HSBC Bank, 62–65 Cornmarket
Seven shops in Cornmarket just to the north of St Martin’s Church were demolished along with the main body of the church in 1896.
This building on the corner, replaced the four shops 62, 63, 64, and 65 Cornmarket in 1896/7. It was designed by H. T. Hare as a large new shop for the tailor Frank East with a smaller shop and an entrance down to the Sun Wine Vaults on the right.
By 1914 Hare’s old shop was taken over by the London City and Midland Bank (later renamed the Midland Bank and now HSBC), and in the early 1970s they also took over the former Carfax Assembly Rooms at No. 62 ( (with the large door on the right in the above picture). The extended bank is a Grade II listed building.
The photographs below show the southern part of the new building left when it was Frank East’s draper’s shop and right when the bank had taken it over.
In the Censuses
1851
No. 62:The stationer Henry Sumersford (21) lives here with his sister Martha (26) as his housekeeper
No. 63: James Wickens, the landlord of the Sun, is obviously away on census night, as the only occupants are Frederick J. Wickens (16), described as the son of the head of the household, and a barmaid and a general servant.
No. 64: The linen-draper Harman J. Howland (31) is living over his shop. He is described as the employer of two men and two women, and these four live on the premises with him. They have one female servant.
No. 65: The trunk-maker Thomas P. Pavier (35) is living here with his wife Eliza (33).
1861
No. 62:The coachman William Sumersford (26) lives here with his sister, Martha Sumersford, as his housekeeper. Both are unmarried.
No. 63: The Sun pub (unnamed, but numbered 63) is occupied by John Slatter (41), a wine merchant’s clerk, and a porter.
No. 64: The linen draper William Oliver (46) is living here with his wife Eliza (42) and children Clara (5) and Horace (4). He is described as the employer of sixteen hands, and half of them (four shopwomen and four draper’s apprentices) live over the shop with their master. The household has three female domestic servants.
No. 65: A mason’s labourer, Edward Simms (33) is living here with his wife Ann (39), who is the housekeeper for the offices below.
1881
No. 62: Now the Burton Ale Stores, the living accommodation is listed as unoccupied.
No. 63: The “Sun Wine Vaults” at No. 63 are occupied by the widow Mrs Eliza Rose (69), who is described as head of the household and presumably owned the business. Living with her are Edward Stokes, described as her servant, who was a “Manager Wine Merchant”, and a female general servant.
No. 64: A draper’s assistant, Thomas Baker (26) is listed as the head of the household over Shepherd’s tailor’s shop. Eight other young draper’s assistants (three male and five female) and one draper’s apprentice live in the household, and their is just one 16-year-old girl serving as a domestic servant. (Arthur Shepherd (47), their employer, is living in Woodstock Road with his wife and four children.)
No. 65: A general labourer, John Archer (53) is living here with his wife Jemimah (46), who is the housekeeper for the offices below.
Occupants of 62–65 Cornmarket listed in directories etc. |
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Date |
No. 65 (left) | No. 64 | No. 63 | No. 62 (right) |
1839 |
Jackson’s
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Charles Bowen |
The Sun (aka the Landlords (subject to University wine licence): |
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1846 |
Thomas Eldred |
Not listed |
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1852– |
Harman John Howland, Draper |
William Sumersford |
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1861– 1867 |
William Oliver |
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1872 |
Phillips Bros, |
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1880 |
Frank East |
A. Shepherd |
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1890 |
Not listed (nor are |
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The four old shops were demolished in 1896/7 at the time the bulk of St Martin’s Church was removed |
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1901– |
Frank East |
Sun Wine & Spirit Stores (1899, 1901/2, 1914, 1921) Sun Vaults public house (Paul Roder & Son) (1911) Managers: |
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1914– |
London City & Midland Bank HSBC Midland Bank Chambers |
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1928– |
Stephanus P. Ora Oxford & District Carfax Assembly Rooms (1935–6) Carfax Assembly Rooms Carfax Assembly Rooms and Orchid Restaurant (1967) Carfax Assembly Rooms (1968)
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1970 |
Oxford & District Co-operative |
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1986– |
Midland Bank/HSBC |
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* Proprietors: Jonathan Lowndes (1872): T. F. Plowman (1880); Hugh Hall (1890) Other people in the Jackson’s Oxford Journal premises (or to the south, perhaps adjacent to the old church, were:
- 1839: Haldon & Lowndes, Publishers
- 1846: Haldon & Lowndes, Stationers; and Henry Hall, Printer
- 1867: United Kingdom Electric Telegraph Office; and S. E. Robinson, Auctioneer & estate agent
- 1872: W. Peppercorn, Solicitor
- 1880: Offices of the Oxford Corn Exchange Co. Ltd., and of the Oxfordshire Agricultural Society
- 1890: Arthur Edwin Preston, Chartered Accountant