RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Hampshire & Isle of Wight => Topic started by: boosh on Saturday 16 February 08 09:03 GMT (UK)
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Hi
I'm in the process of tracking my 2xgreat grandfather's siblings and have found one living in Portsmouth in 1901. She is listed as living at 29 Palmerston Road as a housekeeper. There about 50 other people at the same property. Some of the occupations include buyers and a draper's clerk.
In the address column it also includes Knight & Lee Ltd. Am I right in presuming that this was a draper's shop? If anyone can confirm this or put me right, I'll be most grateful.
Thanks
Boosh
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It looks as if they were Drapers - Boyswear, menswear, military and naval tailoring
There is a brief history of the company here:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/stephen.pomeroy/local/loccom.pdf
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Bearkat - thank you so much for that, it's just the ticket!
Boosh
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Hi
29 Palmerston Road, Southsea is now part of the Palmerston Road Shopping precinct. Presently, no 29 is occupied by WH Smiths!
Knight and Lee was indeed a draper's store and was always considered to be more up-market than the average shop. Indeed, the whole of Palmerston Road was considered to be the domain of the gentry. My mother, now in her eighties, used to work in a specialist grocers in the road as a young girl. Knight and Lee still exists in Palmerston Road, though has moved a hundred yards or so further south and now occupies a large site on a corner. It is now a John Lewis store.
Unfortunately, although I live fairly close to Porstmouth, I have little reason to go down to Soutsea much any more. However, if I am that way in the near future I will photograph no 29 for you. If you search you may well find lots of photos of Palmerston Road in years past. I certainly remember seeing many photos of it from the WW2 years and earlier.
Best regards.
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Hi!
You might find this interesting...
http://www.johnlewis.com/Shops/DSTemplate.aspx?Id=38
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FellowCuckoo and Oldtimer
The information you've both supplied is really interesting. My family member left Yorkshire to work there, but was back 'home' by 1907. Now it leaves me wondering why she went to work there - I suppose I'll be wondering for ever more!
Thanks very much.
Boosh
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There you go Boosh.. 29 Palmerston Road..taken 2 days ago
Steve
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Hey Pompeyboy - that's the nicest thing someone has done for me this week! Thank you so much, I appreciate you thinking of me.
What an 'inspiring' building! ;D Not a view Lizzie had back in 1901!
Boosh
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No problem,pity the tree was in the way.
Regards
Steve
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I guess neither the building or the tree were like that in 1901; indeed, the shop looks 1950's or 1960's.
Its wonderful what RC's will do for each other !
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Hi!
Remember that Portsmouth was heavily bombed during WW2. There are not many old buildings still surviving.
Judy
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Thanks for taking the photo of WH Smith. I was wondering when I would get chance to go down to Southsea.
I have searched in vain for photos of Palmerston Road during the Blitz. I know the local paper "The News" published a souvenir of wartime photos of Portsmouth and Southsea, a few years back. It was bombed very heavily, because of the dockyard. It is the sort of thing my mother would have kept. I will ask her and scan anything useful I find for you (or does that breach copyright regulations?)
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My Gr Grandparents lived in Portchester, certainly until past 1912, and I went to find their address ... its now a small shopping arcade !
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Thanks for taking the photo of WH Smith. I was wondering when I would get chance to go down to Southsea.
FellowCuckoo...hope i didn't muscle in on your offer for Boosh,it's just i was in the area and had the chance to do it.
Regards
Steve
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Not at all Steve! I rarely have cause to go down to Southsea any more and am relieved that you have given me a reason not to have to experience the dreadful traffic out of the city. ;)
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Boosh...Palmerston Road around the 1880's....looking at picture i think 29 is down further on right.
Regards
Steve
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Hi Steve, just got in from work, thanks so much for the yester-year photo. The style of the buildings is much more to my liking! :)
Thanks everyone for your contributions to this query.
Boosh
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Yes, you are right: no 29 would be about a third of the way down, on the right. The photographer is standing with his back to what is now Knight and Lee, which takes up the whole of the next block.
The view is looking north up Palmerston Road. The church at the top with the spire is St Jude's.
Lovely photo, Steve. Well done for finding it!
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Where was knight and lee menswear temporarily in the 1980's
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Where was Knight and Lee menswear temporarily in the 1980's?
It was inside the Waitrose Store, which is in Marmion Road Southsea, before John Lewis's moved it back into Knight & Lee's in Palmerston Road albeit in a much reduced space.
Ray
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Was Knight and Lee also temporarily in palmerston road, southsea, either where green shield stamp shop was or where new look is now.
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Hi Janie, I don't remember that particular move just across Palmerston Road. When I'm next in Knight and Lee's I'll ask.
They also had a school uniforms shop on the corner of Elm Grove and Grove Road South. They were deemed to be too expensive so it was down to the Coop in Fratton Road for most of us!
Green Shield stamps eh? Golly! Sticking all those gummy sheets into books and queuing on a Saturday to redeem for something considered exotic like an ovenproof Pyrex casserole dish and lid which we still have in mint condition. Probably used just the once.
Ray