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Saturday 23 March 2019

The inhabitants of Milsom Street, Bath 1801-1820


 More research which will eventually go into the Young Ladies' Survival Guide in Visiting Bath - sorry about the formatting it did horrible things to my numbered bullets


The Inhabitants of Milsom Street 1801-1820

Built in 1762, by Thomas Lightholder, Milsom Street is mentioned in most novels about Bath, as a centre for shopping for fabrics and jewellery and clothes.  As seen in the list of shops, it was not the exclusive centre of shopping, but certainly it contained many shops.  The other main shopping streets were George Street, New Bond Street, Old Bond Street and Bath Street.
Milsom Street is an amazing street. It contains buildings which are detached, and others which are terraced.  But those which are terraced are grand terraces, like Somerset Buildings, 37-42.  Grand frontages with columns, bowed centres and in-your-face Palladian architechture turns a block of five houses into something which would not be out of place as the residence of an earl, if only placed into a country setting, not on the street.
Numbering of Milsom Street is also not as we are used to; even and odd do not denote the side of the street.  Instead, the numbering starts with no. 1 on the west side of the street at the northern end – where a number of roads like Old Bond Street start – and numbers up the western side to no. 23 on the corner of George Street.  Immediately opposite no. 23, numbering recommences with no. 24 and runs down to no. 47, opposite no. 1.




The buildings are, on the whole, 4 storey, with basement as well, and often double-bayed.  Many of them are broken up into multiple occupancy, typically with shops and the rooms behind them on the ground floor, and residences or boarding houses above.  Most boarding houses offer ‘rooms for gentlemen or families’; single ladies rarely mentioned, only by the Misses Kyan of no. 42   

Those houses whose occupancy I have not been able to trace may be presumed to be private dwellings or boarding houses which advertised by word of mouth rather than through the newspapers.





West Side

1          1 In April 1816 White’s Pianoforte and Music Warehouse (also on 5 George Street)
Speculated: the un-numbered Music Warehouse of Mr. William Loder, band-leader and violin maestro of the Theatre-Royal, who has a music warehouse in Milsom Street from 1818.

Numbers 2-22 are a terrace named Portland Place

2         2 Unknown
3         3 Unknown
4          4 In 1807 was called Civet-Cat, occupied by a Mr. Gould, a perfumer and hair cutter, who also provided wigs and hair pieces.
5         5 Unknown
6         6 Unknown
7          7 1794-1804, owner-occupier J. James, fine muslins and table linen. He moved and let the premises.
Until March 1817 Thos. Sheppherd and Jas. Trinder, woollen drapers, hatters and undertakers; in March 1817, they dissolve the partnership and Thomas Sheppherd continues alone.
8            8 Leased for 99 years in summer 1765; the occupant dies age 79 in 1813,  the lease being for sale for £300, plus yearly ground rent £4/6/-.  There was a tenant-at-will Mr. John Howell who paid the ground rent and £130 a year rent.
9          9 1803 E. Sandys, child-bed and ready-made linen warehouse.  In Feb 1817 the leasehold dwelling house and shop were for sale.
1         10 Jan 1801 sold by auction. The centre house of Portland Place.
By 1811 Bally and Bartrum, auctioneers, also letting-agents, ie doing the job we should now call estate agents.  Mr. Bally also kept a public library with reading rooms. Still there in 1820.
November 1820, the house was being let, furnished, by the year or less; Bally & Bartrum  were still operating out of their ‘Great Rooms’ there which is now numbered ‘number 5, Central House, Portland Place’.
111    Unknown
112    Mr. Henry Bowen until 1806 when the premises was sold to cover his bankruptcy.
1807 Lockwood and Porter linen draper, leave May 1812
1815-1820 Public Library, C. Duffield Bookseller and publisher
ALSO  from Nov. 1816 Mr. Kay, cutler, jeweller and plated goods.
113  Unknown until the 1820s when it became Jolly’s Bazaar, and is still Jolly’s department store to this day, under the House of Fraser.
114   In 1812 it was a lodging house, to be let; the shop frontage and shop separate.
115   In 1820 Mr. Cuff, Chemist
116    Up to 1809 P. Nonnet, Jewellery, perfumery, wigs etc Tunbridge-ware, selling up stock May 1809 to move to London
117    Unknown
118    Mr. William Evill, auctioneer, upholsterer, appraiser, undertaker and letting office. 
ALSO 1816-1818 at least William Bell, Upholsterer.
119  1801 Charles Smith Bookseller
1804 Mrs. Mary Smith, relict of Chas. Smith, with her brother Henry Godwin Bookseller and stationer.
1808 H. Godwin moves out with his business to Public Library to No. 43.  Did Mary die?
1816 Mrs. Vesey moves from Bath St.; Haberdashery.  Gives up business 1820
From Feb 1820 Abraham and Levy, jewellery
220  From January1816 new auction rooms  Mr. Stafford, auctioneer, upholsterer, paper hanging. Still there in 1820
221  Sold in April 1807.  Probably lodging houses in upper floors; given as address of Mr. Elliston, actor, first staying temporarily in 1811 and then permanently.
1811 [probably the ground floor] Mr. Webb auctioneer [possibly later in partnership with Mr. English]. Upholstery, carpets, paper hangings.
1818 Messrs English, English and Becks, Auctioneers,  same 1820
222    Unknown



