Oxford History: The High

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No. 9 was rebuilt in the Georgian style by the local Oxford architect Gilbert T. Gardner in 1934. It was part of Webber's from 1956 to 1971. This building was in the parish of All Saints until that church closed in 1971, and is now in the parish of St Michael-at-the-Northgate Church. It has been owned by All Souls College since 2020/1.

Former building on this site

In 1772 a survey of every house in the city was taken in consequence of the Mileways Act of 1771. According to H. E. Salter, No. 9 was then in the occupation of a Mr Millachip, and its frontage measured 7 yards 0 feet 4 inches.

The 1841 census shows Mrs Emily Bartlett living upstairs with four young draper's shopmen, a clerk and three servants.

The forthcoming sale of this shop by private contract was advertised in Jackson's Oxford Journal of 21 May 1842:

The desirable FREEHOLD PREMISES in Oxford, now occupied by Mr. Robert Bartlett, mercer and draper; consisting of a very superior and roomy Dwelling House, with every accommodation for domestic purposes; a commodious Shop, fronting the High-street, and in that part of the street universally considered to be the best situation in Oxford for trade, wherein an old-established business of a mercer and draper has been carried on for the last 50 years and upwards; a warehouse underneath the shop, two good parlours on the ground floor, and two spacious sitting rooms in front, on the first and second floors; eleven bed rooms, two kitchens, under-ground cellarage, &c. with capital private entrance to the dwelling house from the High-street, and other conveniences; also a six-stall stable, at the back of the dwelling house (now occupied by the proprietors of the Cross Inn), with yard, garden, and convenient out-buildings, having a back entrance from the Corn Market-street. The property comprises a depth of 180 feet, and the whole is in most excellent condition. The Land Tax on the Dwelling House is redeemed. A favorable [sic] opportunity is here presented to any person wishing to commence the trade of a mercer in Oxford, as the present occupier will have no objection to enter into an arrangement for the sale of his Stock in Trade, on moderate terms.

At the time of the 1851 census No. 9 was still a draper’s shop. Its proprietor Edward Beaumont (aged 32 and described as the employer of 32 men) was living over the shop with his wife Elizabeth and baby son Edward Beaumont junior, and with them lodged six draper’s assistants, four draper’s apprentices, two draper’s milliners, a housekeeper, and two general servants.

There was a fire on these premises in 1858, and on 4 September that year Edward Beaumont offered for sale several thousand pounds worth of drapery saved from the fire, including silks, shawls, mantles, baby linen, quilts, counterpanes, sheetings, table linen, towellings, table covers, curtains, carpets, and hearth rugs. By the late 1850s he was also conducting funerals and selling mourning clothes.

He died on 31 March 1861, when his son was only ten years old, and the firm briefly became Beaumont & Goodwin. The 1861 census shortly after his death shows the mercer & draper Robert Goodwin (32) living over the shop with his wife Adelaide, four apprentices, nine assistants, and a female apprentice dressmaker.

The 1871 census shows the upstairs accommodation occupied by the linen draper's shop walker, ten assistants, and two apprentices.

By the time of the 1881 census Edward Beaumont junior had taken over his father's business, and eighteen of his employees: lodged over the shop: two male draper’s clerks, twelve male draper’s assistants, two female draper’s assistants, a housekeeper, and a general servant.

In 1882 Edward Beaumont junior expanded the business into No. 10 next door, and in 1884 he moved out of this shop and opened a large new shop at Nos. 10–12 to the east, which he renamed the City Drapery Stores.

In August 1887 the tailors & robemakers Messrs Standen (who had been forced to vacate No. 31 when Brasenose College pulled down a row of shops to make way for its new buildings) advertised that they had moved here.

No one lived over the tailor's shop here at the time of the 1891 or 1901 censuses.

In 1908 alterations were made to the former shop on this site for Mowbray's, the church publishers. Again, no one is listed as living here at the time of the 1911 census.

Present building at No. 9

The shop was rebuilt for Mowbray's in 1934:

• Photograph of this shop, when Mowbray's was downstairs
  and the upstairs was already part of Webber's to the east

Mowbray's remained here until 1954, and then Webber's spread westwards to include to the ground floor.

On 24 July 2024 All Souls College was granted planning permission to alter the fenestration and shop-fronts of 8 & 9 High Street. Both the Design & Access Statement and the Heritage Impact Assessment (accessed via the Documents tab of planning application 24/01333/FUL) give detailed information about the history of these two shops.

In 2024 Caffè Nero moved to No. 9 from five doors eastwards at No. 14 because of the major development planned by All Souls College for the six shops at Nos. 10–15.