That odd building at 82 Portland Street

Number 82 Portland Street is odd.  It stands between a row of late 18th century houses but is clearly not one of them.

The surrounding properties were typical of the sort that was being built across the city and many included workshops on the upper floor.

But by 1851 of the eleven houses running from Nicholas Street to Bond Street [Princess Street] five were beer shops.

Like many beer shops of the period some may have been a temporary measure to supplement the family income.

So Frank Rustrick who lived with his wife Martha and a lodger at number 80 Portland Street had in the December of 1850 described himself as a “maker up” but by the April of the following year was selling beer.

And given the large numbers of people crammed into these eleven houses including cellar dwellings demand must have been brisk.

Back in 1851 number 82 was home to William McCann and his mother Elizabeth.  William was a painter and perhaps was doing alright because they occupied the place on their own.

But their home was demolished in 1883 and our tall intruder took its place.  It was to become the offices of the Great Eastern Railway Company and was still dealing in orders and answering enquiries in 1911.

And that is where for now the story stops.  What was once a railway office is now the home of the Colin Jellicoe Gallery.

But when the Archive and Local History Libraries reopens in March in the newly refurbished Central Ref I shall be pouring over the records to discover what happened to our building over the 20th century.

Painting; Portland Street Row, © 2013 Peter Topping,
Facebook; Paintings from Pictures, Web: www.paintingsfrompictures.co.uk

* the Colin Jellicoe Gallery, http://www.colinjellicoe.co.uk/gallery.html

A postcript.
And since posting the story Hayley Flynn kindly shared her research on number 82, http://theskyliner.org/post/63494600692/82-portland-street