VISITS

Wednesday 2 March 2011

Lincoln Lane Area

During the 1960’s the Lincoln Lane area (almost opposite the Stump on the other side of the river) was demolished in preparation for redevelopment.

The Blue Lion on the corner bottom left, and the Victoria Inn on the far right corner.

The area included Irby Row, St. George’s Lane, Lawrence Lane, Leicester Square, Pinfold Lane, Stanbow Lane, Rosegarth Street and Lincoln Lane itself. Earlier demolition and the passage of time had already brought Lincoln Lane to its knees and from 1932 to 1961 between 75 and 100 properties had been pulled down by the Corporation or by their owners.


Many of the buildings and homes were up to 200 years old and four of the Stanbow Lane cottages were once used as a hospital.

The cottages that were used as a  hospital in Stanbow Lane.

When it was built the area was a prosperous place, boasting among other homes, two or three large merchant’s houses and gardens. It was mainly residential but later a few pubs (the Stag and Pheasant, the Hop Pole, the Victoria, the Blue Lion etc.) appeared as well, and then, as slum clearance produced waste land, shops were built and industry edged a foot in the doorway, including the shoe lace factory of Arthur Whittle and Co. Ltd., a slaughterhouse, George White’s saleroom and even the Fire Station had its home there but by 1961 there were fewer than fifty houses occupied.

Part of Lincoln Lane.

But what of the residents in 1961 that were told they would have to leave? At the Victoria Inn, Mrs. Agnes Berry, wife of the landlord said, “I’m not really bothered, but I know most of my customers are” she also looked back at some of the characters of the area she knew, there was Topper, (a chimney sweep who sported a top hat) Shetty, Weary butterfly, Sooty Sue, Old Pol Simpson, Old Nel Drury……….
At 13, Rosegarth Street, lived Tom and William Cushley, brothers (at 66 and 70 respectively) and both retired Corporation dustmen. Tom had won the Military Medal in the First World War and it was his fourth home in the area. He said, “We’ve both had 35 years on the ash carts. We live here happily together. It suits us and we’re never badly*. Course we don’t want to move!” “I spent four years out in France without a scratch. Now, after five years here they want me out, and it’ll be the fourth time.”
At 16, Rosegarth Street, Mr. and Mrs. W. Hough, with a growing family, took a different view. Said Mrs. Hough: “We’ve always lived in old houses and it will be a pleasure to get away from this and into a decent one. We’ve no bath and no electricity, and the place is damp.”

Rosegarth Street.

At her grocers shop in Lincoln Lane, Mrs. May Peacock, was worried. “I’ve been in this shop for 24 years, the ground opposite has been waste all that time and we want to know definitely what’s going to happen, and when. This shop is my living.”

The corner of Stanbow Lane and Pinfold Lane.
So, back to today, it was all eventually “rejuvenated” and on the characterless, red-bricked site now (2011) among other things are the Police Station, the Department of Employment, an empty Kwik-Save supermarket and the Bus Station.
*In Boston “never badly” means you’re never ill.

7 comments:

  1. Hi Billy.
    The Lincoln Lane pictures are very interesting as I remember the area quite well, Mountains Slaughterhouse in particular as when I left Kitwood Boys in 1954 I became an apprentice butcher at my cousins shop in Red Lion Street, for some extra dosh I got myself a Sunday morning job at Mountains Slaughterhouse where I learnt the killing side of the job, Frank Fendyke who was a well known charactor in the town at that time learnt me pig killing. They were a great bunch of blokes and played all sorts of practical jokes on us boys. There was also another slaughterhouse at the rear of the Stag & Pheasant in Rosegarth Street owned by Jack Allett the Carlton Road Butcher.

    The Boston Cottage Hospital was opened in 1871 it had 6 beds and patients who were able to pay were charged 7/- (35p) a week, a great deal of money at that time. It proved a great success and remained in use up to 1875 when the new built Cottage Hospital was opened in South End.

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    1. I wouldn’t brag about killing animals - not in this day and age!

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  2. Thanks for your comments and extra information Robin, very interesting and it's good for me to learn something new. Thanks.

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  3. Does anyone know the location on Station Street of the Boston Water & Filter Comp works???

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  4. Re Anons query on the location of the Boston Water & Filter Works. Some years ago I was told the history of Whittles Bootlace Factory by Mr Herbert the last local owner of the firm which I think gives the answer regarding the filter works. The location of the "original" Boot Lace factory was at 31 to 37 Lincoln Lane, this being just beyond a curved row of small cottages that were once next (towards the river direction) to the Duke of York. The premises had previously been used as a Feather & Down Factory and prior to that by the "Boston Filter Works". Sometimes local directories and adverts gave the location incorrectly as Station Street, this was a common error.

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  5. My Grandmother Carrie Waite was born at No.2 Stanbow Lane her Dad was a Master Butcher. I have found references to them living at both No. 2 and No.8 Stanbow. This could have been the same house for dwellings were re-numbered at about this time. My grandmother's older sister Fanny, born 1874 and who subsequently married my Grandfather's brother James Wright. At that time there were four children living with their parents but they subsequently moved to No 18 Drain bank.

    Graham Wright

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  6. I have just checked and remembered that my grandfather boarded in Rosegarth Street No.18 when he was 21 to 24 when he married Carrie.

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