Hingham is still a thriving town with a wide range of shops catering for most needs. Until the 1950’s there were over fifty businesses which meant that Hingham was almost self-sufficient. You could buy the baby’s layette, your wedding dress, furnish your house and buy everything you needed from the town.
Date: 1892 – 1915
This was a china and glass shop owned by John William Blackwell.One half was devoted to high class ware while the other side was for domestic china and pottery.
This again was a shop selling china and owned by Herbert Harwood.
Date: 2002 – 2005
A gift and flower shop owned by Ms Newson.
Date: 1892 – 1915
John Blackwell ran this shop together with No 1. This side of the business was for drapery and grocery.
Date: 1793
George Elsy was recorded as being a glass and china man although we cannot be certain that he traded here; however from 1830 – 1847 it is recorded as being owned by another George Elsy (his son?) who sold glass, china, ironmongery and stationery and was also licensed to sell silver plate.
Date: 1857 – 1860
William Harmer continued the Elsy’s business.
Date: 1860 – 1891
Thomas Whitear is recorded in Kelly’s (1883) as being a grocer, draper and wine and spirit merchant.
Date: 1937 – 1965
Jack Lee ran the shop together with his sisters Dulcie and Alice,. Jack and Dulcie sold groceries on the right-hand side of the shop whilst Alice dealt in drapery and wool. A doorway on the left led to a smaller room where they sold crockery and pans.
The main shop was known as Joyce’s sold drapery and clothes. The smaller shop on the left was used for the sale of groceries under the name of Barry’s. Since the death of Joyce, her son, Barry, has used the whole of the premises for the sale of army surplus goods and more recently Christmas decorations.
Taylor Cooper traded as a grocer here until his death in 1761.
Francis Howard, a woollen and linen draper, first rented the shop on a yearly tenancy from Richard Booty, the owner. He purchased the building in 1801 and continued trading until his death in 1813.
Charles John Howard traded as a wine, spirit and hop merchant. He later moved his business to No.6.
Date: 1822 – 1841
John Alexander traded here as a grocers and drapers.
Date: 1841
Samuel Driver dealt in oil, pitch and tar.
Date: 1841 – 1854
Samuel James Lucas ran the shop as a grocer but was declared bankrupt in 1854.
Edmund West Clarke traded from here as a builder, cabinet maker and upholsterer. Thomas Parmentier Viall married Ellen the daughter of Mr Clarke and became a partner in the business by 1875. A few years later Viall was running it as an ironmongery.
Date: 1888 – 1991
Charles Turner started his career as an assistant at Clarke’s and by 1888 he owned the business. In 1914 Charles described himself as a dealer in hardware, ironmongery, groceries, earthenware, tobacco, boots and small wares. At the back of the premises was a small warehouse where up to 20lb of gun-powder was stored; across the yard were buildings used for storing a lorry and van with paraffin and 100 gallons of petrol. Charles Turner died in 1941 and three of his children, Ted, Tom and Gertie carried on the business until Ted was over 80 years old.
In 1991, Mark Pritchard moved his chemists’ business to the Market Place from Bond St. He traded here until 2002.
Date: 2002 – 2009
The business was sold to Moss Pharmacies and was subsequently renamed as the Alliance Pharmacy.
Date: 2009 –
Alliance Pharmacy merged with Boots in 2009 and their name now appears above the door.
Date: 1881 – 1892
Louisa Clarke ran a Tobacconists and general shop from here.
Date: 1901 – 1911
John Howes and his daughter, Mary Anne Freebury, ran a fish-mongers from here.
Date: 1911 – 1916
Charles Fawkes continued as the fish-monger.
Date: 1922 – 1957
George (Rocky) Purdy continued as fishmonger for some 30 years and also sold fruit potatoes and poultry. On Fridays and Saturdays he had a fish and chip business. He also smoked hams, kippers and bloaters in an outbuilding where herrings were also wind-dried. His wife Beattie carried on the business until 1957.
Date: 1957 – 1966
Kenny Herwyn, trading under the name “Jane’s” continued with the fish trade, combining it with the sale of flowers until about 1966.
Date: 1966 – 1989
Terry Sadd bought the premises and, after extensive alterations, transferred his builders’ merchants from just down Norwich St.
Date: 1991 – 2009
Paul and Zena Rowland moved their Furniture business here from their previous premises in Scoulton. Furniture was made in the rear building and the front rooms were used to sell the furniture and decorative items.
Date: 1864 – 1869
James Jolly was listed here as a baker in 1864 and 1872 and his wife, Emily, as a baker in 1868 – 1869.
Date: 1881
John Sewell, a labourer lived here with his wife Emma being a baker.
Emma Sewell’s aunt, Mary Thurston, succeeded to the Bakery.
Sometime between 1901 and 1911, it is reported that Mr Ollett continued the Bakery.
Date: 1838 – 1851
Robert Fellowe traded in groceries, drapery and tea.
Date: 1861 – 1892
Henry King carried on a shoe-making business here until his sudden death in 1883. His son Edward continued the business until 1892.
Date: 1892 – 1933
Henry John “Pedlar” Lister was recorded as a hawker in 1892, a hawker and shopkeeper from 1896 to 1916, a grocer in 1915 and as a shopkeeper from 1922 to 1933.
Date: 1933 until the late 1930s
Mrs Glover was the daughter of Henry Lister and she succeeded to the business. She sold hardware, saucepans, paraffin, seeds, sherbet, liquorice and sweets.
Date: 1848 – 1854
James Vince traded in grocery, linen, drapery and earthenware. His wife, Ann, was using the shop as a watch-makers establishment.
