Broad Street Home

Oxford History home

Tour
Broad Street

Plan of street: visit individual buildings

General History

Broad Street News

Contact/Search

The house that used to stand at 28 Broad Street was built by John Allam in 1665 and was in St Peter-in-the-East parish. It stood on the corner of New College Lane and in the early years it is often described as being in that lane rather than Broad Street.

It presents a narrow frontage to the west, and a wider one to New College Lane to the south. These were let separately from 1773, but from 1801 they were held under one lease. This building was owned by the city, and leases were granted as follows:

1634: John Allam, stationer
1647: Christopher Horne, gent.
1665: Edward Trender, joiner
1679: Margaret Warland, widow
1694, 1708: Catherine Wooley, widow
1719: Hugh Hopkins, mercer
1735: Thomas Trollope, gent.
1773, 1787: Daniel Prince, bookseller
1801, 1815, 1829: Joshua Cooke, bookseller (together with the house to the east)

In 1772 a survey of every house in the city was taken in consequence of the Mileways Act of 1771. The part of No. 28 facing on to Broad Street was then in the occupation of Mr Prince, and its frontage measured 5 yards 2 feet 0 inches; a Mr Brickland held the side facing on to New College Lane, measuring 8 yards 1 foot 3 inches. Prince was the University Publisher, and the books published by him have on the title-page a woodcut of the Sheldonian Theatre with its old lantern on top.

Parson Woodforde records many purchases made at Daniel Prince’s bookshop between 1759 and 1775, and also socialized with him at his house. He mentions his senior apprentice, Mr Cooke, in 1775: this is Joshua Cooke, who went into partnership with Prince and when the latter retired in 1792 took over his business, also succeeding him as University Publisher. Joshua Cooke and his wife Grace had their daughter Grace baptised on 29 August 1785 at St Cross Church and Susanna on 2 September 1791 at St Peter-in-the-East Church. Grace Cooke appears to have died in 1801. Joshua Cooke retired from business a few years before he died at the age of 67 on 7 February 1820.

Joshua Cooke's two spinster daughters continued to live at 28 Broad Street. The 1841 census shows the Misses Grace and Susanna Cooke living here with two female and one male servant. Grace (65) was here on her own at the time of the 1851 census with a cook, housemaid, and footman, and the address of the house was given as New College Lane. The 1861 census gives the correct address (28 Broad Street) and Grace (75) and her sister Susanna (69) were living here with their 64-year-old house-servant and a 20-year-old footman. Susannah Cooke died here at the age of 73 in November 1864, and Grace Cooke died here at the age of 82 on 15 August 1867.

On 23 November 1867, three months after Grace's death, Jackson's Oxford Journal advertised the sale of the lease of this house as follows:

The HOUSE, No. 28, Broad-street, lately the residence of Miss Cooke, which contains entrance hall, drawing room, dining room, study, housekeeper's room, six bedrooms, two dressing rooms, laundry, and servants' offices, with garden at the back; and the adjoining HOUSE, No. 1, New College Lane, in the occupation of the Rev. C. Daman, which comprises drawing room, dining room, kitchen, scullery, cellar, and four bed rooms, with garden and detached offices at the back.

The Property is held by lease from the City of Oxford for 40 years from Lady Day, 1843, subject to a Quit Rent of £3, and one couple of pullets and two couples of capons, or 10s. There is a Land Tax on a part of the Property of £1 16s. 6d.

The Property comprises a considerable area of ground, its situation is light and cheerful, and on perhaps as desirable a site as any in Oxford. It is well adapted either for private residence of business, or (by arrangement with the landlords) for the erection of an extensive edifice for any purpose that may be desire.

The next occupant was the accountant John H. Turner, and henceforth the premises here att 28 Broad Street were called Clarendon House. The house is wrongly numbered 29 Broad Street in the 1871 census, when Turner was away and his first wife Emily was at home with her five children and two servants. They had one more child born at Clarendon House: Edwin Charles Turner in 1873

On 2 May 1874 Jackson's Oxford Journal advertised that the lease of the house. which was still occupied by the Turners, was for sale again, and on 24 October 1874 it reported:

CLARENDON HOUSE.
This house having been purchased by Mr. Baring, and presented to Hertford College for the use of the Fellows, has been put into substantial repair by Messrs. Knowles and Son, of Holywell.

At the time of the 1881 census No. 28 was occupied by James Cattle, a butler (probably of Hertford College), with his wife and five children, plus their servant.

The 1891 census shows Abel Hendy Jones Greenidge, the college's Lecture in Ancient History, living here with his wife and daughter, plus two college servants.

Later in 1891 three rooms in this house were occupied by Lord Hugh Cecil, who was a Fellow of Hertford College. Jackson's Oxford Journal on 29 September 1894 reported on an objection by the Liberals to his having a vote on the grounds that 28 Broad Street was not part of the University of Oxford. The objection was disallowed.

In 1895 the city council exchanged Nos. 28, 29, and 30 Broad Street with Hertford College.

The 1901 census shows No. 28 Broad Street as unoccupied, and later that year it was demolished by Hertford College and rebuilt as part of the North Quad (below) :

In 1914 the new building at 28 Broad Street was joined to the older part of the college by the famous “Bridge of Sighs”.