Summary

Earliest information: 1769
Original estate:  Hungerford
Common Rights?  Yes
Date of current building: Mid 18th century
Listed?   Yes

Thumbnail History

[House and malthouse, quit rent 6d.]
Westall > Reeves > Langford > Alexander (coal merchants) > Bennet's (garden shop & pets) > 1989 redevelopment

Description of property

From Listed Building records: House, now house and shop. Mid 18th century altered early 19th century. Tiled roof with end chimney and two gabled dormers with glazing bar sashes, dentilled eaves and band at first floor, variegated brick with rubbed flat arches over openings. Two storeys and attic. Tripartite glazing bar sashes with exposed frames flanking single sash, 19th century shop front to left with tall pilasters, fascia and blind box, central 6-panel door in plain surround with flat hood on cut brackets, tripartite sash to right.

Timeline:

1752 (NH) Will of Joseph Shipton: Freehold messuage with malthouse and 17½ acres which were bought by me from Mr Hawkins to Joseph Westall, grandson (another 6 acres, apparently separate, to Mary Joseph Shipton's widow, for life and after to Joseph Westall, when he is 21).

1753 (QR) Catherine Westall.

1757(?) (NH) D/E2/57/1 Messuage and malthouse adjoining plus 23 acres (later replaced by 20 acres under Enclosure Act), between William Litman on North side (=GWR), and John Hayne, gent on South side (=119HS). In 1757 marriage settlelement John Westall, currier (10 Catherine Murray, widow (2). Other parties = Geo. Glasse of New Inn, Mx (3) and Thos Mundy of Hungerford, gent and Henry Ellis of Hungerford, innholder (4)  in respect of marriage of Joseph and Catherine. Messuage had been given to Joseph Westall by will of his grandfather Joseph Shipton. Tenants were Joseph Biss(?); Joseph Povey(?) and John Cannon.

1769 (NH) D/E2/57/1 contd: Joseph Westall of Charnham Street, victualler and Catherine and James Shipton of Hungerford. William King has replaced John Cannon as a tenant (see below)

1777 (NH) Royal Exchange Assurance: Catherine Westall, house, brick built, occupied by John Pettifer.

1781 (CL) Catherine Westall.

1785 (NH) D/E2/57/1: Lease for one year of the property by Katherine Westall, 18^th August, widow (again), of property to John Deadman. Says property now has John Cox(head?) on north (now railway bridge) and Matthew Bance on south (119 HS, NatWest).

1785 (NH) D/E2/57/1: mortgaged to William Coxhead and John Deadman.
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1792 (UD) No entry for Westall nor Reeves

1795-1804 (QR) Thomas Watson for house and malthouse late Catherine Westalls, q.r. 6d.

1805-17 (QR) Thomas Reeves (amended to ..?.. Watson) for house and malthouse formerly Catherine Westalls, q.r. 6d.
1818-25 (QR) Thomas Reeves for house and malthouse formerly Catherine Westalls, q.r. 6d.
1819 (EA) Reeves: No pathway on north side, but entrance between next property (Cundell's) to south, Pearce's to north, ?Everlands Road.

1832 (QR) Thomas Langford for house and malthouse formerly Thomas Reeves and wife, q.r. 6d.
1836  (QR) Thomas Langford for house and malthouse formerly Thomas Reeves, q.r. 6d.
1843  (CL) Thomas Langford.
1844  (PD) Thomas Langford - maltster.
1847 (CL) Thomas Langford - owner and occ.
1851 (CS) Thomas Langford (66), farmer with 60 acres, emp 1 man.
1857 Thomas Langford died (will with deeds of 32 HS. T.L. owned 32 HS 1854-1866, latterly by his wife)
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1861 (CS) Miriam Langford (70)
1861 (CL) Mrs. Thomas Langford - owner and occ.

1862 GWR railway bridge erected over High Street. Cundell's and Spearings houses demolished. See CL 1896.

1871 (CS) Joseph Alexander (55) - Coal Merchant.
1891 (KD) Joseph Alexander & Son - Coal Merchants.
1896 (CL) Devisees of Joseph Alexander (owners). William Alexander (occ). [William became Constable in 1901-02]
1903 (KD) Alexander Bros. - wholesale & retail coal, corn, seed, hay and straw merchants. Artificial manure.

Martin & the Magpie, Nov 2010

Alexander's heavy coal wagon, with Bill Lewington holding the reins, standing outside the London & Provincial Stores (25 High Street), c1900.

Alexander Bros. 10-ton open coal wagon No. 37, made by Midland Railway Carriage & Wagon Works, Co. Ltd., in their Midland Works at Birmingham for use on the Great Western Railway.

Hungerford Carnival c.1956. One of the fund-raisers was the "Lump of Coal" competition. A huge lump of coal is on the lorry outside Roy Alexander's coal merchant's shop, 120 High Street (now "Martin & the Magpie" florists). Roy Alexander is standing outside his shop with tickets in hand; Miss Bell, who sold pet foods and took coal orders is proudly posed for the picture. The competition cost 3d. a guess. The prize..? "Guess the weight, and win the lump!". This one weighed in at 14 cwt.

Bennet's, 120 High Street, 1974

Bennet's, 120 High Street, Feb 1989

120 High Street, Jan 2010