| AdminHistory | A. G. Hedges Limited had butchers shops across the whole of London, with additional branches in east London at 123 St Leonard's Road E14, 558 Commercial Road E14, 97 Devons Road E3 and 60 Ben Jonson Road E1. The closure of the firm's Watney Street branch occurred in the mid-1970s.
Post Office directories from 1970 to 1978 indicate that there were six butcher's shops trading in Watney Street over that period of time, which coincided with the redevelopment of the area and the gradual closure of the long-established street market:
East Side:
- 41: John W. Syrett - not listed for 1972
- 47: Simon Press - listed as still trading 1978
- 61: Leonard Bridger - not listed for 1972
- 67: George Crowe - listed as still trading 1978
West Side:
- 54 and 56 A. G. Hedges Ltd - not listed for 1975
- 62: A. A. Fisher (Butchers) Ltd - not listed for 1977
The volume in this collection contains no definitive proof that it was created by A. G. Hedges Ltd; however, it is annotated throughout as 'Shop No. 1', which suggests that it probably relates to the premises of A. G. Hedges Ltd at 54 Watney Street. A. A. Fisher (Butchers) Ltd also closed in the mid-1970s so it is possible that the volume relates to that firm, as it too had branches throughout London and the 'Shop No. 1' could possibly have been the branch at 62 Watney Street (a photograph of the interior of 62 Watney Street can be found on the 'Spitalfields Life' website (https://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/02/25/tony-bock-at-watney-market/)).
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| CustodialHistory | The exact provenance of this volume is unknown, but a note in the hard-copy catalogue of STE manuscripts states 'Found in a derelict butcher's shop in Watney Street, April 1977'. Whether it was found by a member of the public or an LBTH employee and handed in to the Library is not stated. |