Charles W Barker, a clicker, had come to Rushden from Olney as a widower and in 1891 he boarded with Max Stringer.

By 1901 he was living at 100 Wellingborough Road with a new wife Mary and his stepgrandson [so Mary's grandson?] William J Barker who was aged 19 (born at Earls Barton), so perhaps adopted by Charles. William had taken over the business by 1934.

He was thought to work near 45 High Street, in a workshop behind William Tomlinson, tailor's shop. In July 1901 some wooden workshops were destroyed by the heat from the fire at John Cave's shoe factory.

Charles took over the shop when William Tomlinson moved about 1910. In 1911 no one seems to have been living 'over the shop' at No 45 High Street.

Charles was living at 100 Wellingborough Road, and a shoe manufacturer employing others. William J Barker had married and was living at 24 Oakley Road, working as a machinist.

In 1937 William had moved from 45 High Street to 16 Irchester Road and was working as a repairer.

[right] The shop was rebuilt and Countryside Libraries were trading here, and by 1968 it was called Bankside Library, with an entrance to Rollie's Cafe down a passageway between two shops, the other shop being Elsie Seabrook's greengrocery at 47a.