4 Cornmarket Street: Starbucks
This shop was rebuilt in 1924. It was in the parish of St Martin's (Carfax) until that church was demolished in 1896, whereafter it was in the parish of St Martin's & All Saints until All Saints Church closed in 1971. It is now in the parish of St Michael-at-the-Northgate. Part of the ground floor of the old and new shop comprised the entrance to the Golden Cross Hotel.
The earlier building here
Part of a medieval inn stood on the site of 3 & 4 Cornmarket Street, but this was divided into two separate houses by 1555. For more on the early history of this inn, see No. 3, where part of the mid-sixteenth-century fabric survives.
This photograph dating from 1907 shows how the former shop at No. 6 to the left used to extend to half-way over the entrance
On 6 October 1827Joseph J. Hemmings announced that he had succeeded to Mrs Knibbs at 4 Cornmarket and had commenced making sausages there. He was still listed as a sausage-maker here in Robson's Commercial Directory for 1839, and his business which survived here until 1881 was later described as an eating house or dining rooms.
By 1889 Pill's Restaurant was on these premises, and on 2 November that year John Pill advertised in Jackson's Oxford Journal that you could get a good dinner here for 10d. or 1s., with tea and coffee at 2d. a cup.
In 1898 John Pill separated from his wife Mary Matilda Pill, and he assigned this business to Mary, looking after another one at 4 Castle Street by himself. On 9 December 1899 Jackson's Oxford Journal reported at length on “The Pill Divorce Case”. Mary Matilda Pill accused her husband John Pill of adultery and various acts of cruelty, and was granted a decree nisi.
- Photograph of around this time giving a glimpse on the left of Pill's Restaurant
George Weeks ran the City Restaurant here from 1909 to 1956. The 1911 census shows three employees living at No. 4: William Roberson Thomas and his wife Anne, the manager and manageress, and Adeline Bown, a waitress.
There was a serious fire here in 1919 (see photograph in the Oxford Journal Illustrated of 19 November that year).
Right: The earlier building at 4 Cornmarket Street in c.1910 with a projecting sign saying “The City Restaurant” and another across the top balcony
Present building
The shop was rebuilt in 1924: see photograph in the Oxford Journal Illustrated of 24 October 1924. George Weeks continued to run the City Restaurant here in the new building until 1956.
In 1956 the shoe retailers Freeman Hardy Willis took over the restaurant and the architect Nadine Beddington made extensive alterations to the shop front and installed a lift and a new staircase. The external walls were faced with marble on the top three floors. Detailed drawings can be seen in the documents attached to the planning application: 56/05192/A_H
Occupants of 4 Cornmarket Street listed in directories etc.Original shop here rebuilt in twentieth century |
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1827–1883 |
Joseph J. Hemmings, Sausage maker/Eating House (later Dining Rooms) |
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1889–1901 |
John Pill, Dining Rooms
(to 1898) |
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1902–1903 |
No listing |
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1904 |
Dudley Jeffery, restaurant |
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1905–1907 |
Henry John Pike, restaurant |
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1909–1956 |
George E. Weeks & Co, City Restaurant (to 1952) |
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1956–1976 |
Freeman, Hardy & Willis, Boot Manufacturers |
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1984 |
Orient Jewel Co Ltd |
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1992–1999 |
Foto Processing |
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2005–c.2015 |
Daniel Clulow, Opticians |
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2015–2017 |
Sunglass Hut |
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2017–2019 |
West Country Pasty Company |
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2020 |
T4 |
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2021–present |
Starbucks (takeaway only) |
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4 Cornmarket Street in the censuses
1841
Joseph Hemmings (40), a cook, lived over the shop with Martha (40), plus Martha (15), Joseph (14), John (12), Hannah (10), William (8), and Esther (3), and four servants (one male and three female). This was the eponymous J. J. Hemmings who had dining rooms on this site by 1839.
1851
Joseph Hemmings junior (24), described as a cook and sausage maker, lived here over his shop with his wife Rebecca (26) and his sister-in-law Mrs Ann Trafford (28). (Their baby son Joseph Purser Hemmings had died here six weeks earlier on 24 February). Also living with them were six servants (a cook, two cook’s porters, two housemaids, and a kitchenmaid.
1861
Joseph Hemmings junior (34), described as a “Sausage maker”, now lived here over the shop with his wife Rebecca (36) and their children William (9), Edwin (4), and Agnes (1). They had two male and two female house servants.
1871
Joseph Hemmings junior (44), described as an eating house keeper & sausage maker, still lived here with his wife Rebecca (40) and his children Rebecca (17), Henry (15), who was an ironmonger's apprentice, and Agnes (10). They had one general servant.
1881
Joseph Hemmings (54), again described as a cook and sausage maker, was still living here with his wife Rebecca (56) and two of their children: Henry (25), who was an ironmonger, and Agnes (2). They now two female servants.
1891
John Pill (44), the keeper of the refreshment house downstairs, lived here with his wife Mary (29), who assisted him the business, and their daughters Mildred (11), Margaret (9), Agnes (6), and Ida (1). Mary's unmarried sister Ellen Preedy (25) and a cousin called Charles Druett also assisted. They had three servants (a housemaid, nurse, and kitchenmaid).
1901
Mary Pill (39), a widowed restaurant keeper, lived here with her daughters Margaret (19) and Agnes (16), who were shop assistants, her son Harold (7), and her niece Maude (24). Also living over the premises were a waitress, kitchenmaid, housemaid, nursemaid, cook, and general servant.
1911
William Robinson Thomas (28), described as chef manager, lived here with his wife Annie (30), described as the restaurant manageress. One waitress lived with them.