135 Widemarsh St. Hereford City

[Mann]

Has anyone any information about 135 Widemarsh St, Hereford especially at the beginning of the 20th century?  My family (Elcox - provisions merchant), lived there briefly around 1901 and again around 1912.  Did they own it?  Did it look then as it does now? 

[alastairgm]

Hi there,
I had a look in Jakeman & Carver's Directory and Gazetteer of Hereford for 1902. In the Street Directory section it just has "Joshua Elcox, 135 Widemarsh Street", but in the Alphabetical Directory section it has:-
"Elcox, Joshua. Cheese, butter and bacon factor, Market Hall. res. 135 Widemarsh Street." so I would guess he had a stall in the Buttermarket which is a very short walk from the Widemarsh St address where he lived. The market stall would have been rented and I very much doubt that he would have owned the residential property, which is in the City centre. I shall be in Hereford next week (Wed) and will have a look at no. 135 as I pass, if you want. Regards.

[vic1]

I must apologise on behalf of hereford  but we appear to have bull dozed your relatives  old home and replaced it with a DIY store - the good news is this could so be being bulldozed itself and replaced with housing thus going full circle -used google maps to check  where i thought it might be  and twas  try it yourself  there are however certain buildings  almhouses  just up the road that would have been there  then as well as a pub
sorry Vic

[Lydart]

I'm also available to take photos of Hereford if anyone wants any ... I'm there next Thursday, if Alastair can't make it at the last moment !

[alastairgm]

Hi Vic,
I think the numbering in Widemarsh St. must have been different in 1901/02. In those days No 1 was what is now the shoe shop between Bewell St. and the bank entrance and the numbers ran consecutively up the West side of the street as far as Newtown and then came back down the East side to finish at the corner with High Town. Recognisable buildings are the Gate House (now the Farmer's Club) which was no. 131 and the Raven Inn (birthplace of David Garrick and now a Coffee/Snack Bar) which was no. 139. The Raven Inn was still no. 139 in 1937 (see Ron Shoesmith's "Pubs of Hereford City"). So no. 135 would have been in somewhere in the middle of that block between the Inner Relief Road and Maylord Orchards entrance, and that hasn't been bulldozed (yet). Probably re-numbering took place when the Inner Relief Road opened.
Regards, Alastair

[vic1]

How intresting  had not come across that  nugget but there again not looked for anyone  actually in the city. just assumed that the numbers were as they are today. so apologise if i misled any one - vic

[alastairgm]

Hi all,
Had a look at the block of buildings in Widemarsh St. today. Counting from one end brings you to the former Greenlands furniture/carpet store (now a camping goods shop) which seems to big to be the one. If no.135 was only his residence maybe he and his family lived above it. Sorry I can't be more help. Perhaps Lydart will have more luck tomorrow.

[RedMike]

Apologies for resurrecting a 2 year old thread, especially as this is my first ever post on here.

Greenlands building is now number 28/30 Widemarsh street & the camp shop occupies most of the building with a ladies hairdresser having a smaller section of it.
The first floor has been converted into luxury flats !

Why bother posting this you may ask?
Two reasons, firstly my wife is manager of the camping shop occupying Greenlands building & secondly I didn't want my first post to be a cry for help having only just started researching our family trees. 

[alastairgm]

Hi RedMike, and welcome to Rootschat. Thanks for your contribution.
Good luck with your family history research. Alastair