Date: 1883
William Dawes was running a watch repairing business here.
Date: 1890 – 1901
Harriet Larkman took over James Vince’s grocery, drapery and earthenware shop.
Date: 1901 – 1911
George Whitear moved his business as a grocer and draper here from No 2 Market Place.
Date: 1911 – c 1920
Herbert Cooke was running the grocery business.
Date: 1920s
Alfred Forster, a boot maker, was here in the 1920s. He later moved to other shops in the Market Place.
Date: 1929 – 1938
Robert George Shingles had a second-hand shop here, also selling shoes and sweets.
Mr Lane traded in drapery and clothes, (including second-hand), scout uniforms and furniture.
John Hoy, watch and clockmaker traded here. His son William George Hoy took over by 1908 and continued until 1925.
Walter Money started a fish and chip business here in 1934. He also sold Lyon’s ice-cream. Upstairs, he sold tea, coffee and refreshments.
In 1942, “Bunny” Farrant bought both parts of the house. He traded as a greengrocer in No 15 and continued the fish and chip business in No 16. He also made “King Don’s” potato crisps.
Ted Scott continued the combined business.
Date: 1976 – 1995
Dennis and Nancy Playford bought the combined businesses, also selling fresh fish and flowers. In 1991 the fish and chip shop closed, trading continuing from a mobile unit. In the course of time the greengrocery specialised in flowers. That closed in 1995.
Date: 1995 –
The premises were bought by Sam Coster who opened an architectural salvage business, trading under the name of “Mongers”. The ground floor of both shops and the garden are used for display.
Date: 1841 – 1851
Phineas Pitts traded here as a tailor, draper and insurance agent for the Sun Fire Office.
Date: 1890 – 1950
John Cooper moved his shoemaking business here from No 22. He was succeeded by two of his sons, William and Frederick. The room to the left was the workshop and the right hand room was the shop.
Philip Pitts, miller and baker, traded here from 1813. He was succeeded by his son George Waller Pitts in 1846. G W Pitts was declared bankrupt in 1885.
Date: 1885 –
Horace David Burt Senior had worked for the Pitts as an apprentice and then as a journeyman baker. When George Pitts became bankrupt, he bought the business and the family still own the Bakery. In 1915 the business passed to two of Horace’s sons, Horace David junior and Leonard Lloyd; they traded as Burt Brothers. Horace junior left the business and Leonard was joined by his son Bernard in 1942; they traded as L L Burt & Son. Leonard retired in 1952 and Bernard and his wife Joan carried on the business until their retirement in 1987. The business was then leased to Mark and Mandy Hansen and two years later the lease passed to the Wheatsheaf Bakery of Attleborough (run by Richard Broad); it then traded as “The Village Bakery”. The Bakery is now back in the control of David Burt and trades as “The Hingham Bakery”.
Date: Until 1883
John Nicholson ran this as a butchery and was followed by his son John Norton Spence Nicholson.
Date: 1900 – 1962
Alfred Semmence had started a butchers’ business at the Unicorn Public House in about 1880. He transferred to the Market Place. Alfred’s son, young Alfred joined the firm in 1931 when it became Alfred Semmence & Son. The slaughter house was in Copper Lane. In 1962 Maurice Semmence, with his son Richard, moved the business to a modern building at 24 Market Place. Richard carried on the business until he retired in 2007.
Date: 1881 – 1901
Sarah Jenness took over an existing butchery business here by 1881; combining the trades of pork butcher andcarter. She was succeeded by her son William in 1891.
Date: 1901 – 1911
Walter Howchin started his butchery business here before transferring to No 38 Market Place.
Date: 1911 – 1930
They sold jams, pickles and cakes made on the premises.
Walter moved here from No 35. He was also a tobacconist, sold watches and was a bookie’s runner.
As well as barbering, Mr Myhill soldboots, watches, garden seats, seeds, tobacco and items for bicycles; he also took in shoe repairs.
Date: 1861 – 1871
George Woodbine Osborne traded here as a grocer.
Date: 1911 – 1965
William Cooper was a wardrobe and furniture dealer. He was succeeded by his daughter Minnie who dealt mainly in second-hand clothes, shoes and drapery.
Date: 1931 – 1959
Philip William Etteridge sold newspapers, tobacco, stationery and toys.
Date: 1959 – 2006
Clifford and Joan Lee bought No34 and also bought No 35 in 1970 and quadrupled the size of the shop. They were succeeded by their son Graham and his wife Jill until they retired in 2006.
Date: 2006 –
Alfred Jeevarajah and his wife Ann are the current newsagents.
No 35 was a bakery for many years. Proprietors were Charles Hardy (1841), Richard Lilley (1851), Benjamin Murrell (1861 – 1871), Thomas Hunt (1891) and Fred Tofts (1901).
Date: 1930s
Preston’s Model Dairies traded here.
Date: 1869 – 1925
John Middleton started his business here in 1869 and was followed by his son, John Wesley Middleton who became a cycle agent.
Date: 1925 – 1932
Alfred Foster worked here and John Foster had a carpentry business at the back.
Date: 1932 – 1970
Lewis Purple moved his shop here from Bond St. As well as selling clocks and watches, he also charged accumulators. Later he dealt in bicycles, wirelesses and televisions.
Lewis Purple’s wife Dorothy ran a café here and had a small sweet shop.
Date: 1970 – 2010
Tim and Libby Denny bought the interior design business from Watton and traded here for 30 years.
Date: 2012 –
The shop now sells furniture.
Date: 1911 – 1937
Walter Houchin brought his pork butchery business here from No 31.
Date: 2013 –
Barry Drewery brought his business here from his previous premises in Bond St.