The earliest record we have so far located for an occupant of No 7 King Street is in 1834, when a hairdresser named Vickery was trading there. He was followed by clockmaker Augustus Le Fortier, who moved from No 17 to No 7 in 1837, and then on to Halkett Place in about 1845.
William Netten
William Netten, a hatter born about 1821, seems to have come and gone from No 7. The 1841 census shows him living here, but by 1851 he and his young family are shown living at 1 Don Street, making the corner with King Street on the opposite side of the road. In 1861 William Netten, now a merchant, is shown living at No 7 with his wife Emma and five daughters Mary, Ellen, Matilda, Fanny and Alice.
Charles Ramié
The 1851 census shows the premises occupied by draper Charles Francois Ramié, a naturalised British subject born in France. He was married to Eliza Ann Le Brocq, and living with them were their children Eliza Ann (24), Charles William (23) and Julie Marie Josephine (16), the latter shown as simply Julia in the census. Also resident were three shop assistants, and three house servants. The Ramies had two other children, who had left home by 1851. They were Emilie (1830- ) and Louisa (1833- )
The existence of two different census returns for No 7 in 1851, in different town districts, is somewhat bewildering. The District 6 return shows bookseller and stationer Susan Catherine Gopil as the occupant.
From 1848 Charles traded from No 7 in partnership with William Le Brocq, his sister's husband, as Le Brocq and Ramié. His son Charles, listed as a farmer, clearly worked elsewhere. Perhaps not too far away, though, because St Helier was still predominantly a rural parish and buildings did not stretch far to the north of King Street only 25 years after Halkett Place first opened.
The 1841 census had shown the Ramié family across the road at No 6 King Street, which it is suggested he had purchased around 1834. He may have crossed the street when he went into partnership with Le Brocq. The business was sold in 1851. Charles Ramié was also a ship owner, having purchased two vessels from William Le Brocq in the 1830s.
Dicks
No 7 was occupied by Dicks and Co, bootmakers, from at least 1874, and probably earlier, but the Dicks family do not appear to have lived above the shop because there are no occupants listed in the census returns from 1871 onwards. The business appears to have been run in the early 20th century by Robert and James Dicks, but that is about all that is known of the family. There is but a single baptism entry for the family name in all Jersey's church records before 1842
By 1970 the business was operating as Manfield, still selling boots and shoes. There was another branch further down the same side of the street at No 19, but both were to close by the turn of the century, Thornton Chocolates taking over at No 7.
Chronology [1]
- 1834 - Mr Vickery, hairderesser
- 1830s - Augustus Le Fortier, clockmaker
- 1841 - William Netten, hatter
- 1848 - Le Brocq and Ramie
- 1851 - Le Brocq and Ramie (business sold in 1851), draper; Susan Gopil, bookseller
- 1861 - William Netten, merchant
- 1874-1960s - Dicks and Co, bootmakers, later just Dicks
- 1970 - Manfield, boots and shoes
The building
Historic Environment Record entry: This elegant mid-19th century building retains its historic character and features, framing the buildings to the west and contributing to the character of this section of King Street. Four storeys, two bays. North elevation: Roof unseen behind parapet. Ground floor timber shop front with central entrance.
Valuations
The building was sold for £1,020,000 in 2007 and £1.2 million in 2009
Business advertisements
This advertisement appears to have a typographical error because Charles John and Walter Bisson were in business at No 6 King Street (known as Halkett House), on the opposite side of the road
1876
1905
Notes and references
- ↑ Many of the start and end dates given for businesses are approximate. As more business advertisements and other records are discovered the dates can be adjusted
