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Street View: 18
Address: 75 Farringdon Street
The premises of Thomas Nettleton were situated on the corner of Farringdon Street and Stonecutter Street. Farringdon Street was more or less the successor to Fleet Market, opened in 1737 on a newly culverted stretch of Fleet River. The market consisted of two rows of open shops with a passage between the rows, but by 1829, it was so run down and in the way of the increased traffic, that it was cleared and Farringdon Street constructed. A new market, Farringdon Market, was set up just behind Farringdon Street with an entrance for carts in Stonecutter Street and one for pedestrians in Farringdon Street (between numbers 66 and 67), but it was never very successful.
Fleet Market from W. Thornbury, Old and New London, vol. 2, p. 498.
The Nettleton family had been on that particular corner when the road was still called Fleet Market, as in his will of 1825, father William’s address was given as 75 Fleet Market.(1) To be clear, the shop at number 75 was not a stall at the market, but a ‘proper’ building in the street behind the market stalls. In 1832, the record of the Sun Fire Office shows an entry for “Messrs Nettleton and Co., 75 Farringdon Street, tinmen and braziers”. Who exactly was in the business besides Thomas is unclear, perhaps a brother, but the 1841 census just shows Thomas and his family on the premises.
Coat of arms Tin plate Workers Company
In 1814, at the baptism of Thomas, he and his parents William and Hannah lived at 9, Tash Court.(2) Tax records for Farringdon Without in 1819 place William Nettleton at the west side of Fleet Market. Two years later, in August 1821, William obtains the freedom of the Tinplate Workers Company by redemption, paying 46s 8p for the privilege. In early 1822 he is admitted to the freedom of the City, but does not enjoy it for very long as he is buried on 17 April 1825 at St. Bride’s. Curiously, his address is then given as Stonecutter Street. His son Thomas is not admitted into a City Company until 1841 when he receives his freedom from the Worshipful Company of Founders “by servitude”.
Coat of arms Founders Company
If we look more closely at the census records, we find Thomas and his wife Mary at number 75 as well as a 6-year old girl Jane Jones. Unfortunately, the 1841 census does not yet provide family relation details, so it is unclear who the little girl was. Thomas and Mary (Ann) Fox were married on 27 April, 1834 at All Hallows, Lombard Street. Ten years later, at the next census, Thomas appears to have moved to 30 Stonecutter Street, but looking at Horwood’s map of 1799, I think it is just the other address for what was essentially the corner building.
Horwood, 1799
In 1851, Thomas is employing two men, one apprentice and one boy. Thomas is living with his wife Mary Ann, Hannah Self, his mother-in-law, and James Tyrell, the apprentice; there do not seem to be any children. In the 1833 tax records for Farringdon Without, one John Self, leather seller is found below the entry for Nettleton. And in 1829 John Self, a widower, marries Hannah Nettleton, a widow at All Hallows. I assume that Hannah Self was previously married to a Mr. Fox, hence the last name of Mary Ann, but have found no record of such a marriage. Also living at 30 Stonecutter Street are William Langton, fruit salesman, his wife Mary and daughter Mary Ann. Presumably they rent part of the building.(3) In 1861, Thomas and Mary Ann, one apprentice, John Coucher, and one servant, Emma Fox (is she a relation of Mary Ann?) are resident above the shop. Mary Ann dies in January 1864 and is buried at St. James, in Swain’s Lane, or Highgate Cemetery as we would now say.
Thomas remarries and in 1871 he is found at 30 Stonecutter Street with his second wife Emma (was she previously the servant Emma Fox?), and employing three men and one boy. They are still there in 1881, but what happened to them after that is unclear, they may have moved away or died, but I have not been able to find any records to either possibility.
(1) PROB 11/1702/455; dated 26 August 1825.
(2) St. Andrew, Holborn, 2 October 1814
(3) At the LMA are held Deeds and other items relating to 29 and 30 Stonecutter Street (ref.: P69/BRI/D/047/MS14843), but they concern the leasehold and do not mention the Nettletons.
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