Nos. 2 to 12 Market Square are on the South side of the street from Whielden Street to The Crown Hotel and are sometimes described as 2 to 12 High Street.  As can be seen in the modern photo above, all have had Georgian facades added with large sash windows on the first floors.

Nos. 2-4, the building with the curved front at the junction of Market Square and Whielden Street has had many changes of use as can be seen from the photos below: from the late 19th century a shop selling all sorts of clothing, to a bank (initially the Union of London & Smith’s Bank , later the National Provincial and then NatWest) and now a jewellery workshop.

obj41No. 6 was King’s the chemist’s shop with a printing works above and a visiting dentist.  It is now Seasons. It was a  timber-framed building which has been re-fronted – there is a plaque on the side wall “TDTD 1805” (see photo below)), probably the date when the façade was changed by Mr Tyrrwhitt-Drake.

We do not know when King’s was founded by Ebeneezer King.  In the 1928 Tyrwhitt-Drake auction particulars it was described as “an important house and shop” and mentions the tenancy of Mrs J W King dated 24 June 1902. (Read more about Elsie King who married Ebeneezer’s son Tom.)PHO3024

Isabella Drake bought this property in 1734 from John Grimsdale of Bulstrode, Chalfont St Giles, yeoman. It was a single residence rented out by the Tyrwhitt-Drake family to a variety of tenants including: William Weller, brewer (1841), Mary Channer, annuitant (1851) Robert Wingrave, landed proprietor and fund holder (1861), Jane Staines, teacher (1871) and Clement Cheese solicitor in 1881 and 1891. In 1901 there were no tenants and in 1911 the tenant was Henry John Henderson, a 27 year old medical practitioner. In the 1928 auction the tenant is listed as ‘Crowhurst’.

Listen to Jean Archer talking in 1991 about King’s the Chemist’s

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1957 advertisement
1957 advertisement

Nos 8-12 are The Red House, with two shops below and offices above.  The Post Office was here until it closed in 2001 and prior to that Lyncro’s hardware shop (run by Mr Lynn and Mr Crook) was here in the 1970s and before that Mrs Hinkley’s fruiterers and florist in the 1950s. It became a popular sweet and ice-cream shop – see the photo on the Chiltern Society PhotoGroup website.  It is now an estate agent.

Listen to Gerald Lee talking in 2004 to Diana Goodbody about the shops and other houses in Whielden Street and round the corner into the High Street

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Below the photo gallery, you can find much more detail about people and dates for these houses.

These buildings have been through many changes of use in the last 100 years as can be seen in the photos below.  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.

 

 

People and dates

Nos. 2-4

1683  James Child of Amersham lacebuyer and Francis Tregoe of Amersham tailor owned the houses which were occupied by James Child, Joseph Russell and William Child
1693  Robert Fellows of Amersham ironmonger & Elizabeth his wife and Thomas Fellows younger brother of Robert Fellows bought the houses
1725  Sun insurance insured Michael Horton of Amersham mercer for “his goods & merchandise inclosed in his now dwellinghouse” £500
1738   Tenants were Michael Horton and Joseph Hide
1783   John Bates paid land tax for himself, for the late Jos Hughes and Elizabeth Humphrey
1796   Described as “3 cottages formerly used as one afterwards as two tenements” occupied by Thomas Weller and others
1816   Described as “the site of three houses adjoining together now pulled down in Whielden formerly John Bates Esq & late the said T D T Drake, late in occupation by Joseph Trone, Thos Weller & David Beansley, being now gardens and some buildings in occupation by Thos Montague and Chas Child”
1823 -1842   Thomas Montague, Linen Draper
1851 Census:  Eleanor Axten (31) tailor employing 5 men
1861 Census: Eleanor Taylor (41) tailor & draper employing 4 men
1871 Census: John Swain, 41 Professor of Cutting who was born in Australia
1881 Census: Richard C Williams (48) Auctioneer & registrar
1891 Census: Edwin E King (24) draper & outfitter
1907 & 1915 Union of London & Smiths Bank
1924 National Provincial & Union Bank
1952 National Provincial Bank

