The Bristol Ansteys

by Gary. M. Anstey, chief researcher of the Anstey story project.

Overview of the Bristol Ansteys

‘Anstey’, Ansty’, ‘Anstee’ and ‘Anstie’ in Bristol do not form a single sub-branch – many of the families here tended to be transient, staying for a few years and then moving somewhere else. Having said that, the overwhelming majority of Ansteys in Bristol were of the Bathealton Anstey sub-branch, with a smattering of Dyrham Ansteys and Stoke Gifford Ansteys (and others) also residing here.

One point worthy of note is that every single Anstey we have discovered who lived in Bristol for any period of time could trace his Anstey ancestry eventually back to Devon or Somerset. This makes sense given that Bristol is a natural first ‘city’ stop for anybody migrating from the South West Peninsula of England into more central England, Wales or London etc.

[Note: this statement is not true of Bath, which lies just over ten miles from Bristol and was the home of various famous Trumpington Ansteys, and others]

The above listing links to some of the gentlemen who made Bristol their home, though it is not comprehensive.

Also see ‘Anstey: A Complete History From the Norman Invasion to World War One‘

Further Details on the Bristol Ansteys

#1. Anstey Street in Bristol is named after Henry Anstey (SG 23) of Bristol, a member of the Stoke Gifford Ansteys. This occurred after Henry and his partner, surname ‘Littleton’, auctioned 23 building plots at Lena Street, Bristol in 1891. Presumably, they had street-naming rights because ‘Anstey Street’ today adjoins ‘Littleton Street’ (next to Lena Street).

#2. John Anstey (b 1846 Clifton to mother maiden name “Lewis“). We cannot currently place this ‘John’

#3. William Anstee who married Zipporah Weeks in Bristol in 1816 is of the Chewton Mendip Anstey sub-branch.

#4. Paul Anstie, who was charged with fraudulent bankruptcy in Bristol in 1885 was of the London, Ontario Ansties

#5. John Anstey was baptised in 1849 Bristol, St Philip and Jacob to John Anstey and Elizabeth. In the 1851 Census there is a John Anstey of Devon (b 1784 gardener) and Elizabeth (b 1782 Swansea), living at Horfield Nursery, Horfield, Clifton, but John Anstey (b 1849) clearly cannot be their son, and we lose track of him anyway.

#6. Thomas Ansty was born in 1847 in Devon or Ireland depending on source to father John Ansty (per his marriage entry). He may have had brothers Christopher Ansty (b 1852, buried in Radcliffe, Manchester in 1889) and Patrick Ansty (b 1849 Rochdale). We find no birth of a Thomas Ansty in 1847 so suspect he was not born an ‘Anstey’ – though research continues into this.

In 1871 Thomas was boarding at Manchester Road, Worsley a “labourer born Galway Ireland” in the house of Sarah Connelly a “charwoman from Galway Ireland” (probably a relative). He married Mary Ann May (born any time between 1846 and 1854) at Bristol Temple Church on 21 February 1872 and they had children:

  • Emily Elizabeth Kate Ansty (b 1872 Bristol, baptised 27 November 1872 at Bristol, St George – alive in 1891);
  • Amelia Ansty (b 1874 Maesteg, an unmarried servant at 45, King William Street, Blackburn in 1901. She married in Blackburn in 1907);
  • Thomas Ansty (b 19 August 1875 Maesteg, a stoker in a stationary engine in 1901. He married Charlotte Amelia Partridge in St Paul Covent Garden in 1904 (she already had a son Ernest Samuel Partridge (b 1897, living with the family as ‘Partridge’ in 1911 – he served in World War One under the name ‘Ernest Ansty’ with the 16th Manchester Regiment and was taken Prisoner of War by the Germans in March 1918)) and they had children Florence Maud Anstey (b 23 March 1905 Derby, single and living with the family in 1939) and Roland William Anstey (b 27 June 1908 Shoreham, single and living with the family in 1939. He married Annie Hampson in 1942 in Manchester and they had a son Eric Ansty (b 1945). He died on 30 December 1981 still living in Blackley). In the 1911 Census he was a boiler stoker “born Maestag” living with his family at 4 Surrey Street Blackley. In 1939 the family were living at 46 Silver Street, Manchester where he was an engineers millwright. He died on 5 June 1944 in Manchester living at 46 Silver Street Blackley – effects to his widow Charlotte);
  • Clara Annie Ansty (b 1878 Walmersley, she married in 1903 in Blackburn);
  • Lillie Ansty (b 1880 Walmersley, she married in 1905 in Blackburn);
  • George Ansty (b 9 September 1882 Ramsbottom, we cannot locate him in the 1911 Census. During World War One all we know is that “Svc Nbrs: 77893 Liverpool Regiment and 52228 Labour Corps both as a Private – awarded the Victory and British War medals” In 1921 he was living in Epsom, seemingly still unmarried and in 1939 he was an inmate at Institution Tame Street, Manchester, a paper works machinist. He died in 1959 in Marylebone);
  • William Ansty (b 1885 Ramsbottom, he died in 1905 in Blackburn);
  • Beatrice Ansty (b 1887 Ramsbottom, she married in 1910 in Blackburn); and
  • Rowland Ansty (b 1889 Ramsbottom, he died in 1908 in Blackburn)

In 1881 Thomas was a foreman at a paper mill living at Kenyon Street, Walmersley cum Shuttleworth, now “born in Jacobstow, Devon“. He was at 28 Crow’s Lane Ramsbottom in 1887. in 1891 they were at Dale Street, Walmersley where he was a cotton mill fireman “b 1847 Devonshire UK“. By 1901 the family (minus Thomas, who we lose track of after 1891) were at 3, Sun Street, Oswaldtwistle, Blackburn. We cannot locate Mary Ann in the 1911 Census but she died in 1920 in Blackburn.

Also see ‘Anstey: A Complete History From the Norman Invasion to World War One‘

Anybody who finds any mistakes on this page, please contact us at research@theansteystory.com and we will correct them.

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