136: Karen Millen

No. 136 was built in the twentieth century in the neo-Georgian style.
Several households lived on this site at the time of the 1851 census, and it is hard to distinguish exactly how the premises were laid out.
Swanbourne House
The house of the butcher William Swanbourne stood on this site in the fifteenth century Under the will of Joan Gill (d. before 1488), Swanbourne's former house was left to the churchwardens of All Saints.
Around the beginning of the sixteenth century, the churchwardens vested Swanbourne House in Lincoln College on trust that the income should be used to keep the fabric of the church in good repair and for the poor of the parish. It appears that by the sixteenth century it was known as "Church House".
At the time of the 1772 Survey of Oxford, the former house on this site was occupied by "Mr Paniotey", who was the university fencing master Panayoty Ballachey, who was born in Greece and died at the age of 84 on 10 March 1793.
| Occupiers of 136 High Street Grey background = former building now demolished | ||
| Date | 136 High Street | 136 High Street (behind?) |
| 1839–1876 | Adin Williams Tailor &c. |
T. B. Montrie Professor of dancing (1846) George St Swithin Williams, Solicitor, and F. Codd, Architect (1866) Oxon & Berks Bank (1872) |
| 1880–1910 | Hugh James Allen Tailor & robe maker |
St Swithin Williams Solicitor (1880) W. Geekie, I (1882–1889) A. Ballard, Solicitor (1894–1899) |
| 1911–1915 | Bertram
Boasten Bootmaker |
H. J. Bennett Artificial teeth manufacturer |
| 1915–1932 | A.
Baker & Co. Ltd Tobacconists |
Oxford
Dental Co. (1915–1922) Ermest Lynn, Dentist (1923–1931) |
| 1935–1954 | Jackson’s
Stores Ltd House furnishers | |
| 1962–1967+ | Smart
Bros Ltd House furnishers | |
| 1970–1972 | J.
Woodhouse Ltd House furnishers | |
| 1976–1980+ | Just Pants Plus | |
| By 1988–2003 | Endsleigh Insurance | |
| 2003– | Karen Millen | |