223   Russel and Brookman, silks, velvets, gloves etc; dissolve partnership July 1811
After alterations, Oct 1819 shop bought S&J Martin, jeweller, silversmith and watchmaker



East Side

1      24    Oct 1811 Peter Ardenond moves in from Abbey Churchyard.  Woollen Draper, Tailor, Habit Maker. Apartment to be let at will. Moves out to the Colonnade House, 9, Bath St., October 1817, to set up a bazaar.  
Unknown time, Mr. Denie – presumably 1817-1820
1820 Thomas Flaherty, successor to Mr. Denie,Woollen Draper, Habit maker, Tailor, second premises; also uses no. 27.
Possesses baroque details not seen on other buildings.
2         25 Owned by ‘a lady’ who died early 1812
3          26 Unknown
4          27From Dec 1812 Mrs. R. Spornberg, Milliner, mantua-maker until June 1819.
1819 Thos. Flaherty, see no. 24
5          28 Dec 1811 Mr. Basnett first advertises, is certainly there 1813; goldsmith and jeweller, continuing from his father.
ALSO July 1818 Mr. Holbrook selling large furniture removing to Catherine place – probably in second occupancy with Mr. Basnett?

6          29 1805-1811 S.N. Riviere [moved in from no. 32] Jeweller
7          30 Jan 1818 The Rocking Horse and Golden Fleece, J Spreat, perfumier, toy and fancy goods.
8           31 From Nov. 1808 Mme Simeon, French Laces, bankrupt Jan 1811
Later 1811 C. Simeon, French Laces [her son?]
9           32 1801 S. N. Riviere Jeweller[of 63 Bond Street London] until 1805 when moves to no. 29 q.v.
1820 the whole house with exception of two parlours to be let.
133    1801 Frederick Albrecht, stay, habit and gaiter-maker to Her Highness Duchess of York. Moved from 7 George St.
Mrs. Albrecht to help the ladies.
134    Jan 1805 -1810 [at least] E & A Laing, Millinery, Haberdashery, dresses and pelisses
ALSO Mr. Andras, booking pleasure and packet boats on the Kennet and Avon Canal
135    Prior to 1893 Mrs. Prynn, private occupier; sold June 1803
136    1811-1815 at least, Mr. Fasana, repository of arts, silver, plated goods, oil paintings etc.  As part of his repository of arts, Mr. Mackie, teaching ladies shoe making.

Numbers 37 - 42 are a terrace called Somerset Buildings. An elegant central bow.

