WHEATON

The following is the first part of a very interesting article written by David Cornforth (1950-2022) in 2005 (revised 2009), and posted on Exeter Memories - an excellent site for Exeter history. I would like to thank Exeter Memories and Sean Creech for permission to reproduce.


From Penny's to Pills

A. Wheaton and Company is one of the oldest, still trading companies in Exeter. It can be traced back to 1780, when James Penny opened a bookshop and printer in Southgate Street. In 1792 he moved to North Street and then to 185 Fore Street. The business carried on in the early 19th century through various changes until it was advertised for sale on the 30th April 1835 and William Wheaton purchased the business on 2nd July in the same year.

An 1844 Old Moore's Almanac has Wheaton's adverts, not only for school books, but surprisingly, also patent medicines. Antibilious pills, Pennyroyal Fennole Pills, and Magic Pills for curing gout and more could be found next to copies of books on Spellings, Grammars, Exercises, Psalters, Tutors Assistants and Catechisms.

William died in 1846 and the business was taken over by his widow, and soon after, his son, Alfred Wheaton.

In 1851, Alfred also died, and the business passed to his sisters, Mary and Anne. At this time they had premises at 185 Fore Street and 19 High Street. In 1880, 186 Fore Street was purchased and joined to their premises next door.

The Great Exeter Fire

Disaster struck when the Fore Street shop along with several surrounding premises was destroyed by what is known as 'The Great Exeter Fire' in 1882. In fact there were two fires, one on 18th January and one on 27th July. An Exeter newspaper report said that ' very little is left but the shell'. When the re-building work was complete, most of Paternoster House, as it was named, after the publishing district in London, became the home of the furniture store Wm. Brock and Co, and the corner shop was occupied by Wheatons.

The building was the first in Exeter to have a lift and is now informally known as Cornish's, a later tenant that closed in the late 1980's. The corner shop houses Snappy Snaps and most of the rest of the building B-Wise.

Wheatons expanded and 223 High Street was leased from 1886 until 1927, when Boots the Chemist took the premises over.

For the full article click here.




Size: 485 x 560 mm. Scale (2 = 38 mm) Miles.

Wheaton's New Map Of Exeter And Neighbourhood Including Exmouth, Dawlish, Sidmouth, Honiton, Tiverton, Crediton, &c., From The New Ordnance Survey. Imprint: LONDON., G W BACON & Co., LTD, 127 STRAND. (CeOS).

The area covered is from Witheridge (Aa) and Saddle Tor (Ad) to Hemyock (Ea) and Weston Cliff (Ee). Railways are complete to Hemyock, Sidmouth (but not Budleigh) and to Ashton/Christow. Map is brightly coloured. The map is printed on paper and folds into red covers with gilt title: Wheaton’s Map of the Environs of Exeter for Tourists and Cyclists with address: A Wheaton & Co., Paternoster House, Exeter.

1. 1890 Wheaton's New Map of Exeter and Neighbourhood including Exmouth.
London. G W Bacon & Co. (1890). DevA[1].

2. 1896 Added imprint: A Wheaton & Co., “The Corner Shops” Exeter. (AeOS). Printer’s mark: 8.9.96 (Ee in border, possibly date of production). Map detail unchanged.


Map is printed on silk-like cotton and folds into a narrow slip case with gilt title: Wheaton’s Map of the Environs of Exeter. Illustrated.

Wheaton's New Map of Exeter and Neighbourhood including Exmouth.
Exeter. A. Wheaton & Co. (1896). DevA, KB.


 RETURN to Catalogue of Maps 

NOTES:

[1] Dating of state 1 is that given by DevA. State 2 is dated on basis of the printer´s printing mark.





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