Plymouth, Business Houses

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BUSINESS HOUSES

Messrs VALENTE

Created: 12 October 2011

During the 1950s the Plymouth business house of Messrs Valente, ice cream manufacturers and cafe proprietors, had their 'Really Creamy' ice cream factory at 1/2 Belmont Street, Plymouth, and a stall in the Plymouth Pannier Market.

Advert for Valente's Ice Cream, 1953.

Mr Antonio Valente settled in Plymouth in 1912 and opened a confectionery shop at number 10 Flora Street. [1]

It would also appear that in addition to his wife, Benadetta, there was a son, Carlo, as later in 1914 he married a Miss Francesca Veronesi. [2]

Carlo and Francesca soon had two children, Joseph Anthony Valente, born on July 24th 1915 and Mr Anthony P Valente in 1920. Sadly the last-named died in 1931 at the just 11 years of age. [2]

By 1920 Mr Antonio Valente had two private addresses, numbers 10 and 22 Flora Street and an ice cream saloon at 31 to 34 Rendle Street. [3]

Mrs Benadetta Valente died in Plymouth in 1929, aged 63 years. [2]

Between 1935 and 1939 Mr Carlo Valente had taken over running the business, probably upon the retirement of his father. In that year also Carlo and Francesca's son, Mr Joseph Anthony Valente, married Miss Patricia C M Riley. [2]

Mr Antonio Valente passed away on February 24th 1941 at the age of 74 years. Although born in Italy he had become a naturalized citizen in 1934 and apparently regarded himself as English. He was survived by two children, Maria and Carlo. [1]

Disaster struck the Valente family during the Blitz of Plymouth on March 20th/21st 1941, when 19-years-old Patricia and her 11-month-old son, Master Anthony Valente, were killed at number 44 Cecil Street. [4]

Widower Joseph Valente married a Miss Vera Parsons at Kingsbridge in 1942. [2]

Mr Carlo Valente died in Plymouth on December 29th 1948 [5] and the business was left in Mrs Francesca Valente's name [6].

After the Second World War Francesca Valente occupied number 146 King Street and 56 Centre Stalls at the Plymouth Pannier Market. Her private residence was at number 10 Cecil Street. Her son, Joseph, was then living at number 500 Crownhill Road, Saint Budeaux. [7]

During the 1950s Plymouth was being rebuilt. There was plenty of work and therefore plenty of money but not much to spend it on. Ice cream sales must have prospered because Mrs Valente took over numbers 1/2 Belmont Street as the manufactory and now had a restaurant at number 24 Princess Square in addition to the stall in the Market. [8]

It would appear that the family finally ceased trading at the end of the summer holiday season in 1959, when they sold their manufactory in Belmont Street to Messrs Williams Pure Ices Ltd. [6]

Mrs Francesca Valente died on December 8th 1976 [5]; Mr Joseph Anthony Valente passed away in 1987; and Mrs Vera Valente died in 2006 [2].

Sources:

[1] "Antonio was English: Ice-Cream Trader Dies at Plymouth", Western Evening Herald, Plymouth, February 26th 1941.
[2] Births, deaths and marriages index.
[3] "The Post Office Directory of Plymouth and District for 1920-21", Messrs Swiss & Company, Devonport, 1920.
[4] Imperial War Graves Commission, "Civilian War Dead in the City of Plymouth", held by the Plymouth Library Service (History Room), Plymouth.
[5] Death announcement in local newspaper.
[6] Development plans for 1/2 Belmont Street, Plymouth, held at the Plymouth & West Devon Record Office, Plymouth, accession number PCC60/1/7133.
[7] "Kelly's Post Office Directory of Plymouth and District, 1953", Kelly's Directories Ltd, London, 1953.
[8] "Kelly's Post Office Directory of Plymouth and District, 1955", Kelly's Directories Ltd, London, 1955.

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