The Laurels
In the early 1800s the piece of land where The Laurels now stands was Plot No 374, known as Cold Elm Ground, was 1a 1r 1p in area and was owned by Thomas Rudge. There were no buildings on this plot, in fact, the only building on that side of the old road was directly opposite Wainlode Lane. Thomas Rudge also owned other land around the village at that time including Plot Nos 373, 375 and 386 on the following plan.
Extract from the 1807 Inclosure Act map for Norton
Thomas Rudge does not appear on the Land Tax schedules for Norton in 1796 so must have been a new arrival in the village around this time. The plot of land can’t be identified any earlier than 1807.
In December 1810 Thomas Rudge conveyed the property to William Vick, a gentleman of Hardwicke, Gloucester. It was described as “a messuage and land and also a parcel of meadow or pasture ground, Cold Elm Ground, 1a 1r 4p lately in the occupation of Daniel Mealing and John Baylis as tenants of Thomas Rudge”. I believe that the first house built in Plot No 374 was what is now The Laurels and this would suggest the house was built between 1807 and 1810. William Vick died in 1833 and left the property to his son Richard Vick.
The divisions between Plot Nos 373, 374 and 375 get a little blurred at this time but a Norton Court Estate plan from 1856, see above, roughly records this area of Cold Elm. Lewis owned the cottages that are now Conquest House and Enderleigh, then Richard Vick with The Laurels, then the Mealings with the other group of cottages opposite the Wainlode Lane junction.
It is possible that Richard Vick was living here himself at this time as in 1841 and 1851 he was at Cold Elm. Richard Vick died at Norton in 1858 but was buried in his village of birth, Elmore, and left his estate in the hands of three nephews; Richard Martin Vick, saddler of Gloucester, William Gingell, farmer of Maisemore, and Henry Butt, farmer of Sandhurst. The estate was actually bequeathed to his brother William “who was afflicted with mental incapacity”, to be sold upon his death which occurred in 1861. At an auction held at the Crown Inn, Gloucester, on 19 April 1862, the late Richard Vick’s nephews disposed of the property that was then described as being 3r 24p, previously in the occupation of John Baylis but then of Henry Herbert as tenant. It was purchased by James Stanton, wheelwright of The Leigh, who came here to live
In September 1867 James Stanton took out a mortgage on the property with William Compton, grocer of Tewkesbury, and Edwin Davis, brazier of Gloucester. James Stanton died intestate in September 1869 and as his eldest son, Walter William Stanton, aged 8 years, inherited. James was married to Jane and in 1871, aged 42, she was still living here with their three children. Also in residence was James Bishop, a 22 year old labourer from Wiltshire who was a lodger. Later that year Jane and James married at Gloucester Register Office and in 1881 they were all still living here.
By 1882 Edwin Davis wanted his mortgage holding repaid and John Manning, a music seller from Gloucester, took it on. On 29 July 1882 son Walter Stanton passed the property on to his mother.
In 1897 John Kemp, gentleman of Clevedon, Somerset, took the mortgage over but required the Bishops to take out insurance “… in the Law Union and Crown Fire Insurance Office or in some other insurance office in England …” that met with his approval.
In May 1901 the Bishops sold the property for £170 to Ernest Austin, a draper of Southgate Street, Gloucester, but they continued to live here. The document confirmed that they had been here for 30 years at this time.
In October 1902 Ernest Austin sold on to Norah Ellen Stubbs, the wife of Francis Herbert Stubbs, a wheelwright, for £200 but the Bishops remained in residence. Norah took a mortgage of £150 from Walter William Buttle of Church Stanway, Glos. Buttle was Norah’s maiden name so presumably Walter was a relative, but not her father. Francis Herbert Stubbs became a widower in 1899 and was living at Cold Elm, near to The Laurels, in 1901 with four children. He remarried Norah Ellen Buttle at Temple Guiting later in 1901. It seems likely that the marriage first brought Norah to Norton shortly before investing in the cottage. By 1907 the Stubbs’ had moved to Bushley Green, near Tewkesbury, and on 8 November of that year Norah sold on her investment to John Heath, a commission agent and farmer of Sandhurst. In 1907 it was recorded that the families of James Slatter and Charles Cake occupied the cottage.
