Picking up on Chorlton's story at The Oaks ..... Edge Lane

I am the first to admit that it is lazy history to claim that one house  can reflect the story of Chorlton-cum-Hardy from the mid 19th century onwards.

22 Edge Lane, 1907 shown in red

But if I did, 22 Edge Lane is up there amongst the list.*

It was built in 1865, was home to a succession of wealthy families, and during the last century went through a transformation into multi-occupancy and is now being renovated and redeveloped.

Now, there are plenty of those big houses which fit into that category, but 22 Edge Lane is the one I am focusing on.

The Haselgrove family were the first to own and occupy the property, giving it the name of the Oaks and were typical of the “new people” who were moving into Chorlton-cum-Hardy, when the area was still a rural community.

But already by 1865 the township was changing.

The arrival of the railway sixteen years earlier at the bottom of Edge Lane, along with improvements to the supply of water and sanitation began to make Chorlton an attractive place to live.

22 Edge Lane, entrance, date unknown

And so during the 1860s through the next two decades, there was residential creep along Edge Lane, which was replicated by similar developments following the Egerton estate’s decision to cut Wilbraham Road through Chorlton and onto Fallowfield.

The building of these big properties pre dated the much bigger housing boom which began in 1880 in the area once known as Martledge which was the strip of land around the junction of Barlow Moor and Wilbraham Roads.

These tended to be smaller properties, and were home to the “middling people” who were mainly drawn from the professional and clerical occupations.

But while they may have been the future of Chorlton, those big houses were part of that history as were the people who lived in them.

And that is the link to the Mr. Nicolai Christian Schou, and his family who had made 22 Edge Lane their home in 1871.

Edge Lane, 2019, before redevelopment began

He was a “shipping agent” with offices at 38 Cooper Street which was on the corner with Bootle Street.

The building and his stretch of Cooper Street vanished when Central Ref was built in the 1930s, but was still there at the beginning of the 20th century when it was occupied by Overman and Co., which earlier had operated in partnership with Mr. Schou. 

Just when the two got together is yet to be discovered, but the records show that during the 1860s well into the following decade the company was listed just as N. C. Schou.

Sadly he left very little in the way of a paper trail.  I know he was born in 1834, and was buried in the St James’s Birch-In-Rusholme, in 1881.

But the parish burial records do contain a touching reference to the family, listing the deaths of his wife, and two of his children.  “In memory of Frances Mary wife of Nicholi Christien Schou, died 28th April 1869, aged 36 years also Constance Mary their daughter died 21st November 1863 aged 3½ months also Nicholi Christian Schou born 22nd April 1834 died 2nd December 1881 also Oscar Henry their second son born 6th March 1859 died 2nd August 1892”.

20 Edge Lane, next door to no. 22, 1959

That pretty much is all there is so far, other than the census return for 1871 which lists him living at Edge Lane, with his five children and four servants who included the housekeeper, a cook, housemaid and charwoman.

We may today be surprised at the number of servants, but his neighbours employed almost as many, which again marks number 22 out as typical of the time and place.

Location; Chorlton-cum-Hardy

Picture, 22 Edge Lane, 2019, courtesy of Armistead Property**, Edge Lane and entrance to 22 Edge Lane, date unknown, Lloyd Collection, OS map 1907, and 20 Edge Lane, 1959, A E Landers, m17780, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass

*At 22 Edge Lane, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/At%2022%20Edge%20Lane

**Armistead Property Ltd, http://www.armisteadproperty.co.uk/

The Arndale …. a night club, three lost buildings and a house in Chorlton-cum-Hardy

I never knew that maze of streets, squares and courts which existed between Market and Cannon Street and which were bounded by High Street to the east and Corporation Street to the west.

That maze of streets, squares and courts, 1951

They were indeed a maze, with some of the courts only accessed by narrow alleyways which led off from almost equally narrow streets.

They vanished when the Arndale was built, leaving the curious to search for them on old maps, photographs, and in newspaper clippings, or trawling through official reports of the Police and the City Council.

