Published in Windlesora 34
© WLHG 2018
In the Spring of 2018, during the renovation of a building at 79 Victoria Street, a large horizontal beam with gilded lettering was exposed. It was partially damaged, but the sign could be deciphered as:
How old was the sign, and what could be discovered about the Shurly family?
Victoria Street (originally New Road) was built in the 1830s to link Peascod Street and Sheet Street, and the Shurly family was there in the 1841 census. John (25) and Elizabeth (30) had a 2 year-old son Henry. Next door was Alfred Owen, baker, and across the road on the corner of James Street were Emanuel Shurly (55) and his wife Mary (55). By 1851, John and Elizabeth had three more sons, Emanuel was described as a retired corn dealer, and Mary was a midwife.
In the 1881 census, Joseph (26) was running the business with his mother Elizabeth. The address at that time was 57 Victoria Street, but this was just before the re-numbering of most of the town centre roads, when 57 became 79. The business, Shurly and Sons, was at the same address until 1905, and next door at number 77 was Bradley’s bakery, with family connections to the bakery round the corner at 11 St Leonard’s Road. The Shurly family also had a bakery in Eton High Street, which supplied bread and baked goods to Eton College.
When the Shurly business started before the arrival of the railways, this part of the town, including Lower Peascod Street and Clewer Lane, would have had a village-like atmosphere where everyone knew their neighbours. The old bakery which still exists in Clewer Lane/Oxford Road was founded in 1839.
There are a few other ‘ghosts‘ of old Windsor businesses if you know where to look. There has been a butcher at 82 Peascod Street for at least 150 years. In about 1910 the new owner was Samuel Osmond, and his rather weather-beaten sign can still be seen above the shop.
Windsor Local History Group 