A painting by T. Batty of the top of Smithfield showing a passage through to James Street, Stockton.c1900 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
A painting by T. Batty of the top of Smithfield showing a passage through to James Street, Stockton.c1900
I’m trying to find information on Ellen Owens born 1903-1905 who married a Frederick Wilson (born 1897) in Stockton-on-Tees in 1927. On their marriage certificate, Ellen is stated as living at 12 Smithfield. Does anyone remember who lived there as I’m not sure if Ellen was a lodger there. Her father Thomas Owens had died before she married in 1927.
Ellen died in 1932 from heart failure aged 28 whilst working at the Stockton Union Workhouse. She was then living at 14 Swainby Road with her husband Frederick Wilson.
If anyone has information on Ellen, I would really appreciate your help. Please ask PictureStockton for my email address
According to Kelly”s Stockton Directory for 1886/7 this passage was between 3 and 4 Smithfield, while James Street ran from 4 Smithfield to George Street. On going through the passage one turned sharp right into James Street leading to George Street. 1 to 3 Smithfield and Saint Thomas”s School leading to “The Square” and the cattle market were to the left of the artist, and can be seen in photo s466 = aerial view of Stockton, c.1930. 4 Smithfield was on the L-shaped corner of this street, with the rest of Smithfield behind the artist. This is the only street that appears in two authenic paintings by Batty on Picture Stockton. 3 Smithfield and its surrounds (part of The Shakespeare Arms at 2 Smithfield, Annie May Groskop from 1900 to 1940 inclusive) can be seen in the background of painting s479 = The Steps, Smithfield, Stockton, c.1911. 3 Smithfield was a grocers/general dealers shop (Henry Rusk, shopkeeper from 1896 to 1901) and briefly a lodging house during 1904/5, then reverting to a shop with various owners. Its trade sign (above) ending with a curved letter then “ith” remains a puzzle (it does not look or correlate with anything like “smith” in the trade directories, and a computer word ending search was unhelpful). 4 Smithfield had a history of being a pawnbrokers, Richard Humphrey (1886), Humphrey and Bird (1898), and Henry Bird from 1900. The Borough Engineer described the James Street passage from Smithfield as “narrow and tortuous” and “not a proper connection” on 3 April 1936, submitting plans to the council to widen both the passage and Smithfield. This scheme seems to have been shelved, due to more urgent priorities. The council had demolished (as slum clearance) George Street, James Street, and part of Garden Place by 9 Nov 1946. These streets were stopped-off by the council on 14 Jan 1947. Stopped -off is the legal term and order to delete a public highway. Buildings on both sides of the James Street passage (a highway) had been demolished by 8 July 1947, thus the passage was unnecessary and it was stopped-off by the council on 15 Sept 1947. The Co-op dairy was built on the site of James Street.
How very interesting all your info on the above. I was researching Smithfield, as my Gt Grandfather & Gt Grandmother lived at 13 Smithfield (on 1901 Census) John Sanderson & Ada (nee Lawson). So they would have know the Groskop family, the Shakespeare Arms & the above businesses. Thank you