very odd address....John Williams

[Jill Eaton]

I've been looking for my great grandfather John Williams and looking in the Westminster Rate books since I know he lived in  St Martins Lane, St Martins in the Fields, at the time of his wedding in October 1863 and lived at St Catherines Road, Kensington at the time of his twin daughters' births in November 1865.

IN between those dates he seems to have moved several times with one possible address as:

"5 Lancaster Place, Precinct of the Savoy, Vaults under west side of Road"

I've tried googling the "vaults" bit but can't really find out what is meant by this. Anyone know the area?

[mazi]

If you google "ivory vaults London". You should get images of this with tables set for a wedding,  historically vaults were cellars whose distinctive ceilings and pillars held up the rest of the building.

If you google.  Savoy hotel London   you will get images of the grand entrance, the vaults are under the paved area leading to the entrance.

I am sure someone who is better at explaining than I will have more to say

Mike

[mazi]

If you google images of.    Historic wine cellars.   Most of the first images show the curved ceiling and pillars of vaults, this is where the traditional pub name. The Vaults  is derived from.

At the national trust Berrington Hall you can see part of the vaults are a bed sitting room and office for the butler,  beyond this is the wine cellar, I think he slept with the keys under his pillow 

Probably one or two good bottles of wine in the savoy vaults today.   

Mike

[mazi]

Only problem is the savoy is on the strand, not Lancaster place. Oops.
I think the vaults are likely to be much the same anywhere.

Mike

[mazi]

On the 1913 map  "the precinct of the savoy" is clearly marked, that area between the strand and the embankment, west of Waterloo bridge

http://maps.nls.uk/view/102345864#zoom=6&lat=4025&lon=5224&layers=BT


Could be I am in the right area, the savoy hotel was built 1889.


Mike

[mazi]

I'm getting there slowly.
The precinct of the savoy was a civil parish, so the hotel was named after the place, there were other buildings on the site before the hotel was built, which all would have vaults.

http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Place:Precinct_of_the_Savoy,_Middlesex,_England

[Stanwix England]

What was his profession? Is it possible it might be something connected to the vaults?

I think what Mazi said, about him sleeping with the keys under his pillow is not a bad idea if his job was related to the vaults. There were still scullery maids sleeping in sculleries in the 1860s, so I suppose your relative might have had a bed at his place of employment.

[stanmapstone]

You can see  Lancaster Place, Precinct of the Savoy, on the map at https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/530640/180726/13/100908
Change the zoom level.
Stan

[Jill Eaton]

I've had another look at the original.

I'm wondering if it IS John Williams or John Williams SPICER. The name appears to go over two lines with Spicer underneath the name John Williams - unless the house actually has an occupant known simple as "Spicer"

If this is John Williams Spicer rather than John Williams then the transcription on FMY past needs changing