15 Hanscombe End Road Shillington

15 Hanscombe End Road July 2015

15 Hanscombe End Road used to be a butcher's. The Rating and Valuation Act 1925 specified that every building and piece of land in the country was to be assessed to determine its rateable value. The valuer visiting the property [DV1/ C62/119] found it owned and occupied by F W Palmer. The property stood in half an acre.

The house comprised two living rooms, a kitchen and four bedrooms. A cellar lay beneath. The butcher's shop measured 18 feet 3 inches by 12 feet. There was also a slaughter house, fasting pens and a garage (all described as "good"), a refrigerator, a barn (also "good"), a piggery, another garage and a "very small greenhouse". The valuer commented: "Position not good for trade", "rather out of it for position" and "buildings very good".

Directories for Bedfordshire were not published every year but every few years from the early to mid-19th century until 1940. The first listing for Francis William  Palmer is in the directory of 1931 which confirms that he lived at Sandy Heath as this area was known. He was also listed in directories of 1936 and 1940.

The directories list other Palmers who were butchers. George Palmer is listed at Apsley End in 1877, 1885 and 1890 and Frank Palmer is listed in 1898, 1903, 1906, 1914, 1920 and 1928. James Palmer is listed in 1877 and 1890 and John Palmer in 1894, 1898, 1903, 1906, 1910, 1914, 1920 and 1924. The 1925 Rating Valuation lists a Mrs C Palmer at 71 Hillfoot Road which is noted as formerly being a butcher's.