Weymouth is one of the UK’s premier holiday resorts. Its grand promenade and sandy beach attract people to the town in their thousands and every summer the hotels and bed and breakfast places that line the sea front are full to overflowing. This is the area where you will find the ice cream and candyfloss vendors; it’s the place to go for sticks of rock, kiss-me-quick hats and other souvenirs. Here and in the back streets you will find fish and chip shops, inexpensive restaurants, and fast food outlets. But this is not the real Weymouth: that is on the other side of the estuary of the river Wey and to get there now that Mr Lee’s ferry is no longer available (actually, it hasn’t been available since 1695) you must go across the bridge by Holy Trinity Church.
Here we turn left and follow the river a short distance upstream until we reach the marina area, just past the modern council offices we turn left up the hill beside the famous Boot Inn and there in front of us is Love Lane a pedestrian thorough-fare linking High West Street and Franchise Street.
At this end of Love Lane are two stages of steps with a scaffold like hand rail to help us old-timers get a start up the incline. The first thing that strikes you is how narrow the lane is, three strides from the front door of a house on one side will see you in the hallway of the opposite dwelling. Hutchin’s 1774 map shows houses on both sides of the lane at the north end and a terrace at the south end; little has changed.
I was surprised to find the buildings in Love Lane are not listed. Listing is the process protecting and controlling the way buildings of special architectural or historic interest may be altered or improved. Here we have examples of houses from the early 18th century apparently unprotected and open to be abused with stone cladding, UPV double glazing and worse. A Grade II listing would warrant every effort being taken to preserve them. They escaped listing in 1974 and again in the review of 1994-5.
Artisans and labourers traditionally occupied the dwellings in Love Lane and that was certainly the case in the 1860’s when it was a busy area and home to cordwainers (shoemakers,) plumbers, butchers, carpenters and cabinet – makers and their families with some wives and daughters making a second income from dressmaking.
In 1861 at No.1. Love Lane lived Samuel Scott a 50 year-old Wheelwright, his wife Ann, 48, and their daughter Elizabeth who was a tailoress, probably working with their lodger Ann Chaddick (20). Next door at No.2. it would have been a bit of a squeeze for fifty-year-old agricultural labourer Matthew Pitcher and his thirty six-year-old wife Eliza with their five year-old son Edward J. Spracklin, possibly Matthews step-son, and two lodgers Susanna Chick who was (81) and Diana Spracklin (56) described in the census as a Nurse Professor.
At No.3 were four bread winners. Charlie Woodland (46) was a butcher, his wife Elizabeth (44), a laundress; it looks as if Charlie had two step-sons, William and Thomas Roper, respectively 17 and 14. These lads worked as a mason’s labourer and plumber’s apprentice. The boys had a 14 year-old sister, Elizabeth, who was at school. Also in the household and of school age the couple’s two sons C. Alfred Woodland (8) and Alfred Woodland (6).
Next door was a Devon born shoemaker, 50 year-old Francis Lee, his Weymouth born wife 55 year-old Ellen. According to the census the couple had rather late in life or more likely Ellen has exaggerated her age, a 14 year-old daughter Jane. Room was found to accommodate Robert Long an unmarried 28 year-old Butcher from Devon.
Moving on down the Lane to No.5 we find agricultural labourer William Goddard (53) and his wife Maria (50), their son Thomas (16) was employed as a brewer’s labourer. Also at home another son 21 year-old John and his wife Frances (24). John Goddard was a road labourer.
At No 6 we find Henry and Ruth Hawkins (48 and 42,) Henry is a coal porter and their two twin daughters Martha and Jane (10) go to school. No 7 is home to Elizabeth Ford (26) who is a single woman and living with her are her two younger brothers Francis (21) and William (19). The two lads work on the roads and their sister earns a living taking in laundry.
Robert Gray (45) who comes from Puncknowle and gives his occupation as Gardener Professor lives with his wife Virtue (46), a Weymouth girl, and their daughter, Elizabeth (20) a dressmaker, and their son William (9) who goes to school, all live at No 8.
At No 9 the shoemaker, Ambrose White (52) lives with his spinster sister Ann (49) and their 78 year-old mother, Susanna who is described as a pauper. Also in the household are William and Sarah White (8 and 6) Ambrose’s nephew and niece.
The Butcher, John Hatton (61) and his wife Mary (62) lived at No 10 and 11 with their unmarried daughter, Louisa (21) who made shirts. Lodging with them, a Somerset man and master plumber, James Lesley (27) and his wife Mary (26) and their 4 year-old-son Harold.
The census is difficult to interpret but it may be that Jane Winter (50) who lived at No 12 with her daughter, also Jane (20), and described as a Proprietor of Houses was the landlord of the people living at No 10, 11,13 and 14.
And at No.14 lived William Watts (49) who was born at Bere Regis, living with his wife, Weymouth born Frances (51). William was a grocer and his wife a tailoress and with them are Sarah their 26 year-old daughter and dressmaker; sons Joseph (18) a cabinet maker’s apprentice and Alfred (16) who worked for a Brick Merchant.
A widowed carpenter, Morgan Symes (49) lived at No 15 with his 19 year-old daughter, no occupation is shown for her but she was probably busy keeping the house in order and looking after her younger brother 8 year-old John. Next door at No 16 lived William Symes (54) unmarried and in business as a Brick Merchant. His sister, Sarah (47) lived with him.
At this point in the lane there was an area known as Love Lane Court that comprised three houses the first was occupied by a mariner 36 year-old Daniel Besant and his wife Mary. The second house was home to Edward and Elizabeth Tulledge respectively 56 and 50 and described in the census as Paupers and in the third house was Elizabeth Cook (22) a mariner’s wife.
Back in Love Lane proper the widow and dressmaker Betsy Nudge (49) lived at No 17 with her 18 year-old son George who was a cordwainer’s apprentice. Also at No 17 but in separate accommodation was a retired mariner 80 year-old Robert Collins and his 53 year-old wife and nurse, Hannah.
No 18 was home to Emma Bold (37) another mariner’s wife who had with her two sons and two daughters: Jonathan (10); Samuel (8); Emma (5) and Ann (2).
And in the last house, No 19, Joseph Webb (23) a blacksmith’s labourer lived with his wife, Hannah 21.
While I was in the lane I didn’t see a soul but a century and a half ago Love Lane would have been a very busy place by day and by evening many of those listed above would be found in the Boot Inn, and on Sunday most of the residents would don their Sunday best and make their way to Holy Trinity Church.
