Families with Entrepreneurs

Research by Joan West up to 2017 a.d.

RETAIL OUTLETS in Lacey Green and Loosley Row from 1775

As the villages of Loosley Row and Lacey Green developed the people who were ambitious formed their own businesses, putting all their efforts into them to make them successful --- the "Movers & Shakers".

GROCERS

In the last 220 years the census gives a number of grocers.  They are from enterprising families which all feature as “movers and shakers”, the people who improved the villages. These groceries were mostly general stores, supplying the needs of the community. TEA the only import specially mentioned in 1901.  By 1990 the supermarket Tesco had opened in Princes Risborough, by which time most people had their own transport and the village store seemed doomed.

I775 GENERAL STORE

In 1775 Thomas Dell set up shop as a baker and shopkeeper at Vine Cottage Lacey Green (no 1 on map) & (no 1 on map) At least from 1821 to 1836 his grandson John with his wife Betsy ran the shop as a grocer and beerseller.                                                                                                                                                         1841 GENERAL STORE

In 1841 Jesse Ward opened shop in Lower Road, Loosley Row.  He was a carpenter making coffins and other general woodwork. He added a grocery shop and soon started the 1^st Post Office (no 1 on map),& (no 2 on map), & (no 1 on map). The business passed down to his son, Alfred Ward, then his grand-daughter, Mary Ann (Polly) Ward. She married in 1914 to Henry Allen and then the Post Master’s title went into her husband’s name. Henry added to the stock, displaying watches all ticking away showing the time. He also sold second-hand books for 1p or so.  This business closed in 1945.

1841 GENERAL STORE

In the census of 1841, Jacob and Rebekah Dell are listed as shopkeepers at Darvills Hill. It may have been a grocery   (no 3 on map).  1851 & 1861 census Jacob and Rebecca are shopkeepers in Lacey Green at “Lieu de Repos”, later called “Highlands”, now “Ardengrove”.   They smoked herrings (kippers) there, reportedly making a very fishy smell (no 4 on map).

1861 GENERAL STORE

In 1861 Joseph and Jane Floyd started a grocery store in Church Lane, Lacey Green, on rented land (no 5 on map).   1869 the shop was purchased by Jabez Dell, who had married Sarah Jane Floyd, their daughter.   In 1901 Sarah Jane Dell, now a widow, aged 70 is listed there as a grocer and tea trader.   The shop closed in 1901.                                                                                 1864 GENERAL STORE

In 1864 Henry Janes built a shop in Lower Road, Loosley Row.  He was a baker (no 2 on map) and sold groceries, (no 6 on map) even though the Ward’s shop was just along the road.  In 1881 he let the shop to Thomas Harvey, a grocer from High Wycombe.  Henry Janes left the property to his daughter Annie, who was married to George Floyd.   They moved in, adding many more services.   George kept pigs.  Annie cured the hams and bacon which were sold in the shop.  George also started a coal round, collecting coal from Searl’s, near Saunderton railway station.  Emily, one of their daughters eventually took over.  She had married Arthur Harvey in 1930 and he joined the business.  When George Floyd died it became known as “A W Harvey’s”. In 1945 they took over the Post Office (no 2 on map) transferred from Henry Allen.   Fresh fish was now brought from Wycombe on Fridays and parcels taken and collected from Princes Risborough station.  They had an agency for seeds from a company in Thame, and in December displayed Christmas decorations.  Emily and Arthur had one daughter Edna, she helped her mother run the shop, her father and husband running other services.  After her mother died she carried on alone until 1970 when she closed the shop for good.

1891 GENERAL STORE

In the census of both 1891 and 1901, William and Ruth Anderson had a grocers shop in Loosley Row (no 7 on map)  the last property on the left before the left hand bend going down Woodway.   William had a small farm, his shop specialised in his chicken and fish.

1891 GENERAL STORE

In the 1891 Census Ellen Brown, widow is listed as a grocer and shopkeeper at No.1 Belle Vue, Lacey Green (no 8 on map)   In 1901 no longer a grocery but continued as a sweet shop both by Ellen then her daughter Minnie

1911 GENERAL STORE

In the 1911 census.  Herbert & Alice Witney, grocers shop on Woodway (no 9 on map), where Eli Dormer’s beerhouse had been (the other half of where William & Ruth Anderson had been (still has a thatched roof 2017)                                                                                                                                                          1924 GENERAL STORE

In 1924 Harold G Hickman built Wembley Cottage in Main Road, Lacey Green and started a grocery store (no 10 on map). He was the first and only one to sell petrol. He died in 1946 leaving it to his wife Emma.  In 1964 she left it to Bert Ralph George Dell, their nephew, who was already its occupier.  Bert & his wife May retired in 1986, selling the shop to Thomas and Barbara June Norris from Gerrards Cross. They sold it to Derek and Maureen Woodbridge, newspapers and wine were added to the stock.   About 1995 it was closed as grocers shop.                                                                                                                                                                   1934-50.  At some time during these years, Arthur Lacey (Toey) from Downley area open a small grocery at The Crooked Chimney, just up the road from Hickmans Stores (no 11 on map). Run by his wife, it didn’t stock much, mainly sweets and tobacco, but Toey did cook fish and chips on Friday evenings.                                                                                                                                                                       1934-1997  John (Jack) Lawrence at Hill Croft, Loosley Hill started a round selling milk and eggs from his small farm in 1934. Soon it was a comprehensive shop with  grocery, hardware and his eggs and milk with a delivery round (no 12 on map).  In 1952 Jack took over the Post Office from Arthur Harvey (no 3 on map)  It was reduced in size about 1963, but retained the Post Office and was then run by his daughter Mary who closed it in 1997.                                                                   2009.  In 2009 after prolonged negotiations a Community Stores (no 13 on map) was opened in the Village Hall, Lacey Green, staffed by volunteers, to join a weekly sub-post office recently opened there (no 4 on map)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  1862-1871  At some point during these years Albert Joseph Floyd had a butchers Shop (no 1 on map) at Wayside Cottage Main Road, (since demolished and rebuilt),next to Belle Vue Cottages.  Wayside Cottage was later occupied by a Mr Tilbury, baker.d

