Wilkes' Alley

by Steve Goodchild
Wilkes Alley plan 1884
Wilkes Alley plan 1884Click Image
 to Expand

A victim of 1960’s redevelopment, Wilkes’s alley originally ran from the High St to the riverside. Most of it disappeared when the Hanover Court flats were built on Back of Avon. All that is left is a short section from the High Street through the front buildings to a car park. It now turns to the left through the cars to join up with the remnant of another alley and meets the Back of Avon beside Calico House 

Charles Wilkes, tinsmith and brazier, took the front house (now Zitto e Mangia) in the first years of the nineteenth century, and until 1897, when Caleb became insolvent the Wilkes family ran an ironmonger’s shop there. In later years, it became a grocer’s and then a clothes shop.

The alley was unusual in having had cottages on both sides, which meant that the dozen or so recorded there in 1900 were not quite as cheek-by-jowl as elsewhere, but they were still small and insanitary. Tewkesbury’s first cholera case was here, in the 1831 epidemic. Concern with the water supply was a recurring problem until efforts at clearing and deepening wells were at last abandoned in about 1890, and a piped water supply brought in. Only one alley house remains, and this is a substantial brick house, now housing a dry cleaners. This was not a labourer’s house.

Wilkes Alley plan 2017
Wilkes Alley plan 2017Click Image
 to Expand

The alley is remarkable, even for Tewkesbury, for the variety of the life it saw. The people who lived in it saw triumph and tragedy, but much more of the latter.

In 1814, Tewkesbury celebrated victory over France by hanging an effigy of Napoleon on a gallows opposite the Black Bear and crowning Mr Lemes, a needle-maker from Wilkes Alley, as the eighteenth King of France. They cheered him back down the High Street to the Town Hall. He was King Lemes for the rest of his life.

There were sadder things. In 1856, Mary Yarnell, the young wife of chair-maker Henry, was charged with murdering their four month old daughter Diana. The child was starved to death. She was found not guilty, by reason of insanity. In 1916 another alley resident, Annie Taylor, was acquitted of murder in quite different circumstances. She was a single woman living alone. When she became pregnant, she told no-one and not knowing what to expect didn’t call for any help at the birth. She passed out, and when she recovered the baby was dead. He was found in the Swilgate. 

Drunkenness was an occasional crime. In 1882, John Spencer hit the headlines (and a constable) despite being an abstainer. He was fined 5s, and promised to re-join the teetotal ‘White Ribbon Army’. 

In 1913, three fourteen year olds pleaded guilty to stealing all the daffodils from Mrs Ruddle’s garden on the Mythe. Sentence was delayed for a week to allow their fathers to thrash them. A few years later, Thomas Lockhart, 14, was fined 2s 6d for playing pitch and toss (a gambling game).

Wars took their toll on this small community. Corporal Coopey was gassed in 1915. Gunner Arthur Pitman was gassed in 1917. His brother, Sergeant Joseph Pitman was awarded the Military Medal for heroism in the Middle East. Much later, in 1944, Corporal Bernard Burford, son of Ben, once landlord of the Coach and Horses in Quay Street, was wounded in action in France.

There was no clearance in Wilkes Alley, save the demolition of cottages for washhouses and toilets. The alley survived intact until about 1965, when the buildings and footway were all swept away, to leave just a little remnant. 

