Printer | Hidden Heritage

At this point, the relationships between the persons mentioned in the documents and the property become increasingly confusing. Hannah Sadler appeared back on the scene and on 12^th February 1823, leased the property for a year to Charles Hough, son of the former John James Hough. The following day, the property was released to him, for a peppercorn rent.

Charles was a stationer and printer like his father. He was made a freeman of the city of Gloucester in July 1805. John James Hough had died on 1^st December 1821 leaving his estate to his youngest son, Arthur, according to the custom of Borough English. But Arthur died on 12^th January 1822 having left a will leaving his estate to his brother Charles Hough. At some point in his career, Charles set up a partnership with Thomas Jew but this was dissolved in 1829.

Around this time, Charles moved to Monmouth where he established a partnership with Reginald J Blewitt, and purchased the Monmouthshire Merlin Newspaper from T A Stinson, the first edition of which appeared in May 1829.

Charles Hough was presumably not a very good businessman as he was made bankrupt in 1831; the partnership with Blewitt did not survive Charles’ bankruptcy and he left the newspaper business.

Less than two weeks after the Westgate Street property was transferred to Charles Hough, on 25th February, a mortgage for securing £550 was issued on the premises between James Abell, gentleman, his mother Ann Abell and his sisters, Ann, Maria and Caroline Abell. Was the property sold off because of Charles’ bankruptcy? There is mention in the documents of Elizabeth Martin and Thomas, her son, who inherited the property in the will of Thomas Martin, senior, in 1812, but there is no mention of Charles Hough!

James Abell inherited the property from his father according to the custom of Borough English. James believed that the house, etc., was intended for his mother and his sisters and was willing to fulfil his father’s wishes but his mother preferred to have an annuity of £27 10s and the sisters wished to share the sum of £550.

The ownership and occupancy of 24 Westgate Street becomes inceasingly confusing to follow. Four years later, in 1805, the property was leased to George Martin, Esquire, of Wheatenhurst for a year and then released the following day, a legal arrangement to publicly declare the sale of a property. Presumably he was the owner and John James Hough was still occupying the premises, as bookseller, stationer and printer.

By 1812, George Martin had moved to Bristol with his family and died there that year. He was buried at Bristol St James church. In his brief will, he left all his estate to his wife, Elizabeth Martin.

Elizabeth, then of Oxford Street in Westbury-on-Trym, held on to the property for another three years, when, in 1815, she transferred the property to one Thomas Abell, an innkeeper, and William Abell, a maltster, both of Gloucester. At this stage, the document includes a plan of the house and grounds although the shop section is omitted.

Westgate Street runs across the bottom of the plan, with Maverdine Lane down the left-hand side.