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ROADS AND
STREETS
WOOLSTER STREET
| Created:
19 September 2011
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| Location
of Woolster Street
Woolster Street, Plymouth, was a continuation
of Notte Street between the junction with High Street and Vauxhall
Street.
Origin of the name, Woolster Street
R N Worth claimed that Woolster Street had
previously been known as Winchelsea Street.
Named as Wolster Street in Town Rental for
1706. [1]
The name may indicate that it was the residence of woolsters
or wool staplers during the early 17th century. [2].
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History of
Woolster Street
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Some archaeological excavations carried out
between 1963 and 1969 revealed that the land occupied by Woolster
Street had been recovered from an arm of Sutton Pool probably as
long ago as 13the century. The foundations of a massive wall,
almost six feet thick, were unearthed going out over what was then
water and the building it supported had an extensive drainage system
'of unexpected complexity'. Mr James Barber MA FSA, the
leader of the dig, concluded that 'not until sometime after 1525
AD did the progressive silting up of the inlet finally block the
drains, helping to induce a further period of intensive reclamation'.
Around 1550 the quay was moved about forty feet forward into the
creek. [3] |
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Woolster Street on Donn's 1765
map of Plymouth. |
Although pieces of pottery and clay pipes were
found there was no real indication of what the building had been used to
store. Given the road's later name one could speculate that it was
from this quay that wool was exported, before Shepherd's Wharf was
constructed.
Woolster Street is
strongly linked to the famous Hawkins family. In 1542/43 Mr William
Hawkins purchased the Manor of Sutton Valletort, or Vautort, off Sir Hugh
Pollard for 1,000 marks. This would have included the area of Woolster
Street and the former Grey Friar's building. [4]
On Donn's map of Plymouth in 1765 Woolster Street is
shown as a continuation of Vintry Street, which was itself a continuation of
Notte Street. Eventually Vintry Street got absorbed into Woolster
Street. [5]
There were several notable buildings in
Woolster Street: the Mayoralty House; the Old Ring of Bells; the Mitre Tavern; and the
Exchange.
Some Views of
Woolster Street
Occupants of Woolster Street
Sources:
[1] Worth, R N, "Calendar
of the Plymouth Municipal Records", Plymouth, 1893.
[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] Barber, J, "Excavations at
Woolster Street, Plymouth, 1963-1969", Proceedings of the Plymouth
Athenaeum, Plymouth, March 6th 1969.
[4] Worth, R N, "History of Plymouth From the Earliest Period
to the Present Time", William Brendon & Son, Plymouth, 1890. [5] Donn,
Benjamin, "A Map of the County of Devon 1765", facsimile, Devon
and Cornwall Record Society and the University of Exeter,
Exeter, 1965.
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