42-44 St John Street

▪ Grade II listed building

▪ It was built in the 18th century

▪ Occupies an important focal position at bottom of the Market Place

▪ Early owner and occupant, 1785-1802, was John Armstrong, corn factor and chandler

▪ 42 St John St was a chemist’s for at almost 200 years:

➢ Whithams: 1802-c1867

➢ Edwin Sylvester Bradley: 1864-1897

➢ Wardles: 1897-1949

➢ Boots: 1949-96

▪ 44 St John St was a family home and boarding house until 1936:

➢ Woolworths: 1936-1977

➢ Dewhurst: 1978-90s

▪ 42 & 44 have been occupied by Vision Express & Mind since mid-2000s

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Numbers 42-44 are on the south side of the street at the bottom of the Market Place.

The Building

Grade II listed building constructed of red brick in the 18^th century. It has eaves cornice which is modillioned and a tiled roof. It is three storeys high with seven windows on the first and second floors with sashes and glazing bars. The central window on the second floor is Venetian style while the one above, on the third floor, has a tripartite semi-circular form. The ground floor has modern shop fronts.

The History of its Occupation and Use

The first identified occupants of 42-44 St John St are a Mrs Shore (the owner) and a Mr Jones. An advertisement from 1780 described the part of the premises occupied by Mrs Shore (see below) as follows:

“…consisting of a good kitchen, pantry, two parlours, five bed-chambers, with closets, one garret, good cellars, brewhouse, stable, and garden.”

It is presumed that this describes 42 St John St.

Mr Jones was a surgeon and apothecary active in Ashbourne from about 1770 who had served in the Second Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) until 1763. His wife, Martha, passed away in childbirth in 1780 while he passed away just three years later.

By 1785, John Armstrong, corn factor and chandler, was the owner. He was also an occupier (replacing Mrs Shore) along with his partner Thomas Newton (replacing Mr Jones).

In 1795, John Armstrong advertised to be let the part of the premises previously occupied by Mr Jones and Thomas Newton (see below) as follows:

“A genteel house, situated in St James’s Street (not uncommon error!), Ashbourne,with a good parlour, nearly 5 yards square to the front; kitchen the same size to the yard, on the first floor; four chambers on the second floor, with three good garrets; ale and wine cellars. – A brew house or wash house, with stable for two horses if required, and a small garden.”

It is presumed that this describes 44 St John St.

In 1802 the premises were sold and the new owner was Joseph Frith (brass founder) and taking John Armstrong’s place as an occupier was John Whitham the chemist and druggist (see below) John Whitham married Joseph Frith’s daughter Ann in 1803.

This was the start of almost 200 years of occupation of 42 St John St by chemists and druggists.

John Whitham and his sons ran their business 1802-67 when John Whitham Junior passed away (John Witham Senior had passed away in 1857). In the 1851 census John Senior and his other son Charles, also involved in the business, lived at 42 StJohn St while John Junior and his family were living at 44 St John St. After John Senior passed away, John Junior moved to 42 St John St.

John Whitham jnr was one of six town businessmen and dignitaries who were responsible for the building the Market Hall or Town Hall in 1861 (see below, fifth name down).He passed away in 1867.

The two parts of the property will now be dealt with separately:

42 St John St

When John Whitham Junior decided to retire in 1864, he transferred his business to E(dwin) Bradley and Son but within a year the Son, Edwin Sylvester, took over.

Edwin Sylvester Bradley, who was great grandson of Joseph Bradley the well-known Ashbourne grocer, would continue until his death in 1897.

The undated photograph below displays his family name above the entrance doors and on the window sills.

Taking over in 1897 was another chemist and druggist, Thomas Wardle (1852-1932), who was succeeded by his son Thomas Henry Wardle..

The Wardles ran their business for more than 50 years before being acquired by Boots.

The photograph below taken in the early 1990s show Boot’s with Partner’s next door at 38-40 St John St. Note that to the left of Boot’s, the sign for Ashley’s furnishings can be seen (see text below for 44 St John St).

Boot’s closed its doors in 1996 and remained empty until Mick Gallimore acquired the property in 1999 and conducted renovations. Since around 2007, Vision Express have occupied the premises.

44 St John St:

After the death of John Whitham Senior in 1857, number 44 became vacant but by 1871 Thomas Smith, who was a coal merchant, was living there. It became vacant again before becoming the home of Henry Hustwick who was a Minister forthe Countess of Huntingdon’s Connexion’s Congregational church from the mid-1880s to the mid-1890s.

By 1901 it was the home of George Wildsmith, who was a retired Ashbourne Gas Works manager,and his family including his daughter Mary Ellen who later converted the premises into a boarding house after her father’s death in 1907 (see advertisements below). After Mary Ellen passed away in 1923 her sister Phoebe continued to live in the house.

In 1936, 44 St John St ceased being a residential property when Woolworth’s opened their store. A 1949 photograph (see below) shows both Woolworth’s and Boot’s on the left as well as their neighbours Burgon’s and Fredwyn’s at 38-40 St John St to the right.

After Woolworth’s closed in 1977, Dewhurst opened their butcher’s shop and frozen food department Dewfreeze in 1978 (see advertisements below). Ashley’s furnishing also occupied space in the building from the late 1980s. Perhaps because there were three businesses in the building, Dewhurst’s for a time had the address 46 St John St.

By the mid-1990s, 44 St John St was empty and remained so until Mick Gallimore acquired the property in 1999 and conducted renovations. Since around 2007, Mind have occupied the premises

© Paul Thompson 2025