1805 – 24 Westgate Street

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.