Wem High Street - No 38

	Year Owner/Occupier Property Useage 1791 Thos. Jenkins The New Crown Inn 1822 Oliver Snape Crown Inn (to about 1835) 1870-1880 Elias Puleston Linen & Woollen Draper 1891 Joseph Ikin Draper and Grocer 1917 Bowens Draper and Outfitter 1927 Bowens Draper and Outfitter 1937 Bowens Draper and Outfitter 1953 Bowens Draper and Outfitter 1995 - - 1995 Vacant - 2011 Princes Electrical goods and Jewellery

Note in the photo taken in 1988. Martin Monk, the estate agent, who in 2008 moved to larger premises across the road and the Bowen's store which had closed. The left hand poster is from an early 20th century magazine. The centre one is an invoice with a frock at 6/11p in 1937. The right hand invoice is for Poole and Wilkinson. The CROWN HOTEL which occupied this site closed in the 1860s. Wellington Jnl, 29 June 1867, reported on the laying foundation stone for new building of Elias Puleston, draper, in High St, Wem. Puleston who purchased the Crown Inn and premises and was building a house on the site, c.400 square yards, to be "an improvement to the street and an ornament to the town". On the 15 August 1868, 5: Wem County Court had a report that Henry Kynaston, ironmonger, sued James Denham, architect, for non-payment for iron spouting supplied for a house Denham erected in Wem for Mr Puleston. After Puleston's death, the shop was purchased by Joseph Ikin, and, in the C20th, by Bowens. The 1st floor bay window (2nd on left on the 1st floor) was removed and flats built upstairs. In the C20th,this shop was the main store of Bowens a fair sized local chain of local stores. Following this closure in 1994, Princes moved their operation from 2 other shops at 6B and 26, High St.