No 40 King Street

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40 King Street


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No 40 is on the right in the background, on the opposite corner of New Street, and was occupied by china dealer Wilfred Le Cheminant when the picture was taken in the early 20th century. By the Occupation the building was home to a mens' outfitters, and has been ever since

King Street decorated for the Coronation of 1953. No 40 makes the corner in the centre of the picture and was occupied by the Fifty Shilling Tailor

Telephone exchange

No 40 King Street forms the north-west corner with New Street, and was home in the late 19th century to the National Telephone Company, so it was Jersey's first telephone exchange. The poles to which the telephone lines for St Helier's earliest subscribers were connected can be seen in the top of the picture on the right.

China and glass

The company leased the first and second floors of the building from Clementina Hamon, wife of John Francis Gaudin, until the building was sold in 1899 to Wilfred Le Cheminant, who continued the business of china and glass dealer which had been carried on by the Gaudins. The telephone exchange then moved to 22 Bath Street

The property, which was known as 40 King Street and 2 New Street, was occupied by cooper Robert Quarm in 1834, was sold by him in 1839 to William Quesnel. It must have been sold again to William Jones, who traded there as a draper until, apparently, he died in 1855. It it was then acquired by Clement Hamon, and passed to his daughter Clementina when he died in 1872. Clement was earlier in business at No 41 across the street, certainly as early as 1851, when he and his family were listed in the census. He was followed there by watchmaker John Mallet.We have no information on when he crossed the street, except that it must have been by 1874, when he is shown at No 40 in a commercial directory, with John Mallet at No 41..

Wilfred Le Cheminant ceased trading some time in the 1930s, and the shop was taken over by Colley and Co, who later traded as the Fifty Shilling Tailors, and remains a men's outfitter to this day, now occupied by Top Man and Top Shop.

And the 1937 coronation decorations
This picture showing No 40 on the right in 1929, with a Kodak sign, suggests that Wilfred Le Cheminant also operated as a photographer, perhaps from the first floor of his premises
Another photograph from 1937

Chronology

  • 1834 - Robert Quarm, cooper
  • 1851 - Not listed in census
  • 1850s - William Jones, draper
  • 1861 - Not listed in census
  • 1871 - Clement Hamon, china and glass dealer
  • 1880-1890 - John Francis Gaudin, china and glass warehouse
  • 1900-1930 - Wilfred Le Cheminant, china dealer
  • 1940-1955 - Fifty Shilling Tailors
  • 1960-1980 - John Collier mens' outfitters
  • 1990-2020 - Top Man, Top Shop
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