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Summary:

Original estate: ?Hungerford
Earliest records: <1753
Date of building: Late 18th century
Grade II listed
Commoner's Rights: Yes (frontage 22ft; 2 horses or 4 cows)

Thumbnail History:

From at least the late 18th century, this was a tailor and draper's shop, first in the Lye family, and then the Killick's. W.H. Smith came c.1906, since when it has been a newsagent, Newton's, then Martin's.

Description of property:

From Listed Building records: House, now house and shop. Late 18th century. Tiled roof with wide moulded eaves cornice. Grey brick, timber framed on south. Two storeys. Three glazing bar sashes, centre blocked, modern shop front on ground floor.

Photo Gallery:

18350400 richard lye
18350400 richard lye

A bill for goods bought from Richard Lye, draper, Apri;l 1835.

19120000ca WH Smith
19120000ca WH Smith

Lower High Street, showing W H Smith & Sons at 6 High Street, c1912.

hsl-05
hsl-05

WH Smith & Son, 6 High Street, c1918. [Numbered "154", J Templeman, 83 Broad Street, Stoke-on-Trent]

WH Smith Bookmark-a
WH Smith Bookmark-a

Bookmark from WH Smith c.1950s (kindly loaned by James Hill, Sep 2018)

WH Smith Bookmark-b
WH Smith Bookmark-b

Bookmark from WH Smith c.1950s (reverse side) (kindly loaned by James Hill, Sep 2018).

p1280827
p1280827

Martin's, 6 High Street, Jan 2007

20180820 6 High Street
20180820 6 High Street

W H Smith, 6 High Street, Aug 2018.

LHS-108
LHS-108

Newtons, ("6 & 7 High Street"), c1978.

LHS-139
LHS-139

Benbows, Dewhurst, Seconds and Martin, ?Jan 1987.

20200811 6, 7 and 8 HS
20200811 6, 7 and 8 HS

6,7 & 8 High Street, Aug 2020.

- A bill for goods bought from Richard Lye, draper, April 1835.

- Lower High Street, showing W H Smith & Sons at 6 High Street, c.1912.

- WH Smith & Son, 6 High Street, c1918 [Numbered "154", J Templeman, 83 Broad Street, Stoke-on-Trent]

- Bookmark from WH Smith c.1950s (kindly loaned by James Hill, September 2018).

- Newtons, ("6 & 7 High Street"), c.1978.

- Benbows, Dewhurst, Seconds and Martin, ?January 1987.

- Martin's, 6 High Street, January 2007.

- W H Smith, 6 High Street, August 2018.

- W H Smith, 6, 7 & 8 High Street, August 2020.

Timeline:

1753-61 (QR) Richard Coxhead for house, q.r. 4d.
1774-90 (QR) Richard Coxhead for house, q.r. 4d.

1781 (CL) Robert Lye (sic!)
1792 (UBD) Lye, tailor.
1795-1804 (QR) Richard Coxhead for house, q.r. 4d.
1796 (Berks) Robert Lye, tailor
1805-17 (QR) Richard (?Robert) Lye, for house late Richard Coxhead, q.r. 4d.
1807 (CL) Robert Lye, esq.
1818-23 (QR) Robert Lye, for house late Richard Coxhead, q.r. 4d.
1819 (EA) Burgage plot un-named

1832 (QR) Richard Lye for house late Richard Coxhead's, q.r. 4d.


See also: Jemima Lye and her sampler, 12th September 1834.


1835 (Photo Gallery) A bill for goods bought from Richard Lye, draper, April 1835.
1836 (QR) Richard Lye for house late Richard Coxhead's, q.r. 4d.
1841 (CS) Richard Lye (25), draper
1844 (SD) Richard Lye, Tailor and woollen draper, High Street
1847 (SD) –do-
1847 (CL) Richard Lye, owner and occupant, 6 HS (also owner of 5HS)
1847 (KD) Robert Lye, tailor, draper and halter, High Street. (Richard Lye, stamp distributor, High Street)
1851 (CS) ?Alfred Gore (28), linen draper
1861 (CS) George Skinner (29), draper.
1861 (CL) Miss Lye (owner); Richard Killick (occupant)

