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Blotts - Drapers
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Further information about Blott's Drapery and the Blott Family
Having been unable to contact Mr Timothy Blott when I carried out my original
research into the history of Blotts Drapery on Bedford High Street, I was
delighted to have the opportunity to meet him and his younger son, James, a
couple of years later in 2012. James had read the item I wrote about his
familys business on the Bedford Virtual Library website and wanted to make
contact with me about it, to comment and to add to the information. Much of
what we discussed confirmed what I had learned from Olive Kirby and other
sources. However, James assured me that his great-grandmothers name was Mary
Emma, not Maria, as stated in the 1891 census.
The Bedford High Street shop was run initially by Jamess great-grandfather, Walter (born 1.9.1851, married 24.11.1875, died 23.10.1922). He married Mary Emma Cooke (28.8.1853 - 26.4.1939). Walters obituary suggests the shop was opened circa 1887. The shop was rebuilt in the second half of the first decade of the twentieth century and the date above the side door is 1908. The oldest of their children was Reginald (born 13.2.1877, married 10.2.1903, died 21.3.1956). A pupil at Bedford Modern School, he stayed on the top floor of the shop during term-time. His siblings were: Walter, Jonathan (Jack), Arthur Hugh, Shirley Augustine, Roy Crompton, Ivo, Leonard (Bob), Dorothea, Ivy Madge (Bay, who became Mrs Smith and, later, Mrs Wrighton), Mary (Midge), Olive who became Mrs Fensome, but sadly died young and Hilda (who became Mrs Tibbett). Mary married her widowed brother-in-law and became Mrs Fensome. At least two siblings lived to be a hundred.
Reginalds wife was Emma Ann Spooncer Giddings (26.10.1878 -11.11.1959). Their children were called Paul, Dorothea (who became Mrs Hale), Edna Joan (known as Joan), Audrey (who died in childhood), Joyce, Ranah, Emma, Ruth (who became Mrs Wrighton and then Mrs McIver), Olive, Audrey (who became Mrs Mann), Lois (who became Mrs Watson) and Timothy. The boys were educated at Bedford Modern School and the girls at Bedford Girls Modern School. Joyce and Ranah were non-identical twins. Sadly, Joyce had a congenital heart defect and died when still a young woman.
Paul married, but had no children. He was a Special Constable during World War Two. A few of his sisters married, but only two had children. Edna Joan lived to be a hundred. Timothy married Doreen Hornsby (20.7.1925 - 6.2.2005), who worked at the Midland Bank, which was located next door to Blotts Drapery. Timothy and Doreen had three children: Michael, Rosemary and James. As neither of Timothys sons has married, James is the youngest person to bear the surname Blott from this branch of the family.
James was able to confirm for me that it was Walter Blott and his family who lived at 11 Goldington Road, Bedford. Timothy and his siblings grew up at 65 Goldington Road. Timothy can just remember moving there from 2 Bushmead Avenue when he was very small. Timothy and James brought with them family photographs, dating back as far as Walters time and photographs of the interior and exterior of 65 Goldington Road, which was a spacious and comfortable family home. An advertisement for Blotts shop from a newspaper dated 24.3.1922 confirms that the shop front had been altered in more recent years. Several people have told me that they remembered the shop window on the corner of the High Street and Lurke Street being at right angles and continuing round the corner into Lurke Street and not cut off at an angle, as it appears today.
Timothy shared with me some of his memories of the drapers shop. Walters obituary suggests that he retired circa 1920. Reginald may then have run the shop with his brother Shirley, becoming the senior partner, on their fathers death in 1922. Subsequently Shirley left and, in due course, opened a store called Shirleys in Bristol. Several other family members were connected with the business over the years. Timothy remembers accompanying Reginald to Witney in Oxfordshire to purchase blankets from Earlys, the manufacturers, and also to the warehouse of Rylands and Sons, in Wood Street near St Pauls Cathedral, around 1940, when the road was closed due to one of the first bombs to have been dropped on London. Circa 1940, Timothy sometimes slept on the second floor of the shop while doing fire watching duties. At least two people would be on duty. He was paid a nominal amount for this.
Timothy remembers that linens, including sheets, haberdashery and hosiery, were sold on the ground floor of the shop. A room situated on the ground floor was accessible from a side entrance to the building. A pulley system was operated instead of a till: money was sent by this means with the receipt to this room and the change was sent back. Before the days of internal telephones, the second and ground floors were connected by a tube that one could speak into. Upstairs, there were ladies dresses and costumes at the front, and childrens clothes at the far end at the back, together with millinery. Furniture was also sold on the second floor latterly. There was also an office on the second floor for administration and a work room where alterations were done. There were bicycle sheds at the back of the building. Deliveries by bicycle were made by a man called Peter. Reginald used to keep his bicycle by the back stairs.
Ranah, Dorothea and Audrey worked in the offices at various times. Timothy sometimes helped out. Before his retirement, Reginald used to stand near the entrance to greet customers. Latterly, Paul was in charge of the ground floor and Joan of the first floor under Reginalds direction. Other members of the family pursued different careers: Ruth worked for the Post Office and then became a Civil Servant in London. Emma and Lois both trained as SRNs and became missionaries in China for a time. Emma worked at Bedford Hospital after she returned to England. Lois married a fellow missionary, who returned to set up a GP practice in England. Olive became a teacher, ending up as a Headmistress in Broadstairs. Joyce, the frail one who died young, stayed at home.
Sadly, the shop closed soon after the end of the War sometime between 1945 and 1946 and was sold for about 20,000. Sibling rivalry may have played a part, but it was probably not the only reason for the closure. Paul went on to own a retail business in Brighton, while Edna Joan worked in shops in a number of locations. After an early retirement, Paul and his wife, Audrey, eventually returned to live in Bedford for their final years.
Elizabeth Mortimer 2013
Information learned from Messrs Timothy and James Blott in October 2012 and later, about W. Blott and Son, with particular thanks to James Blott for his comments and suggestions.
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Page last updated: 28th January 2014