23 & 25 Princes Street
23 & 25 princes street
(West Side) - John Old's House
The
building known
as "John Old's
House" in
Princes Street
is a 17th
century
residence
'modernised' in
the year 1714 by
Yeovil mercer
John Old the
Younger - his
initials "IO"
and the date
1714 are on a
lead rainwater
head on the side
of the house,
illustrated
here. Above is a
blocked 17th
century window
with a hood
moulding in the
gable end, also
illustrated.
John Old the
Elder
(d 1710) was
a Yeovil mercer
and was
churchwarden in
1676. His son,
John Old the
younger, also a
Yeovil mercer,
was Custos and
later Warden of
Woborn
Almshouse. His 'modernising'
of the house
included
replacing the
thatched roof
with tiles and
casement windows
with sash
windows. The
house was later
occupied by the
Goodford family
(John's daughter
Mary married
Samuel Goodford).
The house was acquired by Thomas Cave, who had established a brewery behind the house by 1825. He acquired the neighbouring property and owned at least one public house - the Duke of Clarence although called the White Hart at the time. Cave later went into partnership with Joseph Brutton and the brewery continued on both sides of Clarence Street until the 1970's.
The following description is from the Somerset Historic Environment Record -
House formerly, now shop and office, C17 late. Stone, ashlar - Bath stone to ground floor and Ham stone above, with stone slate roof between coped gables. 2-storeys of 3-bays. To left-hand of ground floor a C20 doorway with modern architrave returning into plinth, to right a C20 shop front recessed into flat arched opening; above three 12-square-paned windows in architraves: Ham stone eaves cornice of bold projection. On return south gable, at high level the remains of a 2-light mullioned window with label moulding, now blocked. This property integral with Nos 27 and 29 (q.v.) sharing the same roof and eaves cornice. Variations in detail indicate one, if not both, of these properties has been re-fronted: one re-fronting carried out 1714 by John Old.
gallery
At the time of this 1942 photograph, John Old's house was No 15 Princes Street and had yet to acquire the poor modern shop front.
Again photographed in 1942, but this time seen from Church Street. Who remembers the Chelsea Tea Rooms?
John Old's house, at centre, set in the Princes Street streetscape. Photographed in 2013.
Seen from the other direction, the blocked 17th century gable window is seen at high level and the rainwater hopper, dated 1714, is seen left of centre. Photographed in 2013.
This photograph
features in my
book "Yeovil
In 50 Buildings"
A change of occupiers yet again. Photographed in 2017.
