ROW ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY NINE ‑ JOHN TAYLOR'S
ROW
GREGORY HARRISON'S ROW
ST.PETER'S ROW WEST
(Palmer)
John Taylor's Row, 1789
Gregory Harrison's Row, 1798
Friends Row
Druids Row
Newcastle Tavern Row
St.Peter's Row West
(Johnson)
Row One Hundred and Twenty Nine map 1906
From South Quay to Middlegate Street.
“Take
note of the residence at the south‑east corner, for it was here that a man who became Bishop of
Chester, William Jacobsen D.D., was born. At the south‑west corner, Sir
James Johnson resided, and here entertained King Charles I, in 1671, when the
King received four golden herrings and a gold chain, conferring a knighthood
upon James Johnson, George England, and the recorder, Baldock.”[1]
The Palmer family of
No.32.
Formerly
called John Taylor's Row (1789), and Gregory Harrison's Row, by 1870, St.Peter's Row West. At the north‑west corner there is an
Elizabethan house, one of the original many lighted windows which was still to
be seen on the south side. On the modernised front the mouldings of an old
oblong window may traced with some ornamental ironwork. The ground floor
fronting on the quay was formerly used as a blockmaker's or pulleymaker's shop
by Mr.Searum. In the house at the south‑east
corner of this row was born the Rt.Rev.William Jacobsen D.D., now Bishop of
Chester. He was the only child of William Jacobsen of Yarmouth, who died in
1803 aged only 25, by Sarah his wife, daughter of Robert Tolver, by Sarah
Fenwich, his wife. In 1865 he was consecrated Bishop of Chester, and married
the youngest daughter of Dawson Turner. His mother married secondly, William
Roberts of Southtown. Occupying the
space between this row and the next, no.132, and fronting the quay, is an
Elizabethan house which now exhibits but few vestiges of antiquity, except some
picturesque rounded and clustered brick chimney shafts, and a portion of the
original tiled roof. The north part of this house has been partially rebuilt,
and is now a public house called the "Newcastle Tavern". The ground
floor front of the south part brought out to the pavement is occupied as a
butcher's shop. In the 17th.century, this house was the property of Sir James
Johnson, Knight. By a pedigree extracted from the visitation book of Norfolk of
1644 in the College of Arms, it appears that he was the son of Thomas Johnson
of Gt.Yarmouth, grandson of James Johnson of the same place. He was said to
have "lived well, spent much, and died poor"!
James
Johnson the great grandfather was Bailiff in 1590, in which year the mount was
erected on which the hospital now stands.
In 1671 Johnson was deputed by the corporation to entertain the
"Merry Monarch", which he did, being an open‑handed man, to His
Majesties entire satisfaction. The King arrived at Yarmouth on the 28th. of
September, accompanied by the Duke of York (afterwards King James II), the Duke
of Monmouth, the Duke of Buckingham, and several other persons of principal
quality. He was received at about five o'clock in the afternoon by the
corporation in their robes of office, guns being discharged on the mounts, and
salutes fired from the ships in the roads. The King was lodged at Mr.Johnson's
house, some of the noblemen were entertained at Bailiff Rowe's house. The Lord
Lieutenant of Norfolk, and some Deputy Lieutenants were lodged at Mr.Thaxter's.
On the following day the King was presented with an Address, and with four
Herrings, and with a chain of gold valued at 250 pounds. Johnson received a
knighthood.
In
1681 Sir James Johnson was returned to Parliament for Yarmouth. A short speech
addressed by Sir James to the electorate, will be found in Swinden's History,
p.949. From Sir James Johnson this
house passed to the Cooper Family, who were possessed of considerable property
in the neighbourhood. John Cooper was Bailiff in 1657, and died 1687, aged 63, and lay buried in St.Nicholas
Church. On the south side of this row,
eastward of the "Newcastle Tavern", was an ancient house, which in
the 18th c., was known as the "Gun" tavern. At the north‑east corner was a public house called the
"Odd Fellows". *1
The
1936 Row Survey says ‑ An old photograph of a shop front in this row is
included in the illustrations. (As yet
these illustrations have not come to light).
Arthur
Conan Palmer of no.32, born 11th.May 1923, was the son of Victor George Palmer
and Elizabeth, who died young, daughter of Mills of Yarmouth of 119 Row.
Grandfather Mills was a docker. Dyke Mills, Elizabeth's brother, worked for the
gas co., and is seen in the picture of an outing (row 113). George Palmer snr.,
father of Victor, kept the "King's Arms" on Northgate Street, and
Victor George worked at the old power station in Swanston's Road as a stoker.
Victor took his family to the King's Arms every Monday night for supper as a
treat. At that time the market traders stabled their horses at the King's Arms
for the day of the market.
