Smith Street 1981

Description

Smith Street in Stockton 19/08/81

Library Reference

Dewey Decimal: 999 Reference: t7795 - link available

Comments

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Posted comments/stories

Cliff Thornton

These must have been the last back-to-back houses left in Stockton. They stood there so long that I thought the Council had decided to preserve them!

Posted on: 10/01/2007 15:34:59

Tony Jackson

Does anyone know about the numbers of the various buildings shown in the Smith Street photographs? My family has associations with Smith Street going back over 150 years. My Great Great Great Grandfather, Thomas Ayre (a Tallow Chandler) and his family lived in No. 1 in 1851, moving to No. 19 by 1861. His son William, who also worked in the family business, had set up home at No. 20 by 1861. In 1856 my Great Great Grandfather, Thomas Hind married one of Thomas’s girls, Elizabeth Ayre, and by 1871 his printing business is established at No. 16 Smith Street. Thomas by then was at No. 15, and son William at No. 17. Ten years later, in 1881, William is at No 4 whilst another of Thomas’s brood, John Ayre (also a tallow chandler) is at No. 10. The Hinds were still at No.16. Thomas, by then age 73, was still at No. 15. In 1891, ten years later and now 83, Thomas is still there and still apparently running the family candle business. John was still at No. 10. The Hinds’ printing business also must have thrived as it was still going in 1891. By 1901, though, all but Thomas’s grandson, a brass finisher by trade who lived at No. 18, had moved out. Any additional information or pointers to other sources would be very warmly received.

Posted on: 10/01/2007 11:19:27

Sarah Sheraton

Mr. Jackson, you and I are related!! I'm thrilled to bits to find out all this information! Thomas Hind and Elizabeth Ayre are on my family tree! Perhaps you'd like to gain "permission" to view it at the genes reunited website? My Nana Nora Phillpotts (later Hatton) lived and was perhaps born there (dob 1905). Her parents were Charles Phillpotts and Elizabeth Hind (daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth). My mother was born at No. 16. Sorry I have no information about the numbers shown on this photograph. I am presently trying to get the owners to prevent No's 15 and 16 from falling into further disrepair. They are Georgian and the only part of the original Smith Street buildings still standing but unfortunately they are being neglected.

Posted on: 27/02/2007 10:54:46

Michael Alan Nelson

I came across Smith Street whilst looking for my great great grandfather Thomas William Nelson who, according to the 1851 census, was resident at no 14 with his 4 children. By that time he appears to have been a widower. I don't know his wife's maiden name but Hindmarsh is a possibility. He appears to have been "a tailor employing three men and an apprentice". The occupants of no's 18,17,16 and 15 have the surnames Johnson, Dixon, Lancaster,and Pedley. One house was apparently unoccupied.

Posted on: 26/02/2007 08:56:47

Dawn Ryder

My husband is a direct relative of the Ayres. His grandmother was Hannah Kendrick Ayre who married Frederick Ryder(I have photo's) Hannah was the daughter of Thomas Ayre who was the son of William Ayre and Hannah Kendrick. The house in Smith street continues to fall into disrepair. I was only there yesterday trying to get a look through the shutters, apparently the original staircase is still intact. Anthony Ayre another relation, did go into the building some years ago and there was information referring to the Ayre upstairs but the man running the door stripping business wouldn't allow him to take them.

Posted on: 14/06/2007 07:46:51

Alan B.

The above photo shows the north side of Smith St taken from John St. By 1901 this side of Smith St comprised of ten identical terraced houses (1-10), older cottages (11-14.5), ending with the North Eastern Hotel that has used various numbers 162-164 on Stockton High St. The south side of Smith St started from the High St with the listed Georgian houses 15-16; up to 21 Smith St, ending at 5 John St, opposite the Turf Hotel on the other side of John St. By 1925 the Borough Engineer placed boards at each end of John St requesting heavy traffic not to transverse it due to its extreme narrowness. The council acquired 1-2 Smith St in Dec 1938, 14-15 John St in Jan 1959, 16-17 John St in Mar 1955, and the vacant Turf Hotel from Ind Coope for 1K in Oct 1957, and demolished them to allow widening of John St from Bishopton Lane. From 1962 the council began to acquire 3-10 Smith St, the remaining terraced block. A lessee acquired 11-12 Smith St in 1957, but the council would not sell any land. During 1930/31 the council acquired 13-14.5 Smith St to construct public conveniences, female entrance in Smith St, male in Union Square, but the work was deferred due to cost. The council implemented the 'John St Re-development Scheme' from c.1957 buying land behind Robinsons and many properties around Smith St for demolition. This major re-development included a bus station, car-parks, a roundabout at the John St and Bishopton Lane junction, a footbridge behind Robinsons, and new roads for lorries to deliver behind the big High St shops. Road re-modelling near Smith St and a new lorry loop out of West St can be seen on the front end (aerial photo c.1968) of C. Emetts book 'A Century of Stockton -on-Tees', but little else planned seems built. The High St end of Smith St was the domain of small car traders from c.1969, such as Auto Sales (7), Smith St Garage (7), Stockton Car Spraying, Stockton Car Sales, and Woodhalls (11). Signs on the sides of 7, 10 and also garage 11 above, show them in commercial use in 1981. Photos t4722/23 show 7 occupied in 1986, but other houses seem abandoned. Only eight terraced houses (3-10) can be seen above, with the scant remains of 2 attached to the nearest whole house, which is 3 Smith St. This house was occupied by Thomas and Agnes Melia and family, and Levi Groskop and family, from 1900 to 1904; Levi marrying their daughter Margaret in 1898, with grand-daughter Agnes Groskop born here in 1902. Levi (a shipyard worker) and family moved to South Wales during the Stockton shipyards depression year of 1903/4. A scavenger, W. Dawson was the new resident at 3 by spring 1904. Families occupying 1-10 Smith St for the longest period between 1900-10 were; Mouzer, shopkeeper; Southall, beer retail; Dawson; Collins; Bulmer; Longstaff, fruiterer; Harper; Kay, bootmaker; Bates; Gillispie, shipwright; mainly metalworkers and labourers, with barmen at 14 near the hotel. The Wellington Square Car Park serving the new shopping mall has been built over the nearest half of Smith St seen above.

Posted on: 03/09/2008 19:03:00