Thistle

The Thistle family  name may be derived  from the same source as Taswell. The link between the names is not obvious when they are printed but there was a lot of variation in the spelling of names which combined with the idiosyncracies of handwriting and the local dialect makes such transformations of names common. Thisol and Thrifel are other variations of the name. The way that Rosewell became Reeves is a another example of how names can change into something quite different.

Richard Thisol was an overseer in 1709 when he signed a legal document involving Francis Exon of Almondsbury. He was also listed in the churchwarden accounts in 1710 and the poor book dated 1730 to 1769. Some of the Taswells were clergymen and the linkbetween law and the church was still strong at the time. Some Yeoman farmers were wealthy enough to educate their children which would qualify them to act as what were then called clerks but we would now describe as accountants or book keepers.

His signature shown on the left could be read as Thisoll and his name was recorded as Thrissol, Thristle and Thistle and other variations by other people. This example is taken from file 1043b.

It is not clear where his farm was based but most records show he was based in the East End tithing. The Family were recorded as paying rates for the Attwood, Green and Smith estates. Richard probably did c 1738 because a Widow Thissol was paying poor rates for the same properties fro

Their sons were probably called Edward and John because they were recorded as paying poor rates for similar properties. A John Thristel was in receipt of poor relief by 1741 who may have been the same person but the reason for his economic decline has yet to be identified.