History: Henry T Howard, the butcher of Andover's upper High Street

None of the buildings are still standing, as one by one they have been replaced, though not in this instance as part of the 1960s’ town development programme.

Behind the glorious pony and trap are the white-painted premises of Henry T Howard the butcher, with decorative cast-iron balcony railings to the first floor above the northernmost shop.

Howard operated a line of three shops at 42, 44 and 46 High Street. No 42, nearest the photographer, is out of sight but formed the other half of the building to the right.

A huge gas lamp, seen here hanging from a wall bracket to illuminate the windows, had become a feature of many shops during the Edwardian period.

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There were only a few municipal gas lamps to light the street in those days and these individual examples, ordered by the shopkeeper and supplied by the gas company, provided some degree of advertising, safety and security for the shops themselves.

However, they do not seem to have lasted on the High Street for very long; such a heavy weight on an elegantly-shaped metal bracket would have been hazardous enough but all those glass panels must have been a great temptation for youthful stone-throwers!

Henry T Howard was the second generation of the Howard family to occupy the three premises, hence Howard and Son.

His father, Thomas Howard, had come to Andover soon after marriage in the mid-1850s and set up shop.

His 1871 census entry states that he employed five men and one boy and that he occupied 15 acres.

Presumably, the land was used to farm animals for meat.

After his death in 1890, son Henry took over but by 1907 there may have been business problems; Henry’s wife Harriet opened Westfield House School at 17 London Street, which she ran with two of her daughters, while in 1910 James (Jimmy) Rumbold opened a hairdressing business at No 42, the southernmost part of the three premises.

By 1911 the family were living at London Street instead of the High Street and Henry had retired, though still in his mid-fifties.

I do not think there was any family connection to the shops after Henry retired, even though it remained as Howard and Son, and then Howard’s.

A conveyance of 1930 for the building suggests it then belonged to Marion Overmass, whose father was Thomas Webb, former mayor and Freeman of the Borough.

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However, ownership of the building is often quite separate from any business it supports as many shopkeepers were tenants.

However, none of the eight Howard children apart from the two school teachers seems to have stayed in Andover.

Howard’s was further reduced in 1938 when ironmonger Maurice Crang took over No 46 - the building with the cast iron balcony.

This later became Bernfields the jewellers and is now H Samuel.

However, in 1948, on the death of Jimmy Rumbold, the hairdresser’s shop again became part of Howard’s.

In 1952, the whole building that had been Nos 42 and 44 was demolished and rebuilt as the shop we see today.

Howard’s was replaced by Hepworth’s around 1965 who stayed there for many years.

Until recently the premises were a branch of Topshop but that has now closed and the property is up for sale.

This is how the upper High Street in Andover looks today (Image: Newsquest)

After the closure of the High Street premises, did Howard’s then move to Millway Road near the Tavern crossroads?

Certainly, a shop of that name was there during the late 1960s – a butchers, fishmongers and general stores. Some readers may remember it.