Shops and Trades

Village History

In the early 20th century, most villagers were unable to travel outside East Meon. With over 20 shops and trades, the village was virtually self-sufficient.

In 2007, retired district nurse Margery Lambert drew a map from her memory of the stores and workshops which had served East Meon in the 1920s. Earlier, another villager, Clara Fisher, had described to village historian Freddie Standfield life in the village as she remembered it between the wars. Together with other personal memories, they provide a vivid picture of a thriving High Street in which almost every building offered goods or services. Today, East Meon has one shop and two pubs.

Provisions

“The village had four bakers, three grocers, a butchers, two mills, wheelwrights, farriers, a post office, and even a fish and chip shop, as well as visits from ‘travelling shops’ selling fish and meat. Clothes, boots and shoes could be bought at one grocery shop (Warrens).” Clara Fisher.

R.Norgett and Sons sold meat from what is now Riverside – serving it from a flap opening onto the street. The butcher slapped down a lump of meat and the trick was to pick it up before the flies settled on it. There were two other butchers, George Aylmore and Samuel Long.

“Warrens, where the Tudor House now is, was the Haberdashery and apart from groceries and household goods, sold fabrics, boots and shoes, as well as locust beans and figs out of sacks on the floor.”

A bill dated 1899 from Thomas Adams, Family Grocer, Baker and Coal Merchant

The store was later Savage & Parsons, whose cart is seen here in Frogmore

In the 1920s it was managed by Stephen John Parsons

“All Groceries, excepting Smiths at the Post Office, sold Paraffin Oil, a most important requisite for the cottagers who had no electricity.” Margery Lambert.

A fire in 1910 destroyed all the buildings – mostly shops – at the western end of the High Street.

Potter’s General Storehouse survived the fire; it was later taken over by HG Pink and then Mr Witt, butcher. — Potter’s General Storehouse
survived the fire; it was later taken over by HG Pink and then Mr Witt, butcher.

“David Coles was the resident of Glenthorne; the farmyard fielded a dairy. He kept a retail shop at what is now ‘The Gatehouse’ and sold sweets, milk, butter and, when he killed a pig, faggots and offal. He had about six to eight cows that grazed on the present Glenthorne Meadows housing estate.” Clara Fisher.

Jane Earwaker, born in 1749, was the first to keep a grocer’s shop at The shop at Glenthorne Hoouse. In the 1840s, John Nathaniel Atkins opened the first village post office here, in addition to the grocery and a coal delivery business.

“Wet & Dry Fish was available twice weekly from a niche in the wall between Glenthorne shop and the dwelling attached to the Old Post Office. You can see it bricked up in the wall.” Margery Lambert.

Click on Pubs, Transport, Smiths and Healthcare for more about village trades. For source materials on Shops, Pubs and Trades, in the online archive, click here.