GEORGE WITHERS

Here is an old photograp of George Withers’ grocer’s shop – also called his Provisions Store or Tea Warehouse – at 19 Northbrook Street in Newbury, now the left-hand side of Tesco Metro.  I have always been rather interested in this picture as my great grandmother was one of the widespread Withers family from Enborne ad Newbury.  This George Withers (1856-1928), however, does not appear to be one of them.  

George was the son of a Guildford butcher and his acnestors seem to be traceable as residents in Twickenham and elsewhere in Greater London, with no obvious Berkshire connection at all.  George started his working life, perhaps with the help of his father, setting up a grocer’s shop at 28 Church Street in Brighton (which seems now to be a bridal shop).  Soon after his father’s death in 1888 however, presumably his inheritance allowed him and his wife of two years, Mary Ann Sheryer (1856-1933) to move to 5 Northbrook Street (now Boots) in Newbury.  Is that her in the doorway?  Did George already know that the family name was well-known and trusted in the town, I wonder?  He and Mary Ann raised two daughters there (two others died young) but, in 1902, shifted the shop up the road a few doors to No. 19.  The couple eventually retired to ‘Collindene’      2 Clifton Road, sometime before 1991.  They are buried in Newtown Road Cemetery.

Sources:as above