Rushden Research Group: Jeremiah Litchfield

Jeremiah Litchfield

Greengrocer & Fruiterer


The first shop (left) at 75 High Street lost in the fire of 1901 along with the thatched property opposite and several others. The trees are in the garden of 'Rushden Cottage'
left: looking south, Litchfield's shop, Rose & Crown, 3 other shops, Cave's Factory c1895. In 1902 the Post Office was built on this site and College Street was widened - now HSBC

W'boro News 1890 advert

Jeremiah Litchfield, son of John, began working in the shoetrade. In 1891 he was a shoe finisher, but by 1898 he had opened a shop at 75 High Street, tradings as a "broker &c." This shop was destroyed in the 1901 fire.

In 1903 he was established at 21 Newton Road, and remained there until his death in 1935, his wife Angelina having died the previous year.

The billhead tells us he was a fruiterer, greengrocer, seedsman and confectioner.

The shop at 21 Newton Road

This photograph of the Litchfield family must have been taken in mid-1890, as the 1891 census shows Jeremiah 34, Angelina 32, John T 11, Mary Ellen 8, Charles 4, and Kate 8 months old. Son Charles sadly died, aged 8 at the end of January 1895, and was buried on 2nd February in Rushden cemetery. A daughter Sarah Elizabeth was born in 1881, and was baptised with John Thomas in September 1881, but she died aged 3 in September 1884. Mary Ellen was baptised in September 1883. Another son, Frederick was born 1895 and a daughter Florence in 1897.

The Litchfield family in 1890 - by Leonard Brightwell, W'boro

Rushden Echo, 8^th February 1918

An alarming accident occurred at the junction of Rectory-road and Newton-road on Tuesday at 7.20 a.m. to a young lady cyclist from Newton, who daily rides into Rushden. It appears that she was coasting down the Newton-road hill, and being unable to negotiate the Rectory-road corner owing to defective brakes, her machine mounted the curb and she was precipitated clean through the window of Mr. J. Litchfield’s shop, the entire pane, which was of a large size, being smashed. Marvellous to relate, although the girl was absolutely smothered with splinters of glass, she sustained no injury beyond a cut on the nose, and her machine was entirely undamaged. Mr. Ernest Pashler extricated the young lady from her curious position, and conveyed her into Mr. Litchfield’s house, from whence, after she had rested for an hour, she was able to proceed home.

Rushden Echo and Argus, 17^th March 1967

Another new shop for Rushden

The Continental Stores Company (Rushden) Ltd. Premises in Newton Road, which opened on Monday as a delicatessen store specialising in Continental foodstuffs. The shop is a joint venture by fifty men of all nationalities who live in the town.

Note: After the Deli closed, Bates' Furniture was here. In 2009 Sarah's Barber Shop.

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