Census Data 1841-1891

1841
High Street, West Side, Wilkes Alley
1841-a41021
Thomas Barnes; Head; ; Male; 40; Waterman; ;y
Mary Barnes; ; ; Female; 38; ; ;n
Emma Barnes; ; ; Female; 6; ; ;y
Harriet Barnes; ; ; Female; 2; ; ;y
Matilda Barnes; ; ; Female; 15; ; ;y
Reuben Barnes; ; ; Male; 13; ; ;y
1841
High Street, West Side, Wilkes Alley
1841-a41022
Joseph Broadwell; Head; ; Male; 30; Waterman; ;y
Harriet Broadwell; ; ; Female; 10; ; ;y
John Broadwell; ; ; Male; 3; ; ;y
Joseph Broadwell; ; ; Male; 8; ; ;y
William Broadwell; ; ; Male; 6; ; ;y
Hannah Evans; ; ; Female; 18; Lace Mender; ;n
1841
High Street, West Side, Wilkes Alley
1841-a41023
John Price; Head; ; Male; 30; Baker; ;n
Jane Price; ?wife; ; Female; 25; ; ;y
Christopher Price; ; ; Male; 2; ; ;y
Sarah Price; ; ; Female; 1; ; ;y
1841
High Street, West Side, Wilkes Alley
1841-a41024
Charles Halling;head ; ; Male; 38; Waterman; ;y
Mary Halling;?wife ; ; Female; 38; ; ;y
Ann Halling; ; ; Female; 8; ; ;y
Charles Halling; ; ; Male; 16; ; ;y
Ellen Halling; ; ; Female; 6; ; ;y
George Halling; ; ; Male; 1; ; ;y
Mary Halling; ; ; Female; 10; ; ;y
1841
High Street, West Side, Wilkes Alley
1841-a41025
John Barnard; Head; ; Male; 30; Labourer; ;y
1841
High Street, West Side, Wilkes Alley
1841-a41026
Betty Woodhouse; Head; ; Female; 67; Stocking Maker; ;y
1841
High Street, West Side, Wilkes Alley
1841-a41027
James Woodward; Head; ; Male; 35; Watchman; ;y
Mary Woodward; ?wife; ; Female; 32; ; ;y
1841
High Street, West Side, Wilkes Alley
1841-a41028
George Rice; Head; ; Male; 26; Waterman; ;y
1841
High Street, West Side, Wilkes Alley
1841-a41029
William Corfield; Head; ; Male; 45; Coaldealer; ;n
Thomas Watson; ; ; Male; 28; Boatman; ;n
1841
High Street, West Side, Wilkes Alley
1841-a41030
John Shakespeare; Head; ; Male; 40; Labourer; ;y
Frances Shakespeare; ?wife; ; Female; 40; ; ;y
Sarah Shakespeare; ; ; Female; 11; ; ;y
1841
High Street, West Side, Wilkes Alley
1841-a41031
William Lacey; Head; ; Male; 45; Stocking Maker; ;n
1841
High Street, West Side, Wilkes Alley
1841-a41032
William Cull; Head; ; Male; 31; Waterman; ;y
Emma Cull; ?wife; ; Female; 28; ; ;y
Eliza Cull; ; ; Female; 2; ; ;y
1841
High Street, West Side, Wilkes Alley
1841-a41033
John Hale; Head; ; Male; 60; Stocking Maker; ;y
Elizabeth Hale; ?wife; ; Female; 60; ; ;y
Caroline Hale; ; ; Female; 20; Stocking Maker; ;y
James Hale; ; ; Male; 30; Stocking Maker; ;y
Jesse Hale; ; ; Male; 40; Stocking Maker; ;y
Maria Hale; ; ; Female; 20; Stocking Maker; ;y
1841
High Street, West Side, Wilkes Alley
1841-a41034
Ann Smith; Head; ; Female; 40; Stocking Maker; ;y
Eliza Broadwell; ; ; Female; 0; ; ;y
Ann Smith; ; ; Female; 15; ; ;y
1851
Wilkes Alley
1851-a51036
George Pendry; Head; Married; Male; 39; Ag Lab, Pauper; Bushley;worcs
Sarah Pendry; Wife; Married; Female; 35; Pauper; Tirley;glos
Frederick Pendry; Son; ; Male; 12; Pauper; Longdon;worcs
George C Pendry; Son; ; Male; 5; Pauper; Deerhurst;glos
James Pendry; Son; ; Male; 11; Pauper; Deerhurst;glos
Thomas Pendry; Son; ; Male; 2; Pauper; Deerhurst;glos
Walter Pendry; Son; ; Male; 0; Pauper; Tewkesbury;glos
1851
Wilkes Alley
