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30 Trumpington Street

30 / 31 Trumpington Street, Fitzwilliam House / Hall

History of Fitzwilliam House, 30 Trumpington Street

Fitzwilliam House

Wikipedia: In 1869, Cambridge University altered its statutes to allow men who were not members of a college to become members of the University under the supervision of a censor, whose office was in Trumpington Street, opposite the Fitzwilliam Museum. This provided students who could not afford to belong to a college with a base from which to study at the University, allowing them to be admitted to degrees, sit examinations and compete for scholarships. The name “Fitzwilliam” was chosen by the students at a meeting of the Non-Collegiate Amalgamation Club in the Spring of 1887 and, as a result, the University decreed that the house in Trumpington Street could be known as Fitzwilliam Hall. This became the headquarters of the Non-Collegiate Students Board and provided student facilities and limited accommodation. It was renamed Fitzwilliam House in 1922.


A B Gray in Cambridge Revisited (1921) notes the inscription above one of the ground floor windows. ‘1727 I H X’ : 1727 is the year it was built and I H are probably the initials of the owner.


1727

House built by John Halstead, the brewer.


c.1830 pharmacy opened by Thomas Cox


1874

George Peck took over these premises in 1874.


1881

(30)

George Peck, 54, chemist, b Cambridge

Helen M, 20, b Cambridge

Edith Emily, 16, b Cambridge

Ernest Saville, 14, b Cambridge

Herbert John, 12, b Cambridge

Sydney Capel, 9, b Cambridge

Harold R, 7, b Cambridge

Lillian C, 4, b Cambridge

Rose Flitton, 17, servant, b Great Shelford

Louisa Pettett, 16, house maid, b Little Shelford

William A Rhodes, lodger, 25, dentist in practice, b Yorks

In 1871 the family were at 36 Trumpington Street.

(31)

Walter Dodd, 36, cabinet maker, b Suffolk

Louisa S, 36, b Cambridge

Nellie L, 13, b Cambridge

Henry W, 12, b Cambridge

Florence, 8, b Cambridge

Annie, 6, b Cambridge

Jame, 4, b Cambridge

Eliza Farrant, 25, parlour maid, b Cambridge

In 1878 W Dodd cabinet maker is listed in Kelly’s at 21 Trumpington Street.

31 Trumpington Street c.1880 (MoC)


1891

George Peck, 64, chemist, b Newnham

Helen,

Helen M,

Edith E,

Ernest S, 24, pharmaceutical chemist,

Herbert S, 22, university student,

Sydney C, 17, chemical student,

Harrold R,

Alfred G,

Lillian C,

Rebecca Nicholl, 18,

Rebecca Thomson, 18,

In 1901 the family were living at 25 Fitzwilliam Street.

Herbert John went to the Perse School, and went on to be ordained an be a missionary in the North-Western Province of India. In WWI he was an army chaplain.

Sydney Capel became a Major-General. He served in India, Nigeria and France and was assistant director of the Royal Arsenal from 1908 to 1914. He was a battery commander in WWI and awarded the DSO in 1917. He headed the military mission to Fiume in 1919.


1893

Ernest Saville Peck attended Fitzwilliam House, part of Cambridge University intended for local men.


1902

Ernest joined the 3rd Volunteer battalion of the Suffolk Regiment


1904

Ernest took over the management of the business


1907

Ernest married Rachel Brenda Hall.


1909

Ernest Saville took over the business on the death of his father.


1910

Trumpington Street c.1910 (Frith)


1913

30 Trumpington Street

G Peck and son, pharmaceutical chemists

Ernest Saville Peck 

[Ernest Saville Peck became an authority on chemical weapons during WWI]


1913 Fitzwilliam Hall

William Fiddian Reddaway MA, censor of Non-Collegiate Students

William Fiddian Reddaway

Rev. A O N Lee, resident chaplain

B Rolfe, steward

H E Martin, librarian

30 – 31 Trumpington Street (Cambridgeshire Collection)


After she left school Pamela Knights worked for the Maintenance Fund which was housed in Fitzwilliam House, next to the old Addenbrookes Hospital:


1955

Ernest Saville Peck died

E S Peck obituary, 1955, CDN

On his death, his collection of mortars and pestles were bequeathed to the Pharmaceutical Society.


1962 G Peck and Son Ltd (A Border Mgr)

Fitzwilliam House

Henry Epstein, Peck’s Chemists, Trumpington Street 1960s

Henry Epstein was an assistant at Peck and Son in the 1960s. He lived with his family in Topcliffe Way.


1977

Peck & Son Ltd bought by Savory and Moore.

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