Stowupland Shops
In putting this together a question that had to be considered is, what is a shop?
- Is it a place a customer visits to purchase their requirements that a retailer has bought in?
- Is it a mobile facility which brings retail items to the customer?
- Is it the place where goods are manufactured or produced for a customer to collect from?.
- or is it something else?
Today it is often purpose built premises but previously it was often a front room of the family home, and whilst the named shop keeper was usually the husband it was the wife who ran the shop. Her husband often was out earning a living doing other work.
Most of the material in our archives relates to late 19th and 20th century shops. but we do know that in;
- 1468 Stowupland did have at least one shop . The will of Simon Kyy of Stowmarket refers to a shop late of John Bylls. It was to be sold to his son John with all land and tenements in Saxton. The will continues, tenements calle COES and COWPERES with a shop. Land of Wm BAKSTETE to be sold (except Maria to live in Cowperes for life) to John (son) all land and tenements in SAXTON. {ECA}
Whilst we have names of some Stowupland shopkeepers the location of their shops is sometimes confusing or unknown. Prior to the 1930’s boundary change many other shops might have been in Stowupland, but here only those within the current parish boundary will be considered.
Our Shops On the Green: slightly confusingly during the early 20th century Stowupland had 2 shops that stood on its Green, both commenced trading in the 19th century and had several different owners but only one is still in business.
- One faced onto the Back Road, this is still trading as M&M’s. Previously known as Spencer’s and before that Disney’s. or see before M&Ms.
- The Shop on the Green stood side on to the Main Road (A1120). backing onto Chapel Lane but has ceased trading and is now a family home. Formerly Skinners, Mathias’, then Mann’s before it ceased trading.
- Diaper’s – 1855, was this along Back Road or did it become The Shop on the Green?
In the 20th century a row of shops were built along Devon Road. Today the shops have gone, although on the corner a Chineses Take Away remains. The name Dents Corner has been retained as the name of a bus stop.
Gyford’s shop stood along Saxham Street until the 1970s, see other Saxham Street Sellers.
- Miscellaneous shops and shopkeepers some shops only existed for a short time
- See also Poultry Dealers, or trades and crafts.
