No 31 King Street

31 King Street

John Pallot, hatter, hosier and shirt maker in the early 1880s

The first three businesses recorded at 31 King Street were bootmakers, with the premises occupied successively by W Ching, John Le Feuvre and brothers George and William Alford from 1834 to at least 1851, when the census return shows the Alford brothers living at the premises. They were the sons of another George, and Elizabeth. They were both born in St Helier, but their father is believed to have come to Jersey from Devon.

RM Stores is on the right of the picture, taken in 1953

W Ching is believed to be William Ching, who came to Jersey from Somerset and married Mary Carrel in St Helier in 1824. He was almost certainly one of three brothers who came to the island at the same time. George married Magdelan Hammon in 1825 and Nathaniel married Ann Lamont in 1830. There is a possibility that there was a fourth brother, John, who is believed to have been born in England, and married Susanne Norman in St Helier in 1823. Their son George was in business at No 33 King Street in 1881, also as a shoemaker, which suggests the family connection.

• Ching family in Jersey

In 1861 cigar manufacturer John Richard Bosanquet (1825- ) had taken over the premises, and the census shows him employing two apprentices. He was living with his wife Elizabeth Ann, nee Robin (1827- ) and children Mary Ann (1845- ) and John (1848- ), already working for their father as cigar makers, and their younger siblings Elizabeth (1851- ), Joseph (1853- ), Edmond (1856- ) and Selina Matilda (1858- )

Pallot family

The property is shown as unoccupied in the 1871 census. After this the Pallot family moved in with a hosiery business run by John, followed through to 1903 by P Pallot, a clothier. The family are shown in almanac listings to have been trading from No 31 by at least 1880, but the property is still shown as unoccupied in the following year's census. The situation is even more confused because P Pallot is shown in an 1880 almanac as trading next door at No 33 King Street. by 1905 the occupant was another John Pallot.

In 1910 the property was occupied by the delightfully named 6½d Bazaar.

In 1912 the property was occupied by a Mrs Andrew; in 1919 the Household Bazaar was trading there, as well as at Nos 27 and 29; in 1930 it was home to one of King Street's few restaurants, the Old Oak.

R M Stores

In 1933 No 31 was acquired by Le Riches Stores from Mrs Houillebecq, nee Cabot, for £3,500 and together with No 29 next door was rebuilt as R M Stores. This establishment was rebranded by 1980 as Grandfare, and today Millet's outdoor leisure equipment shop occupies both No 29 and No 31.

Chronology ^[1]

• 1834 - W Ching, bootmaker
• 1837 - Mrs Cook, draper and tailor, perhaps operating from upper floor
• 1841 - John Le Feuvre, bootmaker
• 1851 - George Alford, bootmaker
• 1859 - John Bosanquet, cigar manufacturer employing two apprentices
• 1862 - Sharland's Bazaar
• 1871 - Not listed
• 1880 - John Pallot, hosier
• 1885-1903 - P Pallot, clothier
• 1905 - 6½d bazaar
• 1912 - Mrs Andrew
• 1919 - Household Bazaar
• 1930 - Old Oak Restaurant
• 1933-1970 - R M Stores, grocer. Property acquired by Le Riches Stores from Mrs Houillebecq, nee Cabot, for £3,500
• 1980 - Grandfare, supermarket
• 1990 to date - Millet's, outdoor leisure equipment

Notes and references

1. ↑ 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