As early as 1942 the Corporation signaled its intention to redevelop the area, and in 1970 compulsorily purchased eight acres, with construction work for the Arndale beginning the following year.

Of course, there will be plenty of people who still remember that pre-Arndale warren, which included places like, Marsden Square, Cromford Court, and Cock Pit Hill

But memories fade, added to which there will be plenty more who have no knowledge of what now lies under the Arndale.

The Wishing Well, 1967

What set me off today, was not that maze of streets which I have written about already*, but a group of three unremarkable looking buildings photographed in 1967.

They stood on the corner of New Brown Street and Cannon Street, and what first drew me in, was the entrance to the Wishing Well which occupied cellar of Kitchen warehouse.

According to that excellent site, The Pubs of Manchester, the Wishing Well was  a “restaurant-cum-nightclub …. Originally the 'City Restaurant', the Wishing Well was so-named due to a shaft (and some bones) that was unearthed in the basement in 1954 by an electrician.

The owners thought it was a well, so they made a feature of it, building a faux brick wall round it, complete with winch and bucket on a rope.  Not to mention the model skeleton they hung next to it which must have gone down well with diners and drinkers.

The three buildings, 1967

The Wishing Well became a popular late-night haunt, more of a bar than an eatery, and at weekends it became Cord Disco, named after the owner's American car”.**

There is much more, but rather than steal some else’s research I suggest you follow the links.

Leaving me to focus on Walton’s Buildings.

The name Walton crops up across the Rate Books in the 1830s, tied to properties in the area around Cannon Street and New Brown Street, with a specific reference to Walton’s Buildings in 1838, and in the maps during the next two decades.

Walton's Buildings, 1967

What is even more intriguing is that the one in our picture comes as a collection of properties located either side of Marsden Court, which was accessed through the entrance beside the doorway of Walton’s Buildings.

And in the fullness of time I shall go looking for Mr. or Mrs. Walton.

But for now, I am equally fascinated by the last of the three buildings.  This was number 44 Cannon Street, which is listed on Goads Fire Insurance map of the late 19th century as a “warehouse & factory” , which in 1911 was home to the business of Albert E. Moore shirt manufacturer”.

Not that there is anything over remarkable in that, this was after all, an area full of small factories and warehouses.

So, I wasn’t surprised that when our picture was taken in 1967,  number 44, was home to the firm of I Shevloff who had been trading in textiles at various locations since the early 1920s.

 Shevloff, 44 Canono Street, 1922

But what makes I. Shevloff a little different is that I have been following the family’s fortunes for a while, having first come across them when they took up residence at 22 Edge Lane in Chorlton around about the time they opened their first business in Manchester.***

Both Mr. and Mrs. Shevloff were originally from London, although he had been born in the Russian part of Poland as had Mrs. Shevloff’s parents.

And in the course of telling their story I encountered a number of people who remembered visiting the warehouse as children and one who could describe Mr. and Mrs. Shefflov.

All of which confirms that simple observation that history is messy and to misquote the film, is a little like a box of chocolates, because you don’t quite know what you are going to get.

22 Edge Lane, 2019

And I have to say just got a bit messier, but just that bit more interesting, because no sooner had the story gone live, Brenda posted a comment about the Hidden Well, where she worked in the 1950s and 60s.

“I worked as a waitress at the Wishing Well in the late 50s and early 60s. 

The owners were the Britain’s. 

Loved that place. So sorry it isn’t there any more.  

As they say in the article, it had a fake well. 

And back with the Wishing Well, 1967

There were 2 sides - the one where the well was which was a quite upscale coffee bar/restaurant that was open until quite late. 

The other side was only open during the day for lunch and dinner. Old Mrs Britain was a great pastry cook. Made delicious deserts. I was just there on Saturdays and in the holidays when I was off school.
Really fun place to work”.

All of which takes me full circle, because we started with the Wishing Well, and have finished with Brenda’ memories, and in between met Mr. Shevloff who no doubt passed it every working day, leaving me to speculate on whether he called in.  But that, as well as being very unhistorical is a story for another time.

