up with his parents at Oxford Street, Gloucester, married Ruth Bevan in Swansea in 1863 and they settled in Gloucester. Lionel also became a schoolteacher, later specialising in languages, and appeared on the electoral roll for Norton whilst living at Abbot’s Lodge, Greyfriars.
In 1871 Robert James was living at Church House with wife Ann and two daughters; Margaret and Theresa. The extended James family were responsible for a thriving chairmaking business in Norton during most of the nineteenth century, taking the business into Gloucester in the 1890s.
Robert was born at Tewkesbury in 1822, son of William James and Ann nee Cresswell. At the time of his birth the family were running a chairmaking business at 98 High Street, Tewkesbury, but by the late 1820s they appear to have left for Norton. Father William was to become the driving force behind the chairmaking at Norton and in 1851 was employing 8 men in the village. Son Robert was lodging in the household of Henry Preston, a cordwainer, and family at Cold Elm and he too had taken up the trade of chairmaker almost certainly working for his father. In 1852 Robert married Anne Preston, the niece of the family he had been lodging with. Although of a Norton family herself, Anne had been working as a cook and kitchen maid in the household of the vicar of Calne, Wilts, and they married at Gloucester Register Office and not St Mary’s, Norton.
After marriage they settled in a cottage next to the church at Norton. This may have been Church House or perhaps they moved there upon Samuel Rickett’s death in 1868. They were to have four children over the coming years; Raymond Walter, Ellen Jane, Margaret Esther and Theresa Harriet. Wife Anne died in 1889 and by 1891 we find Robert living as a retired chairmaker, a pauper and inmate, at the workhouse in Horton Road, Gloucester, where he died later that year.
In 1901 I believe that Henry Jones, a blacksmith from Amesbury, Wilts, was living at Church House along with his wife Annie and their married son who was also a blacksmith.
The Gloucester Journal newspaper of 14 March 1910 advertised; “By direction of the executors of Lionel J Ricketts, deceased, Bruton Knowles & Co will sell by auction at the New Inn Hotel, Gloucester, on Friday, March 18th, 1910, at 4 for 4.30 o’clock, punctually, … The Church House, Norton, a Freehold Residence, with orchard and outbuildings, let to Mr Miles at £15 per year”.
Later in 1910 Church House is recorded as being occupied by someone named Turpin, previously having been Henry Miles.
In 1911 Charles Cake, a shoeing and general smith from Sandhurst, was living at Church House, a four room property, with his wife Kate and three children, the eldest son working with him in the forge. Charles was already a blacksmith when he married Kate Wheatstone at Cheltenham in 1894 and by 1901 they were living at Brawn Farm, Sandhurst. Their time at Norton may have been brief but they did not move far with Charles dying at Twigworth in 1929.
I have been told that the Miles family were at Church House for most of the twentieth century, remembered as Alf and Mrs Miles, son George, daughter Amy and adopted son Bobby Smallwood. Most of this seems to be correct although as Mr Miles snr wasn’t named Alf this might have been a nickname.
It would appear that Henry Miles and wife Alice Beatrice were here from at least 1908 and left briefly in 1910. In 1911 Henry was boarding at Otterbourne, Winchester, Hants, with Alice and their two children living at The Leigh. The Miles' had returned to Church House prior to 1915 and in 1921 were living in a five roomed Church House. In 1921 George Henry Miles was a civil servant with the Postmaster General employed on the South West & Postal Telegraph construction staff.
George Henry Miles married Alice Beatrice Evans at Martley, Worcs, in 1905 and they had four children; Constance Beatrice, Amy Adeline, George Henry James, and one unidentified. Only two survived childhood. Constance was baptised at St Mary’s, Norton, in 1908 which suggests that they were living in the village at that time. Constance only lived 23 days and was buried at Norton as well. George snr and jnr both worked for the General Post Office. George jnr and Amy were both still living with their parents at Church House when they married in 1936 and 1937.
In 1939 Church House was occupied by George, Alice Miles and Robert J Smallwood. Robert was born in 1933 at Atcham, Shropshire, and it is said that the Miles adopted him.
Alice died in 1944 but George Henry Miles remained here with Robert Smallwood until he died in 1958. Robert J ‘Bob’ Smallwood then continued to live here alone until his death in 1995.
In 1955 Robert M and Patricia T Hartwell were also listed at Church House. Robert had married Patricia Wiltshire at Bristol in 1954 so possibly came to Church House right after their marriage. They had a daughter, registered in Cheltenham, late in 1954 but their next child, born in early 1956 was registered at Witney, Oxford, so their time in Norton appears to have been brief.
After Bob Smallwood’s death the property stood empty and almost derelict for several years. At this time the original house was in poor condition, had no foundations and earth floors.
The Gloucester Citizen newspaper of 7 November 1996 advertised; Michael Tuck, Gloucester, House of the week; “Priors Norton. Preliminary announcement. Victorian cottage in need of total renovation or replacement. Good size plot plus orchard to be sold in two Lots”.
Thanks to Margaret H ‘Peggy’ Morgan, who bought the property, for the following photos.
In 1997 the old house was demolished and the property that now stands here was built.
In 2002 Margaret H ‘Peggy’ Morgan was here and is still resident in 2022.