Family
tree of the Palmer Family
George Palmer
Victor George
Palmer m. Elizabeth Mills
Victor
Cecil Nellie George Arthur
Charlie Evelyn
b.1913
b.1923
b.1931
The
house at no 32. had very large shop-like windows, to which shutters were fitted
externally every night, on account of the Scotsmen and their misbehaviour. In
the daytime the shutters were stored in the passage beside the house. At the
back of the house was a yard with wash-house containing a copper, tap and sink.
There was an outside toilet. The wash-house led through to the kitchen, and
there was one other ground-floor room- the "front room". Two flights
of stairs were used to ascend to the bed-rooms- two on the first and two on the
second floors. Victor had left home, Cecil slept at the King's Arms. The front of the house opened directly onto
the row. Scots girls were taken as
lodgers in the season. The front-room was cleared, and they lodged there with their trunks. Sometimes Arthur slept
at his grandmother's (Mrs.Runniff) at no.33. Actually this old lady, who wore a
flat cap, and dressed in black, was not Arthur's true grandmother, nevertheless
by "adoption" she was always regarded as such. Mrs Runniff was fond
of her beer, which she brought home from the pub (the Oddfellows on the corner
of Middlegate) in a jug. There was electricity in the house in the 30's.
Bathing was in the tin bath in front of the copper. Victor was never out of
work, so his family was always adequately fed. One of his additional
occupations was "running in", carrying baskets of herring from ship
to shore when the catches were landed. Inevitably there was herring acquired
for the family then too. Standing on the quay the man who caught the rope to
tie up the ship, was awarded the job of "running in". Arthur's mother died in about 1927, and Mrs
Runniff then looked after the younger children and cooked for them. Arthur, standing on the quay with his
mother, witnessed the burning of
Clarke's mill shortly before mother's
death.
Some
other occupants in this row included Albert Gook, who remarried after his
wife's death, having two children Alice and Lilly (now Sayers). George Attridge
(see photo with row 113) here worked for the gas company, and later as a
corporation roadsweeper. He had a son, George, and daughter Thelma.
Mrs.Osborne's husband died young. Mrs.Varney had two sons- Albert and Georgie,
and two daughters. Mrs.Gedge was an elderly widow living alone in a large
house, always dressed in black, she was nick-named"Minnie Ha Ha" by
the children in the row , and used to chase them away. Robert William Watts at
no.26 was Doris May Linnaker's (b.18/11/24)
Uncle (Doris married Arthur Palmer). Robert Watts married Louie
Linnaker. Watts was a bathing pool attendant.
Louie was full of fun, quite a party type who liked a song and dance.
One son was Jack, daughters were Daphnie and Audrey, and another son was
nicknamed "Speedles". The house there was down a passage and had a
yard with a lot of washing equipment- wringers etc., so presumably took in
washing. Mrs.Maddeys in the row was Arthur Palmer's "Aunty Jane", but
actually was his step-mother's mother!
Mrs.Palmer's first husband had been on the liners and died of T.B.
Other
occupants of this row included Albert Moore up the row who was a shrimper. The
Hopwood family lived really rough, mother was always in bed yet there was a
large family of four boys and a girl. This family was very poor, although
Hopwood worked for the corporation. On the other side of the row, there were no
houses opposite to the Palmers at no.32, just a hall. This was the "Nelson Hall", used by the sea cadets and
for Christmas functions. The entrance,
double doors, was opposite to no.32. Mrs.Wakefield lived with her son, and they
had some garden to their house. Chaney was an engineer on the "Hilda
Cooper", a drifter. Pollard, an insurance agent, had a daughter, Millie.
Fred Ennis a stevedore, had a son, Charlie. Johnnie Bryanton, was son of Fred
who worked for the gas co. Johnnie now has shops in Regent Road. Harry Langley
was a docker.
The Occupants Row 129, 1886
2.
Amis, J., shoemaker
3.
George, E., mariner
NELSON
HALL, Proprietor, Smith,J., auctioneer
4.
Baker, W.
5.
Richmond, Miss M.A.
6.
Smith, S., mariner
7.
Boyce, J.W., bootmaker
8.
Penn, A., lightsman
9.
Chapman, W., master mariner
Hulley, W.
10.
George, J., shoemaker
11.
Hagan, W.H., mariner
12.
Balls, J., mariner
13.
Berry, Mrs.E.S.
14.
Berry, W.J., mariner
15.
Fowler, D.R., agent for Stevens Bros., hemp merchants
16.
Roberts, C., bootmaker, and 35.Market
Place
17.
Blake, F., smacksman
18.
Peek, Miss
19.
Bendon, J.
20.
Howard, C., pawnbroker
21.
Last, W., fisherman
Booty, Mrs.
Martins., Mrs.
22. Osborne,
G., mariner
23.
Thompson, Mrs.
24.
Davy, E., watchmaker
25.
Royal, Mrs., fishmonger
26.
Hood., W.
27.
Durrant, R., fruiterer
Lawson, J.
Redman, W.