The Shop on the Green
The shop was the end one of a terrace of three houses., between the Green and Chapel Lane (or the Aley)
The buildings still stand but the shop is now just a private home. Over the years there have been many owners or tenants, for much of that time one of its front rooms was used as shop.
Local stories claim the 3 cottages were sold for £50 over a pint in the Crown.
1839/40
Tm 407, cottage & garden -owner & occupier John Pyman . This was the size of 2 cottages as the shop was added later
Tm 408a, cottage & garden -owner John Pyman, occ George Baker. At end of the Ally, later called Blenco’s
Accodring ro various trade directories between 1840 and 1850 John Pyman was a shop keeper in Thorney Green. In 1851 William Pyman age 43 is a grocer in Thorney Green and in various directories he is named as a shop keeper throught to 1874.
There then seems some confusion as to whether Abraham (Abram) Diaper took over this shop or whether he had premises along Back Road.
By the 1920’s when Mrs Box went to London, she let the house and shop to Mr & Mrs James Diaper (apparently not a relative of Abraham and for a time the shop was closed
A few years later G.Jackson bought the cottages and gave the end and centre one to his mother and Mr & Mrs Samuel Skinner either became tenants or bought the one with the shop.
1921 Sam Skinner : The shop closed again in 1945 but the Skinner’s remained till after Mrs Skinners death in 1951 when Mr Skinner sold the property to Mr and Mrs Matthias.
Ben (John Benjamin)Mathias. His wife ran the shop day to day whilst he was out at work, when he returned home he would deliver people’s groceries.
It was later sold to Mr and Mrs Mann
The shop was reopened by Frank R.D. Mann, mainly as a sweet shop till he retired on 30th September 1981. The house was sold and became a private home.
