Research Forum

19 Broad Weir, Bristol
published by Pat Hase on Fri, 10/09/2021 - 12:42

This is the business card of my great great grandfather, Thomas LONG who lived and worked at 19 Broad Weir in Bristol.  Inspired by a "House Through Time" I am looking at the history of this address which was one house in from the corner of Philadelphia Street. 

On the 1841 Census no house number is given for Thomas & Martha LONG but they were listed with the first son, Walter, as living in Broad Weir. In 1845, when my great grandfather, Samuel Thomas LONG  was born his birth certificate states that he was born at 2 Broad Weir and on the 1851 census they are also listed at No 2 Broad Weir.  My query is  - did they move or was the road re-numbered?  

In August 1942, 19 Broad Weir was destroyed by a bomb which fell on several buses parked outside causing a large number of deaths and in 1944 the then owners, Printers, Taylor Bros, gave a compete history of the house to the Bristol Archives. These date back to 1624 but it was existent before that.  Thomas LONG did not own it - he was a tenant - but there are numerous newspaper accounts linking him to it as well as the births of his children and as my grandfather became a compositor he often spoke of Taylor Bros and the premises in Broad Weir which he remembered.

I know this is out of our area but we have many members with connections to Bristol and I wondered whether anyone else had researched this area of Bristol which is now between the Galleries and Cabot Circus.

19 Broad Weir occupied by Taylor Bros (after 1875)      Copyright - Bristol Libraries 

Comments ..


Submitted by Pat Hase on Sat, 11/09/2021 - 17:50

By comparing the residents of Broad Weir on the 1851 census with those on the 1861 census I believe that Thomas Long moved to the other end of Broad Weir probably to bigger premises. Rating Books might confirm this.  The tithe map is not available on Know Your Place and I have been unable to locate that area of Bristol on The Genealogist Tithe Maps but as that was taken in 1840 the apportionments might help locate Broad Weir.

   login or join us now to post comments
Submitted by Pat Hase on Sat, 18/09/2021 - 12:45

I have been informed that Tithe maps for the centre of towns are not available because those areas were no linger subject to tithes but had been rated.   

   login or join us now to post comments

Submitted by gricharduk on Mon, 13/09/2021 - 11:13

Slater's National Commercial for 1835 lists the following (that I could find quickly) at Broad Weir/Broadweir. As you can see from the table, Thomas is at number 2 (shared with John Wesley May the baker). The interesting thing is that John Wesley May appears at Number 19 in the 1849 edition of Hunt & Co's Directory and that he was declared bankrupt in 1843. Number 19 appears to be next to the Crown Tavern at Number 18 (see this apology by Alfred Bush in the Bristol Mercury for 26 March 1859). Ann Manwaring appears in the 1840 census here (Ancestry subscription required) so Number 17 certainly existed at that point. I agree with you Pat - He moved to Number 19 (already extant) after 1851 (and before 1856) because he needed larger premises.

Henry Hicks

1

Boot and shoe maker

Ann Coke

1

Grocer and tea dealer

John Wesley May

2

Baker

Thomas Long

2

Currier and leather cutter

Phoebe Teek

3

Pawnbroker

John Baylis

6, The Bell Inn

Landlord

Henry Wait

10

Cabinet maker

Jacob Smith

13

Baker

George Lewis

15

(Wine) and spirits dealer

Ann Manwaring

17

Toy maker and dealer

George Stephens

18, The Crown Tavern

Landlord

   login or join us now to post comments
Submitted by Pat Hase on Mon, 13/09/2021 - 19:35

Thank you again, Richard! - The Slaters National Commercial Directory is a new source for me and it's fascinating that Thomas LONG was mentioned in it at 2 Broad Weir in 1835, earlier than I had found him in that area.   It does suggest that Thomas has possibly trained as a currier in Bristol.
I've always found the apology from Alfred BUSH amusing - you can only imagine what was going on that evening!  So, I think we have proved that Thomas did move to No 19.

   login or join us now to post comments
Submitted by gricharduk on Tue, 14/09/2021 - 6:28

No problem at all. I discovered Slater's Directory while researching my own tree - it is great. The HathiTrust Digital Library is a good resource for books (some of them very old) and the Internet Archive is an even larger store of documents and books. The Internet Archive also includes fairly modern books that are free to (digitally) borrow once registered.

   login or join us now to post comments