History of Stanwick Post Office
Thank you to Janet Cutmore, a friend and
local historian, for the history of Stanwick Post Office.
Go to Janet's website for more Stanwick History!
1854 Post Office Directory ‘Letters through Higham Ferrers’
1876 Harrod & Co. Directory (No Post Office at Stanwick) ‘Nearest money order, telegraph office & post town is Higham Ferrers’
1881 Census Samuel Pettit’s (age 42) occupation is stated as being ‘Draper & Grocer employing 1 boy’. Also named are his wife Charlotte (age 43) and his daughters Annie (17), Edith (10), Bertha (7) and Susey [sic] (5). Annie’s occupation is shown as ‘Assistant in shop (Draper)’. Also living with them is Sarah Bateman (age 16) who is described as a ‘General Serv. Domestic’.
1890 Kelly’s Directory (First mention of Post Office) ‘Pettit Saml. Grocer & draper, Post Office.’
‘Post & M.0.0., S.B. & Annuity & Insurance Office Samuel Pettit, sub-postmaster. Letters arrive through Higham Ferrers at 7.30 a.m. and 12 noon; dispatched at 10 a.m. & 5.15 p.m. Arrive on Sundays at 7.30 a.m.; no dispatch. The nearest telegraph office is at Raunds’
1898 Kelly’s Directory ‘Pettit Saml. Grocer & draper, Post Office.’ ‘Post & M.0.0., S.B. & Annuity & Insurance Office Samuel Pettit, sub-postmaster. Letters arrive through Higham Ferrers R.S.O. at 7.30 a.m. and 12 noon; dispatched at 10 a.m. & 5.15 p.m. Arrive on Sundays at 7.30 a.m.; no dispatch. The nearest telegraph office is at Raunds.’
1903 Kelly’s Directory (Stanwick now has its own telegraph office, and the arrival and dispatch times have been changed.) ‘Pettit Saml. Grocer & draper, Post Office’ ‘Post & M.0 & T.O., T.M.O., , S.B. & A. & I. O. Samuel Pettit, sub-postmaster. Letters arrive through Higham Ferrers R.S.O. at 7.5 a.m. and 12 noon; dispatched at 10.20 a.m. & 5.15 p.m. Arrive on Sundays at 7.5 a.m.; no dispatch.’
1906 Kelly’s Directory (Letters now arrive through Wellingborough and the arrival and dispatch times have been changed again) ‘Pettit Saml. Grocer & draper, Post Office’ ‘Post & M.0 & T.O., T.M.O., , S.B. & A. & I. O. Samuel Pettit, sub-postmaster. Letters arrive through Wellingborough at 6.5 a.m. and 10.35 a.m. & 6.20 p.m.; dispatched at 9.35 a.m. & 5 & 8.15p.m. Arrive on Sundays at 7.5 a.m.; no dispatch.’
1910 Kelly’s Directory ‘Pettit Saml. Grocer & draper, Post Office’ ‘Post & M.0 & T.Office. Samuel Pettit, sub-postmaster. Letters arrive through Wellingborough at 6.5 a.m. and 10.35 a.m. & 6.20 p.m.; dispatched at 9.35 a.m. & 5 & 8.15p.m. Arrive on Sundays at 7.5 a.m.; no dispatch.’
1914 Kelly’s Directory (Change of sub-postmaster) ‘Freeman, Jn.Thos. draper & post office’
‘Post, M.O. & T. Office – John Thomas Freeman, sub-postmaster. Letters arrive through Wellingborough at 6.5 a.m. and 10.35 a.m. & 6.20 p.m.; dispatched at 9.35 a.m. & 5 & 8.15p.m. Arrive on Sundays at 7.5 a.m.; no dispatch.’
After John Freeman died, his wife ran the post office and shop and eventually married a Mr. Dorrell. The Dorrells were still at the shop in 1942 and stayed there until they retired, when the shop was taken over by a Mr. and Mrs. Whiteman. Apparently they were only there for a matter of months before returning to Rushden, because they ‘couldn’t settle in Stanwick’.
The next owners seem to have been a Mr. and Mrs. Charles Sturgess. It’s not known exactly how long they stayed, but they eventually left Stanwick and moved to Paignton.
The next owners were Mr. and Mrs. Chambers After Mr. Chambers (snr’s) death, John and Jill took over the shop until they retired after 40 years trading.
The next owners were Fred and Janet Stokes, followed by Barrie and Faye Vaukins, and then Steve, Neil & Vernon started the next chapter in June 2007.
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Click link below for
the shop@stanwick
in the heart of Stanwick Village
