RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => London & Middlesex Lookup Requests => London and Middlesex => England => London & Middlesex Completed Lookup Requests => Topic started by: Quarryman on Wednesday 14 September 05 14:56 BST (UK)
-
Is there anyone who could tell me who was living at 156 Tottenham Court Road in 1871.
Any help much appreciated
-
It's easier to ask whether "so and so" was living in the area as it's not as easy to look up an address as it is to search for people.
Can you give us details of who you are looking for, especially if you have found them in the 1881 census, give full information including birth dates and places, for everybody including parents/siblings/children. We'll try to find them in 1871 for you.
Mary
-
Living in 151 to 156 Tottenham Court Road were all servants, drapers, salesmen, cashiers etc.
RG10/211 Folio 7 Page 5 and quite a few more pages.
Mary
-
I counted them & there are 293 people in 151 - 156 Tottenham Court Road, in folio 5 - 17 of RG10/211.
Meliora
-
Hi MaryA and Meliora,
Wow! I didn't realise there was such a multitude at 156. Among those I'm looking for a Roberts - sorry I don't have a Christian name or age, so I guess its looking for a needle in a haystack. Sorry to have put you through so much trouble.
Regards
Quarryman
-
Come on, don't be so secretive, what's the mystery behind this address? Is it a man or a woman you are looking for and why don't you have a christian name?
I have on Page 12 a David J Roberts "All these are servants" "All these are unmarried" 25 Linen Draper N Wales Llanrhaiar
Mary
-
Hi MaryA,
Sorry, no mystery - I am transcribing my grandfather's 1871 diary (he was a Victorian composer of hymn tunes, and at the Royal Academy of Music at the time) and he writes "received a letter from Roberts, 156 Tottenham Court Road". I am trying to pin the Roberts down to insert a footnote in the transcription, which forms part of his biography.
Regards
Quarryman
-
Well that sounds interesting of itself, it's good to know a bit of background and then it helps to know what I'm looking for. Two thoughts - I wonder whether he meant "Robert" a first name rather than a surname so I'll take another look and see whether there is one, didn't check for that the first time and while looking I'll see whether any of them have an occupation connected with music or maybe rather instruments.
These people appear to me as if they are shop workers of various descriptions, as opposed to domestic servants, I'm assuming that they would all work for the one big shop, maybe somebody know knows the road could tell you what large shop is/was there, maybe a kind of "Grace Brothers" style department store.
On a slow computer at work at present, so it might take me a little while to browse through these, I'll let you know later if I find anything.
Mary
-
Hello, all,
Tottenham Court Road has always been the home to large stores, mainly Furniture Stores, Maples & Waring & Gillows, who were also manufacturers, Heals was another & I think some of them also incorporated Linen Drapers. There was also Shand Kydd, the wallpaper people, a Boxing Academy & a Brewery, associated with Meux the brewers, I believe.
At that time it was common practice for employees to live on the premises, "living over the shop", this is probably why there are so many people listed in the census.
Meliora
-
Whilst the Tottenham Court Ro "Page" is open can you please look up any Bassetts. They were there in 1825.! Maybe a forlorn Hope!
Thank you for any help you can give.
Regards Keera
-
At that time it was common practice for employees to live on the premises, "living over the shop", this is probably why there are so many people listed in the census.
Meliora
Meliora, that's what I thought, but it's not obvious which shop it is. The majority of them seem to be linen drapers, with a mixture of furnishing salesmen.
There's a
Robert Davison 31, Linen Draper born Ireland Down.
Robert Sunis 21 Linen Draper born Dorset Blandford
Robert Metcalf 21 Porter born Cam Gorfield
Robert Shears 20 Linen Draper Surrey Adalestone
Robert Belram 21 Linen Draper Huntingdon Bluntisham
Robt. J Whitchurch 19 Linen Draper Hants Fonthampton
Robert B McDonald 15 Cashier Ireland Dublin
Robert Sinton 20 Linen Draper Scotland Peebles
Keera, sorry no Bassetts listed on that Volume. Perhaps you could start a new topic and give names and ages and as much information as you have and we could do a wider search.
Mary
-
Hi MaryA/Meliora,
Thanks for all the info. However, it's definitely Roberts in the diary, and as David J. was born in Wales (where my research is centred, and from where my grandfather originated) I'm going with him as 'my' Roberts. I seem to remember in previous research that in one source 156 Tottenham Court Road was described as a 'linen factory'.
I presume my grandfather met David J, along with many, many more Welshmen/women who had 'emigrated' to London in one of the Welsh churches in the capital which he attended and at which he played the organ/harmonium.
Many, many thanks
Regards
Quarryman
PS I have posted this earlier today but it appears not to have made it to the 'board'