| From Trade Directories, the first pawnbroker in Rushden seems to be F Watchorn who was listed in the 1893 Stephens Directory.
Next H Beaverstock was listed in 1898 at "Church House" but not listed in the 1901 census record. In 1903 he was listed at Newton Road, and in 1906 at No. 2 Newton Road. This property is next to the Church, so Church House.
It was once the home of the Parish Clerk, Joseph Packwood and family. It was also a tailor's shop for George Packwood.
Church House No2
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The first Trade Directory listing for the High Street shop of Beaverstock is in 1910 and he remained there until WWI.
After the WWI Brooke and Brooke were listed and they continued until at least 1940.
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From the left: 113 London Central Meat Co,
115 H W Beaverstock pawnbroker,
117 Jim Bugby fishmonger, & 119 Joseph Green butcher.
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Bugby's fish shop is the white fronted building - centre of picture
then Joseph Green's butchers
Cartwright's with the blinds at the junction of West Street
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Left : 111 Joseph Green grocer, next is the butcher with a young lad and then Beaverstock Pawn Brokers at 115 High Street.
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Risdene Echo, December 2010 - Correspondance - Re the article: "Brooke & Brooke's Pawn Shop"
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I was born into a family whose number was 16, when I was 11 it had been reduced to 8. It was at this time my mother on Monday mornings, before I set off to Newton Road School, sent me with a parcel of clothes wrapped in brown paper to the Pawn Shop in the High Street next to the now West End Store It was recognised by the sign of 3 balls. The owners were a Mrs and Miss Brooke who would examine the parcel and give me a chit with the value of the clothes and add another figure on the cost and hand over that amount in cash. Hurrying back I would call at Teddy Warren the butcher and ask for some meat, saying that the last meat we had had too much fat. I would then pay the cost of the meat out of the money I had received from the pawn shop, rush back home to give my mother the remaining money.
On Saturday morning my mother would give me the money on the pawn shop chit and I would go down to the shop, pay the money and retrieve the parcel of clothes so that some of our family had a change of clothes for Sunday I did this until I was 14 years old and started work at the C.W.S. factory in Portland Road.
C.B.Watts
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| I have once again enjoyed reading my copy of the Risdene Echo, especially the latest, September, mainly because of the article on page 14 "Brooke and Brooke". With this article is a picture "inside Brooke and Brooke's ....with a customer". The customer in question is my wife Shirley (neeTilley) and is one of 18 pictures taken by Terry Rice when he was a photographer with the EveningTelegraph. The pictures were a double page spread of the Rushden Echo entitled "A Bride-to-be goes shopping" and featured Shirley visiting 18 different shops and companies in Rushden at that time (March 1955). We were married the following month and the Evening Telegraph took pictures of our weddingand one was featured on the front page of the paper the following week to prove the wedding happened! At thetime this was published I worked for Rushden Co-op and was threatened with dismissal as it featured all thecompetitors of the Co-op at that time! I explained that Shirley and I were not married and I was not responsiblefor my finance's involvement! I did feature in one of the pictures, buying a ring at Knight's the Jewellers, but explained that the Co-op did not sell wedding rings.
Again I was also interested in the page 15 article on Ted Duckhouse as I remembered the club buying the terraced house opposite the Mission Church, and my mother's brother Vic Walker is pictured on that page as a committee member of the club. As we now live in Birmingham I copied the page for friends here who are supporters and remember well Ted Duckhouse playing for them. Thanks again to you and all your colleagues for producing such an interesting and nostalgic magazine.
Every good wish,
Jim Richardson
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