No. 2 is on the corner with The Broadway. Now a dress shop, before that it was Brian Fuller’s jewellery/silversmith shop. It was Joyce & Co a hardware shop from about 1850 to 1927. In 1928 it was still a hardware shop, but called Redhead’s and later Gascoyne’s. Some time after that it became a grocer’s shop, Cressman’s Corner (so named because the owner was a cress grower). It is a listed building grade II and was included in the auction sale in 1928 by the Tyrrwhitt Drake estate.
Nos. 4-6, Amersham Hairdressing Saloon (note the spelling of saloon, not the modern salon) has been a barber’s shop for many years. The following article has been written by Mrs Janet Harris, whose husband Michael owned and ran the business for many years, and is reproduced with her permission.
The property 4-6 Whielden Street was built in the 17th Century. It has oak beams throughout, which were originally old ships’ timbers. It has one large open fireplace.
A Census in 1851 records Mr Henry Redrup as Barber. In 1863, Mr M Redrup was Hairdresser and Grocer. At this time Whielden street was known as Union Street. In 1907, Mr Thomas W Ayres was Hairdresser and Deputy Registrar of Marriages.
On 13th March 1914, Mr Ayres agreed to rent this cottage, shop and premises from William W Tyrwhitt Drake of Shardeloes from 25th March 1914 a quarterly rent of £3.14s.9d was paid (which was less than £15 per year). In 1928 Mr Ayres purchased the property and outbuildings from Edward T Tyrwhitt Drake of Shardeloes for £365 and continued to work and live there with his family.
Mr Harry Elliot, Barber, took over the shop in later years and retired in December 1956. In 1957 Mr Michael Harris, Barber, rented Amersham Hairdressing Saloon and purchased the premises in 1964, where he worked and lived with his family. He retired in 2002, after 45 years. Mr Jamie Boomsma took over in 2002 and continues to run the shop as a well established Barber Shop.
No. 8 was The Hare and Hounds for many years, but was destroyed by fire (date not known). Records show that Joseph and Elisabeth Climpson were the tenants in 1755 and 1756, followed by William Deanchfield in 1759. The Child family (Benjamin, William, Charles and Martha) were the tenants between 1761 and 1828. By 1839, the tenant was George Priest, who was still there in 1851 and was described in the census as the Parish Clerk – an interesting combination of jobs! In 1872 the landlord was Robert Phillips and by 1903 George Knowles had taken over. It was sold by the Tyrwhitt Drake family in 1928. In the 1930s this was a well known sweet-shop owned by Miss Tarbuck. It was then sold to Miss Cundell who, after a number of years sold it to Mr. Tullett. Mr. Tullett was a well known figure in the town being a founder member of the Amersham Town Traders Association. Mr. Tullett retired to Bournemouth and around 1970 it became an Antique Shop known as Norton Antiques. Around 1975 the shop became a Travel Agents, known as Amersham Travel. In 1985 the business moved to larger premises across the road, and in October it opened as a Ladies Boutique known as Primrose Oliver, which later moved to the Broadway.
Nos. 10 & 10A were left as a gap after the fire and were only rebuilt as houses in 1974.
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