Hales Street

Hi. Sorry I don't have a listing for 1906. But I did some research from the census listings and number 6 is nowhere to be seen. Anyway, I give up, what with the left and rights being mixed up on the Spennell's, then the number 6 being on the left today. If you go to the old-maps site you can see that there is a vacant lot where number 6 should be. Assuming it would have been on the right walking into Hales Street from Burges. . . . . Hang on, I'll post the image.

Can you see the vacant slot that looks like an inverted anvil?

Spennell. On her "Tod" (No.19). Mrs. Tod. (Sorry, small things amuse) but I thought it was worth the ink!

She wasn't actually (Spennells only recorded one name per address) She was Miss Jessie Tod, in the 1911 census a "Pork & Provisions Dealer", age 42, along with her widowed sister Sarah (40) and a niece, a nephew and a housekeeper

Thanks for trying, I appreciate that. Apart from stating the sides wrong it does seem correct-ish. In my picture above you can see part of Matterson H&W next to the opera house stated as number 6. I have seen the opera house around the web as no.4. But there is other stuff mixed in with MHW so don't know if they had other traders in the shop in a subsection?

It's concerning an antique postcard I bought, belonged at one time to Lib Wilson of 6 Hales Street, Aug 1906.

1901 census - the contents of the enumeration district : Hales St. Nos. 1 to 12 (Ascertain and enumerate all persons who remained in the Opera House on Sunday night) 18 Burges and 1 Hales Street - uninhabited 2 Hales Street - uninhabited 3 Hales Street - uninhabited 4 Hales Street - Annie Cooke, manageress tobacconists shop 5 Hales Street - Jane Marston, milliner Poplar House, Hales Street - Sarah Elizabeth Hough, pork butcher & provision dealer (household includes Jessie and Sarah Tod, nieces, plus others) Rockingham House, Hales Street - Henry Wilson, general dealer, and family 7 & 8 Hales Street - Henry Sidwell, house furnisher, and family 10 Hales Street - Ann Wilson, retired general dealer, plus Elizabeth Moore, niece 11 Hales Street - uninhabited 12 Hales Street "Smithfield Hotel"

Thanks, Wilson family and another Wilson, interesting

Household Members: Name Age Henry Wilson 38 Hannah Wilson 37 Marie Gertrude Wilson 13 Henry Rockingham Lyon Wilson 11 Elizabeth Ann Wilson 9 **** Elizabeth Bates 16 **** could this be the postcard recipient? Rockingham House, between no.5 and no.7 ; Rockingham used as a child's Christian name In 1911, they were at 30 Ford Street, Henry shown as a haberdasher

Yes, sounds likely, Libby or Lib, forms of Elizabeth, and around 14 in 1906 so probably corresponding by herself. Brilliant! (I did google Rockingham House to see if it was no.6 but found nothing).

A possibility for "Thrissie": Henry Wilson's sister, Sarah Ann, married Charles James Richardson, and they had a daughter Theresa Susanne, born in Coventry in 1892 So were Lib and Thrissie first cousins?

In 1891 they are living at what is called "5 1/2" Hales Street ! there is also a number 6 next door.

Thanks, I was wondering what the name even was! Looked llike J hrissie which made no sense 5 1/2!!!!! Yes, in the colourized picture that clump of small buildings to the right of the opera house, hard to see exactly what they are

Our friend matchle55 has sent me this wonderful image to display on the forum. From 1929/30, it shows two Riley employees collecting their new Riley Monaco cars - registration numbers VC5917 and VC5918 - from the Hales Street premises of S.H. Newsome & Co. These chaps (in cloth caps) had just won the Calcutta sweepstake and decided to buy a Riley each. Next door can be seen the Royal Cinema, and the photo is taken close to the location of Matterson Huxley and Watson. This photo could be placed in a number of threads on the forum - Hales Street seems as good as any. Thank you, matchle55

Matchle55, MR, thank you, what a picture, and what a story. The end of the depression, many Coventry miners out of work, little money, but two Coventry kids have the guts to invest in a overseas lottery and win, against all the Victorian and church rules of gambling in the twenties. Was it legal? And then invest in the product they are producing, amazing. PS there was no driving test, doubt any car tax. The mind boggles?