Vicar’s Buildings, St Tibb’s Row, Cambridge

History of the Vicar's Buildings - St Tibb's Row

Vicar’s Buildings in 1886 OS Map (North to right)

1861

(1) Ann Gray, 73, upholsterer, Cambridge
(2) Eliza Ditchmarsh, 35, bed maker, b Balsham
(3) Henry Parr, 35, flyman, b Newmarket
(4) Sarah Newling, 52, 52, charwoman, b Harston
(5) Mary Ann Hickleton, 30, 30, sempstress, b Middlesex
(6) Susan Shippey, 60,  no occupation, b Cambridge
(7) Mary Holiday, 56,  seamstress, b Norfolk
(8) Frederic C Laurence, 23, journeyman butcher, b Norfolk
(9) Susannah Fromant, 27, dressmaker, b Landbeach
(10) Elizabeth Hancock, 77, b Newmarket
(11) Phoebe Norris, 57,  widow of a blacksmith, b Norfolk
(12) Henry Kester, 26, flyman, b Madingley
(13) John Urliss, 48, printer compositor, b London
(14) Sarah H Chapman, 41, seamstress, b Essex
(15) Anne Gayler, 50,  upholsterer, b Cambridge
(16) Elizabeth Smith, 55, formerly laundress, b Hardwick

Vicar’s Buildings, St Tibb’s Row: drawing by Slim Smith from The Lion Yard (1974)

Back of Vicar’s Buildings: drawing by Slim Smith from The Lion Yard (1974)

1871

Vicar’s Buildings were built by Rowe, the City Surveyor, to house the very poor, who were crowded into the rotting galleries of the falcon Inn. The ‘Vicar’ was the Vicar of Great St Andrews. Unfortunately these model dwellings were too expensive for the poor and one of the printing firms in the area took some of the buildings as its works, known as the ‘Arliss (Press) Building.’ The rest of the building was used before WWI by the police, to house prostitutes under supervision. It was probably the largest single building in Cambridge after King’s College Chapel before the 1960s. (The Lion Yard, Cambridge History Agency, 1974)

1913

Ground Floor, 2nd Door
6 & 7 John Arliss printer
1st Floor, second door
(8) Mrs S Emmings
(9) Mrs Moore
(10) A Malcolm
(11) Miss E Spicer
(12)
(13) Johnson and Nephew’s Stores
Top Floor
(14) Mrs Kettle
(15) Mrs Mary Day; Miss day, dressmaker
(16) Miss Langham
1st Floor
(1) –
(2) Joseph Chapman
(3) Mrs S W Coleman
(4) Herbert Wallace

1962

Vicar’s Buildings in 1965 OS Map (North to right)

5,6,7 John Arliss Ltd, printers

8 Albert Jackson
9 Charles Woolgar
10 Miss Gallant
11 Miss Ellis
12 William Hagarty
13 John Dove
14 Mrs F Taylor
15 John Desm,ond
16 Peter Doyle

1 Miss A Smith
2 Misses Taylor
3 Miss E Thulborn
4 Arthur K Collins

Rear view of Vicar’s Building during construction of Lion Yard (MoC219/70)

St Tibb’s Row (MoC2/6/70). Vicar’s Buildings on right

St Tibbs Row, (MoC38/69). YMCA (right front), Vicar’s Buildings (right rear)

Vicar’s Buildings, 1971, seen from Falcon Yard (MoC36/71)

John Arliss Ltd, Tibb’s Row, April 1970 (MoC17/89/70)

John Arliss Ltd Printing Works, St Tibb’s Row, looking North (MoC18.89.70)