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118a High Street
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Built 1888
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Like most of Rushden, the land was formerly farm land. This area was owned by George Denton, of Denton shoe manufacturers, and he sold it in the late 1880s. A large plot was purchased by Wallis Wilkerson, who built a row of 5 shops, known as Victoria Buildings. Wallis Wilkerson was born at Renhold in Bedfordshire, in 1854. He opened a shop in Rushden in September 1880 as he placed an advertisement in the Wellingborough and Kettering News to that effect. He appears from the same advertisement to have actually started in business in Irthlingborough as he says he intends to continue with the Irthlingborough business in charge of a manager. In 1886 he married Elizabeth Hawkins of Shawford in Hampshire. The shop seems to have been located at 92 High St and in January 1888 we are told that the Northamptonshire Union Bank was so busy at its office in Higham Ferrers that they 'arranged to operate a Rushden agency in part of the house of local chemist Wallis Wilkerson before opening a branch in the town'. Soon after their daughter Elizabeth was born here. In 1888 he built the row of 5 shops with living accommodation above, and moved into No. 118a, the corner property, in 1888. Note the entrance to the living accommodation was in Victoria Road. In 1890 there was a fire, and the 'handsome row' of shops were soon all alight. On the premises adjoining the source of the conflagration were sleeping Mr. Ward, Mr. H. J. Elder, and a servant girl, who seemed quite frantic when aroused. In the next shop, which is kept by Mr. and Mrs. Seymour, were the persons just named, with their child, and a servant girl; the third house and shop, as is well known, is Mr. Jordan's grocery store, heavily stocked, and with most inflammable materials. This was occupied by Mr. F. Jordan, Mrs. Jordan (his mother), and Miss Jordan (sister). The fourth shop, the last in the row, with the dwelling house adjoining, was occupied by Mr. Wilkerson, chemist, who is the owner of all the block; and in the house were Mr. and Mrs. Wilkerson, their child, lady help, assistant, and servant girl. How much this affected his business after the fire is not certain as it appears that Mr Wilkerson was already using the premises at 9 - 11 High Street which remained a chemists until Mr Fleeman retired in 1964 and is now Charles Orlebar’s estate agency. This can be inferred from an advertisement he placed in the Wesleyan Bazaar programme at Easter 1890 saying to note especially that his shop was opposite the church which may have been drawing attention to his having moved. According to the Census, by 1901 he had retired to live at Bedford with his wife and 12 year old daughter Elizabeth who had been born in Rushden. Pharmacy in Rushden must have been profitable as in the 1910 valuation list he is shown as owning quite a lot of property in Rushden in Victoria Road and Church Street. He died in 1928 in Bedford. |
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