137   1802 Mr. Daniel, Miniature painter
1811 Mrs. M. Langdon moves from Argylle St.;  Hosiery, millinery, dresses, haberdashery and Imperial corsets.  Still there 1815 at least

138    From June 1819 J&R Spornberg, milliner, mantua-maker; moved from no. 27 which was sold out from under them when the owner went bankrupt.
1  
Numbers 39 and 40 were owned by a Mr. W.Glover, sold 1801

139   AKA ‘The Centre House’. By 1805  Messers Slack Haberdashery who sold  to Mr. W. Crocker in 1816, who was still there in 1820. In 1817, when the whole upper house was let as ‘having been and suitable for a boarding house’. [The upper rooms were a boarding house.]
1820 Mesdames Urry and Huffown were keeping a boarding house, successors to Mrs. Bless
140    AKA Wellington House. May have been sold by Mr. Glover to someone initialled A.B.
1802 Sheffield plate warehouse, mirrors, Japanned goods etc, said to be ‘at Glover’s’.
Up to Oct. 1817 Mr. Charles Foreman, haberdashery and fine French laces. Stock sold, shop let separately to house, the house is very elegant with patent water-closets. See also no. 42
1817 part to let; taken on by Mr. Crocker, drapery, silks, shawls, still there 1820 [shop?]
1818 Mr. Hodgson  Auctioneer Wellington House.[House?]Formerly of Kay and Hodgson, 7 Union Street.
141    1801 Miss Wilson, quits premises in May
42  By 1804 C. Foreman; Hosiery and Gloves also see no. 41
From October 1807 the Misses Kyan’s Boarding House, having moved to a larger house from Henrietta Street.  Would take ladies or gentlemen with proper references. Purchases boarding house in Cheltenham as well, 1808 and at 19 Circus, Bath 1811 Weymouth 1816, when she is still living at 19 Circus, Bath
1810 Mr. and Mrs. Bloss take on boarding house buying 11 ¾ years of lease left @ £136/10/- p.a.; it has been newly papered.
2   43 Circulating Library and Reading Room; H. Godwin, bookseller, printer, publisher, moved in1808 after leaving mo. 19. [he printed the original of the map of Bath in the front of this book]
444    Unknown
245    Unknown
446    Before 1813 Mr. Bretton; jewellery. Quits business June 1813. There is an arched entranceway to no. 46 which also gives access to the Octagon Chapel.
Octagon Chapel
247    Detached building, massive 4-bay frontage with pillars.  Currently a bank and looks as though it was built either to be a bank or some civic building.


A Mrs. Mirvan lived in Milsom Street in 1818 but I have not tracked down which number.

The residents of Milsom Street petitioned to be provided with gas lighting in 1818
 


Tuesday 19 March 2019

Stage coaches to Bath

Firstly, I purchased a 1812 copy of Cary's Roads, a post office survey, which is packed as full of information as a sardine can is of fish, and all in tiny, crabbed print.  

Now I shall be using Bath regularly, and I already have some research from earlier books - Abigail's Adventure being one, and parts of later Charity School books; Nessie is in Bath in the Armitage Chronicles.  And I used it in the Brandon Scandal, The Reprobate's Redemption.   I will be using it for an Emma fic which is sort of a sequel to Cousin Prudence, and with Diana, the second Seven Stepsisters book. 
So I started to collate information about Bath, and I am planning on putting it all together as a book; and indeed to go back to Cary's Roads and write out the roads any Regency author is likely to use, with extra information where I can.  So far  I am planning on the routes from London to:
Bath and Bristol; Brighton; York; Gretna; Newmarket; Plymouth; Portsmouth; Canterbury; Royal Tunbridge Wells; Manchester; and maybe Cheltenham & Gloucester.  I am open to negotiation on other routes.   

Anyway!  I have a query to put to the knowledgeable, with regards one of the stage coaches, which advertised as being for Invalids and Families.  Because of the length of time it took, I assume they overnighted somewhere.  I have made conjecture in the text. If anyone knows for certain, I would be pleased to hear! enclosed with *   *


The Stage-Coaches from London to Bath and the Inns from which they leave, and to which they return.

The first stagecoaches in the  17th century took 3 days to go from London to Bath.  After the pike roads were built, the time dropped to between 14-18 hours, commonly, with some slower.  The mail coach did it in 12-13 hours.

The places named are where they stop to take on or set down passengers.  Sometimes half an hour was allowed for dinner. If you were late queuing for the Jericho, or trying to swill down scalding hot coffee, the coach would go without you.

 Particular coaches are named.  


