There must have been some sort of structure here in 1812 when the small (30ft x 50ft) piece of land was leased to the Jewish community, because the lease refers to the 'demise and land'.
Earlier research assumed that the cottage had been used as a prayer house (ohel). We cannot find any evidence to support this and we do not currently think that it was at any time used for religious purposes. We know from the rate books that the building was occupied from 1825 and that many people have lived in it over the years, some of whom have been identified as caretakers.
So for the moment we are calling it the 'caretakers cottage'. The idea that it was once a prayer house could date from the 1930s when permission was sought from change of use and I Greendown Place, Combe Down was registered as a 'Jewish chapel' by the Registrar General.
1841
Jews Burial Ground, Combe Down
Charles Dowling – occ. Agricultural Labourer, aged 35 – b.1806
Mary Dowling – aged 35 – b.1806
4 children: Sophia (8) b.1833, Mark (5) b.1835, Eve (4) b.1837, Luke (4 months) b.1841
Lodger: Samuel Perry – occ. Agricultural Labourer, aged 20 – b.1821
1851
Jews Burying Ground, Lyncombe & Widcombe Parish, Bath
James Hillyer – occ. Quarry Labourer, aged 46 – b.1805 (Upham, Somerset)
Mary Ann Hillyer – aged 38 – b.1813 (Langdon, Somerset)
5 children: Arthur b.1831, Sarah b.1837, Elizabeth b.1841, James b.1845, David b.1850
1861
No record found
1871
No house numbers on returns for Greendown Place.
1881
1 Greendown Place
William Jones – occ. Miner, aged 33 – b1848 (Corsham)
Mary Jones – aged 29, b1852 (Bath)
1 child: John Williams aged 1 b1880
(a child she is looking after - ‘nurse child’)
1891
1 Greendown Place
John Moore – occ. General Labourer (here noted as b.1844)
Emma Moore – occ. Laundress (here noted as b.1846)
1901
No record found, but presumably the Moores, as in 1891 and 1911
1911
1 Greendown Place
John Moore – occ. Jobbing Gardener, aged 69 - b.1842 (Kilmersdon)
Emma Moore – occ. Laundress, aged 68 – b.1843 (Cardiff)
1911 forms are signed by the house-holder – John’s writing is a careful, neat copperplate script
1841
Jews Burial Ground, Combe Down Charles Dowling – occ. Agricultural Labourer, aged 35 – b.1806 Mary Dowling – aged 35 – b.1806 4 children: Sophia (8) b.1833, Mark (5) b.1835, Eve (4) b.1837, Luke (4 months) b.1841 Lodger: Samuel Perry – occ. Agricultural Labourer, aged 20 – b.18211851
Jews Burying Ground, Lyncombe & Widcombe Parish, Bath James Hillyer – occ. Quarry Labourer, aged 46 – b.1805 (Upham, Somerset) Mary Ann Hillyer – aged 38 – b.1813 (Langdon, Somerset) 5 children: Arthur b.1831, Sarah b.1837, Elizabeth b.1841, James b.1845, David b.18501861
No record found1871
No house numbers on returns for Greendown Place, so can’t identify which family is occupying no.11881
1 Greendown Place William Jones – occ. Miner, aged 33 – b.1848 (Corsham) Mary Jones – aged 29, b.1852 (Bath) 1 child: John Williams aged 1 b.1880 (a child she is looking after - ‘nurse child’)1891
1 Greendown Place John Moore – occ. General Labourer (here noted as b.1844) Emma Moore – occ. Laundress (here noted as b.1846)