No. 6

1683 & 1696 occupied by William Hobbs
1738 rented to Joseph Hobbs
1739 rented by the heirs of Joseph Hobbs: Wm Axtell and William Hobbs “a house lately divided into two”
1745 rented to Mr Horton “for a house wherein he now dwells lately built”
1773 William Phipps of Amersham, mercer
1778 James Bolton of Carey Lane near Goldsmiths Hill, citizen & engraver, and his wife Elizabeth (formerly Elizabeth Phipps “cousin & devisee in will of William Phipps late of Amersham, mercer”) sold to John Godding of High Wycombe, cordwainer “All that messuage or tenement situate and being in the town of Amersham wherein the said William Phipps deceased did lately dwell and wherein Joseph Trone the elder & Joseph Trone the younger do now dwell”.
1792 Directory Trone…… draper
1816 Rented by Thos Montague
1839 Tithe Award: T T Drake and William Weller Esq, Francis Priest jun, Thomas Montague
1841 & 1842 Census William Broadwater (28), chemist
1851 Census: William Broadwater (35), chemist & printer 1 man
1869 Directory King, Thomas Howes, chemist printer & stationer
1881 Census: Thomas H King (49), chemist & bookseller
1903-1915 Directory: Ebenezer T. King, chemist stationer & printer
1924-1931 Directory: Mrs Jane Wilmot King, printer
1939 Directory: King’s chemists
1952 Directory T R King, chemist & stationer

Nos. 8-12

1696 Samuel Birch was assessed for two houses and a malthouse
1720  William Abraham lived here
1734  Sold  to Isabella Drake of Shardeloes, widow for £325 by John Grimsdale of Bulstrode, Chalfont St Giles, yeoman “All that Messuage or Tenement with the appurts wherein one William Abraham heretofore dwelt situate and being in the High Street of Amersham, and also all that Messuage or tenement with appurts wherein Samuel Birch heretofore dwelt situate and being in Amersham aforesaid in a street there called Whielden Street and also all outhouses malthouses edifices buildings barns stables yards …. which said messuages tenements and premises are now or late were in the several tenures or occupations of Joseph Brandon Paul Line the younger and John Meacock the younger”.
1739 & 1745 Rented to Henry Marshall and Paul Line the younger “for a malthouse & two tenements lately Grimsdales one in occ said Paul Line, & the other in occ Henry Child”
1841 Census: High Street [near Crown Inn] William Weller (72) Independcent, William Weller Junior (40) brewer
1851 Census Mary Channer (66) annuitant and Clare A Shortude (34) wife of Officer of Excise
1881 Census Mary Cheese (70) gentlewoman and Clement Cheese son (38) solicitor (both stil there in 1891)
1939 Directory Hinkley, Grace (Mrs) Red House Cafe Market Square
1952 Directory Hinkley, D.E. Fruiterer & florist

Plan Your Visit

Opening hours:

Wednesday to Sunday, and Bank Holiday Mondays, 12noon to 4:30pm

49 High Street
Old Amersham
Buckinghamshire
HP7 0DP

01494 723700
[email protected]

 

“Enjoyed our visit to this wonderful interactive museum where you are positively encouraged to touch things!”

“Visited Amersham museum yesterday – lovely place, provides many details on the history of the place. Plenty of cute cafes, pubs and shops around also… not difficult to find free parking nearby. ”

“A well-run, informative and interesting small museum on the main street. It’s mostly volunteer-run and they do a great job in keeping it and making you feel welcome…Check out the herb garden too.”

“Enjoyable film and television location guided walk around Amersham hosted by Amersham Museum – here are the Sun Houses on Highover Park and further up the hill is High & Over.”

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