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218 Bath Road (formerly 1 Hermitage Terrace)

In 1852 this property was occupied by a gardener called John Mansfield and his wife Ann. They were succeeded a few years later by a family called Barton.

This shop on the corner of Hermitage Street has been a shoe shop since the early years of the 20th century and for nearly three-quarters of that time it was occupied by the Lawrence family.

Mr James Lawrence was born in Cheltenham in 1853. His wife Caroline came from Bristol and it was there that the couple married and had two of their children, James and Beatrice. The family had moved back to Cheltenham by the time their second daughter, Alice Maud, was born in 1886. A third daughter, Edith Minnie, was probably born at the family home in Naunton Crescent and it was there that James started his shoe-making business, helped by Caroline whose job was to machine the boots.

Gloucestershire Echo, 1923

In 1903 the Bath Road premises became vacant so the business transferred there, whilst the family continued to live in Naunton Crescent. The two youngest daughters, known as Maud and Minnie, remained unmarried and helped their father in running the shop, which sold excellent quality footwear, beautifully displayed in the large windows. In 1934 James and Caroline celebrated their Diamond wedding anniversary and it was only earlier that year that James gave up riding his motor cycle around the area, at the age of 81. ​

James Lawrence with his daughter Maud outside the shop

When he died on 31st July 1939 James Lawrence was in his 87th year and was one of the oldest tradesmen in the Bath Road. Maud died in 1952 and Minnie continued to run the business alone until about 1960 when her niece Mrs Margaret Jones (daughter of brother James junior) took over the shop with her husband. They kept the name of Lawrence and sold shoes made by Clarks.

1950

The Lawrence family involvement ended in 1974 when one of the shop assistants, Mrs Grace, took over the business. She then sold out to Mr Conway before an even older shoe making family firm, Adcocks, took over. Matthew Henry Adcock, a boot and shoe maker, started his business at 304 High Street in 1879. His speciality was a clog made with a leather leg front for “carriage-washing and such purposes”. He made clogs for the local Flowers’ brewery and was also an agent for the Thrift Boot, which was popular at the end of the 19th century.

​Matthew was succeeded in the business in 1925 by his son Paul, in 1945 by his grandson Arthur, in 1978 by his great-grandson Terence and in 1987 by his great-great granddaughter Vicky.

Adcocks moved into their Bath Road branch in 1983 and the fifth generation of the family are still trading here in the 21st century.
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Adcock Shoes

Researcher: Marilyn West
Updated: Stuart Manton (August 2017)

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