Shops demolished on Cross Cheaping pre-1940

I hope someone can help me find out about two shops on Cross Cheaping which I believe were demolished in about 1938. The adjoining shops and living accommodation above were owned by the Marc Smith Educational Charity, which was founded in 1814. The Charity built the School in Claybrooke, south Leicestershire, just a mile or so across the border from Warwickshire. The property was gifted to the charity by a businessman called Marc Smith, who was originally from London. I'm originally from Coventry, but now I live in Claybrooke and I'm Chair of the Marc Smith Charity. I can't find out anything about the property in our records, but I understand that the shops were compulsorily purchased by the City Council and demolished to make way for the city centre redevelopment. Compensation was paid and this funded the grants we give to local schools and clothing grants we give to parents of children going up to senior schools in the area. The largest grants we give are to school leavers from this area going on to further education or apprenticeships, etc. I would love to fill in the missing bits of our history, perhaps someone on this site knows about the redevelopment of Cross Cheaping, Maybe there's even a photograph of the property?

Hi Trevor, welcome to the forum This is a tough question. The Coventry Collection records don't have any reference to Marc Smith or a Smith charity. A lot was going on in Cross Cheaping in the 30s. The south east section was bought and it does look like the Corporation was the buyer because they wanted to create Trinity Street but it leased it to Owen Owen to do the rest. That was before 1937. The North east section (north of Ironmonger Row) remained until it was bombed by the war. The west side was being redeveloped in the north, starting at the river Sherbourne but more than half of it was still there in 1937. I'll think more about it. If we can work out a property or property number there will probably be an image of it.

You may have seen this Trevor and probably not much help, but it does give a name of an occupant Benjamin Twycross, but sadly he died before we can find him in the census. This was from a book on Google books, Reports from the commissioner 1839

Well as usual you're a genius Anne Conveyance for 59 Cross Cheaping "on the north a messuage belonging to the feoffees of Claybrook[e Magna and Parva, Leicestershire] Charity Estates" So might this be the property at 58? In 1926 it was occupied by Charles West, pastry cook. And also in 1874.

If I've got the right building it would be the third building from the right occupied by St Clair. Based on the front it was refaced or rebuilt early to mid 1800s. An early version of the building. Probably.

The shop occupied by St Clair would be number 58, number 59, from memory of other photos of the time and occupied by Modern Wallpapers, was a much wider, grander and taller building next to the Royal Vaults and seems to be the one referred to as Hampton House. Hoping this helps.

Spot on rocksolid the documents were for 59 but as many deeds did, they reference the next door neighbours. It's the neighbour to the north of 59 that was owned by the charity referenced. It would be odd but not impossible that there were two Claybrook charities, so 58 is a likely candidate.