A 17th century Grade II listed building with a 19th century shop bay window. In the 1841 census a maltster, Michael Wilshire was living there. Ten years later in 1851 Sarah Hollis a 47 year-old draper lived there.
The shop was a cobbler’s shop for many years, initially Climpson & Son and later T H Morton, owned by Thomas Morton and his daughter Florrie. Thomas (born 1802) was recorded as living in the house in 1861, 1871 and 1881. By then his son, also Thomas, aged 49 had taken over the business with his father, a widower, living in. The son was in the same house in 1891 and 1901 but he had died by 1911 when his widow, Anne aged 78 was recorded as being a ‘small boot maker’.
Then followed Mr. Matthews as a shoe repairer. In 1950 the property was purchased by Mr. W. H. Richardson and after much renovation he moved from the Old Post Office and opened as a Gents & Ladies Outfitter until 1973 when he retired. He sold the property to Quills as a Bookshop, run by Laurence Evans. In 1982 it was made into two separate shops. One part opened as Town Hall Antiques and the other became Libra, a High Class Ladies Fashion shop. It later became Paul Costelloe, then Sahara, now iris.
Thanks to a scrap-book and a photo album compiled in the 1980s by Mr. W. H. Richardson, who lived in the town for over 50 years and was in business in the High Street for 37 years as a Ladies & Gents Outfitter, we have been able to add many photos, advertisements an other information about this and many other shops in Amersham Old Town. See some below in the photo gallery.
Click on any of the photographs below to enlarge it and to see the description. Then click on forward or back arrows at the foot of each photograph. To close the pictures, just click on one.
