Thirty Seven Main Street, known as Franey House was built in 1745 by John Franey, who was a stonemason.  The datestone above the door confirms this date.

Originally, built as a two unit property, it was turned into one when it was under the ownership of John Victor Walker.  A Dovecote, now an outbuilding, was built in 1769 and housed about 250 nesting boxes.  Both the house and the Dovecote were registered as a Grade 2 Listed Building in October 1988.

So who lived in the houses?  Upon John Franey’s death they were left to the family and it was Hannah Franey (possibly the daughter in law of the John Franey who had built the houses) on her death devolved the properties to Esuebius, Louisa and Sally Herepath.  The two sisters surrendered their right to the properties for a consideration. Esuebius then disposed of the houses to Ezekiel S Desbrow, a Surveyor, who had obtained a loan from Rev W H Fisher to purchase them. This must have taken place after 1901 as Esuebius is shown on the 1901 census as still living at Franey House in the right of the two properties

Ezekiel defaulted on the loan and the Rev Fisher foreclosed and then sold to Thomas Barnes, a retired Brewer. Obviously, Barnes did not live in the properties as the 1911 census shows that the Walker family were resident in both of the properties.  From research we know that Thomas Barnes sold the properties to Ebenezer Bradshaw of Perio Mill, who still rented out the properties to Frederick Walker and family.

The properties were subsequently purchased by Frederick Walker after the death of Ebenezer’s widow, Charlotte Bradshaw who died in 1944.  The houses were later made into one property and the Walker family lived there until the death of Catherine Walker in 1978. John Victor Walker, son of Frederick, ran his greengrocery business from the property for many years.

2017