1864 (Billings) No Lye; no Skinner; no Gore
Richard Killick, linen and woollen draper, haberdasher, hosier, chemist and druggist, glass and china dealer, vendor of British Wines, agents to Merchants and Tradesmen's and Edinburgh Insurance Companies, High Street.
1869 (PO) Richard Killick, draper and grocer, High Street [no other Killicks]
1871 (CS) Egbert Killick (32).
1877 (KD) Richard Killick & Co., drapers, High Street. [Also another Richard Killick, grocer, High Street]
14.10.1880 (DD) John Breese married Annie Mary Mather
1881 (CS) Egbert Killick (42), draper. Employed 8 hands (4 apprentices, 1 boy)
1896 (CL) Mrs Mather (owner); Horace Thomas Potter (occupant).
1903 (KD) No W.H. Smith entry.
Thomas Homer Killick, High Street – private resident.

1902 (T&M Register) Heir of Richard Lye (owner)

?Date (T&M Register) Mather & Breese (owner)

WH Smith & Sons, c1905-1962:

1908 (T&M Register) WH Smith & Sons (owner & occupier)
1911 (KD) WH Smith & Son, booksellers and stationers, High Street.
1912 (T&M Register) WH Smith & Sons (owner & occupier, Augustus Mills)
1914 (CL) Miss & Mrs Breese Mather (owner); WH Smith & Son (occupant).
1919 (T&M Register) WH Smith & Sons (owner & occupier, W Morris)
1920 (KD) WH Smith & Son, booksellers and stationers, High Street.
1920 (T&M Register) WH Smith & Sons (owner & occupier, Munsen)
30.3.1927 (DD) Lease by Annie Mary Breese and Emma Louise Mather to WH Smith & Son [various names including Viscount Hambledon - ?later "Hambledon Estates").
8.4.1929 (DD) Licence to assign WH Smith & Son to WH. Smith & Son Ltd.
1930 (T&M Register) WH Smith & Sons (owner & occupier, Kessell)
1932 (QR) WH Smith & Sons, for "House formerly R. Coxhead's late Rd Lyes afterwards Miss Ann Lye", q.r. 4d.
1932 (T&M Register) WH Smith & Sons (owner & occupier, A E Border)
1937 (T&M Register) WH Smith & Sons (owner & occupier, R R Aldridge)
20.1.1939 (DD) Conveyance from Mary Elizabeth Brown of Wallasey to WH Smith & Son Ltd. For £875.
29.9.1939 (DD) Leased by Hambledon Estates Ltd to WH Smith & Son Ltd. For 88½ years.
1939 (Blacket's) WH Smith & Son Ltd., stationers and booksellers, (R. Aldridge, manager)
1947 (CL) Robert Reginald Aldridge
1952 (CL) George Henry Norsworthy
1956 (CL) Void

Newtons, 1962-1981:

30.10.1962 (DD) 6 Hig Shteet sold by WH Smith & Son Ltd to John Newton (Brenda Newton and Peter Wyatt)
1963 (CL) John Leonard Newton, newsagents.
1968 (T&M Register) John Leonard Newton (occupier)
1968 (CL) John Leonard Newton, newsagents.
1970 (CL) John Leonard Newton, newsagents. (John Newton bought S. end (7HS) from Cash & Co (Mr Beech, manager), one of a chain of Leicester shoe-shops (in 7HS since at least 1919))
1976 (CL) John Leonard Newton
1978 Newton's – newsagent and stationer

Martin the Newsagent, 1981-2017:

14.9.1981 (DD) John Newton leased 6, 6a and 7 HS to Martin the Newsagent (25 years)
1.11.1983 (DD) Deed of variation, releasing Martin's from the garden of 6 and 6a HS.
1983 (CL) David Edward Gentleman, Martin the Newsagent
1984 (CL) David Edward Gentleman
1985 (CL) David Edward Gentleman, Martin's
1990 (CL) John Waddington
2000 (CL) John Waddington
2005 (CL) Void
2009 Martin's
2011 (CL) Void
2017 April: Martin the Newsagent closed. Shop empty.

WH Smith & Sons, 2017-present:

2017 Oct: WH Smith & Sons re-opened after refurbishment, incoporating 7 High Street.

Key:

BL = Blackett's Directory
CL = Commoners' List
CS = Census
DD = Deeds and documents with John & Brenda Newton (examined June 2007).
EA = Enclosure Award
KD = Kelly's Directory
NH = Norman Hidden
QR = Quit Rent Roll
SD = Slater's Directory
UD = Universal British Directory