5 Brook Street

This is a house probably dating from the turn of the 19th century. It has an interesting symmetrical facade with a central inset brick design. At one time it had a fire insurance mark attached to the front of building.

Records suggest that Mary Clifford a wealthy widow lived here up to her death in 1814. Later, in the 1840s and '50s, house deeds and census returns show that John Parkinson and his son John also lived and worked here as hosiers. The Parkinson's were declared bankrupt in 1855 and were forced to put the house up for sale. It was purchased by George Henry Angrave, a hosier from Leicester. From this time, the house had a number of tenants, but ownership stayed with the Angrave family for the rest of the century.

In 1920 George Henry's son, Thomas Cooper Angrave sold the property to John Henry Morris the sitting tenant, for £400. John Henry had taken over the tenancy from his father Thomas after his untimely death in 1915. Thomas had been the tenant here since he moved his harness and saddlery business from King Street about 1907.

John Henry or 'Johnny' as he was affectionally called, adapted his business also becoming a boot and shoe dealer and a draper. He died aged 92 in 1987. The property changed hands in the mid 1990s and reverted back to a purely domestic residence.