ROW ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY THREE ‑ TRENDLE'S ROW
UNION ROW[1]
Trendle's Row, bailiff 1624
Union Row,
1707
Lee the Pawnbroker's Row
Graves the pieman's Row
Spratt the Shoemaker's Row
Bellamy the Baker's Row (Johnson, 1926)
Seago's Row, 1925
(Yallop, 1992)
Row One Hundred and Thirty Three map
From
South Quay to Middlegate Street:
"Visitors
to a town prefer to hunt up relics of the past in out of the way places. This
row provides a happy hunting ground. On the south side close by the covered
way, may be seen a splendid carved doorway with the date 1674, and the
spandrils containing the Yarmouth arms, and the initials J.C.E., of John Cooper
and his wife Elizabeth. The two residences contain some excellent panelling,
oak frames, beams etc."[2] The covered way was part of the Yallop's
house, and the door remained until the war ‑ see below.
“At
the north‑west corner fronting
the quay is a house which in the last century was the property of Jacoba
Watson, and subsequently of J.D.Palmer Esq., who in 1809 sold it to Isaac Lee,
a merchant of Jewish persuasion. It is now a public house called the "Bell
and Crown". It stands on the site of a house, which in the 17th.century,
was the property of John Trendle, Bailiff in 1624, who took a leading part in
municipal affairs. On the outbreak of civil war he contributed plate to the
value of 21 pounds in support of Parliament, and in 1652 gave 5 pounds to the
children's hospital. In row 133 lived a
family named Neale, and in 1825 Mary Neal and Susan and William Neal (Palmer
gives these different spellings), were tried at the sessions for attempting to poison William Hales, a cordwainer, and
his family. The prisoners were all found guilty, and judgement of death was
recorded against them. William Hales, after the verdict confessed that he put
arsenic in the boiler in which the family dinner was being cooked. No death
resulted and the sentence was commuted.
On
the south side of this row fronting the quay, was an old house which was
probably built in 1580, and was divided prior to
1870, into two residences, nos.46 and 47, as the date appeared on an old piece
of grotesque carving inserted in the north gable. The front entrance was
through a porch having a bench on each side, and by a large door panelled and
studded with nails, having a smaller door cut through it, leading to an inner
paved court, behind which was another court communicating with the row. To the
north of the entrance was the parlour, panelled in wainscot, with a carved
chimney-piece reaching from floor to ceiling. The principal room was on the
first floor, having three windows looking upon the quay. At the south end an
elaborately carved chimney-piece projected into the room. This apartment was
lined with wainscot in panels in the usual Elizabethan style. In 1870, the
panels remained, but the chimney-piece had been removed. The ceiling was divided into compartments by
mouldings, in which were various devices. One represented Noah's Ark with the
dove returning with the olive branch. Another had the figure of Neptune
bestriding a sea horse. The beam running across the ceiling was powdered with
fleurs‑de‑lys, and numerous masks of the human face adorned the
sides. Another room on the same floor having two windows looking upon the quay
was also panelled, had a handsome chimney‑piece, and there was a small
room over the row. On the south front facing the courtyard some ornamental
ironwork could be seen, and many old windows traced in the building which had
been much mutilated and altered in adapting it for the purposes of two
residences. A carved doorway served as a back entrance. It was square headed,
and the date in the centre was 1674. In one spandril was a shield with the arms
of Yarmouth, and in the other, a shield with the letters J C E, the initials of
John Cooper and Elizabeth his wife. Upon the marriage of John Cooper their
grandson with Mary Simpson in 1727 this house was brought into settlement. He
died in 1753 aged 52, and his widow died in 1790 at the age of 90, when this
fine old house passed from the Cooper family, the male line of which became
extinct. In the early part of the 19th
century, this house was occupied by Miss Hunter as a ladies boarding school. A
large garrett converted into attic chambers extended along the whole front of
the house showing the substantial manner in which houses were built in those
days.”[3]
In 1890,
the figure head of a vessel was removed from Mr.Newson's house[4] in this row to the Tolhouse. The figure
head was from a vessel dated 1605, and
had been on the west gable of the house. The figure head can still be seen on
the east face of the tolhouse in 1992.
