Research Forum

Store owned by George Simpson
published by Paul Tregelles on Wed, 08/02/2017 - 16:30

Does anyone have any info re the location and type of store that George Simpson owned in Weston-super-Mare in the 1850's / 1860's. I suspect the store could have been a grocers and may have been located in the High Street or Cambridge Place. Apparantly, the store was a "tiny gloomy shop that you entered by descending 2 steps". On George's death in the mid 1860's the business was taken over by Charles Brown & Edgar Marriage Brown.

Comments ..

Submitted by Pat Hase on Sun, 12/02/2017 - 13:31

Checking for George Simpson on the 1861 census finds him in the High Street as a "Tea Dealer". Comparing the order in which the names appear on the census with a later list of who lived where it does look as if he may have lived next to the Chapel (later Woolworths) in the High Street. Cambridge Place ran immediately alongside the Chapel and when talking to Brian Austin he believes that George SIMPSON's place might have continued in a "L" shape across the back of the Chapel with an access in Cambridge Place. Perhaps it was only that part which could be described as a "tiny gloomy shop"

Submitted by Paul Tregelles on Sun, 12/02/2017 - 19:14

Thanks Pat & Brian. What Brian says does stack up and might lead to the fact that Brown Brothers Store then may have moved to 33 High St before 31.