Nos. 5 to 9 Bridge Street

XX.—Nos. 5, 6 and 7 BRIDGE STREET

XXI.—Nos. 8 and 9 BRIDGE STREET

General description and date of structure.

Nos. 8 and 9 may originally have been one house as shown below. They date from the latter part of the 17th century, and still retain some of their early two-light mullioned windows, divided by the usual transoms. Nos. 5, 6 and 7 are late Georgian cottages, built at the end of the 18th century by Samuel Naylor, and taking the place of two houses similar in all probability to that now divided into Nos. 8 and 9.

Condition of repair.

Good.

Historical notes.

Bridge Street, formerly known as Angel Alley, dates back at least to the 17th century— judging from the age of the cottages numbered 8 and 9—and it in all probability formed the eastern end of the lane or bridle-way towards Chiswick, part of which was closed by Edward Trussell in the middle of the century. (fn. 1) The northern group of houses (Nos. 5, 6 and 7) were formerly four in number, the three southernmost of which remain. They are thus described in an entry in the Court Rolls of the manor in 1887: "All that parcel of ground whereon stood two messuages formerly in the tenure of James Loggin and William Webster abutting eastward on the Creek, west on Angel Alley then called Bridge Street, north on the house formerly in the occupation of John Jones, and afterwards of William Murnford, and south on the house formerly in the occupation of Roger Bradford and afterwards of Richard Spinnell, on which piece of ground there stood four cottages erected and built by Samuel Naylor, deceased, theretofore in the several tenure of Henry Webb, John Turner, Thomas Madami and Jonathan Sawyer." In an earlier entry (5th March, 1799) it is stated that Samuel Naylor had acquired the copyhold from Thomas Foster in 1785, the description reading: "A parcel of land at Highbridge whereon lately stood 5 [sic] tenements formerly in the tenure of James Loggin and William Webster, abutting eastward on the Creek, west on Angel Alley, and south on a house formerly in the occupation of Richard [sic] Bradford and then of Richard Spinnell." From this it would appear that Samuel Naylor built his cottages at the end of the 18th century, a date that would agree with the character of the buildings.

George Bateman was admitted in 1744 to the property on which Nos. 4 to 7 now stand. He is succeeded by John Ellerton in the same year, George Cane (1761), and John Powlls (1768). Thomas Foster surrenders in 1785 and Samuel Naylor is admitted. He in his turn surrenders in 1799, and in 1887 we find the surrender of Charlotte Jane Smith. The property returned to the Naylor family, and now the copyhold of Nos. 5 to 9 are held by A. M. Naylor, Esq.

The fact that the four cottages were erected on the site of two earlier ones (fn. 2) suggests that the original houses in Bridge Street were larger than the present ones. If this is so, Nos. 8 and 9 may have been one house, that occupied by Roger Bradford and afterwards by Richard Spinnell. (fn. 3)