Capturing Cambridge
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2 - 7 Downing Street, c 1948 (MoC)

7 Downing Street

History of 7 Downing Street

1861

Henry Haulden, 39, general clerk in solicitor’s office

1913

Peters, Elworthy and Moore, accountant and auditors

1937

Douglas L January, auctioneer

Cole Dickin Lewis, accountants

West Cambs Growers Ass.

Ouse and cam Fisheries Board

Cambridgeshire Crematorium Ltd

This was the home of Januarys, the estate agents set up in 1937 by Douglas L January, auctioneer and estate agent. At this time Douglas was living in Mowbray Road.

After WWII his younger brother Desmond joined the firm. The firm operated all over East Anglia. In 2017 Desmond remembered his days working for Januarys.

Before this he had served in the regular army during WWII and continued in the Army Education Corps afterwards.

One of the most significant contracts that Desmond worked on was the redevelopment of the Grafton Centre. He described in detail the role Januarys played in the negotiations between City Council and developers.

Better Wear Company

In 1938, 7 Downing Street was also the Cambridge offices of the Better Wear Company,  founded in 1928 in East London, and later known as Betterware to reflect their wider range of products.

1962 (7/8)

Douglas L January and partners

 

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Dear Visitor,

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Capturing Cambridge makes accessible thousands of photos and memories of Cambridge and its surrounding villages and towns. It is run by the Museum of Cambridge which, though 90 years old, is one of the most poorly publicly funded local history museums in the UK. It receives no core funding from local or central government nor from the University of Cambridge.

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Museum of Cambridge