Butcher Row ('Great' and 'Little')

Wow Osmiroid! That was a question worth posing. What a wonderful selection of photos. I love Ye Olde Curiositie Shoppe in the penultimate one, and it's a pity the Paper Bag maker is not still in business these days!! No plastic carriers then. Thank you so much for such an informative response.

Just for the record, these are the entries in Spennell's Annual Directory 1912-13: BUTCHER ROW. Left-hand side from Broadgate. 2 see 59, Cross Cheaping 4 Ford Walter J., hairdresser 5 Riley Arthur, antique furniture dealer 7 void 8, 9 Garlick Alex W., sheet metal worker 10 Podesta Lazarus, furniture remover, 11 Astley & Sons, Ltd., (see Broadgate) Little Butcher Row to left. Left hand side from Bull Ring (No.1) 15 Goddard C.H., wholesale newsagent 16 Moore J.T., city oyster bar 17 Fowkes William, boot repairer Priory Row to left. 18 Coltman Samuel, dairyman 19-21 Palmer Albert E., house furnisher 22 Green Alfred E., antique dealer 23 Franks Wm., antiques dealer (Tel. 435) 24, 25 KimberIey Wm , fishmonger Trinity Churchyard:- 26 Challaway Herbert W., architect and surveyor (Tel. 81x) 26 Elkins A.J., coal and forage merct. etc. 26 Wilks Philip E., solicitor {Tel. 131x) 26 Mason Frank, auctioneer etc. (Tel. 81 ) Holy Trinity Church - Vicar, see Vicarage, St. Nicholas st Sexton, see 4 Priory Row Right-hand side. Coventry Free Public Library (Tel. 305) Derby Lane to left. 27 Johnson Herbert, solicitor (Tel. 65) 28 Parnell Walter, butcher LITTLE BUTCHER ROW. Left-hand side from 44 Cross Cheaping. 4 Jones A. & C., antique dealers 5 Little Charles, eating house 6 Copson M. C. F., grocer and provision dlr. Right-hand side. 7 McDowell Jas. Chas., merchant tailor 8 Wallett Joseph, confectioner & newsagent 9 Trotman Alfred. Wm., watch, etc., repairer 10, 11 Jones Henry James, furniture dealer 12 Y.M.C.A. Rooms - Wallace Thos. and Mrs.

Looking at another picture of Butcher Row the shop on the right of the picture is no. 24 William Kimberley, Fishmonger. From both lists I think that would make the shop next door with the shield Wm Franks, who was a furniture dealer and then went upmarket and called himself an antiques dealer. He is in a newspaper article as living at 22 Butcher Row.

My memory is a bit reluctant to call up these days, but go back to it I must (try). Helen, I believe Butcher Row was lost to the council the same time as our gardens when they built the new Tusses Bridge and widened the road, around 36 time. Now if Dutchman can't tell us then we are lost and floundering. Osmiroid, now the picture on post 36, to me Franks hardly gets in and chairs on the pavement tell me the shop with the shield is in between both, and the pavement is clear, and little in the window, so I stick by my memory and say it was some sort of music shop although not listed.

I believe that's the Bull Ring rather than Butcher Row?

Osmiroid, well done. At first I thought the sign said Carpet Maker but maybe it says Cabinet Maker? That would tie in with next door.

Helen, yes, cabinet sounds good. There seems to be quite a few "furniture etc." shops there, looks like it might have turned into Furniture Row if the council hadn't destroyed it!

Osmiroid, great work, shows it up more clearly, but I read it cake or candle maker, bottom word, patisserie, or plasterer, in the windows more like candles, needs better eyes than mine. Thinking more about this, in 32 I was five so could easily have been dragged through that street many times over the years. But what has come to mind, either that street or one like it I often saw a man with a peg-leg, like a cup upside down on a stick and crutches, and he had a beard, but no earring, used to frighten me, thought he was a pirate. I remember there was a wool shop, mother bought wool, and I had to hold it arms outstretched, I hated that shop. I have looked through both lists of residents, and failed to find Vaughan, yet clearly on the photo. Help?

100% it says 'upholsterer' on both images Not so clear whether 'carpet' or 'cabinet' - favour the latter, as the left hand image quotes 'furniture'

I have seen photos from 1936 back into the 1800s, maybe a spread of 50+ years. I just checked another picture, had on it JW Gibbs glass china brushes toys, and other wording I can't make out, same building.

Midland Red, Jackpot, I go along with that, the photo with half a shop is that Franklin, and are they plates in the window?

We really do owe Rob a big thanks for setting up this forum, that we can discuss so much, now the years we're talking about, had you asked people Butcher Row or the Bull Ring, I'm sure you would have a great deal of argument where what started and where it ended, and the difference over the years, the shops may look quaint in todays light, but some of those shops stank to high heaven, and dogs, there was no 'pick me up' in those days, there were still a lot of delivery done by horse and cart, so there were feed shops, and 'rats' big enough to glare at you, as a mischievous kid I ran in alleyways and places I shouldn't have done, behind some of those shops, before the rag and bonemen came, 'oh my' and how far away was the toilets in those days, if any. With Coventry the car city it did need a wider road. Saying that, I have no idea where our tram came from before reaching the stop opposite the Fire Station.

But was The Bull Ring a totally separate thing from Butcher Row that is situated next to it, or was it a sub section of Butcher Row (as it was originally a facility for Butcher Row's killing of animals)? Some buildings have their address as being in Butcher Row and in a different year as being in The Bull Ring. Not sure if any at the very bottom had been in Butcher Row/Ironmonger Row/Bull Ring at different times!?