John Heath took out a mortgage on the property with James Roberts, an ironmonger of Archibald Street, Gloucester, on 14 November 1907 just a week after acquiring it.
The 1911 census records that James and Jane Bishop were living in a two room property at Cold Elm that wouldn’t have been The Laurels and that Charles Cake, wife and four children were at Church House, Priors Norton. Ellen Slatter, a widow, and two children were living in a six room property at Cold Elm and this is likely to have been The Laurels. Her husband Charles had died in 1907. I have not been able to identify a James Slatter who may have been living here in 1907 but maybe that should have read Charles. Charles Cake was employed as a shoeing and general smith, similar to previous occupants of The Laurels so it is possible that he worked here and the Slatter family lived here.
On 25 March 1915 John Heath paid off the mortgage.
On 16 May 1918 John Heath sold the property to John Robert Mills, a farmer and dealer of Coombe Hill, for £200. It was again recorded that the property was previously occupied by Slatter and Cake but now the Mills family were to be in residence. John Mills took out a £100 mortgage with Rose Elizabeth Warner of East Dulwich, Surrey, on 17 May 1918. Twelve months later, to the day, Rose Warner sold the mortgage to Mary Ann Norcott, wife of Thomas William Norcott, an accountant of Westgate Street, Gloucester. On 31 May 1921 John Mills repaid the mortgage.
Between at least 1918-29 the Mills family were here although it is not clear which members of the family were actually in residence with some living elsewhere in the village.
In 1921 John Robert Mills, wife Florence Mary and children Ida Florence, Doris Maud, Stanley Baden Powell, Grace Hilda and Cyril Arthur were in residence at a seven room property that was named The Laurels. This is the first time I have seen the name ‘The Laurels’ for the property so perhaps the Mills family were responsible for the name. John Robert Mills was born in Gloucester in 1869, son of John, a horse nail maker, and Martha Mills. John Robert had married Florence Mary Haywood at St Marks, Gloucester, in 1894, originally living in Millbrook Street, Gloucester, and they were to have seven children; Ida Florence, Gladys Constance, Francis John, Doris Maud, Stanley Baden Powell, Hilda Grace and Cyril Arthur. Florence was born at Birmingham in 1869. By 1905 they had moved to Broadclose Road then by 1911 to No 9 Norton Green. They did not stay here long before moving to The Leigh and later returning to Norton to live at The Laurels. In 1921 father John was employed as a smallholder working on his account, daughter Ida was employed in domestic service at The Leigh Vicarage, Stanley was a labourer for Godwin Smith at Yew Tree Farm, and Grace was employed by the Gloucestershire County Council Education Committee, working as a monitor at The Leigh school. Father John died in 1949 and wife Florence in 1953.
On 11 August 1925 John Robert Mills took out another mortgage on The Laurels for the sum of £380 from Walter William Whiteman, solicitor of 18 Bell Lane, Gloucester.
Stanley Baden Powell Mills married Edith Mary Walker in 1928 and they went to live at The Green, Norton. Early in 1929 Hilda Grace Mills, daughter of John Robert Mills, a man of independent means, was living at The Laurels when she married at St Mary’s.
On 12 August 1929 Walter William Whiteman sold the mortgage for £425 to Thomas Andrews of 40 Brookfield Terrace, Merthyr Tydfil. At this time the property was said to have been vacant. Thomas and Henrietta were both from Wales, had married in 1899, had no children, and had previously lived at Abercynon where Thomas was employed as a coal miner. It appears that from the end of 1929 until 1932 Thomas and Henrietta Andrews are at The Laurels. By 1939 they are at Down Hatherley, living off private means.
On 25 May 1932 Thomas Andrews sold the property to Henry Lionel Franklyn, gentleman of 11 Park End Road, Gloucester, for £600. It was then said to be 3r 32p. Andrews left the property and Franklyn is said to have taken up residence. Henry Franklyn raised a mortgage of £400 from Florence Sims, no apparent relation to the earlier residents, a widow of 14 Seymour Avenue, Bishopston, Bristol.
