This row ran from Howard
Street to the Market Place. It was called Alms
House Row, from a number of Alms Houses on the south side, which were
sold in 1842 by the Guardians,
with the approbation of the Poor Law
Commissioners.*1
On the north side was
a very
old doorway leading to what was probably a large house at one time of
some importance.
Not
shown, but the arcade went through the shop.
In 1898 the Borough Surveyor was
ordered to place a post in the centre of Row 54, to prevent through
traffic of barrows. At this time there
were 12,000 persons housed in the rows. Thirty per cent, it was said, never saw the light of day
shine in any room, and the remainder saw about an hour of sunshine. Many had
old thick walls soaked with moisture and filth. *3
Row 54 is still
present in the Market Place, between
No. 36 and No. 37 Market Place(1992). Even in Swinden's time this row
actually led into Row 51, and this is
where the comparative study of maps proves to be so fascinating, for it
can be seen that the same situation prevailed in 1906, even though it was listed as running to Howard Street South in all of the
directories. There were quite a number of
inhabitants in the minutest of dwellings, and also in the row were the
goods entrance of Hunts Mineral Water Factory, and the goods entrance of Palmer's store (as listed
1913 onwards).
Of these, now only
the goods entrance to Palmer's store remains,
and only the minutest part of
the row remains coming out into the carpark. The rest of the row has
long been engulfed by Palmer's store.
Many of the rows
contained Alms houses, and as late as 1842, some were on the south side. At the north‑west
corner a well known and old established
bakery was commenced in 1845 by Mr Smith. This row has long been a
popular thoroughfare, leading from the
Market Place to the Bank Row, being a quick route to the bridge and station.
Palmer's the furnishers and drapers had extensive shops on both sides of the
row, over which they erected a glass roof and named it "Palmer's
Arcade". *2
The 1936 Row Survey
says ‑ A good red brick house on the north side, is slightly recessed
from the passageway. It appears to be a house of the early part of the 19th.
century, and to be in good condition. It
is of two principal stories with attics and cellars. Opposite to the above
house is another house which would be a
good dwelling if replanned in the interior, and if its front and rear yards
were cleared of outbuildings.
The deeds of 21,
22, and 23 in this row*4, show that at least from 1883 these were all sold as one conveyance, and
on 12th.August 1871 by Elizabeth
Hawkins to Thomas George Freeman, and then on the 8th December 1880
to P.Bellin, for the sum of 390 pounds.
There was then a pump and well standing
in a
passage to the south of the
premises, all three dwellings being
entitled to take water there. Percy Blair Bellin was a timber merchant,
Anna Bellin, his wife, passed the
dwellings to her daughters, Ethel, Henrietta, and Ada Florence, and
thence they passed to Fred Marsh of Southtown. In 1916,
Fred Marsh was described as a retired jeweller, living at Lisbon House, no. 6, Wellesley Road. He died on the
8th April 1932. In 1934, Herbert Reginald Marsh of
Southerby House, Martham, sold to Cecil
Dudley Rayment of 88 North Denes
Road. Rayment was an estate agent, much
into property dealing, and owned property also on my surgery site at King
Street. The dwellings in row 54 however raised
820 pounds, and was
described as four freehold properties or tenements, in the
yard formerly called "Skullbones Square", and now called Priory Square, nos. 8, 9, 10 and
11 Priory Square, Priory Street
Gorleston, and also the three tenements, nos 21, 22, and 23 row 54. Mr. C. D. Rayment in due course conveyed the row properties on 31 Dec 1949 to Palmers, Gt.
Yarmouth Ltd., for the sum of £300. Cecil Dudley Rayment was then at 14 Marine
Crescent, Gt. Yarmouth.
*1- Palmer
*2- Johnson
*3- Ecclestone
*4- original deeds, G.Sturrock's possessi