14: Vacant
All Souls College now owns all eight shops from No. 8 to No. 15 High Street. On 30 April 2025 its planning application was approved for substantial work on Nos. 10–15 to provide college facilities upstairs (with the reinstatement of the ground floor at No. 12 on the right which will become the entrance to college facilities upstairs). The Archaeological Desk-based Assessment (in two parts) on Nos. 8–15 High Street and the Heritage Impact Assessment (in five parts) on Nos. 10–15 give more information about these three shops and can be accessed from the Documents tab of the planning application (24/00958/LBC) |
The present four shops at Nos. 13–16 High Street were built in 1773–4 by John Gwynn to form the frontage to the new covered market and were known as “New Parade” until about 1812. Nos. 13, 14, and 15 are jointly Grade II listed (List Entry No. 1369376, numbered as 12–15) and are owned by All Souls College. No. 16 on the right is separately Grade II listed (List Entry No. 1047270) and is owned by Lincoln College. The four shops forming the original market front were in the parish of All Saints until that church closed in 1971. They are now in the parish of St Michael-at-the-Northgate Church.
Before the Market expanded westwards in 1838, there were three entrances: the main central entrance between Nos. 14 & 15 (shown above) and an entrance at each end: West Avenue to the left of No. 13, and East Avenue to the right of No. 16.
Robson's Directory for 1839 lists the tailor John Embling here at No. 14, and the 1841 census shows him living here with his wife Elizabeth and two servants, and they were still at this address in the 1851 and 1861 censuses. Elizabeth Embling died in 1862, and the 1871 census shows John Embling living here alone with two servants.
There is an anomaly here, however, as on 20 April 1833 the linen draper, silk mercer, and hosiers Edward Bartlett announced that he was “opening his new Premises, No. 14, High-street, on Wednesday next the 24th instant”. Eight years later on 17 April 1841 he announced that the partnership between Mr Foster senior and himself at this address was dissolved. By 5 February 1842 he had declined the drapery business and the shop with immediate possession plus all his stock in trade was advertised for sale.
By 1875 No. 14 had been taken over by the tobacconist Thomas Bickerton.
A forthcoming auction of the freehold business premises here was advertised in Jackson's Oxford Journal on 12 February 1881:
No. 14, High Street, now in the occupation of Messrs Bickerton Bros., situated in the centre of the most valuable portion of the city. These premises are Stone-built and Faced, and in excellent order and repair. The basement contains kitchen, scullery, two large closets, wine and beer cellar. The ground floor—A large Front Shop (with two large show windows to the High Street, and one to the Market Entrance), back shop and office, passage and private entrance, court yard, w.c., and gate to the Market. On the first floor—Dining, drawing, morning, and housekeeper's rooms, with four bed rooms, and four large attics above.
Land Tax, £4 2s. 6d.
This lot is held by Lease, which will expire at La[d]y Day, 1887.
The 1881 census shows Arthur Williams Bickerton, an unmarried man of 33 described as a tobacconist and wine merchant, living over this shop with his 13-year-old nephew, plus a housekeeper, clerk, and domestic servant.
No one lived over this shop at the time of the 1891, 1901, and 1911 censuses.
Occupiers of 14 High Street |
|
1833–1842 |
Edward Bartlett |
To 1839 |
Harris, Tailor |
1839–1872 |
John & James Embling (1839); then John Embling, Tailor |
1875–1883 |
Thomas Bickerton [later Bickerton Bros.], Tobacconist |
1884–1892 |
Bartlett & Jones, Cigar & wine merchants |
1893–1932 |
G. T. Jones, Cigar importer & wine & spirit merchant |
1934–1971 |
Webber’s (part of) [see also Nos. 9, 10–12, 13, and 15] |
1973–2000 |
Sketchley Cleaners Ltd |
2001–2024 |
Caffè Nero (moved to 9 High Street) |
2024–present |
Vacant: Nos. 10–15 being redeveloped by All Souls College |
