1860
Daniel Betts Osborne - establishes the shop as a "Pork Butcher and Fish Merchant". Later advertisements carry the line "Established 1860".

1874
Daniel Betts Osborne - Pork Butcher & Fish Merchant (W 1874). Daniel is married to Charlotte (nee Waters). The Waters are a family of Trinity Pilots.

Note: In about 1869, the Osborne family take in a lodger, a 23-year-old Inland Revenue officer from Somerset by the name of William Adin Dunton who has been posted to Southwold. Here he makes the acquaintance of Charlotte's sister, Emma Waters, and marries her. They have five sons: Ernest William (b1874), Sidney John who is destined to inherit the shop in 1922, Donald who will one day manage the Red Lion at No 2 South Green, Ernest William, and Charles Hubert and three daughters: Lottie, Winifred and Norah.

Charlotte Osborne - Trading as 'D B Osborne'. (K 1916)

1922
Charlotte Osborne dies this year. Daniel and Charlotte had no children so the house and business are inherited by Charlotte's nephew, Sidney John Dunton, who has been living in the Osborne home for some years. The shop continues to trade as 'D B Osborne'.(SPM 1923).

1924
Sidney John Dunton - "Late D Osborne" - Fishmonger (SPM 1924).

Sidney is married to Jessie (nee Moore).His brother, Donald, marries Vivette Docwra, widow of Thomas Docwra of The Red Lion Inn at No 2 South Green. Neither brother has children.

Sidney John Dunton - fishmonger

1946
Sidney John Dunton - fishmonger, this year sells the freehold and the business to his assistant, Walter Cook and his wife, Phyllis, for about £4,500. Walter raises the capital as a private loan from Phyllis's employer, Ellis Hill of Aldeburgh. Walter and Phyllis initially live in the flat above the shop.

Sidney Dunton, meanwhile, settles down to retirement at the the property next door at No 7 East Street (Gordon House) which he has owned for some years. He dies in 1958.

1956
Walter & Phyllis Cook - 'W S Cook, Fishmonger'. This year. Walter and Phyllis additionally acquire the lease of the Victoria Hotel across the street (No 8 East Street). They move into the flat above the pub, leaving the residence above the Fish shop empty until...

1958
Richard Cook - Walter and Phyllis's son, leaves the RAF this year and, with his new bride, Helen, begins to take over the family business, now called 'W S Cook & Son', with Walter and Phyllis continuing to play an active part as well as running the pub. The smoke house for the shop is, in fact, located in the back yard of The Victoria.

Meanwhile Helen sets up and runs a small bed-and-breakfast business from the top-floor flat above the shop. She and Richard have three children: Nigel, David and Jenny

1967
Walter Cook is incapacitated by a stroke but the fish shop continues under the 'W S Cook & Son' name, run by Richard and his mother Phyllis.

1973
Walter Cook dies this year but the 'W S Cook & Son' business continues under Richard and his mother for the remainder of this decade.

1980
Geoge Huckle - purchases the business from Richard Cook and employs Pat & Pauline Samkin to run it. The shop is now trading as 'Pat's' (LM) See comment by Caroline Samkin in the Forum below.

1983
John Huggins - purchases the premises and runs it as 'John's Fish Shop'. Pat and Pauline Samkin move to take over the greengrocer at No 21 Market Place.

John Huggins - 'John's Fish Shop'.

Basement was first an antiques shop, then a bath products shop, 'Bathtime Heaven' at about this time.

1998
Serena Hall - Artist, opens her first art gallery in the basement before moving to No 16 Queen Street in 2000. (LM).

Linda Seaman - Artist, uses the basement as her studio and gallery for a few years.

2008
John Huggins - 'John's Fish Shop'. This year, Southwold's sole remaining wet fish shop closes with the retirement of John Huggins.

Joules Clothes Shop

We are indebted to Anne Dewar (Nee Dunton) for much of the information on the Osborne and Dunton families, and to Richard, Helen and Jenny Cook for information about their family's ownership of the property.