1851-a51023
Edmund Anderson; Head; Widowed; Male; 49; General Labourer; Tewkesbury;glos
Jane Anderson; Daughter; ; Female; 7; Scholar; Tewkesbury;glos
1851
Wilkes Alley
1851-a51024
Mary King; Head; Widowed; Female; 50; Tramps' Lodging House Keeper; Tewkesbury;glos
Emma King; Daughter; ; Female; 14; Silk Throwster; Tewkesbury;glos
Mary Ann King; Daughter; ; Female; 2; ; Tewkesbury;glos
1851
Wilkes Alley, Kings Lodging House
1851-a51025
Eliza King; Head; Unmarried; Female; 29; Lodging House Keeper; Tewkesbury;glos
Frederick King; Brother; Unmarried; Male; 10; Scholar; Tewkesbury;glos
Henry King; Son; Unmarried; Male; 1; ; Tewkesbury;glos
Richard Bergham; Lodger Fr Night; Unmarried; Male; 21; Ag Lab; Upton Bishop;hereford
Silvanus Duncan; Lodger Fr Night; Unmarried; Male; 35; Schoolmaster; Lang;sutherland
Charles Godere; Lodger Fr Night; Unmarried; Male; 47; Ag Lab; Nk;nk
William Gruld; Lodger Fr Night; Unmarried; Male; 30; Ag Lab; Northampton;
William Lee; Lodger Fr Night; Unmarried; Male; 34; Ag Lab; Nk;nk
John Martin; Lodger Fr Night; Unmarried; Male; 27; Nk; Nk;nk
John Parkin; Lodger Fr Night; Unmarried; Male; 21; Ag Lab; Nottingham;notts
Robert Plant; Lodger Fr Night; Unmarried; Male; 34; Ag Lab; Nk;nk
Thomas White; Lodger Fr Night; Unmarried; Male; 28; Hair Beater; Kenilworth;
1851
Wilkes Alley
1851-a51026
Joseph Collins; Head; Married; Male; 55; Bricklayer; Tewkesbury;glos
Alice Collins; Wife; Married; Female; 50; ; Tewkesbury;glos
Edwin Collins; Son; Unmarried; Male; 15; Bricklayer; Tewkesbury;glos
1851
Wilkes Alley
1851-a51027
Thomas Walker; Head; Married; Male; 55; Waterman; Tewkesbury;glos
Elizabeth Walker; Wife; Married; Female; 52; ; Tewkesbury;glos
Mary Ann Walker; Daughter; Unmarried; Female; 17; Stocking Maker; Tewkesbury;glos
Unis Walker; Daughter; Unmarried; Female; 8; ; Tewkesbury;glos
Eliza Davison; Daughter; Married; Female; 23; Watermans Wife; Tewkesbury;glos
George Davison; Grandson; ; Male; 0; ; Tewkesbury;glos
1851
Wilkes Alley
1851-a51029
William Corfield; Head; Unmarried; Male; 55; Coal Dealer; Maderley;salop
Displaying the 20 property records. There are more, but the search output is limited (paging has not been developed).
Number of records found: 21


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Comments


Wednesday 15-May-2024   by: Shelagh aldred (nee king)
I am trying to find details of grandmoher Florence Emma Mayall & my grandad William Alfred King. I think he lived later in no 4 wilkes alley. They both lived in wilkes alley & obviously married,, my father William john was born in 1919.
I know nothing of my grandmother & she died young. Any help please.
Thankyou Shelagh x
THS writes back:
I have picked up the family in 1993 and beyond and you are right that Florence died in 1936 and her husband followed in the same grave in 1950. In theory I can lead you to the grave if you wish to visit [with agreed notice] but finding it will depend on the family having bought a headstone.

I think I have found his war record and death but I need to know your information before I can confirm.

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