145 York Street

The Family of a Labourer

This house no longer stands.  The 1888 Cambridge Town Plan and the 1910 Land Tax both refer to this part of York Street as “Lower York Street”.

This property doesn’t appear on any census before 1911.

The Cambridge Independent Press for the 24th August 1894 runs a public notice announcing that “Desirable freehold properties” including “Nos. 129, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, 131, 133, 135, 137, 143, 145, 147, 149 & 151 Lower York Street” are to be sold by Auction.

1910 Land Tax

The odd numbered properties, 129 – 151 (Lower) York Street, all appear on the 1910 Land Tax owned by a Mrs M C Sheldrick who lived at 151 Chesterton Road.

Mary Catherine Sheldrick (1850 – 11 September 1922) was married to Joseph Albert Sheldrick, a Superindendent for the Post Office.

John Stearn is the tenant named on the Land Tax document.

1903 – 1915

Electoral rolls record that John Stearn lived at 145 York Street from 1908 to 1915.  On the 1911 Census John, a 69 year old labourer, is living here with his son Frank (24, a labourer) and Frank’s wife Nellie.

Nellie is 22 and a laundress.  Frank and Nellie have been married for a year and have a one year old daughter named Dorothy.

The 1911 census records the Frank is John’s only child and a brief mention of him in the Cambridge Daily News, shows they’ve been living at this property since 1903.

“Today’s Police – For unlawfully playing “pitch and toss”, a game of chance, on St. Matthew’s Recreation-ground, on Sunday June 28th, Frank Stearn, 145 Lower York Street, Harry Farrington, 91 New Street, and Arthur George, of 55 Fitzroy Street, were convicted, and Stearn was fined 5s, and the others 2s 6d each.  The facts of the case were stated by P.C. Rowlinson.” Cambridge Daily News 10 July 1903

1939 – 1966

Arthur Carter (49), a corporation dustman lives here with his wife Mercy Louisa Carter (nee Hatton) (43) and their son, Albert (17).  Albert is employed as a typist / clerk.  The electoral registers show that the couple lived her until 1966 at least.

Sources: 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911, 1939 Register, 1910 Land Tax, Civil Registration Birth Index (1837-1915), Civil Registration Death Index (1916-2007), 1888 Cambridge Town Plan, Cambridgeshire Electoral Registers, Burgess Rolls and Poll Books (1722-1966), Cambridgeshire Marriages, Cambridge Independent Press 24 Aug 1894,