24 High Street
About the Building | Recent History | Previous Occupiers | Other Information
| Address: | 24 High Street |
| Present Occupier: | Bonmarche (at nos.23 & 24 High St) |
| Present Owner: | |
| Ground Floor: | Ladies’ fashions |
| Other Floors: | |
| Date when first used by present occupier: |
About the Building
This has been one building with no.23 High Street possibly after closure of TSB.
The 1979/80 photograph of Nos 23, 24 & 25 shows a plaque below the small windows and the concrete. “Pearl Assurance Company Limited”. Above Nos 22 & 23 on the 1st floor brickwork, “Pearl Assurance House” probably in affixed letters.
Information from Abergavenny Local History Society Survey 1980:
Site cleared for Pearl building about 1968-1970. The rubble from the demolished building completely filled the old cellars [Source: N.White]
Recent History
1995: Messrs Dunn & Co “No 24 High Street today is owned by Messrs Dunn & Co.” [Source: Louis Bannon, “Remember Abergavenny Vol 1”, p36 published 1995]
Information from Abergavenny Local History Society Survey 1980:
From 1968 to at least 1988 : Hodges Menswear Ltd. Gents outfitter (Rediffusion offices upstairs)
To 1968 : Stoneham, Grocer (“In 1949, Stoneham was sold to George Mason, who carried on the High Class trade under the name of Stoneham” Mr Stoneham carried on as manager and adviser to George Mason until 1950)
Previous Occupiers
| Year | Name | Detail | Source |
| to 1949 | Stoneham | Grocer | ALHS Street Survey 1980 |
| 1937 | Stoneham | Grocer | Kelly |
| 1934 | Stoneham | Grocer | Kelly |
| 1930 | Stoneham | Grocer | Car/Npt & Dis |
| 1926 | Stoneham | Grocer | Kelly |
| 1923 | W T Stoneham | Argyll Stores- grocer, wine & spirits | Kelly |
| 1920 | W T Stoneham | Argyll Stores- grocer, wine & spirits | Kelly |
| 1914 | W T Stoneham | Argyll Stores- grocer, wine & spirits | Kelly |
| 1910 | W T Stoneham | Argyll Stores- grocer, wine & spirits | Kelly |
| 1906 | W T Stoneham | Argyll Stores- grocer, wine & spirits | Kelly |
| 1901 | W T Stoneham | Argyll Stores- grocer, wine & spirits | Kelly |
| 1895 | S A Pegler | (owner & manager of W T Stoneham by 1899) | Kelly |
| 1891 | S A Pegler | grocer | Kelly |
| 1886 | Albert Freeman | Grocer & dealer in wines & spirits | Kelly |
| 1879 | Albert Freeman | Grocer | Thacker |
| 1877 | Albert Freeman | Grocer | Owen |
| 1875 | Albert Freeman | Grocer | Mer & Croc |
| 1871 | Albert Freeman | Grocer | Kelly |
| 1865 | Gath & Moorshead | Tea dealer, grocer & chandler | Webster |
| 1862 | William Barber | Grocer | Morris & Co |
| 1858 | William Madden | Wholesale & retail provisions | Slater |
| 1851 | William Barber | Grocer & tea dealer | Census |
| 1839 | Stoneham | Grocer (known to be in High St at this time, not necessarily in this shop) | Slater |
| 1822 | Sarah Phillips | Pawnbroker | Pigot |
Other Information
Bonmarche was founded in 1982 by Parkash Singh Chima on market stallsin Wiltex and Hartley. In 2002, the company was taken over by Peacocks. In 2012, Peacocks went into administration and Bonmarche was then bought by private investment firm. There are at present 300+stores and concessions [Source: bonmarche.co.uk]
Source : Abergavenny Local History Society Survey 1980:
Mrs White (nee Stoneham) remembers during the 1930s, the shop girls coming up to eat their sandwiches in the nursery on market days, as the shop did not close for lunch . They were given cider to drink. There is a photograph of Stonehams in the museum and alterations during changeover from Pegler’s to Stonehams. Original photos were owned by Mrs White.
The Mr Stoneham named as the owner in 1839 was a juror in John Frost’s trial
There is a line drawing of the shop c.1800 which fits the “Octogenarians” description. See A/79-77a(PS-box50)
Adverts in Abergavenny Chronicle:
1969/1984/1988 : ads for Hodges Menswear.
If you have any further information about this property please email alhsresearch@email.com