Wem High Street - No 2

Year Owner/Occupier Property Useage 1871 Abraham Wycherley Wheelwright 1871 Mary Wycherley Grocer 1890 George Henry Morgan Chemist, druggist, agent for W & A Gilbey, wine and spirit merchants 1927 George H Morgan Grocers, Chemists, Seedsmen, Wine & Spirit Merchants 1930 George H Morgan Grocers, Chemists, Seedsmen, Wine & Spirit Merchants 1937 GH Morgan Chemists and Grocers 1941 GH Morgan Chemists and Grocers -Source: Strong's guide to Wem 1953 GH Morgan Chemists & Grocers 1995 Maypole Court Stokes Estate Agents, Bleazard & Galletta Architects 2011 Maypole Court Stokes Estate Agents, Bleazard & Galletta Architects

An invoice from Richard Barlow, Tallow Chandler, has also been found. While his actual address is not known he is listed in the 1830 Pigot's Directory as living at Maypole End, which was the junction of the High Street, New Street and Aston Street. He was not listed in future directories, so may not have survived long in business.

Originally built circa 1800 as a stuccoed brick house with a plain tile roof and slightly overlapping eaves. There were rusticated quoins and window heads. There was a small shop front with plasters and cornice and a plain doorway to the left. Central brick window stack. Greatly altered in the late 20thC. This 3 storey building was occupied from at least 1870 by GH Morgan, Chemist, Grocer and Wine Merchant. Local historian and photographer Tom Edwards well remembers shopping there. "On a Friday my father would fetch groceries from G H Morgan & Sons Ltd. Mr Bill Haines was the Chemist on the one side of the shop and the Manager was Mr Fred Wilkinson and then Mr George Furber. Mr Haines later said that the shop had a reputation just after World War One of never turning away anyone wanting treacle or syrup - a staple form of diet - and one satisfied customer said of Mr Morgan that "he must have a treacle mine at the back of the shop". Mr Haines was convinced that that gave rise to Wem being known as the Treacle Mines.In 1984, Morgans closed and the shop was acquired by Hanmer Developments and changed into a courtyard of offices and shops. The existing corner on New Street was retained despite pressure to widen the corner. In the latter half of the 20th century it was redeveloped. Half of the building was occupied by Stokes Estate Agency until October 2012.The New Street side was occupied by a double glazing firm who closed in 2011.Stokes moved into the corner unit in October 2012. A number of small units, including 2 hairdressers and 2 firms of architects occupy offices within the courtyard and upper storeys. Memories One resident rememers going into Morgans when a child. The chemists counter was on the left where Stokes the Estate agent was until 2012. The grocery store was an Aladdin's cave, with cornflake packages on the shelf. These had competitions on the back, he was keen to buy them, until his mother noted that some of them were over-dated! This was war-time and people were not so strict on such details. Morgans closed in 1984 and the site was redeveloped as a small shopping arcade.