Sometime Carolyn would like to find out about the numbering and renumbering of houses in Bancroft.
Back Street – Dead Street – Queen Street. Dead Street was a slum area back in the 14th century at the time of the Black Death when it got its name. It is highly likely that Jacob was living in the area when he died of cholera in 1849. Back Street was the northern extension of Dead Street. The area, considered worse than the London slums was cleared in the 1920’s. Nevertheless the northern area of Back Street, that became Queen Street seems to have been an up market area as our ancestor wealthy merchant John Throssell was living there during the 1881 census. Carolyn has attempted to work out which part of Back Street GWR senior and Eliza were living in during the 1861 census. Their house is listed on Back Street near Portmill Lane, so would have been at the ‘better’ end just to the south of where Back Street became Winbush Lane (now Road).
Now to try to work out where on Back Street Eliza had been living in the 1851 census.
OLD MAP: Hitchin in 1820 best found so far near end of St Andrews report, especially pages 33, 37 and 38. From these it seems as if in 1820 there was open ground between Dead Street and Back Street, in the 1879 map DEAD Street had become QUEEN Street, while Back Street retained its name. By 1898 BACK Street also took on the name QUEEN Street.
Good links:
St Mary’s Church fourth paragraph on the churchyard is of interest as that is where Jacob Russell 1789-1849 was buried during an outbreak of cholera in the Back Street/Dead Street area.