Bookbinders, Oxford St Thomas

[eileenb]

On the 1881 census my gt grandfather Richard Dennis Dillon and his family were at 3 Bookbinders. They were a travelling family and I am presuming that Bookbinders was open ground and a fair ground site or next to one.
Is anyone able to confirm this for me please
Many thanks

[Geoffers]

On the 1881 census my gt grandfather Richard Dennis Dillon and his family were at 3 Bookbinders. They were a travelling family and I am presuming that Bookbinders was open ground and a fair ground site or next to one. Is anyone able to confirm this for me please
Many thanks

Hello
I don't know of Bookbinders Yard specifically, but centuries ago Bookbinders Bridge used to be just west of the Castle (the old prison).

If you use an online streetmap, search for St.Thomas' Street. This runs east-west from Hollybush Row through to Tidmarsh Lane and Paradies Street, crossing over the Castle Mill Stream.

Bookbinders Bridge is now part of St.Thomas' Street and crossed over the stream just west of the Castle Mill Stream. I would assume that Bookbinders Yard ran off this to the north or south, probably somewhere near to The Hamel.

This was a noisy, built up area with a large brewery to the south of St.Thomas' Street and slightly further away (but within smelling distance) was The Oxpens (the livestock market). The main railway line runs near to St.Thomas' Church, with goods sheds and shunting yards running up to The Oxpens, which would have contributed to the noise. Just to the South East is 'The Paradise' (Paradise Street) which was a rather ironic name for the area.

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxfordshire

[eileenb]

Hi Geoffers and thank you.
Just what I didn't want! A built up area with no sign of a fairground unless there was room for one around the stockpens etc. This was a travelling family and should have been living in living vans although I thought it odd that Bookbinders was numbered. What on earth were they doing living in a house? I'm stumped now and totally confused!
Nevertheless your help is much appreciated.
Many thanks
Eileen

[Geoffers]

[Just what I didn't want! A built up area with no sign of a fairground unless there was room for one around the stockpens etc. This was a travelling family and should have been living in living vans although I thought it odd that Bookbinders was numbered. What on earth were they doing living in a house? I'm stumped now and totally confused!]

I notice from the census that he was a 'traveller in china' - basically a travelling salesman. I don't know whether he would have been carrying wares in some sort of cart, but there would have been plenty of places for him to store this and/or a horse. The houses/tenements around here may well have been available for short term rent.

Oxford just has one main fair a year - St.Giles' fair, which is held in September.

Also, having now looked at the census neighbours, I see that the entry before Bookbinders Yard was 10, The Hamel (confirming my thoughts on the location of Bookbinders Yard) and the entry after Bookbinders Yard was 68, High Street (this was High Street St.Thomas, the old name for St.Thomas' Street) - so you should be able to locate more or less where the property stood that he lived in at this time.

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxfordshire

[eileenb]

Thank you Geoffers -
I'm an idiot as I had only checked the 1881 on fiche - as enumerated, a number of years ago and the full occupation wasn't shown. The "china" bit was missing off the end. That will teach me to do a proper job. Once again, many thanks for your help.
Eileen
Your info has pinned him down very nicely