Location; Manchester and Chorlton-cum-Hardy

Pictures; New Brown Street and Cannon Street, 1951, from the OS map of Manchester, 1951, the three properties, 1967, "Courtesy of Manchester Archives+ Town Hall Photographers' Collection",
https://www.flickr.com/photos/manchesterarchiveplus/albums/72157684413651581?fbclid=IwAR35NR9v6lzJfkiSsHgHdQyL2CCuQUHuCuVr8xnd403q534MNgY5g1nAZfY and 22 Edge Lane, the home of the Shevloff’s, 2019, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

*Manchester Pubs- The Stories Behind The Doors-City Centre, Peter Topping & Andrew Simpson, 2016

** The Pubs of Manchester, http://pubs-of-manchester.blogspot.com/2010/03/wishing-well-cord-disco-new-brown.html


***At 22 Edge Lane; https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/At%2022%20Edge%20Lane

From Whitechapel to Edge Lane in Chorlton …….. in the company of Mrs. Shevloff and Mr. Lazarus

Now, I never lose that sense of excitement of standing in front of a house which was home to someone I have been researching.

Leman Street, with 117, marked in red, 1874

And more so when the journey runs back from Chorlton  to Whitechapel in London.

The person in question was Julia Lazarus who was born in 1880, to parents who were from the Russian part of Poland.

Her father and mother had been here since 1874, and he sought and was granted naturalization as a British citizen just two years after Julia was born.

Back then they were living at 117 Leman Street, in the heart of Whitechapel, which was a three-story property on the corner with Hooper Street.

The building is still there and comparing the footprint with the same site from the OS map of 1874, this was where they lived.

Mr. Lazarus is variously listed as a grocer, hotel keeper, financier and running a loan office, all within a short distance of Leman Street.

He died in 1936, by which time his daughter was living in Chorlton, at 22 Edge Lane and that is the link to one of those fascinating research projects which never quite gets finished.

22 Edge Lane, 2019

Because 22 Edge Lane, keeps throwing up little gems which offer insights in to how we lived.

The house dates back to 1865, and for almost a century, was home to “the people of plenty” who were merchants, professionals, and employers of others.

And of these Julia’s husband is quite interesting.  He too was born in Russia, was naturalised in 1909 and had a flourishing business, in Sheffield and later Manchester,  selling “hosiery, blankets, quilts, sheets, towels, plain and fancy  linens, lace curtains”, and advertised himself as  “casement manufacturers and merchants”.*

The Lazarus family at 47 Leman Street, 1895

Like Julia’s parents he first settled in London, where he met and married Julia, moved to Sheffield and sometime in the 1920s set up business in the Manchester and moved into Edge Lane.

The romantic in me often wonders whether Mr. Lazarus took the train north from Whitechapel and visited his daughter, son in law and grandchildren.

I doubt I will ever turn up the evidence, but no doubt there would have been pictures of the house of Edge Lane which made their way south, along with stories of the Manchester business.

And while writing the story of Julia and her husband I encountered people who remembered shopping at Shevloff’s premises in the 1960s.

So, there is much still to research, and in the fullness of time I might get inside number 22 Edge Lane, and more pictures of the house along with those of Leman Street.

Pictures; Leman Street in 1874, from the 1874 OS of London, courtesy of Digital Archives Association, http://digitalarchives.co.uk/ and Edge Lane courtesy of Armistead Property Ltd**


*Shevloff E. B. & S. Ltd 23 High Street, Slater’s Manchester & Salford Directory, 1929

**Armistead Property, http://www.armisteadproperty.co.uk/

No. 22 Edge Lane and the story of Mrs Julia Shevloff

Now, number 22 Edge Lane has more than its fair share of interesting stories.

Looking to the junction of with Wilbraham Road, date unknown

Its first owner moved into the property in 1865, only to sell it a few years later and then buy it back, and for a while it appears, he sub divided the house.

It was a grand property, set in extensive grounds with its own stable and hidden behind tall stone walls and neatly maintained hedges.

These afforded the degree of privacy that its residents would have taken for granted.

