Portland Street Wesleyan Chapel This was the original purpose built home of Methodism in Leamington. ‘The earliest Leamington Methodists went over to Warwick to worship’, by 1817 William Scott and his wife had founded a place of worship in ‘Barnacle’s Yard, Satchwell St., they later moved to Brunswick St. The next move was to purchase … Read more
Leamington Episcopal Chapel This was, in 1825, the first of the proprietary chapels or chapel of ease, built in Leamington. The chosen site across the top of the Parade, was at the opposite end of the town from the parish church and it was built on open land, which soon became the centre of a … Read more
The New Church In July 1836 a group of nonconformist worshippers who called themselves Congregationalists opened a new chapel set amongst green meadows near the banks of the river Leam. The architect of this elegant building was Mr John Russell himself a member of the congregation. The chapel was the third nonconformist place of worship … Read more
Alexander and May Wilkinson moved to Leamington from Birmingham in 1946, to open a garden and flower shop at No 9 Spencer Street. Birmingham, 1900-1946 May had always loved working with flowers, having started at the age of 12 helping in her auntie’s florist’s shop in Birmingham. It was hard work. Saturday meant starting at … Read more
1700s William and Sarah Bone lived in Saltisford Warwick in the late 1700’s. They were married around 1790 with their first child being born in 1793. Their fifth child Hannah was born on 21st April 1805. Sarah outlived William and died in Saltisford in 1848 aged 82 1805 Hannah Bone remained all her life in … Read more
Ron Ransford is a very well-known figure in Leamington. For many years, his family ran a building/demolition/recycling business in the town, and Ron has personally “seen off” a number of old Leamington landmarks during his working life.If you want to know where some significant artefact or piece of equipment from a long-vanished Leamington building, Ron … Read more
8th March 1876 – 20th August 1969 Florence Agnes Hughes started working life as an asylum nurse at Hatton Hospital, married William Angle, a Minton tile fixer from Staffordshire, at Warwick in the autumn of 1906, and emigrated with him to America, in search of a new life. They must have made a striking couple. … Read more
Ethel Rosalie Harraden (Mrs Frank Glover) – 1857-1917. Ethel Rosalie Harraden was born in Islington, the older daughter of Samuel Harraden, a London and Calcutta Agent, and also a musician. She was reputed to have begun composing at the age of five, and later studied at the Royal Academy under Sir Sterndale Bonnett and Dr Dorell. … Read more
A few memories of a child in wartime by Eva Sabin, nee Kilby. I grew up in Kilby’s shop in High Street. We lived above the shop with my grandparents who owned it. My first recollection of the Second World War is a Sunday morning in the shop with my mother listening to the speech declaring … Read more
Jane Wray Gowns – Victoria Colonnade, Royal Leamington Spa Although the elegant figure on the left may not be instantly recognisable, many older Leamingtonians will remember her as ‘Jane Wray’, owner of the fashionable dress shop in the Colonnade. She was my mother, Mrs Jane Wheatley, seen here at home in Lansdowne Circus,modelling one of her … Read more
ONE OF OUR EARLY ARTICLES Robert William Collier set up his linen draper shop at number 21 Bath Street in late 1860. He was born in Cheltenham in about 1824, and was apprenticed to Robert Whitehouse, draper, of Lower Union Parade, Leamington where he appears on the 1841 census. He would have lived with other … Read more
Eric chats about his long and varied life, as a window dresser, costume designer at the RSC, interior design specialist, entrepreneur and restaurateur. 51 mins. 57MB mp3 file. This recording was made as part of the “History @ Bath Place” project, 2007-9. eric-shadbolt
Contact the Secretary, Margaret Rushton: secretary@leamingtonhistory.co.uk
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