From Newbury to Bath, the road is remarkable for its hills, necessitating much skidding and unskidding, and renowned for accidents. 
Upward slopes had an automatic failsafe called a drag-shaft, hinged onto the rear axle-tree which dug in if the coach rolled backwards.   It could be raised to go backwards deliberately. Going downhill,  the coachman had to stop to fit a shoe, or skid-pan.  This looked like a shovel, chained to the side of the coach.  It put a drag on one wheel’s motion, slowing the coach considerably. If it was not in the right place, or broke, there could be a nasty accident, with the coach pursuing the horses, who tended to run away to avoid this. 




Angel Inn, St Clement’s Street

By Calne and Chippenham; daily
dep 5.30 am, arr 10pm at White Lion
Leave Bath 5.30 am arrive Angel 10pm

By Beckhampton Inn and Devizes, daily except Sunday. For families and invalids.
Dep 7.30 am, overnight Devizes arr Next Day 6 pm White Hart, Bath
*NB: although Devizes is more than half way, half way is Newbury, where the country gets hillier and the going is slower if not to cause too much problem to the passengers.*
Leave Bath 7.30, arrive next day 6pm.


Belle Sauvage, Ludgate Hill

Bath and Bristol, through Marlborough, Calne and Chippenham
Daily 2pm


Bolt-in-tun Fleet Street

‘The Post Coach’ by Beckhampton Inn and Devizes, daily [not Sunday]
dep 5am arr 10pm White Hart
Leave Bath 5am London, Bolt-in-tun 10pm






George and Blue Boar, Holburn

‘The Volunteer’ Bath and Bristol through Maidenhead, Reading, Newbury, Hungerford, Marlborough, Calne and Chippenham, daily
Leave 4pm, arrive 9am next morning, Lamb Inn [the Bush, Bristol 11am]
Depart Bristol 2pm, Bath 4pm arrive ‘George’ next morning 9am

The overnight service suited a lot of people who were able to sleep in coaches.  As this journey took 17 hours there was probably a stop at Maidenhead [which would be reached about 8pm] for dinner. Probably the coach used by Naval Officers reporting to Bristol.



Garrard’s Hall, Basing Land, Bread Street: and Black Bear Piccadilly

Through Hungerford, Marlborough, Devizes and Melksham
Tues, Thur, Sat  leave 1pm arrive Christopher Inn next day 10 am
Depart Bath Sun, Wed, Fri, 1pm arrive next day 10am

‘The Express’, Bath and Bristol through Calne and Chippenham  daily
5pm [Sunday 3pm] Bath arrive Midday? Bell Inn, Bristol 2pm
Leave Bristol 11am, arrive London 11am next day
[21 – 24 hours, I think ‘The Express’ was a bit of a joke]

Another overnight service, see remarks from previous



Golden Cross, Charing Cross

Bath and Bristol by Beckhampton Inn and Devizes, daily [except Sunday]
Leave 5am arrive 7pm White Hart, Bath, 9pm White Lion, Bristol
Leave Bristol 5am, Bath 7am, London 9pm

‘the New Post Coach’ Bath and Bristol through Beckhampton Inn and Devizes, every afternoon.
Leave 5pm, arrive 10am next day White Hart,Bath;  midday White Lion Bristol.
Leave Bristol 4pm, Bath, 6pm, arrive London 9am

Again, overnight.


Saracen’s Head, Snow Hill

Bath and Bristol through Newbury, Hungerford, Marlborough and Chippenham, Daily.
Leave 2pm, arrive next day 8am Greyhound, Bath; at the London Tavern & Swan Inn Bristol 11am
Departs Bristol 2pm, Bath 5pm, arrive next morning 10am



Saracent’s Head, Friday Street, Cheapside

Bath and Bristol through Marlborough, Calne and Chippenham daily
Leave 2-30 pm arr. Next day 8am White Lion Bath, 10am White Hart, Bristol
Leave Bristol 12 noon, Bath 2pm, arrive London next day 8am



The Swan with two Necks Lad Lane

‘Royal Mail’ for Bath by Beckhampton Inn and Devizes, daily
Leave 7-30 pm [Sun 5.45pm] arrive 9-30 am next day, Lamb Inn Bath
Depart 5-30 pm arrive London 8am next day.

‘Royal Volunteer’ Bath and Bristol through Chippenham, daily
Leave 3-45pm arrive Lamb Inn, Bath next day 11am, The Bush, Bristol 1pm.
Depart Bristol 2pm, Bath 4pm, arrive next day London 10am