For they were all people of plenty who described themselves as “merchants” and “businessmen”, who were also careful to record that they were “employers of others”.

Edge Lane, circa 1900

The first half century of number 22 is fairly easy to follow, and all its occupants can be traced using the rate books, street directories and census returns.

But after 1911 it becomes just that bit more difficult, and while the annual directories offer up the name of the householder through to the 1960s, other records like the census are silent.

All of which brings me to Mr and Mrs Shevloff who occupied the house from sometime in the 1920s through to the 1950s.

I first came across the family in 1939, when the widowed Mrs Shevloff appears on the 1939 Register which was compiled just after the outbreak of the Second World War. The register formed the basis for the issue of Identity Cards, Ration Books and was used by the National Health Service, nine years later to generate NHS numbers.

No. 22 Edge Lane, 2019

After that it was possible to trace Mr. and Mrs. Shevloff back into the 19th century, uncover the date of their marriage, the births of their children and their moves from London, to Sheffield and onto Edge Lane.

Mrs Shevloff was born in east London in 1880, two years before her father, Charles Lazarus, was naturalized as a British Citizen.  At the time the family were living in Whitechapel and he described himself as a “grocer” who had been born in Poland and had been a “Subject of the Empire of Russia”.

Given that the family were Jewish, and this coincide with one of many periods of antisemitic persecution in Russia, it is easy to see why the family moved to Britain.

It is unclear exactly when that was, but their eldest son had been born here in 1874 which would suggest that they had escaped from the Russian Empire sometime before that date.

By 1891, Mr. Lazarus described himself as a “hotel Keeper” and his three eldest sons were working, one as a barber and the other two in shops.

No. 2 Edge Lane, 2019

Julia married Ernest Shevloff in 1900 and by the following year had moved to Sheffield where he described himself as a “lace curtain merchant”, running his own business.  He too was from Russia, having been naturalized in 1909.

Their home is still standing and was a modest 8 roomed property which they shared with their four children, a servant and two boarders, one of whom was Julia’s brother and the other who had also been born in Russia.

The family clearly prospered and by 1929, if not earlier they are in Manchester and living Edge Lane.
The degree to which they were doing well is vouched by the prominent entry in the 1929 trade directory which is large bold prints lists them as “SHEVLOFF E.B.& S. LTD., hosiery, blankets, quilts, sheets towels, plain and fancy linens, lace curtains and casement manufacturers and merchants, 23 High Street, Telephone City 2904 & 2905”.

And the fact that when Emanuel died in 1935, he left over £15,000.

For those who want a 21st century comparison,  using Measuring Worth that sum in 2018 amounts to £1,023,000.00, which if you want to get techical goes up to £2,710,000.00 when set against the average earnings, or £4,850,000.00 using the per capita GDP.**

Julia survived him by another sixteen years, and both were buried in separate burial plots in the Jewish Cemetery in Southern Cemetery.

Entry in Slater's Directory, 1929

Which brings me back to the 1939, register, which records Julia and three of her children occupying the Edge Lane house.   In the 1950s the surnames of her two daughters were changed on the register to Lewis and Smith, after their marriages.

And here I own up to one of those silly mistakes, because before cross referencing the dates of their marriages and the names of their husbands, I had assumed the name changes on the list were linked to a wish to distance themselves from their Jewish origins.

Not so, and while given the growing antisemitism across the channel, this was me being unhistorical and not checking the facts.

Just what happens to number 22 after Julia’s death has yet to be discovered, but I am guessing it won’t be a dull story.

Location; Chorlton

Pictures; Edge Lane, nos. 24, looking to Wilbraham Road, date unknown and Edge Lane, circa 1900, from the Lloyd Collection, and number 22, in the first stages of renovation and redevelopment by Armistead Property Ltd***, 2019, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

* Sources; Census Returns, 1861-1911, 1939 Register, Manchester’s Rate Books, 1845-1900, OS Maps of Manchester, 1894, 1907, 1934, Slater’s Street Directories of Manchester & Salford, 1878-1911, Naturalization Records

**Measuring Worth, https://www.measuringworth.com/index.php

***Armistead Property Ltd, http://www.armisteadproperty.co.uk/

Uncovering 154 years of the history of one house ……. 22 Edge Lane

Now I doubt few people have ever seen number 22 Edge Lane as it would have looked back in 1865 during its construction.*

I suppose its owner, a Mr. John Muffet Haselgrove, might have just popped in, along with the architect, and perhaps a curious trespasser might have chanced their arm and climbed in.

