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Godalming, Church Street, 1903 |
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The premises with the first floor window box on the extreme
left is Cornmeter, then an inn, with Allen's shop next door.
There are bottles and what look like either loaves of bread
or pumpkins in Allen's window. In 1911 Henry Moore, a Yorkshire
born leather dresser, and his wife were at 15 Church Street,
so Allen's shop must have gone by then[1].
The shop itself was later McDonald & Gallop, a fruiterer's[2].
Behind the young woman holding a bicycle is a tobacconist's
shop, at 15a Church Street, which was run by Arthur Hailstone
and his wife in 1911[1].
They were still there in 1913[2].
A sign saying "Tobacco" sticks out into the street
above the woman's head.
The Star (17 Church Street) has its first floor windows wide
open. It was being run as a beerhouse by Thomas G. Godwin in
1901[3], but a few
years later Harry Battson, his wife and young son were at the
Star, with Harry working as both a House Painter & Beerhouse
Keeper[1]. He, too,
was still there in 1913[2] but
Charles Gould had taken over in 1924. By 1939 the landlord was
the bachelor Harold G. Whiting who was both a publican and taxi
driver, who lived there with his retired father George.
It remains open for business today.
A little further along a man in a white apron is standing
in the middle of the street. He was probably Richard Thorn,
standing outside his tea rooms at 14 Church Street. There is
a "Teas" sign on his right. He described himself
as both an eating house keeper (1901) and a refreshment house
keeper (1911)[4].
Thorn's tea rooms were in Godalming for over 75 years[5] and,
amongst other things, provided
teas for members of the Cyclist's Touring Club[6].
Another sign, closer to the camera and above the head of the
girl in a white pinafore, says "Cycles" but who owned
that business in not known at present. The young girl is actually
standing outside the Live and Let Live, another beerhouse,
on the far side of the Deanery Yard arch. Of the various licensees
and leaseholders, William Perry was there in 1885[7] and
Arthur Jennings in 1901[3].
Whilst it is not easy to tell by enlarging the picture it is
possible that is says Friary Brewery just below the roof. The
Live and Let Live closed in 1908[8].
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"Godalming, Church Street". Published by F. Frith & Co.
Ltd., Reigate, No.57050. First published in 1903. Not posted.
Postcard in the collection of, provided by and © Ann Andrews.
Researched, written by and © Ann Andrews.
Intended for personal use only.
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References:
[1] Information from the 1911 census
of England and Wales, which is available
on FindMyPast.
[2] "Kelly's
Directory of Surrey, 1913".
[3] From the 1901 census.
[4] Richard Thorn was born in New
Cross, giving his age in the 1901 census as 26 and in 1911
as 35.
[5] Head, Ronald E. (2005) "Godalming",
The Francis Frith collection, ISBN 1-85937-976-1 (with research
by John Young).
[6] "Surrey Mirror",
15 October 1948 and other dates.
[7] "Surrey Mirror",
21 February 1885.
[8] Date of closure from Janaway,
John (2003) "Godalming and Farncombe Pubs and Breweries",
Ammonite Books, Godalming, Surrey. ISBN 1-869866-14-2.. |
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