Here are two photographs that show the mostly commercial premises of the pre-WW1 High Street. Most of the transport was horse drawn
and there is even a man horseback, riding just behind the pony and trap that is standing outside the Burgess grocery store in the top
picture. One of the store's younger shop assistants, wearing a long white apron, is standing next to the pony but whether the boy
walking past has anything to do with the shop is unknown.
On the left side of the first picture is the bank at No 77, which still looks very similar to the way it did then. Even the usage
has remained the same although what is now NatWest Bank was then the County & Westminster Bank Limited. D. Caudwell F.R.G.S. was
the bank's manager in 1913[1]. The bank, as well as a number of other buildings on the
High Street, is Grade II listed today.
Next door, at 76 High Street, was a double fronted ironmonger's shop run by George Jones[1].
It was clearly a very old building as the first floor of the part furthest away was jettied and slightly overhung the pavement.
The ironmonger's had formerly been run by a J. Norris, who had passed away. George Jones took it over in 1872 and opened
with "a new stock of goods"[2]. There are watering cans hanging above
the window of the further shop front and a display of metal garden furniture is on the pavement. When George Jones died at
Bembridge on the Isle of Wight in 1915 he had been in the ironmongery business for about 43 years[3].
Two of his sons, George and Frederick then ran the business, although they did not live on the premises[4].
Frederick Sandford, who later went to work for Vokes Ltd., was employed as a whitesmith by G. Jones in the 1921 census[4].
The building was demolished in the 1960s[5].
Two men are standing on the pavement next door, outside Woods Bros. which was a Pianoforte Warehouse at 75 High Street in the
first of the two storey buildings[1]. The business's name and what they did is clearly
visible on the wall above the first floor windows. Albert Mewett ran a saddler's next door (no74) in the second of the two storey
premises[1].
Next, where there are railings outside No73, was a private house known as the Old Croft, which was the home of the Medical Practitioner
Gerald Francis Bird and his family in 1911. The front of it was covered in ivy, which can be seen above the buildings on
both the views.
A sign is on the wall of the next shop, but it isn't clear what it is advertising. However, Frederick William Paine
had a hosiery business at No 72[1] and at No 71 was the tobacconist and hairdresser
Miss Annie Jury[1]. The White Hart was at No 70 High Street[1]
and you can just see where the upper floor of this beautiful old building juts out over the pavement although it is somewhat obscured in the image below.
This takes us up to level with the Pepperpot on the left hand side.
There were no shop items outside George Jones' shop when this second picture was taken.
The registration of the car on the right was LE5510. There is an AA badge on the front of the vehicle
and on the radiator below is a name, which may or may not be the car's maker. It is hard to read.
The second image shows us a little more of the High Street as it was taken a few yards to the east. Closest to the camera we can now see a three
storey red brick building on the left hand side. It was a mid 18th century house with a former wool warehouse attached to it (they are under the same
roof) between it and the bank. Superdrug now occupies most of the left hand side of this unit. In 1893 Nos 78 and 79 High Street, which formed a
freehold property that was part of the estate of Mrs. Fanny Ann Lawrence deceased, were for sale[7]. John
H Mather, a pharmacist whose surname is above the window, lived above his shop next to the warehouse (at No.78). He married Annie
Buick Rea in 1892[8] and the couple lived here with their daughter until at
least 1911. In 1916 Cyril Brown Russell, Mr. Mather's dispenser, was before the army tribunal board to be recruited into
the army. In his defence Mr. Mather said he would have to close his shop for periods during the day if he was to join up.
Four medical men had already joined up and Mather was now doing most of the dispensing. Although he was given an exemption,
the tribunal board were to appeal against the decision[9].
The shop with the two blinds behind the Pepperpot or Pepperbox, where the road bears left round the corner, was Robertons
but more recently has been a restaurant and is now an estate agent. It was advertising a Summer Sale in the top picture. The Old Market
Hall, as it was known then, was not in use.
The buildings on the right right hand side of both pictures are less easy to see. In the top picture they are dominated by
Burgesses Stores on the corner of Moss Lane and the High Street. A few years later the shop was advertised as:
Borough Stores, 35 High street & wholesale grocer, Moss lane
(Charles Burgess, proprietor), wholesale & retail provision
merchant, grocer, tea dealer, wine, spirit & beer bottler,
butcher, fishmonger & poulterer. A comprehensive retail price
list free on application; orders of ten shillings & upwards
sent carriage paid within a radius of 30 miles. [also listed were
the addresses of branches in Farncombe, Hindhead, Haslemere, Shottermill,
Liphook and Woking][1]
If you look at the roof level a few doors down on the right hand side of the first image you will see the letters A and H, which
belonged to the old Angel Hotel (see more on High Street, Godalming, 1900-1922).
And the lights are of note, too. Although the shop lights are probably gas, Godalming was the first town to have a public and private electricity supply.
Finally, on the right of image 2, closest to the camera, is No. 33 High Street which was the "Depôt of the Society for Promoting
Christian Knowledge" (SPCK). This not only dealt with SPCK publications, but housed The Library run by A. C. Curtis, Ltd. who had moved
from Church Street. His shop also sold books, fancy and leather goods, stationery and table games as well as greetings cards and calendars at
Christmas time[10].
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