Edwin
George Wilding was born May 9th. 1917 in the Old Kent Road in London, his elder
sister died, and his mother then had twins born in 1921. The family decided to
move to Yarmouth to live with mother's parents, the Colman family, at no.4, Row
133. Edwin's father was a docker in London, as was his father before him. They
arrived in Yarmouth in thick snow, and Edwin remembers seeing a large painting
of Cromwell hanging in the Cromwell Hotel as they passed it. George Colman was
a fish curer, but he came out of the first world war with rheumatism, his own
business folded, and he went to work at Woodger's in the same trade (On the
Quay, south of the South Star). The
Wildings acquired a tea stall underneath the revolving tower.
In
the twenties, Botwright's shop, selling seamen's clothing, was at the
Middlegate end, at no.128 Middlegate. Coming down the row from that end there
was a little yard on the north side, and then no.2, where Robert Holmes, who
had the barbers shop in Middlegate. Holmes was a tall smart man in his
thirties, whose parents lived with him.
At no.3 was Mr.Lacey, although the directory shows Frederick
Briggs. The Colmans stayed at no.4
until 1931, and then an aunt moved in when Colman died, and the Wildings moved.
Jay was a policeman.
Edwin
Wilding attended St.Peter's School, and at that
time any pupil who attended, did not move from the bottom class until he could
read and write, however long that might take. Mr. and Mrs.Day were head
teachers.[5] The house at no.4 had a single room on the
ground floor, a very square room that had a door at the rear into an outhouse.
In there was the copper, and the toilet was down the back of the yard. This was
not shared with any other dwellings,
but there was a common passage leading into the next row (132). Mrs Clark had
the house down the passage on the east side. Above the main room were two
stories, with two bedrooms on each, except that one on the second floor had
been subdivided into two again. Parents and grandparents slept in the two first
floor bedrooms, and the children on the second floor.
At
no.5 was John Cator; the Cators were really poor and out of work, on public
assistance. William Moore was at no.6, and is still alive today, being in his
90's. He was a drifterman, and later worked at Lacons brewery. He had a wife
and daughters. Arthur Emms was
previously called Weekley, but changed his name. He worked for the council. He
had a daughter and son surnamed Weekley, and a daughter and 2 sons called Emms.
They all lived at no.7. Leonard
Metherell was at no 8, and John Purdy at no.9. Purdy had three daughters, who
attended Nelson School in St.Peter's Road. In those days writing was done on a
slate with chalk pencil. At no.10 was
Edward Moore, and at no 13, Ernest Brown, a "little short man" in a
very small house. At the front of no.7
was a small yard, and there was a scullery in the yard.
The
next three houses likewise had sculleries at the front with a yard each. After
that was to be found a larger yard called "Hastings Yard", and here
were three dwellings. In one of these lived "big dog" Ginger Blyth,
who had a son, also called Ginger. Also in the yard was Mrs.Hastings, who lived
in the smallest of the dwelling, the one on the right (east). At the end of the
yard was a pub, Joe Palfreman and Mrs.East kept this, and later Billy Dennis
the Yarmouth footballer kept it. This was at the end of the row facing the
quay, but the side door was into the row. This was formerly Jacoba Watsons, and
then J.D.Palmer's. (No.46 South Quay)
In
Hasting's Yard there was, in the centre house, a man called Cockerill, who had
lost his sight but could split wood on a block with a small axe into kindling,
which was sold in several local shops. Cyril Yallop often went to Jewsons for
him, who let him have a large bag of timber, as big as the young lad could
carry.
