We posted a poll on Facebook. We asked our followers if they would like us to research Gosforth pubs or Gosforth shops. The results were 60% to 40% in favour of shops. This is our local history post about Davison’s Chemist shop. It also includes other traders at 201 Gosforth High Street.
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Davison’s Chemist Shop
The first record we found of a shop at this address was in 1913. Gosforth High Street, at this time, had a well developed local commercial centre. Still, a few odd plots of land remained vacant. The 1898 second edition ordnance survey map shows an empty plot. It is located at the end of the Tramway building towards Woodbine Road. The 1913 Godfery Map of Gosforth shows a new structure in this space. We found three businesses trading from this building between 1913 and 1980. They were Davison’s Pharmacy, Public Benefit Boot Company, and Crawford Bakers.
Initially at 127 Gosforth High Street, (NB. the building (numbers on Gosforth High Street were re configured around 1912). Davison’s Pharmacy changed locations in 1913, moving to number 201. This location was on the opposite corner to the church. The church was situated at the Woodbine Road and High Street junction. Mr Davison did not live above the shop. He lived at 38 Salters Road. By 1919, he moved to 4 Regent Villas Salters Road.
An advert in the Evening Chronicle edition on 14 September 1940 reads:
APPRENTICE and Unqualified Assistant Wanted immediately.—Apply Davison (Chemist) Ltd.. High Street, Gosforth. vacancy occurs …, age about 40, … Service Organisation as Resident Inspector to control connection factories anti workshops; position not a sales proposition, but permanency, and the necessary training to be given successful applicant; wage commencing £4 per week plus travelling expenses.—Write stating age and previous experience to Box 586.
We see Davison’s trading here for twelve years, until 1925. By 1927, the Public Benefit Boot Company had moved in.
Old pharmacy bottle sent in by one of our readers (date suggests this bottle was stocked before Gosforth High Street was re-numbered)
Public Benefit Boot Company
Public Benefit Boot Company were well-known with a chain of footwear shops throughout the UK. Interestingly they were so successful that in an attempt to save the brand, during the late 1800s local newspapers published adverts alerting the public to the trend of market stalls and other competitors calling themselves by the same or very similar names.
A detailed and fascinating look into the history of this company is available at the Public Benefit Boot Company website. We found the Gosforth shop recorded under the biographical section.
In 1928, Davison’s Pharmacy is recorded at 197 Gosforth High Street. In 1929, the footwear shop changed its name to Public Boot Company. Directories show a further two name changes in 1950 to Benefit Footwear Ltd. and Benefit Footwear Ltd. Boot and Shoe Dealers in 1953. The last mention we have is in 1962 after an astonishing continual thirty-three years of trading at this Gosforth address.
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D S Crawford Bakers Ltd.
We wonder if many of you remember Crawford Bakers? Another big name from the past. Records show Crawford Bakers at this address from 1968 until 1980. They may have been there even beyond 1980 as this is where our research finished.
Crawford Bakers originated in a small outlet at 14, Leith Street, Edinburgh in 1856, where they baked ship’s biscuits. Three generations of the Crawford family worked in the business with shortbread becoming the most well known of their biscuits. The company was eventually taken over by United Biscuits which ceased operating between 1984 and 1987.
In 1996, a news article was published about the “Bread Wars.” It highlighted the plight of independent bakers. They struggled in the face of supermarket marketing strategies.
Crawford fought bravely against the supermarket discounting practices. In July 1990 a management buy-out from United Biscuits gave Crawford’s back its independence. However, continued pressure from in-store bakeries and discounted prices saw Crawford Bakers eventually close its doors in 1996.
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201 High Street Gosforth at original publication of this article
Yes remember Crawford the bakers and hunter the wool shop my mother worked there in the1960