Bakery 1864 Henry Janes built a bakery in Loosley Row (no 2 on map) and then 1881-1959 the Census gives Henry Janes, baker, in the new bakehouse he has built in Lacey Green on the corner of Main Road and Goodacres (no 3 on map)   This business flourished through three generations. Henry, his son Hezekiah, then grandson Sidney.  Sidney is remembered for his bread, baked longer if it was liked crusty, even to the point of black if that was the request.  His wonderful “lardy cakes” oozing with fat and dried fruit.  He had a delivery round using a pony and trap, gave jobs to schoolboys to deliver by bicycle with a big basket on the front and much later got himself a scooter.   Not many cottages had ovens and he would roast meat for people for special occasions, especially popular at Christmastime.  He also delivered chicken feed (no 1 on map) and flour.  He sold up in 1959, moved to Flowers Bottom where he continued to sell animal feeds (no 2 on map)

1959-1976 The bakehouse continued in the                                                                                             hands of a Mr Houghton who didn’t sell bread but turned it into a tea rooms.  Probably the only tea rooms here.                                                                                        Haberdashery 1950-1970  For some time during these years Mrs Belcher ran a haberdashery at “The Crooked Chimney” (no 1 on map) Main Road, Lacey Green, specialising in knitting wools.  Bert, at Hickmans Stores bought her stock when she retired.   The general stores also stocked some of these goods

  Footware was extremely important at a time when most people travelled on foot.  A light boot was the normal wear for most women and girls, while the men and boys needed stouter ware.  In 1851 there were 7 shoemakers in Lacey Green alone.  William Floyd was one with nephew Benjamin Hawes (no 1 on map) three of them were Jessy Hawes & his two sons Moses and Jesse Jnr (nos 2,3 & 4 on map)  The other two were Peter and Dan Floyd (nos 4 & 5 on map).  They made and sold their wares from home.  Dan Floyd had a shop for many years in two of the 3 original cottages that comprised Wimble End, Church lane, Lacey Green, where he made and repaired boots. Jessy Hawes Jnr. was the only bootmaker remaining by 1911.

   Buildings and wooden goods  The 1841 census at Loosley Row lists Jesse Ward with a carpenters shop, making coffins and other wood work as required. (no 1 on map)   The Ward family were famous carpenters, mostly living in Speen, but did much work here building big wooden barns on the farms.   Most people built their own houses at that time.  There was still a brick kiln (no 2 on map) in Kiln Lane, Lacey Green, and flint could be collected or purchased and there was a sawmill on the road to Hampden for their wood requirements.   Not until the1911 census is there a builder listed, at Darvills Hill (no 3 on map) But by then 7 bricklayers and 3 carpenters are in business in Lacey Green, coffins being a considerable part of the latter’s trade. There are 3 chairmakers working at home, although they could also sell their production at High Wycombe.   By 1950 people no longer built their homes and numerous building enterprises had sprung up in the villages, employing the bricklayers and carpenters.

  Blacksmiths and ironfounders    Before the inclosures In 1823 there was  already a blacksmith’s shop in Church Lane in Lacey Green, built by a John Redrup of Hampden, adjacent to the three cottages which later became Wimble end (no 1 on map)                                                                                                             Another blacksmith’s shop was at Loosley Row before 1823, then rented from The Manor by Joseph Tomkins. In 1840 this tenancy was passed to John Gomme, who was already occupying it from Tomkins (no 2 on map). John Gomme developed this into a foundry.  In 1978 the showroom was enlarged into a shop.  He took out a mortgage to buy it in 1843. It is still run by the same family in 2017. In 1871 & 1881 a blacksmith named Thomas Randell is living next to the foundry maybe continuing the blacksmithing side of Gomme’s enterprise.

                                                                                                     There had for many years been a smithy at Flowers Bottom at times actually owned by the landlords of the adjacent Old Plow, (the Plough) pub (no 3 on map)  From the census 1851 Simeon Balwin is the blacksmith there until his death in 1900.

   Wheelwrights.   There were wheelwrights in Lacey Green in the 18^th centuary, it is  possible they were in what was to become the blacksmiths shop at Flowers Botttom (no 1 on map)                                                                                   The  Loosley Row wheelwrights were William Tomkins, born in 1778 and two sons, Thomas and Moses, born 1817 & 1820 (no 2 on map)                                                                                                                                    Edward Ernest Anderson was wheelwright at Darvill’s Hill in the 1891 and 1901 census (no 3 on map)