Market Street, Lichfield

 

 

Market Street (north west side) from Bird Street

 

Between 1679 and 1703, Edward Howcott was recorded in the levy lists for St Mary's parish at Sadler Street. [1] This road, in the centre of Lichfield, runs from Dam Street to Bird Street and is now called Market Street. Most of the buildings there have been redeveloped during the past 300 years but at least three properties (numbers 11 & 13 and the Castle Inn) apparently date back to the 16th century and would have been familiar to the Lichfield Howcotts:

 

                  Numbers 11 and 13

                 Former Castle Inn

These two buildings are on the north west side of the road. The walls between the timber frames have been refaced with cement with modern shop fronts. 

This 3 storey timber frame and plaster building stands on the south east side of the road. The overhanging part of the top floor is supported by figure-head corbels.

 

In or around 1695, Gregory King compiled lists of all the inhabitants of Lichfield, the entries for each street being arranged by household. [2] The road now known as Market Street is included on two sheets, headed "Sadler Rowe alias Markett Street" and "Sadler alias Markett Street" respectively. The first of these include 25 households and the second had 27, so it seems that they each relate to one side of the road. Edward Howcott and his family are household number 6 on the list for Sadler Rowe and apparently lived a few doors away from Michael Johnson (household 9), who was a bookseller and in due course the father of Dr Samuel Johnson.

 

The substantial house in Market Street where Dr Samuel Johnson was born on 7 September 1709 had been erected by his father only a year or two beforehand. It is now known as the Samuel Johnson Museum and directly faces St Mary's church, near Lichfield market place. In March 1707, Michael Johnson purchased the corner house that previously occupied the site from Nathaniel Barton, then of the City of London, silkman, who had inherited it in 1689 from his mother, Mrs Sarah Barton of Coventry, widow. When Michael Johnson bought the old house, it was occupied by Edward Howcott. [3] Unfortunately, it seems that nothing remains of the original structure. [4] When Michael Johnson bought the house, it was described as having been "formerly in the tenure or occupation of the said Michaell Johnson and now or late in the tenure or occupation of Edward Howcaut", [5] so it was probably not the property that Edward was occupying in the street in 1695.

 

The following picture shows Market Street (or Sadler Street) to the right of the house and Breadmarket Street (or Market Square) to the left.

 

 

Samuel Johnson Museum, Market Street

 

 

Notes

 

[1]    Lichfield Record Office: D20/4/3.

[2]    The British Library manuscripts department: Harley 7022

[3]    "Johnsonian Gleanings" (JG) by Aleyn Lyell Reade, Part III, page 48 (privately printed 1909-52).

[4]    The evidence that establishes that Michael Johnson redeveloped the property at that time is extensively discussed in JG, Part IV, pages 13-16 (privately printed 1909-52).

[5]    JG, Part IV, pages 16-17.