36 St John Street

▪ Grade 2* listed building (of more than special interest)

▪ Exterior is late 18th/early 19th century

▪ Interior timber structural features may be much older

▪ A wine and spirit merchants for more 150 years (until 1970)

▪ Run by John Smith & Son 1850-1938

▪ Became Smith’s Tavern after acquisition by Marston's (1970)

Number 36 is on the south side of the street at the bottom of Buxton Road/Market Place.

The Building

Grade II* listed late 18^th century/early 19^th century brick building with double brick eaves cornice and tiled roof. It is nominally three storeys high, however, it could be considered as four storeys high if the attic, which has the small central window, is considered.

The first and second floors have two windows without glazing bars which were presumably replaced in the 19^th century. The ground floor has an original double shopfront, with barred square bay windows on carved wooden brackets.

There is a double central shop door with glazed upper panels (see below right). To the left/east side (see below left), there is another door with an architrave (surrounding moulded columns and lintel), which formerly gave access to a passageway leading to stairs giving access to the building. Next door, 38-40 St John St, has a flying-freehold above this former passageway.

The History of its Occupation and Use

The earliest occupants of 36 St John St, who may have built it in its present form, are tentatively identified at Benjamin Howard and his wife Frances who were, amongst other things, wine and spirit merchants. Benjamin was born in 1773, he married Frances in 1797, and passed away in 1811.

That year Frances advertised that she was going to carry on with the business (see below left) and she continued running it until about 1830 when John Ash took a lease and continued as a wine and spirit merchant. He remained there until 1842 when a lease for the business was advertised (see below right).

Taking the lease for the business was Samuel Smith (the 1842 and 1846 commercial directories shows that Samuel Smith had moved his business from the Market Place to St John St). The 1849 tithe records for 36 St John St show Samuel Smith as the occupant and the owners as the executors of Frances Howard.

In 1850 it appears Samuel Smith became bankrupt and his wine and spirits vaults were put up for auction in March of that year (see below left). Shortly afterwards, in May, John Smith, no relation to Samuel Smith, announced that he had commenced business at “The Old Established Wine and Spirit Vaults” (see below right, upper).

John Smith advertised his business giving a Market Place address (see below right) perhaps believing that was more prestigious than a St John St address. The commercial directories of the time gave the correct St John St address.

From 1861 at the latest, the business became John Smith & Son (see below) although two ofJohn’s sons William Dawson and John Jnr were involved in the business and living on the premises in 1861 and 1871 respectively.

John Smith Snr passed away in 1879 and the two brothers continued in the business, though not living on the premises. John Smith Jnr retired in 1902 and moved to London. William Dawson Smith passed away in 1929 and then the license for the “Wine Vaults” was transferred to his son Harold Thomas.

John Smith’s family were wine and spirit merchants at 36 St John St from 1850 until 1938 when the business was sold to Douro Wine Shops. A one hundred history for the company John Smith & Son starting from 1838 is claimed based on an advert that appeared in 1935 (see below left), however, in the 1841 census John Smith is listed as a farmer in Barton Blount and, no evidence has come to light that the company was involved in wine and spirits before the move to Ashbourne in 1850.

From around the 1930s, the business became known as the Smith’s Wine Vaults or The Wine Vaults (see above right) and also as Smith’s Wine Bar only becoming Smith’s Tavern perhaps after Marston’s brewery bought the premises in 1970. The first reference to Smith’s Tavern thus far found is in 1977.