But leaving these aside, it will have been the workmen, who labourered on the property, completing each of the stages, until the house was ready to become a home.

And now, after 154 years Mr. Haselgrove’s house has reverted to bare brick, devoid of virtually every feature we would call home comforts.

In the process, all the subsequent additions, and alterations are there to see, including wood and concrete lintels used to create new openings, windows that were never part of the original plan, and partition walls added to create new living spaces.

Nor is this everything, because deep down in what were the cellars are some very odd things, including openings that seem to lead nowhere, and lots of Victorian earth back filled into some of the rooms.

All of this meant that I felt quite privileged to be invited in to see, number 22 in its raw state.

A few bits of the past have survived including the elegant staircase and the solid front door, but of the fireplaces, the plaster cornices, and picture rails, nothing remains.  Most of them will have vanished long ago, being judged “unmodern” by owners who wanted to embrace the simplicity of 20th century design.

Or were sacrificed when this once proud family home was divided up into flats.

But that does mean that the place is a blank canvas, for Armistead Property Ltd, who are beginning to redevelop the property, creating two bedroomed apartments in this mid nineteenth building.

The historian in me always welcomes the sympathetic redevelopment of a property, which in its long history has been much knocked about and is in danger of being demolished for a pedestrian block of flats, or worse still lingers on, with its glory days far in the past.

Not so 22 Edge Lane, which along with the redevelopment of its interior will be restored to what it might have looked like back in 1865.

This will include cleaning the brickwork, picking out other exterior features and creating landscaped open spaces in keeping with the building.

And I am pleased that the development will retain its original name of The Oaks, which was bestowed upon it by Mr. Haselgrove shortly after he moved in, and echoes the name of an earlier house he lived in.

So, in the fullness of time The Oaks, will again stand proud on Edge Lane, and be a focus for the stories of its long history, which includes the Haselgrove family and a long line of other Chorlton residents.

Some of these I have already written about including Julia Shevloff, whose father and mother arrived in Britain in 1874, from the Russian part of Poland and settled in Whitechapel.

Her husband  was also from Imperial Russia, and was naturalized in 1909 having married Julia nine years earlier.

In 1901 they had set up home in Sheffield and moved into The Oaks sometime in the early 1920s, and here they stayed.

Both are buried in Southern Cemetery and there are some people who remember shopping in Mr. Shevloff's premises in the heart of Manchester.

Location; Chorlton;

Pictures; the original interior, 2019, from the collection of Andrew Simpson



*At 22 Edge Lane, **https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/At%2022%20Edge%20Lane

**Armistead Property Ltd, http://www.armisteadproperty.co.uk/

Discovering more of Chorlton's history .......... with that house on Edge Lane

Now,the story of how Chorlton was transformed from small rural community to suburb of Manchester is a fascinating one.

No. 22 Edge Lane, 2019

And part of that story are those grand properties which were built along Edge Lane from the 1860s onwards.

Some were demolished in the middle decades of the last century to make way for “functional” blocks of flats.

But enough remain to hint at how impressive Edge Lane once was.  Most were occupied by families of business, who listed themselves as merchants, shipping agents and above all employers of others.

The coming of the railway with its station at Stretford will have been an attraction to the residents as was the  fact that Chorlton-cum-Hardy was still a rural spot with fields bordering the fine gardens of these houses.

Added to this, in the mid1860s, the Egerton’s had cut Wilbraham Road from its junction with Edge Lane all the way to Fallowfield, affording more opportunities for development.

All of which brings me no 22 Edge Lane and a story which sheds light on how Chorlton was changing.

