Southwold's
Royal Charter of 1489 entitled the town to maintain
its own gaol. From the early 18th century and for 124
years thereafter, the gaol was in this and the adjacent
premises (No
23). It was rebuilt in 1819 and fell into disuse
in 1835. Typically, the only gaoler was a poor widow
who was also allowed to eke a living by collecting dues from
the market traders. The gaol was little used and was
reputedly rather easy to escape from - simply a matter
of vaulting over the back wall. This was not necessarily
an attractive option as the felon would then find himself
in the town Shambles or slaughter yard! In fact, after
the gaol closed, the shop became a butcher before it
began its long history as a greengrocery. This group
of buildings on the eastern side of the Market Place
still belongs to the Town. The Aldred family have been associated with these premises, on and off, either as business owners or produce suppliers for nearly 120 years. Norman Aldred continues to provide stock from his market garden.
1852
Greengrocery & Fruit Shop established this year. (Source: later advertising claim by John Aldred. See right.)
1874
James Cadey - Greengrocer
(W)
1896
Mrs Emily Aldred - Greengrocer
& Confectioner (K1896)
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