In 1929 Henry Lionel and Selina Franklyn were living at 62 Regent Street, Barton, Gloucester, and if they ever actually lived at Norton at all their time here Norton was very brief as less than two months later, on 16 July 1932, he sold the property to Percy Edward Hale, a charge engineer at the electric works, of 29 Conduit Street, Gloucester, for £350.
It is not clear if Percy and Gladys Hale actually lived here either but if they did they too were not to remain for long and in 1936 Alfred William Phillips and his wife Olive Gladys were in residence and they were to live here for the next 50 years. Alfred had married Olive, nee Taylor, at Gloucester Register Office in 1931 and they were to have three children; Betty Doreen, Terence David and Michael John. Alfred Phillips was employed as a market porter and later worked as a senior checker for British Railways.
In May 1940 they advertised; "Horse-drawn show van for sale - apply The Laurels, Norton".
In 1939 Edgar Brinkley, a lorry driver, was also in residence.
In 1950 Archibald Newton was also in residence.
Dennis Williams lived at several houses along the old road from this time and once shared his memories from the 1950s; “The Laurels was occupied by Mr and Mrs Philips who had two sons and a daughter. Run as a small holding their land then extended to the Kings Head Inn, (now ‘Kings Elm’) and south to the old post office (now ‘The View’)”.
1963. Olive Gladys and Alfred William Phillips with grandchildren Tina (left) and Ian (right) Davies.
Photo was taken in the garden of the original cottage at The Laurels before extensive work was carried out here after their purchase in 1964. [Thank you granddaughter Tina Major for the photo, 2022].
Percy Edward Hale died on 30 August 1963 and apparently still owned The Laurels at this time. On 5 October 1964 Alfred William Phillips purchased the cottage from Hale’s executors for £1000. At this time the Phillips owned the land running between the old road and the A38.
Olive died in May 1969 and Alfred in September 1973. Both were buried at St Mary’s, Norton, where they have a memorial in the churchyard. The Laurels was bequeathed to their daughter Betty Doreen and was vested in her name on 30 April 1974.
Betty had married Percy Howard Davies at St Mary’s, Norton, in 1955 and they had three children; Nigel, Ian and Tina Beverley.
In 1975 Betty and Percy Davies were planning on investing £6000 for work on the property and Betty had the property listed as being in their joint ownership on 23 October.
Aerial photo of The Laurels from early 1980s also showing the small holding to the rear and the mobile home on the plot of land that was later to become Beckington House
Percy and Betty’s daughter Tina Beverley married Laurence John Efram Major at St Mary’s, Norton, in 1982 and they came to live in a mobile home on site where they were still living in 1985 when Percy and Betty Davies were still in residence at The Laurels. Graham Hailes was also here.
In 1986 Percy and Betty decided to move from Norton as it was ‘getting too built up’ so on 7 February 1986 they sold The Laurels for £95000 to Kevin and Bronwyn Joyce Townend, of 2 The Furze, Robinswood, Gloucester.
On 5 January 1987 Kevin and Bronwyn Townend sold the land adjacent to The Laurels to Michael Raymond and Jacqueline Cherry Dill of 80 Elmbridge Road, Longlevens, Gloucester, for £135000. Then on 1 August 1988 they also sold The Laurels to Graham William Stafford and Elizabeth Jeanette Lockyer of 16 Lime Tree Avenue, Bilton, Rugby, Warks, for £115000. The Townends did not move far and in 2002 Kevin, Bronwyn and Rebecca Townend were living at the converted Chapel House near The Green at Norton.
In May 1991; "This detached cottage style country house at Cold Elm, Norton, is on the market through Birmingham Midshires at £139,500. It has four bedrooms. There is full gas fired central heating. Situated between Gloucester and Tewkesbury, it has large gardens".
[May 1991]
In 1999 Graeme M and Joanne McConnell were in residence at The Laurels.
[The Laurels, 2002]
In 2002 Shaun C and Elizabeth J Curtis were living at The Laurels and were still here in 2022.
[The Laurels, 2021]
