13-16 Petty Cury 1960s

15 Petty Cury, Cambridge

History of 15 Petty Cury

1841 ? unnumbered

Isaac Young, 35, tea dealer

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1851

Thomas Groom, 32, bootmaker, b Herts
Sarah, 30, b Herts
Philip, 30, bootmaker, b Herts

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1861

Thomas Scott, 45, grocer, b Cambridge
Caroline, 42, b Cambridge
Mary Ann, 21, b Cambridge
Thomas, 19, grocer, b Cambridge
Henry, 14, b Cambridge
Caroline, 12, b Cambridge
Sophia, 10, b Cambridge
Walter, 8, b Cambridge
Kate, 6, b Cambridge
Mary Ann Baker, wife’s sister, 38, b Cambridge

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1863

William Lusher took over the grocery business in 1863. he went bankrupt in 1864 and died of TB in 1865.

In 1861 William had been living at the Pickerel Inn. he had married Amelia Constable, daughter of hatter John F Constable who had a shop at 8 Petty Cury.

See Mill Road Cemetery entry

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1871

Frederick T Jackson, 30, grocer, b Cambridge
Catherine, 30, b Wimpole
Catherine E, 8, b Cambridge
Sarah A, 4, b Cambridge
Frederick T, 18 mos, b Cambridge
Caroline Briggs, 14, servant, b Dullingham

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According to Enid Porter in ‘Victorian Cambridge’, Lyles and Speed of 15 Petty Cury bought the Gonville Nursery after the death of Jabez Chater. Their shop and the nursery was acquired later by James Sanders.

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1881

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1891

George Stace, 39, draper, b Sussex
Amelia, 42, b Cambridge
Winifred Mary, 12, b Cambridge
Mary Elizabeth Kelsey, assistant, 32, mantle shopwoman, b Norfolk
Clara Camwell Kelsey, assistant, 27, millinery shopwoman, b Norfolk
Margaret A Wallman, 23, housemaid, b Swavesey
Ellen Elizabeth Wilson, 16, kitchenmaid, b Chesterton

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George Stace: employment of a young worker — 5 July 1898

George Stace, draper, of Petty Cury, Cambridge, was summoned for employing Kate Ladds after eight o’clock contrary to the Workshops and Factories Act. She said she was 17 years of age. On June 4th she began work at nine o’clock in the morning and finished at 9.20 at night. She was not paid anything extra for the overtime. Out of the time mentioned she had an hour and a half for meals. She said some of the employees in the showroom began at 8.30. On this particular night she was making a hat that a lady wanted home that night. Mr Stace was not a hard taskmaster and was not sweating the girls he employed. He was fined one shilling.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Petty Cury Scrapbook, 5 July 1898.

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1901

Edward Malcolm Bennett, servant, 28, clerk, b Cambridge
Elizabeth Ward, 18, servant, b Toft
Louisa Sargent, 48, servant, b Gt Shelford
Francis E Butterfield, 32, servant, dressmaker, b Yorks
Harriett R Fennick, 30, servant, milliner, b London
Sarah E Pinches, servant, 29, drapers assistant, b Herefordshire
Annie G Rice, servant, 29, drapers assistant, b Devon
Anne E Thorpe, 28, draper’s assistant, b Lincs

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George Stace: claim against an actor — 25 April 1907

George Stace, draper and milliner of Petty Cury claimed payment from Charles Sugden, the well-known actor, for goods supplied to his wife in July 1903. It was custom to make out bills to the lady who had paid some money on account. Mr Sugden said he had been in America and not given her any authority to pledge his credit, she had her own income. But Elizabeth Thorpe, manageress in the mantle and gown department, remembered him coming into the shop with her.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Petty Cury Scrapbook, ref. 07 04 25.

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1913

George Stace, milliner, ladies outfitter, undertaker

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1918

George Stace died

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1921

Premises assigned by Amelia Stace, widow, to Ralph Elliott Moore. Moore retained the valuable George Stace trading name. In 1932 Moore moved from 224 Hills Road to 4 Luard Road and remained there until about 1970.

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George Stace: new arcade windows — 21 September 1934

Messrs George Stace’s new windows in his Petty Cury Arcade are absolutely the latest idea. They curve inwards to reduce reflections making the glass invisible. Spotlights inside, which can be given any colour, provide the perfect finish and one feels one has only to reach out and touch the articles. Showrooms upstairs have been reconstructed and one of the workrooms moved to make space room for the new arcade.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Petty Cury Scrapbook, ref. 34 09 21.

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1939

George Stace business still trading.

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George Stace: January sale — 5 January 1949

Several Cambridge shops have their January sales in full swing. Messrs W. Eaden Lilley, Market Street, find that the possibility of the ending of clothes rationing is having a psychological effect. “People are inclined to be a bit rash with their coupons and the half-price, half-price coupon goods are going well”. Messrs G. Stace, Petty Cury, have cleared some of their Old Look stock and a number of suits have been sold at a quarter of their price – £20 coats at £4.19s.6d. It was pointed out that the “shorter lady” scores, as some of the old length garments look new length on her

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Petty Cury Scrapbook, 5 January 1949.

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George Stace: closure — 2 July 1951

The announcement of the closing down of Messrs George Stace Ltd’s Petty Cury store marks the closing of yet one more old-established firm that has filled a special niche in the local fashion trade for many years. The name had come to stand for a good, solid, middle class trade. It was not necessarily a smart one, but it met the needs of a definite section of the community. It catered for the matron, and for the essentially well-to-do family of both town and county

Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge Petty Cury Scrapbook, 2 July 1951.

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1962

Alexandre Ltd, tailors

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