Melksham Times Past

A column about days gone by in Melksham by local historian Lisa Ellis

A Butcher’s Business

THOMAS Hutton was a butcher and dealer, starting his business on King Street and then moving onto the High Street.

He and his wife Sarah (Chilton Bolwell) Hutton had 11 children. Sons Tom and John followed into the butchery business and worked in the High Street shop (pictured). Son George had been a cattle dealer, supplying meat to the shop.

When Thomas died in 1891, John took over the shop; Tom opened his own greengrocer business on Union Street.

In 1903, butcher James Newman retired from work and sold his Bank Street business to brothers John and George Hutton. In a message to the town, Newman tendered his sincere thanks to the inhabitants of Melksham and the district generally for the patronage he received during the many years he’d carried on the old established butcher’s business. He trusted that the same support would be extended to his successors. (James was a single man and did not have any children.)

In turn, Messrs Hutton ensured that all orders entrusted to them would meet careful attention and they would supply the primest meat.

Their promise was short-lived.

In 1910, John and George Hutton appeared in court to account for their debts. George stated that although he was a little to the good with his bookmaking, he did owe an insurance company money that he’d erroneously applied to his own purposes. He’d anticipated that it would have been paid off within a month considering he and his siblings were due to receive an inheritance.

John stated that his father had left an estate of more than £1,000, which was to be divided after the death of his mother. But when she died in 1908, the siblings received nothing. Another brother, Tom, was the executor, and it was implied there was considerable deficiency in the estate. In fact, Tom had to sell his home to pay off the share owing to his sisters.

By 1911, John had turned to hauling and George kept his dealing in cattle and hay. Poulson’s had taken over the High Street location.

Pictured: 12 High Street, formerly New Crown Inn, Pocock’s Electronics, Harmony, Henry’s, Sue Ryder, and others as well as Thomas Hutton and Sons 1881-1910. Now the location of Melksham Barbers.