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High Street, Rotherham
'High Street' is a comprehensive history of High Street, Rotherham put together by Ian and Peter Hawkridge.
 It itemises and details each address and gives a through-the-years itinerary of who lived and worked there during the 19th Century. High Street might seem inconsequential nowadays with its boarded-up shops and lack of traffic, but in the 19th Century it was central to the town's existence.
The book follows the trend of owners of businesses moving families out to the new houses available to rent and the emergence of the 'lock-up' shop. The living quarters above the shops were then taken over by the new service sector businesses such as building societies, accountants and insurance companies.
High Street 190 years ago was a hive of activity and business which included a baker, bookseller, shoemaker, a brewery, chemist, draper, goldsmith, grocers, ironmonger, doctor, post office and six taverns. Stage coaches arrived and departed from High Street to and from Doncaster, Bawtry and Sheffield. Village people would carouse and drink and sing there on weekends, while on Mondays it was thronged with the likes of Earls Fitzwilliam, Effingham, Wharncliffe and the Lords Milton and Howard along with members of the Foljambe, Walker and Fullerton families.
It is a facinating glimpse into an important street which has seen better days. |
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