Frank Evans, 1 Fitzroy Street

2, 4, 6, 8 (1 ) Fitzroy Street

History of 2 - 8 Fitzroy Street

1906

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1913 (1)

Bert Sharpe, furniture dealer
Mrs J Davis, greengrocer
Frank Evans, tailor, hatter, hosier and glover
Freeman Hardy and Willis, boot manufacturers, W J Davis manager

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1937

(2) Herbert Baker, tobacconist
(4) Fraser R Fawkes, refreshment rooms
(6) Franks Evans, tailor
(8) Freeman Hardy and Willis, boot and shoe makers

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1956

Following a fire the stretch of shops up to Eden Street Backway (numbers 2 to 20) was demolished and rebuilt as numbers 2 to 14 with Fine Fare taking the largest, central, shop.

The row was named Reston House after Dr John Reston, master of Jesus College in the 16th Century. A plaque detailed how this came about and reads:

RESTON HOUSE
AD 1957
JOHN RESTON DD
MASTER OF JESUS COLLEGE
FROM 1546-1551 BEQUEATHED TO IT
LAND IN ALDERMANBURY IN THE CITY
OF LONDON. THIS LAND WAS SOLD IN
1956 & THE SUM RECEIVED WAS USED
IN THE ERECTION OF THIS BUILDING

Following the new rebuild in 2003 it was mounted around the corner in Eden Street Backway. It’s not known if this was its original location.

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1970

(2) Rossendale newsagents
(4) Hong King Garden Chinese restaurant
(6) Freeman Hardy and Willis, boot mkrs
(8) Fine Fare, grocers
(10) F W Woolworth & Co

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2003

Reston House was demolished in 2003 and rebuilt as numbers 2 to 14 which opened in April 2005 with tenants Argos, The Pier, Professional Cookware, Baker’s Oven, Mr and Mrs Lodhia and O’Briens.

See the article in the Jesus College magazine at https://collegecollections.jesus.cam.ac.uk/index.php/image-48 for more information.