Bayley Lane

Hi Malvern, I'm fairly sure that this 1820 painting in the Herbert shows 3 and 4 on the left. Number 4 is propped up on W Franklin's factory. They were later replaced or fronted with brick and there are pictures of them in the library. They're the ones next to the white half timbered building. It looks bluey grey in the painting.

Thanks Helen, That is absolutey brilliant! My first relative came to live in Coventry in about 1778, the family having previously lived in Hillmorton near Rugby. Thomas, born in 1755, was apprenticed as a tailor, whilst still in Hillmorton, and I have his indenture from the Warwick Record Office. I also have an indenture for a John Claridge in 1810 where Thomas is the master. Thomas died in 1818 and his wife Catherine in 1834 and it appears that throughout this period they were living in Spon Street and his son William also continued to live in Spon Street up until his death in 1866. It was William's son, also a Thomas, who first came to Bailey Lane. He was born in 1806 and so I guess he would probably have arrived here in the early 1830s once he had completed his apprenticeship, so about 10 years after this picture. Hopefully the new frontages had been done by then! He died in 1882 and so would have lived in those houses for about 40 to 50 years! I'll have to look out the other images when I come up. I'm also going to be looking out the images for Spon Street, which has obviously much changed since the 1800s. Unlike the rest of Coventry it's got older! The two addresses I'm particularly interested in in Spon Street are numbers 13 and 50/Shakespeares Yard.

Sadly the replacements look quite grungy but that's exaggerated by the black and white photos. They look better in a couple of watercolour images I've got that show them in red brick. It's funny how b/w photos 'colour' our perception of the past.

A familiar view along the Lane but not with an intact Cathedral

Can anybody find a forge or metal working/worker on Bayley Lane for the early part of the 1800s? I've got a picture but no address other than Bailey Lane. It doesn't seem to fit the map by 1850, so it may have gone or been modified by then. My guess is that it's near Court No1 but I could easily be wrong. Thanks in advance.

In the1828 Pigot Directory, the following information for Bailey Lane. Under the listing for Whitesmiths we have, William NEWARK, Bailey Lane. Dictionary definition, whitesmith noun plural noun: whitesmiths a person who makes articles out of metal, especially tin. a polisher or finisher of metal goods. Next, we have Woolstaplers, Charles EYRE, Bailey Lane. Continuing, we have Attorneys, WOODCOCK & TWIST. Dyers-Silk, John CROSBY. Ribbon Manufacturers, John HORSFALL. Lastly, Taverns. Star, Samuel TIPSON. Toby's Head, Giles SMITH. White Horse, Robert HALL As you have probably seen Bailey lane has alternative spellings. In the 1828, I've copied the same spelling from the Pigot.

Thanks Heathite, that could be the one. It doesn't look like a big smithy. I know where the taverns were and the ribbon factory was. I shall investigate Mr Newark.

Hello Helen This link should take you to a variety of freely downloadable directories. They are searchable with Adobe Acrobat reader. That is where I found the Bailey Lane information. Heathite.

Woohoo. I think we've nailed it Heathite! Looking at the next directory in time I get a Thomas Marriott, whitesmith at number 13 Bailey Lane. Now at first I couldn't see the location as being right but with a look at the Fire insurance maps I can see what happened. The forge was up against the Drapers Hall.

That is excellent Helen. Good luck with following it up.

Any use Helen? 1893. The sale was withdrawn as the property was sold by private treaty to the Drapers Company for £700

That fits in very well Anne. In 1850 the smithy is there on the map, flush against The Drapers Hall. The hall was expanding and swallowed up the half timbered buildings to the east. First 14, 15 and 16 were demolished. They are pictured below. Dr Troughton drew the scene of the little outdoor furnace a short while later, looking south (behind the buildings to the left of the painting view). He died in 1868 so this must have been one of his last drawings. As your record reports the land was sold in 1893. By 1897 a side wing to the hall (over the outdoor furnace) had been built and a new frontage was erected on the plots of 14, 15, 16. That appears on the 1897 fire insurance map. The front cottages of the Smithy lasted a bit longer but were in turn demolished and replaced with the brick buildings that survive today. The details of the property, including the cellar are a useful addition. Thanks Anne.

Bob Skrzeczkowski