The High, Oxford: 120-122

120–122: National Westminster Bank

120-122 High Street

This building was erected on the corner of Alfred Street in 1866–7 on the site of three old shops numbered 120, 121, and 122 High Street

Nos. 121–2 on the right were built as a bank, but No. 120 on the left (now part of the bank) was originally rebuilt as a music warehouse.

The group of buildings was designed by F. & H. Francis of London in the Gothic style and built by Messrs Jones. They are Grade II listed (ref. 1485/730).

There was formerly an alley known as High Street Passage between Nos. 121 and 122, but this disappeared when Nos. 120–122 were rebuilt in 1867–8. The proprietors of all three of these shops lived upstairs at the time of the 1851 census, with an upholsterer, William Payne, apparently living and working behind No. 121.

Jackson’s Oxford Journal of 19 October 1867 reports on the progress of the rebuilding work. No. 120 on the left was built for Russell’s Music Warehouse (which had already been on the site, having moved from 125 High Street in the early 1860s). Nos. 121–2 on the right were built for the London & County Bank (the forerunner of the National Westminster, which was then in much smaller premises at 16 High Street).

James Russell & Co. occupied the new No. 120 from the time it was built until 1952; the company then merged with Acott’s and joined their business on the other side of Alfred Street at 124 High Street. Russell & Acott survived there until 1999.

At the time of the 1881 census Mary Ann Mills, the housekeeper to the Inland Revenue Office (which then shared the building with James Acott) lived over No. 120 with her daughter, the assistant housekeeper. The then Manager of the London & County Bank, Charles Richard Peake, lived over Nos. 121–2 with his wife and three children, a cook, housemaid, and lady’s maid, and the bank messenger and his wife.

In 1901 Francis Davies, the bank’s manager, lived over Nos. 121 & 122 with two servants.

Occupiers of 120, 121, & 122 High Street White = former buildings on this site, now demolished
Date	120 High Street	121 High Street	122 High Street
1839- 1853+	John Vincent Boot & shoemaker	Harry Hitchcock Chemist & druggist 121A: William Payne Junior upholsterer	Blackwell & Evans later William Blackwell Saddler
1866	James Russell Pianoforte saloon	W. Hayward Tailor, hosier, & robemaker	Oxford Chronicle Publishing Office
1869–1952	J. Russell & Co. Piano & music warehouse Inland Revenue & Stamp Office	London & County Banking Company Ltd (renamed London County & Westminster Bank Ltd in 1910; London County Westminster & Parr’s Bank Ltd in 1918; Westminster Bank Ltd in 1925)
1954–present	National Westminster Bank Ltd (later PLC) Upstairs: Coutts & Co.