ROW ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE ‑
PAGET'S ROW (Palmer)
Paget's Row, 1800
Mission to Seamen Row, 1898
Matthew the Baker's Row, 1839 (Johnson)
From South Quay to Middlegate Street.
“The Paget family have been of note in Great
Yarmouth. Samuel Paget was Mayor in 1817*3, and his distinguished son James,
the eminent surgeon to Queen Victoria, was born at the fine mansion at the
south‑west corner. He was
educated at Mr.Bowles' Academy*4
in the "New Broad Row"
(Queen Street).
Paget's House was later used as a navigation
and science school”.[1]
“This was called "Paget's Row",
because of the mansion erected at the south‑west corner early in the
19th.century, by the late Samuel Paget for his own residence. To make room for it, an old house which had
been the property of Steven Godfrey, was removed. The site early in the seventeenth century was in possession of
Thomas Grosse, who in 1653 conveyed it to Thomas Peake, and in 1707 it was
partly occupied by a public house called the "King's Head".
The name of Paget had been of long continuance
in Yarmouth, as appears in the Parish Register. In 1674 George Paget was
admitted to the freedom of the borough of Yarmouth on paying a fine of 12
pounds, and also the accustomed duties, and in 1714 George Paget of Yarmouth
voted as a Norfolk freeholder. The late Mr.Samuel Paget was
the eldest son of Samuel Paget*5 He
commenced his business life in the office of Mr.Kerridge the government agent
for victualling the navy at Yarmouth, and whose place of business was at the
north‑east corner of row 117 in Middlegate Street. Young Paget gave of so
much satisfaction by his energy and ability in supplying the fleets in Yarmouth
roads with water, that on the death of Kerridge in 1790 aged 72, the
appointment that he had held was conferred on Paget. He afterwards became an
extensive shipowner and was for many years the managing partner of a large
brewery (that he inherited from his wife's father), which in the previous
century had been established by Mr.Browne. (He had also inherited property from
his wife's uncle) In 1798 Paget raised
a company of volunteers of which he became Captain, and when this corps was
merged into a regiment of local militia he was appointed Lieutenant Colonel,
and in 1817 he was Mayor. For many years he was treasurer of the amicable
shipping assurance association. He was a warm admirer of Old Crome, and the
walls of his rooms were adorned with some of his best paintings, including
"A grove scene near Marlingford", and a "Lane scene near
Blofield", painted in 1813.
Paget married Sarah Elizabeth, eldest daughter
of Thomas Tolver. They had a numerous family, of whom Samuel*6, another Samuel,
Thomas, Henry Thomas, Elizabeth Sarah, Maria Ann, Caroline Ann, and Edward
Stephen, died young. Frederick, the
eldest son, died at Worthing aged 61, Arthur Coyte died in 1833 aged 25,
Charles John died in 1844 aged 32. The
surviving sons were George Edward Paget M.D, sometime fellow of Gonville and
Caius Colleges, Cambridge, a position of eminence there, and Sir James Paget
Bart., (already mentioned as a pupil of Dr.Charles Costerton, in Row 50.) There
are also two surviving daughters. (not given names by C.J.Palmer in his
entirely male orientated society!)
Sir James Paget was
educated as were all his brothers who survived beyond childhood, at the school
of Mr.Bowles already mentioned, and on leaving that school was then apprenticed
to Charles Costerton.*7
Lady Paget in old age, wife of James.
Proceeding to London, he became a pupil at St
Bartholomew's Hospital. He was appointed first, warden of the college connected
to that hospital, rose to be senior surgeon of St.Bartholomews, Professor of
Anatomy at the College of Surgeons, and a member of the senate of the
University of London. He was the author of many surgical works, and contributed
extensively to the transactions of several learned societies. He was created a
Baronet in 1871.
The above‑mentioned house was
subsequently sold to the late Roger Kerrison, of Norwich, and cost 100 guineas. It was partially
occupied for several years by the government schools of design and navigation,
and purchased in 1873 for their use.”[2]
The Row Survey of 1936 says ‑ "This
has a large opening out of it. No.11 is
a good house of 1775, but ill lit by reason of the row wall
opposite".
At no.23 on the south side from before the
Great war (1st.W.W.) lived George Hogg. He was a fisherman. George and Liza
Hogg had two sons, two daughters‑ Daisy Victoria, Lilly, Stanley Charles,
and Ernest. Lilly married and became Lilly Gricks, and moved to Lowestoft. Liza
took in washing, while George went away fishing for long periods. Stanley also
became a fisherman. Ernest was a cycle salesman, working for Fieldings, and
later for Greengrass (Regent Road). He later moved to Lowestoft.
Daisy Victoria married Henry Arthur John
Symonds, and at first had her family at the house in the row. Henry Symonds
came from Gorleston, and was a shrimper, keeping a boat at the quayside, moored
near the row. He and his ship were both called "Shiner".
This was sea shrimping. The family in due
course moved to Exmouth Road‑ no.36. Henry Arthur had a sister Violet,
later Holsworth, and a brother Alfie, also a fisherman, who ended his days at
the fisherman's hospital. Another sister was Maggie. Henry and Daisy had three daughters, Gladys, Phyllis, and Doris.
Doris had rickets as a child. Phyllis married, now is Phyllis Howes.
Gladys, right, with Mayor Brenda Mills.
Gladys Hogg married Leslie Gibbs, who like his
father before him, was a butcher on Blackfriars Road. (his father also was
called Leslie). When father died they inherited the house on the corner, facing
north up Blackfriars Road. Daisy
Symonds worked at one time at Grouts as a machinist, and also at Reg.Ellis's
dining rooms in St.Peter's road, doing the washing‑up.
