Little Palace Yard

Where is that statue, Helen? My 7x grandfather John Yardley was Mayor of Coventry in 1689 and met William III at the walls of the city on his way to Ireland. He would be able to tell us about LPY.

Kensington Palace. Those Yardleys got about.

Certainly did, been there a long time

Sorry Anne/Helen - there's so much info here I've forgotten what the William III mansion / link is / was?

It was remodelled for William III. So your relatives were living a genuine palace (albeit a bit down market).

In post 174 Anne mentions a stonemason at Emscote and Guys Cliffe in Warwick called Checketts. This could be the same Checketts family who were stonemasons in Leamington Spa certainly during the 19th and 20th century. Their house and business was situated in Tachbrook Street at the junction with Brunswick Street and became a local landmark. If you wanted to get off the bus there you asked for 'Checketts Corner'. The business was sold in the 1960's by John Albert Checketts (1888 - 1964) who had succeeded his father John and grandfather Benjamin. I recall the business but the statistics are courtesy of Leamington History Group. They could still be relatives of the lion taming Checketts from Coventry however.

Everything tells me that Checketts bought a wine inn with a large southern garden that already had ornaments and buildings, that could have belonged to a very wealthy person or even royalty in the 18th century. All he had to do was refurbish buildings to accommodate his pets. The inn was a few doors down from the the Bear Hotel that became the Craven.

Not relevant any more.

Confused now. From the newspapers in my post 174 I thought he was in Earl Street at the Wines and Spirits emporium called the Marble Hall from 1851 - he died in 1852.

Real Ale Rambles lists the following at the Marble Hall. 1857 John Johnson 1857 J. G. Checketts 1858 Elizabeth Checketts 1858 Henry Chatham Should stuff about Checketts have its own topic?

Dates can't be right. I think there must be a couple of premises as the dates in the newspaper are confusing. Henry Chatham is advertising a premises he is saying he is taking over from the late J G Checketts in 1852, but it says the Wines and Spirits Vault. Henry Jacox takes over the Marble Hall in January 1853 but he must be a relative as he is buried in the same grave as Mr & Mrs Checketts in November 1856. J G Checketts definitely died in 1852 and Elizabeth transfers the Marble Vaults to Henry Chathem in 1858 before passing away in 1860. Yes, perhaps a mod would like to move it to a Checketts and perhaps Wombwell topic as we don't seem to have any evidence that Checketts ever lived in LPY!

In the 1851 census, John Checketts and wife Elizabeth appear in the household of John's 'son', Henry H Jacox and his wife Catherine at Cow Lane. John was born 1810 in Belgrave, Leics, and was described as a grocer. BUT Henry Holmes Jacox was born 1827 in Coventry, the son of John and Ann Jacox/Jeacocks.

mcsporran, I believe I posted that info, a long time ago before I knew of this topic, have no idea on which topic, but good anyway.

I can just see the sign on Checketts garden gate: "If you want to feed the cats, just stick your arm through the bars".

Thank you for showing the 1921 Spennell's Directory page for Little Park Street. I found my grandfather William Charles Smith at number 8 Court 20. This court was Little Palace Yard, which has its own section on the Forum.