43 Broad Street, Oxford

No. 43: Former house

43 Broad Street

No. 43 Broad Street was the nineth house from the right of the group of thirteen houses dating from the first half of the seventeenth century that were demolished to make way for the New Bodleian Library (now the Weston Library) in 1937.

The house was in St Mary Magdalen parish.

In 1772 a survey of every house in the city was taken in consequence of the Mileways Act of 1771. No. 43 was then in the occupation of a Mr Bolton, and its frontage measured 7 yards 1 feet 1 inch.

It was occupied by the Dudley family by 1829. The 1841 census shows George Dennis Dudley, a glazier, listed at No. 43 with his wife Ann and their three adopted daughters (possibly nieces) Elizabeth, Susanna, and Ann Weller, who worked for the family, and a servant. At the time of the 1851 census George (65) and his wife Ann (76 ) lived here with their niece Susanna Weller (26),

At the time of the 1861 census George Dudley was aged 74 and retired but still lived here with wife plus their cook and housemaid.

Mrs Dudley died in 1862 and George Dudley in 1863, and their heirs assigned the lease of this house to Dr Henry Wentworth Dyke Acland who already had Nos. 40/41. At first he let this house out.

Dr Acland bought the freehold of the house from Christ Church in 1866, and continued to let it out, although he incorporated some of the back houses into his own house.

At the time of the 1871 census John Hughes, a university servant, occupied both this house and No. 42 next door with his wife, two children, a monthly nurse, a general servant, and an undergraduate lodger. The 1881 census shows him still here with his family. He was now Keeper of the Sheldonian Theatre opposite, and also ran a lodging house here and at No. 42 next door to 1886.

The Misses Elizabeth and Ann Pullee rented the house from 1887, and the 1891 census shows the two sisters aged respectively 60 and 53 running a lodging house here with a 17-year-old servant girl.

In about 1900 it became a private house again. The 1901 census shows Harold Arthur Prichard (29), a Fellow & Tutor of Trinity College, living here with his wife Mabel and their newborn son and monthly nurse, plus a cook and housemaid. They were still occupying this nine-roomed house at the time of the 1911 census, and now had three children.

The 1921 census shows Norman Whatley (36), Fellow & Tutor of Hertford College, living here with his wife Norah and their two sons, plus two servants.

Occupants of 43 Broad Street listed in directories
1829	Mrs Dudley
1841–1863	George Dennis Dudley, Plumber & glazier
1866–1869	W. C. C. Bramwell, Architect & Surveyor
1871–1886	John Hughes, Keeper of the Sheldonian Theatre
1887–1898	The Misses Pullee (Miss Ann Pullee from 1889) University & Family Lodgings
1899	Mrs Lake, University Lodgings
1900–1911	Harold Arthur Prichard, MA, Lecturer, Trinity College
1912–1914	Revd Frederick Homes Dudden, MA Chaplain, Lecturer in Theology, & Fellow of Lincoln College
1915–1923	Norman Whatley, MA, Fellow, Dean, & Lecturer, Hertford College
1926–1929	Revd Henry Charles Wace, MA, Fellow, Chaplain, & Bursar, Brasenose College
1930	Cyril William Carter, MA University Demonstrator in Biochemistry, Fellow, Praelector in Physiology, Dean, & Magister Puerorum, Queen’s
1932	Rev. Montague Summers, MA
1934–1936	Rev. Frederick Davis Sparks Hedley, BA
This house was demolished with twelve neighbouring houses in 1937 to make room for the New Bodleian Library (now the Weston Library)

See the bound typescript in the Bodleian Library entitled “The Demolished Houses
of Broad Street and the Freeborn Family” (1943), attributed to Emily Sarah Freeborn,
and the webpage by Alan Simpson which reproduces some of the material in it.