Changing face of Commercial Street
THIS week's two featured photographs of Commercial Street were taken exactly 70 years apart. The oldest was taken on September 12, 1906, and the more modern image on an late evening during that glorious and unforgetable summer of 1976.
The prominent signage on the old scene is the Central Mart which was owned by Thomas Clayton who was a prominent businessman in the town centre. His drapery and house furnishings emporium would have been a magnet for the ladies.
He opened his first shop in Briggate in about 1880 but the business was such a success from the outset that he had to seek new and larger premises in Commercial Street. As the business flourished he extended the type of goods available as well.
He was soon selling everything from beds to bedsteads and bedding. The range of household goods began to include rugs, linoleum and carpets, which included such famous names as Crossley's of Halifax.
It was one of the first businesses in the town centre to have a telephone connection between the two shops, be that they were only a couple of minutes walk between the two.
Mr Clayton also had the self-contained means of dynamo power that generated his own electric light and his premises had gas throughout. He was a businessman way ahead of his time.
Looking through the 1895 trade directory his shop premises are shown as being at number 19 Briggate, and also at 20 Commercial Street. Not long after moving into his Commercial Street shop he acquired additional premises in front of the Borough Club which was almost next door to his Briggate shop.
This was a real departmental store with separate areas for general millinery, drapery, dress-making materials, gloves, hosiery, feathers and flowers, the list is almost endless.
In the 1906 trade directory Clayton's Mart is shown at numbers 19 Briggate while the Commercial Street shop is at 68 through to 72.
An interesting feature about the Commercial Street address is that also shown at 68 is Joseph Lawson and Sons who were general furnishers, ironmongers, plumbers, sanitary engineers and electricians.
Joseph Lawson was of equal standing in the town centre business community as Thomas Clayton. Mr Lawson bought an existing business at 19 Commercial Street – this is where the numbering of the individual shops becomes complicated. This is because some of the older properties were demolished and others built on the site, which then resulted in the street or parts of the street having to be re-numbered.
He bought the business from Henry Welsman in 1864 and started on his extension plans straight away. Ten years later he bought a further three adjoining cottages and built a three storey warehouse, with a large basement facility for storage. The shop front on Commercial was modernised and given much larger window space.
Gradually Joseph Lawson expanded the range of goods and services to include ironmongery, brasswork, sanitary appliances, baths, gas fittings, chandeliers, cisterns, pipes and all the necessary connections. He stocked a wide range of domestic appliances including the familiar name of the Bissell carpet sweeper.
That was an American business that was started by Melville and Anna Bissell in Michigan USA. Having patented their new Bissell carpet cleaner in 1876 and opened their new manufacturing plant seven years later. But unlike Joseph's shop the Bissell company is still in business today.
Both shops had a combined number of staff which exceeded 40.
These two men were true local entrepreneurs of the second half of the 19th century building up businesses that grew. This was at a time when the population of the town was growing and house building was on the increase. The mills were employing more people and once these new job seekers moved into the town the excellent goods and services offered by Mr Lawson and Mr Clayton ensured their businesses would thrive.
Thomas Clayton died in 1931 but how long did his business continue? I believe it was until the 1950s. Just when Joseph Lawson's business closed would needed further research. Perhaps there are some readers who can remember going to those shops and might like to share their memories of those days? It was a time when shopping was perhaps a bit more relaxed that it is these days .
Returning to the more modern featured photograph, this shows the same shops on Commercial Street as they were 70 years later.
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Weather for Halifax
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -2 C to 3 C
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