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ROADS AND
STREETS
BILBURY STREET
| Location
of Bilbury Street, Plymouth
Although there is still a Bilbury Street in
Plymouth it has only a slight connection with the original Street of
that name, which ran westwards from
Breton Side to join
Treville
Street at the junction with Buckwell Street and Norley Street.
Origin of the name, Bilbury Street
There was a "Billabiri Strete" in as early as
1342 [1] and "Byllebury Strete" in the 1439 Act of
Incorporation [3]. There was also a "Bilbury Brigge
(Bridge)" in 1506. [2]
Apart from the rather obvious link to
bilberries, otherwise whortleberries, it has been suggested that the
origins come from a corruption of "Billa's Burh", or Billa's
fortified place. [2]
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Bilbury Street was a continuation of Treville Street eastwards
towards Breton Side and Exeter Street. |
Worth, quoting from
the John Harris manuscripts, tells us that Bilbury Bridge was close to
Martyn's Gate but not whether it was inside or outside it. Gill puts
forward the theory that this was the location of the very first settlement,
the origin of Sutton, close to Sutton Pool and with fresh running water from
whatever stream ran beneath the Bridge. [3]
History of
Bilbury Street, Plymouth
In the town rental
of 1706 [4] it was called Broad Street but had clearly been known as Bilbery Street
(sic).
By 1765 and again
in 1820 it was named Lower Broad Street with Buckwell Street formerly being
Higher Broad Street. [5]
Named Bilbury
Street in 1827. [6]
By 1881 Bilbury Street had been absorbed into
Treville Street.
Some Views of
Bilbury Street, Plymouth
Occupants of Bilbury Street,
Plymouth
Sources:
[1] Worth, R N, "History of
Plymouth From Earliest Period to the Present Time", Messrs
William Brendon & Son, Plymouth, 1890, page 176.
[2] Gover, J E B; Mawer, A and
Stenton, F M,
"The
Place-names of Devon", Parts One and Two, published by the Cambridge University
Press, 1931/32 and 1969/73. ISBN 0 521 07158 5 and 0 521 08083 5.
[3] Worth, R N, "History of
Plymouth From Earliest Period to the Present Time", Messrs
William Brendon & Son, Plymouth, 1890.
[4] Worth, R N, "Calendar of the
Plymouth Municipal Records", Plymouth, 1893.
[5] Donn,
Benjamin, "A Map of the County of Devon 1765", facsimile, Devon
and Cornwall Record Society and the University of Exeter,
Exeter, 1965; and "Plan
of the Towns and Harbour of Plymouth, Stonehouse, Dock, Morice-Town,
Stoke and Environs in the County of Devon", John Cooke,
Stonehouse, Plymouth, 1820.
[6] "Cooke's Stranger's Guide or
Pocket Plan of the Three Towns of Plymouth, Devonport, and
Stonehouse", Published October 1st 1827
by John Cooke, 82 Union Street, Stonehouse, Plymouth, 1827.
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