Discovering Local History

Housing in Stoke-on-Trent

 

Ashford Street - Shelton

 

The plan below shows number 32 (now 40) Ashford Street that was built in the late 1870s. The house (which appears to have been fairly typical of those in the street) had a scullery, parlour and living-room-cum-kitchen downstairs, probably with a built-in range over the fireplace in the living room.

 Upstairs it had at least three bedrooms although the front bedroom may possibly have been divided into two. The house also had a coal cellar. The house had its own separate toilet situated in a yard at the back of the house. 

Resident in this house on census day 1881 were Charles William Cobden, a potter's warehouseman, his wife Anne, a potter's paintress, and their six children aged between two and twelve.

 

Plan of 42 Ashford Street, Shelton

 

 

Overhead View of an Ashford St. Yard

 

An examination of the census returns and rate books shows Ashford Street was situated in a respectable upper-working class/lower-middle class area. The average gross estimated rateable value of houses of approximately £14.33 was £3.11 above the average for the town as a whole. 

Amongst those living on the street at this date were: an accountant, a solicitor, a civil engineer, several clerks and school teachers, a number of milliners and skilled manual workers in the earthenware industry, various railway employees, one lamplighter and Dr Robert M. Muller from Prussia Germany a professor of languages and literature. 

There were 246 people living in the street on census day in 1881. These people were living in 50 occupied houses (one appears to have been vacant) giving an average density of 4.92 persons per house, compared with an average density of 5.35 persons per house in the town as a whole at this date.

 

Arial view of Ashford street in the 1990's

 

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