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I’m searching for the location of three yards in Long Street, Atherstone in the 1890s/1900s, where members of my family used to live….The Swan With Two Necks Yard, Allens Yard and Hicks Yard. Are Street Maps of Atherstone from this period available ?
I am trying to find the location of two yards that were lived in by my ancestor and are not listed on the site.
They were located off of Long Street and were called: Rowley’s Yard (in residence in 1841); & Hudson’s Yard (in residence 1861). I am trying to find a bit more out about George Warner (a blacksmith) and was wondering if anyone knew the historic location of these two addresses as I’ve done some digging, but to no avail.
Any help would be most appreciated!
Maurice & Duncan,
Hi there.
We’ve added a page each of the yards you mentioned. This will mean that if anyone else Googles those Atherstone Yard names they’ll find those pages and this one. If there’s anyone else out there searching for those yards they should see your messages!
Of course this website has built up a reasonable following of people interested in the history of Atherstone.
Does anyone out there known anything about the yards Maurice & Duncan talk about?
Hi, i’ve just discovered that 1 of my paternal great grandmothers was from atherstone. She was born in Paynes yard and in 1871 was living at wool pack yard. any info on these places please?
For Maurice,
Rowleys Yard and Hudsons Yard were in the short space between The Hat & Beaver public house and the Black Horse, both of which are still in business. They are on the north side of Long St and near the present day Tannery Close houses. Does GoogleEarth have good enough definition to show you? The Black Horse is opposite Welcome St.
The Yards tended to change names over the decades as the front premises, on Long St, changed hands. For instance,
Weston’s yard was so named whilst the public house, The Hat & Beaver was run by the Weston family, in around 1840-1860. After that it became The Hat & Beaver Yard.
Atherstone Library (& Warwick Record Office) have maps showing the Yards in 1881. They show the names in use at that date.
Thanks for that info Valerie. Ive visited the library and viewed the street maps from the 1881 period and there does appear to be a few ‘un-named’ yards in that location. The yard that my great(x3)grandfather Robert Tweed died, in 1863, Hayes Yard, remains a mystery, and your explanation of the name changes could be the answer.
Maurice,
Perhaps a trawl of the 1861 & 1851 censuses in that area will show a Hayes tradesman on Long St?
Google for ‘freecen’ for online censuses, or visit the library again.
In the censuses of 1841, 1851 and 1861, my ancestor John Allen was living at Woodroffes Row, Atherstone. He died there in 1864. I notice Woodroffes is not in your list of Yards. perhaps it is one of those that suffered a name change. Any information would be welcome.
Pat
After poring over the censuses I think that Woodrufffes/Woodroffe’s yard was the next yard to the Wheatsheaf pub which is still there. There were several houses on Long St to the east before Woodruffes. A few more Long St houses and then the notoriously overcrowded Binghams Yard. So looking at this position in subsequent census we find in 1871 it is Whites Yard, in 1881, Pearmans, and in 1891 Vero’s Yard.
As the Wheatsheaf is still trading it is possible to locate the entrance withinn a few yards. The next definitely identified place would be Roe’s Yard. The premises of Henry Roe, baker are marked by a small marker high on the front – H R 1827.
searching trade directories may reveal who White & Pearman were.
More on this topic- the 1888 map in Atherstone library names this Yard as Cordingleys named after Alfred Cordingley, Provisional dealer on Long St. This yard is known to have been on the present site of the car park of the Aldi store.
Pearmans were butchers & cattle dealers.
I have not found a trader called White.
Hi Valerie
Once again, on behalf of myself and all the visitors to this website, I would like to thank you for your valuable contributions.
Without your additions, and others like it, this website would be nothing.
Best Regards
Dave