Black Boy Yard Chipping Norton

[CONFUSED!]

Have traced JAMES COLEMAN and family at the above address on census records (1871 & 1881) does anybody have any information about Black Boy Yard and does it still exist?

[Geoffers]

There were a series of yards running off the High Street in Chippy, I think that Black Boy Yard was one of them- it would have run through to Albion Street - 'tis one of those places that an old boy once showed me but whose location has slipped from my mind for the moment.

From memory, there was also Simms Yard, Red Lion Yard and a couple of others whose names escape me at the moment. Most of the Yards (think long thin passageways) are still there but not necessarily known by their old names.

I'll have a browse of some stuff I've got and see if I can pinpoint it for you.

Geoffers

[Geoffers]

A nit has come back to me. Black Boy Yard would have been close to the Red Lion. This pub is in Albion Street (then known simply as Back Lane). I might be able to identify it exactly, when I next go up to Chippy.

Geoffers

[Ben E Wriggle]

The Black Boy Inn stood on the site of 14 High St, which is now part of WH Smiths I believe.

It stopped trading as an Inn in 1818

The site later comprised of two buildings, Morrisons Cycle Dealer and Simms the Jewellers. Between these buildings was a passage leading to Black Boy Yard which extended all the way to Back Lane (now Albion St). There were twelve cottages in the yard so I would guess thats possibly where your James Coleman could have been.

I don't think there's much, if any trace of these cottages now, and although quite a few of the burgage strips still remain, it might be difficult to identify which one is Black Boy Yard.

Hope this helps

[Victoria]

This subject came up on the RootsWeb Oxford Mailing List last year. There were several detailed explanations about the exact location and the fire which apparently destroyed some of the cottages. Some books containing pictures
were mentioned.

hth,
Victoria