No. 32: Former shop and lodging house
No. 32 was the third house down from the Holywell corner on the east side of Broad Street. Together with No. 31 to the south, it was demolished in 1891 to make room for the second phase (the three right-hand bays) of the Indian Institute (now the Modern History Faculty) building. The Institute had to be built in two phases because there were old leases on this shop and No. 31 which did not expire until 1891.
By 1851, the ground-floor of the house was being let out as a shop, while upstairs was a "gents' lodging house". Another large building running at right-angles in behind and known as the Skylight Rooms, was used for billiards. The 1851 census shows that Edward Payne, a grocer, then rented and lived at the shop at the front. Richard Rockall, the billiard table keeper, and his wife Mary, who looked after the lodging house, also lived here with one servant. They have only two lodgers at the time, but the census was taken in the vacation.
At the time of the 1861 census, this shop was occupied by a chemist, George T. Prior, who lived on the premises with his wife Sophia, their young daughter, an apprentice, and a servant. There was also room on the site for the Williams family with their five children, a governess, and three servants.
George T. Prior still had his chemist’s shop here at the time of the 1881 census.
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Occupants of 32 Broad Street listed in directories |
|
1839 |
John Hoa, Ironmonger & Smith |
1846 |
R. Rockall, Picture frame maker |
1852 |
Edward H. Payne,
Grocer & Tea dealer &c. |
1861–1891 |
George T. Prior,
Pharmaceutical chemist |
| Demolished in 1891 (along with No. 31 to the south) to make room for Phase 2 of the Indian Institute |
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