The Lons and the Lives of the People Who Lived There

A group from Bitton Parish History Group led by Annette Rothwell have researched the history of The Lons and the people who lived there, by delving into census records, newspapers, electoral rolls and military records. The information includes stories from local people who knew some of the more recent inhabitants, the memories of girls who had attended school at The Lons and people who used The Lons Country Club.

We were amazed by some of our findings. We certainly hadn’t been aware that Turkish Baths would have been an 1868 feature of the building, nor did we expect to discover that one of the children brought up there would come to have his portrait in The National Portrait Gallery. Entrepreneurship and sound business acumen enabled some inhabitants to afford the rent or purchase price – including the furniture maker with at least 24 children!

Memories of life at The Lons are priceless. They include the story of a child refusing to wear a pig’s head and photos of the school’s theatrical productions and a squash game interrupted when Kingswood School was on fire.

We would welcome any feedback including any additional information you might have.

Annette Rothwell, November 2020

Please click on the relevant section on the bottom right-hand side of this page for information on that period of The Lons:

The Lons 1890s: photo courtesy Bristol Records Office
The Lons 1890s: photo courtesy Bristol Records Office
The Lons as a School: photo courtesy Bristol Records Office
The Lons as a School: photo courtesy Bristol Records Office

Timeline for The Lons

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Please click on the relevant section for information on that period of The Lons:

Pre 1868 A field known as The Lons was exchanged by William Francis Cryer for some land belonging to James Frew Somerville

1868-1895/7 James Frew Sommerville had The Lons built as a comfortable and prestigious home for his family. Together with his father and brother, he ran the Bitton Paper Mill

1897-1907/9 Uriah Alsop, an innovative entrepreneur, who called himself a steam cabinet maker, built a successful furniture business in Broadmead.

1909-1926 The stylish Edwardian Nicholetts family had a banker head of household and an Air Marshall son who was knighted and gained a long distance flying record

1929-1931 Charles Thornton Hall, his wife and son, spent two years developing the estate following a family tragedy

1931-46 George Lancelot Wood, a prosperous undertaker and sculptor of marble and stone ran his business in Bristol from The Lons at the age of 71

1948-52 Norman Hall and family – owners of Eezall washing powder

1953-1972 Hugh Butler Folliott: Vermipeat compost manufactured in Saltford. His office was at The Lons, where his wife, Frances ran a school.

1974-84 The Lons Country Club: owned by Graham and Anne Miller, offering squash courts, a swimming pool, receptions and a nightclub

1985-Present The building converted into a number of privately owned flats managed by The Lons Country Estate Management Company on behalf of the owners.

The book ‘The Lons’, edited by Annette Rothwell is available from the publisher Lulu:
https://www.lulu.com/search?page=1&q=the+lons&pageSize=10&adult_audience_rating=00