66 & 67 Holywell Street were demolished by New College during the construction of their library in 1939. This replacement building links the college's properties at No. 65 to the west and No. 68 to the east, and as it was built as part of the college behind, it has no doors on to Holywell Street.
The earlier building on this site
Right: This detail from a painting by William Matthison shows how small the shop that stood on this site was at the beginning of the twentieth century: it is the low two-storey building near the right.
The shop was numbered 66 and 67 Holywell Street, and comprised a shop facing the road with a dwelling house behind.
From at least 1830 to 1916 this was a baker's shop, which included a bake-house and ovens.
On 8 December 1860 Joseph King advertised his “machine-made real pure country bread”, where the machine “entirely kneads the dough, and prevents the hand from coming in contact with the staff of life”.
An auction advertised in Jackson’s Oxford Journal for 26 June 1869 described No. 67 thus:
Lot 3. — The LEASEHOLD BAKER’S SHOP and PREMISES, no. 67 Holywell-street, in the occupation of Mr. Joseph King, containing cellars in the basement, shop with modern front, bake-house, with two ovens, pump, two flour rooms, having store rooms over, with a Dwelling House at the back in the occupation of M. Patey, containing two sitting rooms, kitchen, and pantry on the ground floor, four bed rooms on the first floor, and attics above, together with large Garden, stabling for three horses, piggeries, large yard, &c. &c. Land Tax, 1l. 7s. 6d.
N.B. This lot is held by lease under Merton College, Oxford, for a term of 40 years from the 11th day of October, 1854.
Another notice advertising a forthcoming auction appeared in Jackson's Oxford Journal on 7 April 1877:
66 & 67, Holywell Street, Oxford.
VALUALBE LEASEHOLD PREMISES; consisting of a Baker's and Confectioner's Shop & Premises, with Bake-house and Ovens, Store Rooms, Stabling, &c., and a convenient Private Dwelling House, with Garden, &c....
The Baker’s Premises comprise a front shop, a bake-house with two good ovens, large room over shop and four store rooms and lofts, and pump of excellent water.
The Dwelling House contains 2 sitting rooms, kitchen, larder, w.c., four bed rooms, two attics, force pump, &c., yard, small garden, wash-house, three-stall stable, 2 pigsties, &c., &c..
The property is held by lease under Merton College for a term of 40 years, from October 10, 1854, at an annual Quit Rent of 8d. Land Tax, £1 17s. 6d.
The premises are let at the annual rent of £65.
The shop was demolished in the early 1950s and rebuilt as New College accommodation (Planning Application 51/01714/A_H)
The former 66 & 67 Holywell Street in the censuses
1841
The 1841 census for Holywell does not give house numbers, but it is possible to deduce where people listed that year lived by examining directory entries between 1839 and 1842 and later censuses
William Broadwater (40), a baker, lived here with Sarah (50) and William (15), who was also a baker. They had two male and one female servants.
1851
William Broadwater (25), a master baker employing three men, still lived here with his wife Sarah (22) and three baker servants and a house servant.
1861
Joseph King (27), a baker employing two men and one boy, lived at “66 & 67” with his wife Harriet (26) and his children William (2) and Mary (seven months). A baker’s man also lives with them, and they have three servants: a baker’s boy of 15, and two female house servants aged 15 and 17.
1871
Richard Ward (37), a draper's accountant, lived here with his wife Elizabeth (36) and their children Richard (8), Percival (6), and Gertrude (1). They had two domestic servants.
1881
Richard Staley (40), a baker and flour dealer, lived at the “Baker’s Shop, 66 & 67 Holywell” with his wife Mary (4) and his children Mary (12), Louisa (10), Mabel (9), Adelaide (8), Beatrice (6), and Richard (4). The family had one general servant.
1891
The premises are described as an unoccupied baker's shop.
1901, 1911, 1921
No listing: probably just shop premises.
Occupants of the former 66 & 67 Holywell Street listed in directories etc. |
|
1772 |
Mr Taylor |
1830–1860 |
William John Broadwater, Baker (Stanton listed at No. 67 in 1851 census) |
1860–1872 |
Joseph King, baker with Richard Ward |
1875–1876 |
William B. Huggins, baker & grocer with Richard Ward |
1881 census |
Richard Staley |
1884–1889 |
George Newman |
1894–1899 |
Frederick Baker, Baker + Mrs Eliza Wicking, grocer in 1894–1896 only |
1905–1914 |
George Henry Cooper |
1916 |
Mrs Mary Skelcher |
1921 |
Taplin & Sons |
1926–1927 |
Miss Carré |
1928 |
No listing |
1930–1938 |
Regent J. Bartlett |
1940–1976 |
No listing |
Today |
Part of New College |