Paget's house became
the School of Navigation and Science. During the war there were evening classes
held in the Science school,
where Mr.Parkin was headmaster. In the chemistry lab was a huge glass jar
filled with hydrogen disulphide. On this was a tap, and it was banned on pain
of expulsion to interfere with this. At about half-past eight, during a raid,
with the black-out in effect, following some bombs falling in Cobholm, there
was a whistling sound followed by an explosion when the front of the building
was struck and the shutters blown in. The boys threw themselves on the floor
under the desks. Picking themselves up
and running from the class-room, there was a boy called fatty Symonds on
the landing covered with coloured glass from the shattered dome that had
covered the centre of the ceiling. The boy was unhurt. Next, Johnnie Parkin
rushes from the principal's room to his beloved jar of hydrogen disulphide,
completely ignoring the boys. The jar had shifted on its stand but otherwise
was unharmed. There were to be no further mathematics classes here. The front
of the building was shattered, and every piece of glass broken in the building.
As such the building could not be used, and in due course it was further
involved in the bombing in April 1941. It was demolished after the war in the
general razing of this area. *8
Postle science school demolished.wav
*3 Samuel Paget, James father, was born in
1774. A rather small, handsome, active man, a good speaker and cricketer. He
was praised by Lord Duncan after the Battle of Camperdown, and given a gold
medal marked "Earl St.Vincent's testimony of approbation". (Battle of
Camperdown, Oct.11th.1797). He died of old age, aged 82, in 1856. Samuel
Paget's wife, was paralysed with a stroke, but still could knit, sew, and
write.
*4 Bowles' school: This was at no.5 Queen
Street, with a school room upstairs at the back, and a smaller room under the
stairs. It had 30‑35 pupils. Bowles had been an actor, and was Minister
of the Unitarian Church. There was a grounding in the classics and in
mathematics, at a cost of 8 guineas a year.
*5 James Paget's grandfather who died in 1807,
aged 64, leaving Ann his widow who died in 1833 aged 82.
*6 Samuel Tolver had married a rich widow, and
had three daughters. Sarah Elizabeth was adopted by Mrs.Godfrey, whose husband
was a rich man in Yarmouth. James Paget's
memoirs relate how his father was only 17 years old, in the employ of
Mr.Kerridge,when Kerridge died suddenly.
Samuel Paget went straight to London to persuade the Admiralty to allow
him to continue as victualling agent. James Paget was born on January
11th.1814. His parents had married in December 1799.
*7 Costerton was the family's physician,
and looked after Charles Paget for some
years, when he was in ill health.
Apprenticeship was normally five years,
but in Paget's case was shortened to four and a half.
*8
Robert Postle, eyewitness account.
The Occupants, Row One Hundred and Thirty Nine, 1886
(from Middlegate Street to South Quay)
Linstead, W., smacksman
Chapman, J.
Fisk, J.
Kerrison, W., smacksman
Kingston, J., labourer
Thomas, W.
Lark, J., labourer
Hill,T., mariner
Dye, T., fisherman
Gooda, J.
Gurney, J.
Carr, D.
Holliday, S., labourer
Pearson, R., mariner
Francis, W., mariner
Day, R., tinman
King, A.
Vince, R., labourer
Colthorpe, W., fisherman
Ditcham, J., labourer
Ellis, W., smacksman
Ashby, H., smacksman
Frost, E., fisherman
Crickmore, R., labourer
Ellis, W.
Boulton, F., labourer
Brown, R., labourer
Porter, B.
Ford,C., labourer
The Occupants, Row One Hundred and Thirty Nine, 1913
(from Middlegate Street to South Quay)
north side
1. Larner, Mrs.
2. Spurgeon, William
3a. Grudgfield, Robert William
3. Mitchell, Walter
4. Bartram, John L.
4a. Hill, Richard
5. Mitchell, James
Hackney, Charles Edward
Harman, Mrs.
Holliday, Mrs
Lark, Matthew, Charles
Francis, William
Cowder, Robert
Plattford, George
south side
Hastings, Edward
Whittleton, Robert
Carter, John
Turrell, William
Godbolt, James
McDonald, Mrs.
Thomas, Henry
Hewitt, George
Hogg, George
Clark, John
Blyth, Frederick, Charles
The Occupants, Row One Hundred and Thirty Nine, 1927
(from Middlegate Street to South Quay)
north side
1. Cole, John
2. Felmingham, Miss
3a. Salter, Miss
3. Gardiner, Mrs.
4. Bartram, John L.
4a. Hill, Richard
6. Jacobs, Henry
7. Marshall, Ernest
8. Lark, Matthew Charles
9. Dyble, Charles
10. Joslin, Frederick Edmund
11. Plattford, George
south side
14. Hastings, Edward
15. Hunt, Harry Charles
16. Underwood, Arthur
17. Redgrave, Robert
18. Holt, John
19. Thomas, John Andrew Howard
20. Thomas, Mrs.
21. Miller, William
22. Cubitt, Ernest
22a. Woolnough, George
23. Hogg, George
The Occupants, Row One Hundred and Thirty Nine, 1936
(from Middlegate Street to South Quay)
north side
1. Cole, John
2. Felmingham, Miss
3a. Salter, Miss
3. Gardiner, Mrs.
4. Wilsher, George
4a. Hill, Mrs
6. Jacobs, Henry
7. Marshall, Ernest
8. Lark, Matthew Charles
9. Dyble, Charles
10. Condon, Sidney
11. Plattford, George
south side
14. Hastings, Edward
15. Hunt, Harry Charles
16. Underwood, Arthur
17. Redgrave, Robert
18. Rooke, Herbert
19. Thomas, John Andrew Howard
20. Higgleton, Alfred
21. Miller, William
22. Cubitt, Mrs.
23. Collins, Charles