No 21 High Street
 

The Deeds of No 21 go back to 1802. Between this date and 1856, a John Bye 'and others' are recorded as owners. John Bye may be part of the same family who ran the post offices at Wangford and Southwold during the 1840s and '50s. Between 1856 and 1865, the ownership passed to James Jillings who also owned the inn next door (19 High Street). Following James, the owner was F W Denny of Denny & Son until his death in 1924 after which Mrs Claurene Clarke, (wife of baker Frederick Clarke of No 35 High Street) was the freeholder until 1965.

1896
Francis Charles Goffin (Charlie)- Pork Butcher (K1896)

Note: Francis is married to Ellen Sophia (Naunton).They have 8 children, the penultimate being George Henry Goffin (See No 53a High Street and Baggott's Mill).


1908
Francis Charles Goffin - (Charlie) Pork Butcher. Mr Goffin also holds the office of 'Fen Reeve' to Southwold Borough Council. (K1908)


 
1916
Francis Charles Goffin - (Charlie) Pork Butcher (K1916). He is widowed this year. By this time he has apparently diversified beyond meat and poultry. In the 1911 census he describes himself as 'Jobber and General Dealer' rather than butcher. ("Jobber" simply means "dealer*.)
 

Francis Charles Goffin - (Charlie) In the early 1920s, he is believed to have given up butchery altogether to concentrate on confectionery, although, the 1924 photograph (right) clearly still shows 'Poulterer' on the shop sign. He gives up the business in 1924 and dies the following year.

We are grateful to Eliizabeth Morgan, great granddaughter of Francis Charles and Ellen Goffin for providing information and family photographs.

1924
P Hewson - Pork Butcher (SCTG1924, PPP 1926).

1929
H A Aldrich - Family Bucher and Poulterer. (SWCG1929). H A Aldrich must be a very short-term tenant.


 

1931
Lowestoft Co-operative Society Ltd - Butcher. The Co-op leases the premises this year from Mrs Clorene Clarke. Former lessee P Hewson is taken on as Manager and is later transferred to the Society''s Beccles branch (LM, Title deeds, K1933, 1937)


1943
Lowestoft Co-operative Society Ltd - Butcher (SRB 1943)

 

1954
Lowestoft Co-operative Society Ltd - Butcher (SRB 1954) The shop closes down soon after. In its latter days it is thought that the Co-op runs it mainly as a greengrocery. (LM)


1964
Lowestoft Co-operative Society - Surrenders the lease to Mrs Claurene Clarke. (Title deeds)

1965
Miss N J Baker - purchases the freehold from Mrs Claurene Clarke and opens it as a Tea Room. (Title deeds)

1969

Mr & Mrs David Lee
- purchase the shop and open it as an Antiques business in August of this year (SLHR)


 

Mr & Mrs David Lee - Antiques (SLHR)

 
1989
Mr & Mrs David Lee - Antiques. The business is closed in June this year on the retirement of its owners and No 21 becomes their private residence. (SLHR1989).
 

Residential

 
 

Residential

   

Do you have any memories or records about this address? Can you correct any of our information or fill in any of our blanks? If so, please email Barry Tolfree
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SOURCES:
BSD - Bernard Segrave-Daly
BCS = Bygones & Characters of Southwold by Barrett Jenkins
C = Census
CP = Cinema Programme 1958
CSP = Coronation Souvenir Programme 1953
G = Gales Trade Directory
GRO = General Register Office
K = Kelly's Directory
LM = Local memory
M = James Maggs' Southwold Diary 1818-1876
MCG = Methodist Church Guide 1930
NA = National Archives
PP = Pantomime Programme 1933
PLR = Petrol Licence Records

POD = Post Office Directory
PPP = Pier Pavilion Programme 1924, 1926
RCE = Rotary Club Exhibition 1969
SCM = Southwold Catholic Magazine 1923
SCTG = Southwold Corporation Tourist Guide
SER = Southwold Electoral Register
SFP = Southwold Scouts Fete Programme 1947
SG = Southwold Guide
SGCH = Southwold Golf Club Handbook
SLHR = Southwold Local History Recorder 1980s 1990s (Mrs R. McDermot)
SMHS = Southwold Museum & Historical Society

