Butcher Row

February 1936

BUTCHER ROW AND ITS SURROUNDINGS

I ended my last story by saying I would give an article on the excavations in the river at Pool Meadow and "St. Osburg's Pool," which was where Pool Meadow now stands, but, owing to heavy rains the excavations have been delayed, and I thought my readers would like to know some of the history of the Butcher Row site.

Commencing at the top end stands a beautiful Georgian house, now Messrs, Hilton's, built 1726. Next on the left is the Inn, built about the same time. Then comes Clarke's wine shop, built at a later period, over old cellars of a former building; these cellars run under the tram lines in the Cross. Next come several later buildings and then a Georgian house, used for many years as a barber's shop. A few larger and more modern buildings stand next, with an old half-timbered house built about 1649, this was Garlick's, the tinsmiths - once a top hat shop. At this date a number of houses were built on the site adjoining these. The next house was used by Mr. Jacobs and was once the dwelling house of Mr. Lazarus Podesta. This house was of great age, but had a new front built. In 1817 a butcher named Thomas Lawson lived there and part of this old place collapsed; the butcher being in bed was killed by the fall. Next came a more modern place used by Mr. Jacobs, but built on the site of an older building. This was used as a store for Messrs. John Astley and Sons, one of the oldest firms in Coventry, being established in 1730.

The corner house in Little Butcher Row was a 17th century house and was occupied for a number of years by Mr. and Mrs. McCutcheon, the parents of the well-known family of Jordan Well Fruiterers. The other buildings running towards West Orchard are modern, but standing on old foundations. I believe that Little Butcher Row was once called Sleepers Lane. Under the corner house at the end of Little Butcher Row are the old foundations of a former house, where Henry Bremo or Simon Dammas lived in 1480. Will Sleepers Lane reveal a burial ground near by? Time will tell.

Coming back from Little Butcher Row stands a very high 4-storey house built about the middle of the 17th century. It looks as though it would topple over; it was, for a time, the home of the once well-known hawker, Mr. Fred Neal, better known as Georgie Neal, who was a vendor of thyme and sage, or peas which, bought very cheaply from the Railway Co. after being hot with the delay in trucks, he sold in the darkness in the side streets. His old black pony, coloured brown by the mud of Whitley Common, was a well-known animal. Neal's voice would awaken the dead, as he called his wares. Next to this house was a low building, possibly built 1642, and lately used as a leather stores. Its end came to the Bull Ring, while a high overhanging house stands next in the Ring, right opposite to the Priory door. This house was no doubt the first to be built on that site after the dissolution of the Monastery. It was built by Thomas Grascome in 1558 and 6/8 per year came from this house to Ford's Hospital.

Previous page: Barracks Square, Black Bull Inn

This page: Butcher Row

Next page: Butcher Row