Oxford History: The High

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No. 94 on the corner of Magpie Lane was largely rebuilt in 1902 to a new design by Stephen Salter. Part of the original seventeenth-century house survives, however, including some ceiling beams and a fireplace.

The new building is an imitation of a sixteenth-century house, which explains the coat of arms of Queen Elizabeth I between the windows on the second floor. It has always been in the parish of St Mary-the-Virgin.

It became part of the Old Bank in c.1990, and is now the restaurant of the Old Bank Hotel. It is Grade II* listed, but jointly with No. 1 Magpie Lane rather than with the rest of the Old Bank (List Entry No. 1369388).

The former No. 94 (to 1902)

This was known as The Corner House as it was situated at the end of Magpie Lane. According to H. E. Salter, at the time of the 1772 Survey of Oxford Mr Fowle was at the former building at 94 High Street, which had a frontage of 8 yards 0 feet 2 inches. This is possibly the William Fowle listed under the Gentry in the Universal British Directory of 1794/5.

An Oriel plan of 1814 shows that the shop was then occupied by a Mr Sykes. This is presumably James Sykes, the gunmaker who on 10 April 1802 advertised for a gun maker apprentice “of good morals and respectable Parents” at his High Street shop). On 29 November 1823 James Sykes announced that he had declined business in favour of his son James Sykes junior, and just a month later, on 30 December 1823. died at the age of 68. He was buried in the front churchyard of St Mary-the-Virgin Church.

James Sykes junior was still listed as a gunmaker in the High Street in Pigot's Directory for 1830, but on 7 May 1831 he announced that he had declined the business and was about to leave Oxford.

From at least 1841 to 1884 this was a bookshop. On 29 January 1859 it was announced in Jackson's Oxford Journal that Miller's stereoscopic & general photographic portrait galleries were moving into part of these premises from Cornmarket. A forthcoming auction of the premises was advertised in Jackson's Oxford Journal on 29 August 1874 while Miller was in residence:

The excellent SHOP and BUSINESS PREMISES, situate opposite St. Mary's Church, and known as No. 94, High-street, Oxford, in the occupation of Mr. Miller, photographer, and containing, on the ground floor, a large front shop, approached from the High-street, with side entrance to the house from Grove-street; on the 1st floor, a front sitting room (21 by 14), a back bed room, and w.c.; on the 2nd floor, a sitting room and two bed rooms; on the 3rd floor, a sitting room and bed room, and a small room over the same; in the basement, kitchen, scullery, and two cellars; also a small yard at the back, and other conveniences.

The last occupants of the former building on this site, from 1884 to 1902, were the bootmakers Flack & Smith.

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Censuses 1841–1901: Occupants of the living quarters over the former shop that stood on this site:

• 1841: The Scottish bookseller Thomas Macpherson with one servant
• 1851: Frances Macpherson with one servant
• 1861 & 1871: The photographer John G. Miller with his wife Clara and their children
• 1881: Henry Druce, a solicitor, with his wife Sarah and his niece, plus one servant
• 1891 and 1901: The college servant Thomas H. Coombes with his wife Annie

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The present No. 94 (from 1902)

 

In 1902 the old shop was demolished and a new building with a half-timbered frontage, designed by Stephen Salter, was erected on the site (see Jackson's Oxford Journal of 14 June 1902).

The first occupant of the new shop was the stationer Joseph Vincent.

Hall Brothers, tailors, had moved in by 1909, and the above postcard, with Stephen Salter's initials in the bottom left-hand corner, dates from around that time. The photograph on the left again shows the building when it was occupied by Hall's.

The 1911 census shows the letterpress printer's overseer Joseph Ham lived here with his wife and two children. They were still here in 1921 running a university lodging house here, with two students in residence..

It remained a university lodging house on all floors until the 1970s.

In 1972 Barclays Old Bank next door was granted planning permission to expand into the third floor of this building (72/25385/AA_H), and in the 1980s it also had the ground floor.