No. 44: Former shop
No. 44 Broad Street was the tenth house from the right of the group of thirteen houses dating from the first half of the seventeenth century that were demolished to make way for the New Bodleian Library (now the Weston Library) in 1937.
It was in St Mary Magdalen parish.
There was a narrow passage between Nos. 44 and 45, leading to the outbuildings attached to the back of the shop.
In 1772 a survey of every house in the city was taken in consequence of the Mileways Act of 1771. No. 44 was then in the occupation of L. Thorp, and its frontage measured 7 yards 0 feet 10 inches. In 1774 Parson Woodforde paid many visits to “Thorpe the hosier”.
In 1783 William Thorp took his son John Wise Thorp into partnership with him and moved his hosier’s business from 32 Broad Street to this house.
John Thorp, the son of John Wise Thorp, then took over the business. His wife Maria died at the age of 34 in 1830, and the 1841 census shows him described as a mercer and living here over his shop at 44 Broad Street with his four surviving children (Susanna, Maria, John, and Ann), plus a shopman and three servants.
On 7 July 1849 John Thorp announced in Jackson's Oxford Journal that he was declining business at 44 & 45 Broad Street in favour of his son, John Charles Thorp. He died here on 30 December 1856.
The 1851 census shows John Charles Thorp (28), a draper employing eight men, living over the shop with his wife and two young children. Three of his employees lodged in the house, and there were also a cook and two nursemaids.
On 10 March 1855 John Charles Thorp and James B. Hillier announced that they were dissolving their partnership by mutual consent, and would continue trading on his own both here and at 20 High Street.
At the time of the 1861 census Thorp’s new business partner, James Waldie, a Scotsman aged 36, was living over the shop at No. 44 with his wife and two young children, along with three other shop assistants and four servants.
Right: An advertisement by A. H. Thorp & Co. in the Oxford Directory for 1861, showing that they were also undertakers.
A. H Thorp is presumably Ann Hester Thorp, John Thorp's daughter, who took over the family business with her husband James Waldie.
William Thorp the proprietor died on 17 August 1869, and his executor announced in Jackson's Oxford Journal that his stock would be sold off between 13 July and 6 August, and would thereafter be known as Thorp & Waldie
On 26 May 1870 an inquest was held into the death of the illegitimate child of Jane Hicks, the nursemaid at this house. At the time of the 1871 census James & Ann Waldie were still living over this shop with their five surviving children, plus a governess, three draper’s shopmen, a cook, housemaid, under-housemaid, and porter. James Waldie died here at the age of 51 on 4 March 1876.
The 1881 census shows the house occupied by the unmarried mercer Webber Patterson (46). He was the employer of three men, two women, and a boy. Three of the shop assistants lodged in the house, and there were also two servants, one of them a draper’s porter.
Patterson died here on 27 April 1886, and an auction sale of this house was advertised in Jackson's Oxford Journal on 15 January 1887 and was described as follows:
VALUABLE FREEHOLD PROPERTY, 44, BROAD STREET, OXFORD,
Comprising the DWELLING HOUSE, containing five bed rooms, two sitting rooms, kitchen, scullery, and offices, with Side or Private Entrance. The Extensive and Well-lighted Shop, 120 feet long, with a frontage of 25 feet, and a roomy WAREHOUSE beneath. The upper part of the back premises consists of sitting room, four bed rooms, and w.c. There is also a large Garden at the rear of the premises. The whole lately in the occupation of Mr. Webber Patterson....
The Property is Freehold, and is let on a Repairing Lease for an unexpired term of three years, at £150 per annum.
The area is roughly estimated at 2750 feet, and is one of the most central and valuable Sites in Oxford.
The only Out-goings are the sum of 5s. 8d., payable to the City of Oxford, for the Arched Cellar extending under the pavement of the street; and a reserved rent of 9s. 4d., believed to be in respect of a right of passage-way, payable to Christ Church, Oxford, but this is redeemable at 30 years' purchase. The premises are in good repair.
An antique dealer called Henry Edward Abrams had his shop here from 1890, but he did not live here. The 1891 census shows Miss Elizabeth West (56) running a lodging house her with her sister Emily West (4) and a 16-year-old servant girl.
The living quarters at the shop were unoccupied at the time of the 1901 census. The eight- roomed house was occupied by Mr Forbes at the time of the 1911 census, but only his two servants were home on census night.
The 1921 census shows Francis Cambray (64), a dealer in antique furniture in the shop below, living in six rooms here with his wife Elizabeth and their servant.
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Occupants of 44 Broad Street listed in directories |
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1829–1876 |
Thorp, Linen Drapers, Silk Mercers, Haberdashers, Hosiers &c. John Thorp (1829, 1839) |
1880–1887 |
Webber Patterson (late Thorp & Waldie) |
1889 |
Richard Ward, Linen draper, Silk mercer, and Undertaker |
1890–1906 |
Henry Edward Abrams, Dealer in antique & high-class furniture |
1907–1925 |
Francis Cambray, Antique furniture warehouse |
1925–1936 |
Cecil A. Halliday, Antique furniture warehouse |
This house was demolished with twelve neighbouring
houses in 1937 |
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See the bound typescript in the Bodleian Library entitled “The
Demolished Houses
of Broad Street and the Freeborn Family”
(1943), attributed to Emily Sarah Freeborn,
and the webpage by Alan Simpson which reproduces some of the material in it.