Butcher Row

April 1936

BUTCHER ROW AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. (Continued.)

I find on searching the cellars that the stone pillars are left and still contain one gate hook complete and another partly corroded away. It was near this door that the Leet gave permission for the Poulterers to sell victuals in 1448. The Meal Hall mentioned stood right in front. The next houses and shops lately occupied as a paper and toy shop and fish bar are more modern; whether any older building stood here I am not able to say at present. The next house at the corner of Butcher Row and Priory Row is possibly the oldest house in the row. It is said that it was built by the Rev. Bryan, in 1649, but that cannot be so, as Speed's map of 1610 shows it. It may be that when the Rev. Bryan built the one on opposite corner of Priory Row, where he lived, that he also restored the old house, and while no wattle will be found in his house, yet the older one, which no doubt belonged to the Monastery, is filled in every niche and corner with wattle.

The next two houses are of modern building, but both had a ring for pulling down the cattle. In the taller house with the white door pillars, in Trinity Lane, Alderman Bates was born.

The next block of half timbered houses, with their interesting barge boards, are of the 14th to 15th century period. The back room in Trinity Lane was where Isaac Cohen and his wife lived for a number of years. Isaac was a trunk maker, and it was here the first Jewish Synagogue known in Cov-entry was held. Isaac died in 1802, aged 107 years, while his wife died in 1800, aged 102 years. This whole block is made up of wood and clay, and although myriads of beetles have bored the wood, yet some of the beams are in excellent preservation. On examination of the clay I find most of the binding is coarse hay and, in some cases, pea straw, which was in very common use for strewing the church floors in cold weather. The old hand-made key of one of these houses was found at the back of the 17th century panelling.

Coming to the top houses, including Mr. Kimberley's fish shop. These have had a new front put in, about the 17th century, but the inner part is hundreds of years older and more decayed than any of the others. This may be because the roofing has been in bad condition for many years and has let in the sunshine and the rain. The place has at sometime been prized by its owner, for a large quantity of beautifully carved panelling in good condition was found there. This was of 16th to 17th century, and may find a new place in St. Mary's Hall.

The following are the names of the twelve butchers living in Butcher Row in 1850: - Thomas Brown, George Foster, Joseph Hill, Walter Rollick, David Lord, Daniel Moore, Samuel Morris, Thomas Smith, George Tutton, Henry Wale, John White, Thos. White.

About 70 years ago, when some children after school hours were pulling a beast down to the ring, the rope broke, and the terrified beast made off through the opening at the top of Butcher Row, through Broadgate and Hertford Street, to Warwick Road and Kenilworth Road, never stopping until exhausted, and was shot at Kenilworth.

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