Unlocking a little of the history of Nu 50 Newton Street

Now this is one of those buildings I never tire looking at.

Number 50 Newton Street, 2015

It is number 50 Newton Street which according to that excellent book on Manchester “was built for a hat manufacturer by C Clegg & Son in 1907.  

Baroque, strikingly designed to maximise light with giant-three-story glazed arcades on the three exposed sides.” *

All of which I suspect must have made Mr Wood and his four sons  very proud of their new building which replaced an earlier warehouse from where they had traded from at least 1895.

In that year they rented a substantial building from Mr Abraham Howarth with a rateable value of £417 which dwarfed the neighbouring properties which included more warehouses and photographers which was to become the Kensington Inn.

Number 50 Newton Street in 1895

And there I think the mystery begins because by 1909 the Wood’s are no longer in residence in this fine baroque building and instead the property is occupied by 18 different businesses which two years later has risen to 29 which I suspect will be the pattern for the rest of that century.

So the search is on for the Woods and by extension some of the other businesses which operated from number 50.

Number 50 Newton Street in 1909

The first port of call will be the directories for 1907 and 08 followed up by any references to their business in company records.

Sadly at present the Manchester Rate Books stop at 1900 which closes down that avenue of research.

But I do know a Joseph Wood married an Esther Bibby in 1814 and a James Bibby Wood was living in Withington in 1891.

So I rather think we shall be returning to number 50 which Peter painted recently.

I am hoping there are more to come because this part of the city is changing very quickly and some at least of the buildings in the Northern Quarter which I have taken for granted are undergoing renovation and change of use while some may disappear forever.

And part of that change has exposed the side of number 50 showing that it was built with an inner courtyard which until recently was hidden from view.

In time I hope more of its secrets will come to light.

Well we shall see.

Painting; No 50 Newton Street, © 2015 Peter Topping
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Pictures; from the Slater’s Manchester, Salford, & Suburban Directory, 1895 &1909 

**Manchester, Clare Hartwell, 2008 page 221