Littlebury’s trade directory of 1879 has an entry for a Mrs W. Wood (milliner) at number 39 Friar Street. Note that house numbering was different back then and this equates to the northern part of the present day number 42. This account begins at that point with our subject married, with a family (ranging from a baby in arms to grown up offspring) and already an established Worcester business-woman. That is how she first came to the attention of of Tudor House Museum. From that starting point her humble origins in the south-west counties of England have been discovered as too has her ignominious end in a Worcester suburb.
Focus On Friar Street – Union Street Junction
Really old images of Friar Street south of Union Street proved impossible to locate – if you know of any perhaps you could let us know?. Maybe the area was […]
Focus On Friar Street – Laslett’s Alms-houses
It feels strange having a historical article on some of Friar Street’s newer buildings, Laslett’s alms-houses having “only” been built in 1912! Doubly strange as visitors to Tudor House museum often ask about the history of “those lovely old buildings across the street”. History it has in buckets though, so long as you look beyond and beneath the current (rather splendid) edifice.
Focus on Friar Street – Baylis, Printing & New Street
Charles Street was created in the 1890s to create a cross-roads with Friar, New and Pump streets. No complete picture from showing the houses before they were demolished, but we have just a hint of the one from New Street in this image from 1880.
Focus On Friar Street – numbers 1 and 3
In the 1890s 3 houses at the end of Friar St were demolished to introduce Charles Street. In the 1890s 3 houses at the end of Friar St were demolished to introduce Charles St. We can locate no pictures of these despite best endeavours. This photo, courtesy of Worcester Life Stories, is about 50 years later (and another within the article from 1916 shows people queuing for potatoes during rationing).
Focus On Friar Street – Thompson’s Trust
A look at some of the history of number 7 Friar Street Worcester, between Greyfriars House and the former C.A.Wall’s bakery. Currently it is a hair salon and has Thompson Trust above one of its oriel windows. We explain who Thompson was and why his name appears there.
Focus On Friar Street – Wall’s Bakery
C. A. Wall’s bakery stood at the northern end of Friar Street Worcester for over 50 years. We look at the shop, the owner Charles Alfred and some of its history as it served Worcester residents with bread, cake and confectionary.
Focus On Friar Street – Greyfriars (part 5, Canadian Stores)
What exactly did the Canadian Stores sell at number 12 Friar Street circa 1896? We get a good view of the frontage in this photograph of Poytress’s shop (the northerly quarter of today’s Greyfriars, using “old” style street). Are those onions and potatoes on display?
Focus On Friar Street – Greyfriars (part 4, Robert Old Leather Cutter)
Robert Old’s shop at number 14 Friar Street (the southerly quarter of today’s Greyfriars, using the “old” style street numbering – pun unintentional here).Mr Old was a “leather cutter” by trade during the late 1800s.
