45 Broad Street, Oxford

No. 45: Former shops and businesses

45 Broad Street

No. 45 Broad Street was the third from the left of the thirteen houses dating from the first half of the seventeenth century that were that were demolished to make way for the New Bodleian Library in the late 1930s. It is a wide house with extra premises behind, and it is difficult to ascertain exactly which business occupied each part in the nineteenth century

No. 45 was a tenement of Magdalen College, with the following leases granted:

1591: William Clarke, a labourer
1637, 1647: John Ellis, gent.
1662: Christopher Brooks
1677: Widow Brooks
1691: Richard Wood
1705: Russee
1717: Dame Norreys
1745, 1759, 1773, 1787, 1801: Thomas Curtis, apothecary
1815: Richard Curtis, apothecary
1829, 1843: "Late Richard Curtis"

In 1772 a survey of every house in the city was taken in consequence of the Mileways Act of 1771. Nos. 45 was then in the occupation of Mr Curtiss, and its frontage measured 9 yards 1 feet 9 inches.

There was a narrow passage to the east of No. 45 leading to a long outbuilding: this was used as Billiard Rooms from before 1841 to 1889, and then by other businesses. In the 1840s, the shop at the front was divided into two premises, and the buildings at the back were numbered 45a and 45b.

Betteris Billiard Room

Left: Thomas Betteris’s upstairs billiard room in 1853, as illustrated in Cuthbert Bede, The Adventures of Mr Verdant Green.

The 1851 census shows No. 45 occupied by a widow, Charlotte Sheard, and her two young children: she is described as a wine merchant. It may be her son Edwin who later went into partnership of the billiard rooms. Also listed at No. 45 (presumably living in the building behind) was Thomas Betteris, described as a "Billiard Table Keeper" with his wife and son Edwin (who had the same occupation), his daughter, and a servant. Betteris had lived there since at least the time of the 1841 census, and was still there in 1861, by which time he had five children and two servants.

Between 1876 and 1881 No. 45 only had a single occupant (at the time of the 1881 census this was was Aaron Thornton, an unmarried waiter of 49): presumably the building was undergoing alteration at this time, ready to reopen as a boarding house in 1882.

From 1882 to 1889 John Chaundy & Son’s "ye old picture shop" was at 45b behind.

In 1904 the Oxford Chronicle reports that the offices of the Electric Company that had been at the back "have been removed to the front premises in Broad Street, thereby offering to the public greater facilities of approach and convenience".

Occupants of 45 Broad Street listed in directories
45	45a	45b at back (Sheldonian Chambers)
1846, 1852: C.M. Sheard Wine Merchant	1846, 1852 J. Thorp & Son Linen Drapers, Silk Mercers, Haberdashers, Hosiers &c. (Main shop at 44 next door)	1839–1889 Billiard rooms 1839–1853: Thomas Betteris 1861–1872: John William Dickeson 1875–1889: John William Dickeson & E.T. Sheard
1861–1875: John Henry Turner, Accountant 1876 Henry Druce 1880: Mrs Davies
1882–1889 Sheldonian House University & family lodgings	1893–1895 Misses Maberly Type writers 1896–1903: Oxford Typewriting Chambers	1882–1890 John Chaundy, Carver & gilder (Main shop att 49) 1891–1904: Oxford Electric Co. Ltd (45b/Sheldonian Chambers)
1904–1910: Oxford Electric Co. Ltd	1889–1911 Thomas Pearce (later spelt Pierce) House agent & accountant	1904–1908: Church Society for Training the Speaking Voice (later Voice Training Society (Oxford University Branch)
The situation here is complicated. From 1893 to 1904 Biddle Adams & Co. (tailors) are also listed at No. 45. It is possible that different parts of the complicated premises were numbered 45a and 45b at different times.
1911–1936: Frederick Herbert Dyer Cutliffe Teacher in the English Language	1921–1928: Oxford Secretarial & Typewriting Bureau later Oxford Typewriting Chambers Later Sheldonian Typewriting Office (45A)	1921–1935: Smith & Goodson Stationers & post office (45B)
This house was demolished with twelve neighbouring houses in 1937 to make room for the New Bodleian Library

See the bound typescript in the Bodleian Library entitled "The Demolished Houses of Broad Street and the Freeborn Family" (1943), attributed to Emily Sarah Freeborn, and the webpage by Alan Simpson which reproduces some of the material in it.