SN = Southwold & Neighbourhood 1903
SPM = Southwold Parish Magazine 1895 -1954
SR = Southwold Recorder 1927, 1932, 1934, 1935
SRB = Southwold Rate Book
SRT = Southwold Railway Timetable 1915
SSAS = Southwold Sea Angling Society Handbook 1909
SST = Southwold Summer Theatre Programmes
SSW = Southwold Shopping Week Programme, June/July 1922
STG = Southwold Town Guide 1930
SVL = Southwold Visitors List 1907, 1930
SVCP = Southwold Victory Celebration Programme 1946
SWCG = Southwold Wesleyan Church Guide

TTR = 'The Town Revisited' - Portraits of Southwold by Stephen Wolfenden 2000
TTT = ''To The Town' - Portraits of Southwold by Stephen Wolfenden 1988
W = White’s History, Gazetteer and Directory of Suffolk 1874

 
Note on dates
Unless otherwise stated, dates given do not indicate the years in which the business started or finished but those for which there is firm evidence that it was trading at this address. Sources in brackets; key at bottom of page.


Above: No 21 today and below, in 1978 as the Lees' Antique Shop.
(1978 photo courtesy of Mr David Lee)
Click the picture to enlarge


The Goffin family outside their butcher's shop around the turn of the century. Reproduced from a postcard in the collection of David Lee.
Click the picture for an enlargement and a close-up of the group.

Marriage in 1913 of one of Francis Goffin's sons, George Henry Goffin to Elsie Annie Hawes. About 20 years later, George and Elsie will take over the Manor Farm Dairy at No 53a High Street.
Photo courtesy of John Goffin.

Click the photo to emlarge



Francis Charles Goffin (Charlie) and his wife, Ellen Sophia and some of their nine children possibly before or during the First War. Back row centre is thought to be George Henry and next to him, his older brother Sydney Herbert. The young woman seated towards the right of the picture may be their sister, Ellen Florence.
Photo courtesy of Charles' great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Morgan.
Click picture to enlarge

Sydney Herbert Goffin with Ellen (nee Peck) whom he married in 1915
Reproduced courtesy of Sydney's grandson,
John Goffin.

Francis Charles Goffin (centre), flanked by his sons Sydney Herbert and George Henry in uniform. The two young men at the rear are thought to be sons, Charles and Edward.
Note: George Henry will later take over Manor Farm Dairy at No 53a High Street
Reproduced courtesy of Sydney's grandson, John Goffin.
Click picture to enlarge.

Marriage of either Charle or Edward Goffin.
Reproduced courtesy of John Goffin.



Ellen Sophia Goffin, nee Naunton. Francis Charles' wife. Ellen died in 1916.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Morgan
Click picture to enlarge


Francis Charles Goffin outside his shop. Photo is dated 1924, a year before he died.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Morgan.
Click picture to enlarge

Ellen Florence Barnes (nee Goffin) Daughter of Francis Charles and Ellen Sophia. Probably photographed soon after her wedding, aged 19 in 1905, in Southwold to Albert Gordon Barnes a print compositor from Beccles.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Morgan, Ellen Florence's granddaughter.

Ellen Florence at the age of 76 in 1962.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Morgan.

Hewson advertisement

1924 advertisement for P Hewson, Pork Butcher, in Southwold Corporation Tourist Guide


1929 advertisement from the Southwold Wesleyan Church Guide.
Above two images courtesy of Heather Osmer

The butcher's shop soon after the Lowestoft Co-op Society had taken over.
(Photo courtesy of Mr David Lee)
Click the picture to enlarge



David Lee in his antique shop in the mid 1980s
Reproduced from 'To the Town' by kind permission of Stephen Wolfenden

Click the picture to enlarge

.