Coming
back down the south side of the row, there was the house of George Yallop,
whose grandson ran the unemployment exchange at one time. There was then a
passage through an archway, which led to the back doors of two ancient houses facing the quay, nos.48 and 49 South
Quay. These houses had been built in 1580. Mr Howes lived at no 15 in the row,
on the edge of the passage. Seago and sons had the yard and bought and sold
scrap, and the young boys used to collect scrap brass like door-knobs, and sell
them for cash to spend at the Yarmouth spring fair. Cyril Yallop was born on 20th.July 1916, at Priory Plain, and his
father George moved the family to Row 133 because it was a bigger house. George
Yallop was a butcher, and worked for Bellamy of 61 King Street, which is now
Thompson's newsagent and general store on the south‑east corner of
St.Peter's Road. George Yallop was actually a slaughterman, and worked for
Bellamy at the slaughter house in Middlemarket Road. Later he was a docker,
working on the South Quay.
Cyril Yallop’s
apprenticeship Indenture
Seago's
used at that time to ship scrap metal to Germany from their yard on Queen's
Road, trading there as Harrisons. Inside
their row premises, Seago's had a loft in which they kept bales of rags, hauled
up from the row on a crane and pulley. In their yard were piles of sorted
metal, including a tub of brass items. The yard was kept by "Big Sid"
Seago, and "Little Sid" Seago.
On Sundays Big Sid and George Yallop went for a walk around the
harbour's mouth. George had married
Florence Chilvers, who came from Salford, whereas George was a local. His
father had lived at Filby. George and Florence had three sons, George, Charles,
and Cyril. Cyril married Kate Florence
Jacobs, whose father kept the coffee stall at the foot of the bridge. The stall
has gone, but there is a snack and tea caravan at the south-west corner. Ernie
Jacobs was there for many years. There was also a fruit stall there then. Cyril
went first to the Nelson school, but then was at the Greenacre school on the
first day it opened, when Collett was headmaster, and Bailey and Wateran were
also teachers there.
The
Yallop's house was the first house into the row behind the old house at the
south‑west corner. It had once been the servant's quarters of that old
house. Moore the tailor was in the old house on the corner, and had his
workshop in the old cellar there. The next house south on the quay was
Mr.Archer's, which had once been divided off also. He built a smoke house in
the back of his yard, but Mrs.Yallop complained at the town hall, and he was
obliged to stop. The back way from
these old buildings came out behind the Yallop's premises through an ancient
carved oak doorway into the row. There was a smaller door let into the large
one. At no.15 was Fred Howes, who had
two sons, and a daughter, Johnnie was one son. Next along was Edwin George and
Mrs Howard. Mrs Howard one day was sitting on the second floor window ledge,
cleaning her windows, and fell off into the row below. She split her head open,
and Sid Seago and George Yallop got her to the hospital. It seems miraculous
that she should survive.
On
Mrs.Howard's wall there was the gas lamp to light the row. One of Mrs Howard's
children later went to live in "China Town", which was the nick‑name
for the Byron Road area. Further east,
adjoining, was Norman's Yard. Here the entrance was down a step, under a sail
loft. In the yard were seven houses. No 7, that of Robert Potter and family,
was at the West end of the yard, and partly faced Middlegate. From Mr. Artis'
house to the Jackman's was a terrace of houses, There were tiled steps at the
front of these houses, which faced into the row, and there was paving along the
front, but no railings. These were two storey houses, built at the end of the
19th century. A small Passage led through in the middle of the terrace to the
back doors. The ground floor of the Yallop's house was comprised almost
entirely of one room, a large kitchen that took ten rolls of paper to
redecorate it. It had a high central oak beam that was too hard to get a nail
into. There was a copper and sink, and a small ground floor "front"
room. There was a yard and outside privy. Upstairs, the house straddled the row[6]
with a passageway, where there were windows that looked, one right down the
row, and another right up the row. Off
the beginning of this passage there were
two flights of stairs that originally ran into the old houses on South
Quay. Off the passage there was a long cupboard in which Cyril and Charles
would sleep when their mother took in the summer visitors, or the Scots fisher
girls. In mother's own bedroom was room for two large beds, and up another
flight of stairs were two more bedrooms, one with room for one bed, where there
were ship's beams in the ceiling. In the other bedroom where the boys normally
slept, there was room for three beds. If the house was really full then the
parents would sleep downstairs in the front room.