I can’t say I ever really noticed the place, but then it was tucked away behind a wall and hedge and easily missed.

In 1907

And that is a shame because there are plenty of stories here, ranging from its first owner, who appears to have sold it, only to buy it back, and later the Jewish family who occupied the property in 1939, and felt compelled to change their surname.

The house was built in 1865.

Now I can be fairly sure of that because there is no reference to the property in the rate books before that date, and the stables which were at the rear let out on to Wilbraham Road which was cut sometime in the 1860s.

The first owner was a John Murfet Haselgrove, who had a business in Manchester dealing in flock and waste material at Robert Street in Strangeways. He appears in various directories.  In 1869 running a “wholesale flock and waste business at 10 Walton Buildings New Brown Street”.  In 1873 as a “manufacturer of lamp wicks, spinner of candle wick, manufacturer of engine waster, cotton & woolen flocks, engine packing & patent sponge cloths, at 21 Robert Street, Strangeways”.  And in 1879 still at 21 Robert Street trading as “Murfet & Nephew manufacturers”.

Over the next century and a half it was home to other wealthy families, before being converted in to flats, and now it is being redeveloped by Armistead Property, who have a record of saving old Victorian and Edwardian properties and creating imaginative and exciting developments, which retain much of the original building, while making apartments which sit comfortably in the 21st century.

Next; the twisty tale of different owners, and mystery conversion and the family from Russia

Location; Chorlton

Picture, 22 Edge Lane, 2019, courtesy of Armistead Property

* Armistead Property, http://www.armisteadproperty.co.uk/

Following the history of Chorlton …………….with that house on Edge Lane

Now,the story of how Chorlton was transformed from small rural community to suburb of Manchester is a fascinating one.

No. 22 Edge Lane, 2019

And part of that story are those grand properties which were built along Edge Lane from the 1860s onwards.

Some were demolished in the middle decades of the last century to make way for “functional” blocks of flats.

But enough remain to hint at how impressive Edge Lane once was.  Most were occupied by families of business, who listed themselves as merchants, shipping agents and above all employers of others.

The coming of the railway with its station at Stretford will have been an attraction to the residents as was the  fact that Chorlton-cum-Hardy was still a rural spot with fields bordering the fine gardens of these houses.

Added to this, in the mid1860s, the Egerton’s had cut Wilbraham Road from its junction with Edge Lane all the way to Fallowfield, affording more opportunities for development.

All of which brings me no 22 Edge Lane and a story which sheds light on how Chorlton was changing.

I can’t say I ever really noticed the place, but then it was tucked away behind a wall and hedge and easily missed.

In 1907

And that is a shame because there are plenty of stories here, ranging from its first owner, who appears to have sold it, only to buy it back, and later the Jewish family who occupied the property in 1939, and felt compelled to change their surname.

The house was built in 1865.

Now I can be fairly sure of that because there is no reference to the property in the rate books before that date, and the stables which were at the rear let out on to Wilbraham Road which was cut sometime in the 1860s.

The first owner was a John Murfet Haselgrove, who had a business in Manchester dealing in flock and waste material at Robert Street in Strangeways. He appears in various directories.  In 1869 running a “wholesale flock and waste business at 10 Walton Buildings New Brown Street”.  In 1873 as a “manufacturer of lamp wicks, spinner of candle wick, manufacturer of engine waster, cotton & woolen flocks, engine packing & patent sponge cloths, at 21 Robert Street, Strangeways”.  And in 1879 still at 21 Robert Street trading as “Murfet & Nephew manufacturers”.

Over the next century and a half it was home to other wealthy families, before being converted in to flats, and now it is being redeveloped by Armistead Property, who have a record of saving old Victorian and Edwardian properties and creating imaginative and exciting developments, which retain much of the original building, while making apartments which sit comfortably in the 21st century.

Next; the twisty tale of different owners, and mystery conversion and the family from Russia

Location; Chorlton

Picture, 22 Edge Lane, 2019, courtesy of Armistead Property

* Armistead Property, http://www.armisteadproperty.co.uk/