Our present shop,The  Co-op, has a prime position on the High Street, next to the Market Place. When there was a market, back in the nineteenth century, it must have been even better for commercial premises.  It has been a co-op for 100 years and was a grocery store before it was a co-op. But what was there in the nineteenth century?

At Market Lavington Museum we  have a poor quality photo of the premises in about 1885.

The present Co-op building in 1885 - a rather poor condition photo at Market Lavington Museum

This is the current coop building, although the end part, with the gable end facing High Street has been demolished.

If we zoom in, we can just make  out some of the writing above the window.

Signage above the window

What we see here says plumbing, painting and …..

The shop was in the hands of Mr Cannings. This was Henry Cannings and we have already looked at his life – and a lavatory chain. Click here to read it.

We do not know if the man outside the shop in the photo is Henry.

We’d love a better copy of that photo if anybody has one.