When
the fisher girls stayed, they would bring in their own food, and mother would
then cook it for them. First task every morning was to sweep and dust
throughout, and wash down the stone steps. The floors were covered in piece
mats, made by the lifeship men, from the backs of Tate and Lyle sugar bags to
which other material had been sewn on top. They were extremely durable. The
brass doorknocker was cleaned every day.
In the twenties there were just the paraffin lamps and candles for light
before the gas was laid on.
The Occupants, Row 133, 1886
(from Middlegate Street to South Quay)
Gibbs, J., smacksman
Symonds, Mrs.
Rackham, J.O., boot maker
Hannant, J., bricklayer
Mather, J., labourer
Barber, Mrs.C.
Carver, J., basket maker
Church, J., cab driver
Woodcock, J., mariner
Olley, Mrs.s.
Hansworth, W.
Watts, R., marine store dealer
James, J., ship carpenter
Elliott, J., fisherman
Brooks, R.
Newson, B., carpenter
Goodram, J.
Cole, S., oil dealer
Riches, J., labourer
Barrett, J., labourer
Hewson, Mrs.E.
Hogg, J., twinespinner
King, C.
Church, J.
Johnson, J., baker
Lawson, J.
The Occupants, Row 133, 1913
(from Middlegate Street to South Quay)
north side
2. Lacey Mrs
3. Simnett, Sidney Valentine
4. Coleman, George
5. Lewis, Benjamin
6. Skoynes, Mrs
7. Atteridge, George
8. Chatten, Frederick William
9. Burwood, Henry Charles
10. Mitchell, William
Bezance, James, coal dealer
11. Green Mrs
12. Angel, Joseph
13. Watson, Walter George
south side
14. Olley, William
15. Skinner, Mrs
Seago, Percy H., marine
store dealer
16. Howard, Edward George
Norman's Yard
1. Colson, Charles
2. North, Henry George
3. Bond, Aaaron
4. Brown, Mrs
5. Blyth, Mrs
6. Moy, Walter
7. Purdy, John
(main row continued-)
19. Hunt, Mrs
20. Hennison, Ernest James
21. George, Herbert
22. Blogg, William Herbert
23. Jackman, Arthur Charles
24. Bayley, Mrs.
The Occupants, Row 133, 1927
(from Middlegate Street to South Quay)
north side
2.Holmes, Robert
3. Briggs, Frederick David
4. Colman, George
5. Cator, John Ernest
6. Moore, William
7. Emms, Arthur
8. Metherell, Leonard
9. Purdy, John
10. Moore, Edward
13. Brown, Ernest
south side
14. Yallop, George
15. Howes, Frederick
Seago, Percy H., marine store
dealers
16. Howard, Edward George
Norman's Yard
2. Hambling, Mrs
3. Piller, William
4. Storey, Harry Alfred
5. Kittle, Samuel Arthur
7. Potter, Robert
(main row continued-)
19. Artis, William
20. Hennison, Ernest James
21. George, Herbert
22. Blogg, Mrs
23. Jackman, Arthur Charles
24. Bayley, Mrs.
The Occupants, Row 133, 1936
(from Middlegate Street to South Quay)
north side
2. Holmes, Mrs. C.
3. Briggs, Frederick David
4. Jay, Thomas
5. Pitts, George
6. Long, Mrs
7. Cox, Bert
8. Trett, Mrs
9. Purdy, John
10. Moore, Edward
13. Hopwood, Herbert
south side
14. Yallop, George
15. Howes, Frederick
16. Howard, Edward George
17. Hewitt, George
Norman's Yard
1. Harvey, Arthur
2. Hambling, Mrs
3. Barwick, Frederick, William
4. Storey, Harry, Alfred
5. Gowen, Howard
6. Dyble, Charles, Jun.
7. Teasdel, John William
(main row continued-)
19. Artis, William
20. Pearce, Richard,Harold
21. George, Herbert
22. Blogg, Mrs
23. Jackman, Arthur Charles
24. Giles, Ernest