George Street

by Frank Breen

West to East

North or "upperside"

The Salvation Army had a large school on the corner. The site is now taken by the Harbour Light.

Across Buchanan Street, on the next corner, was a row of gable roofed houses. In this small range was a small wheelwright place owned and operated by a Carnell family. A man named Hamlyn kept a smithy in the same range. Longshoremen and fish wharf workers lived in two stone houses. Pope's furniture was sited on the next corner. Across Waldgrave Street a block of three houses stood.

Next comes Colliers' Lane, called after the people who ran an undertaking shop at the eastern corner (my ancestors and the Collier's went to court over property ownership). Three families lived in the lane: Knights, Holletts and ? .

Next to Colliers was a small range that housed working families. The Crockers, Powers, and Dalys. At the end of this range Mike Roche (my second cousin) kept a modern smithy.

Dunnersfield Lane cuts George Street here. On the Eastern corner of the lane and fronting on George Street was Taylor's Sail Loft.

Next was a few houses occupied by Ryalls, Woodfines and Morrisseys. All maritime people. In later years a John Sears kept a small shop in the area. Jackman's Hill (down from New Gower Street) makes a gap here until you reach the Eastern Corner. Nearly all gable roofed houses until the end of the street at the intersection of Beck's Cove.

A family named Bishop lived for years on that part of George Street. The father and his three sons were ship's stokers. Capt Lew Lush lived in the end house. The area was known for the high number of seafarers living there.

Across Queen Street, on the next block, lived a shopkeeper named Edgecombe, the Parnells, Squires, Kents, and Powers. Mostly all of them gaining their living on or about the Waterfront. The rest of the street on that side was mostly back doors of the New Gower Street business places.

West to East

South or "lower side"

On the South side, the first dwelling and business place was owned by two brothers. Lymons Jewellers and Watchmakers. The windows were filled with old watches and trinkets of all sorts. Frank Breen (my uncle) delivered the Telegram and the Daily News to them. Very old they were, even then (circa 1920). They lived on the premises.

Going on, there was a cattle feed store, a few stone houses and the rear of the old Post Office. Where the York Theatre was built, there used to be a small range of houses.

Next there was the stone house lived in by Jack Bromley and his mother-in-law Sarah Ann Atkins (my maternal great grandmother). It was a very interesting place. Ten or so rooms, fireplaces in each room. It seemed to be a rendezvous for people coming to St. John's at different times.

On the Eastern corner of Waldgrave and Water Streets, a man named Freeman had a Grocery Store. An interesting point here is that Mr. Freeman and the owners of the stone house (mentioned above) had a legal battle over property. The back yard of the stone house ran to the back of Mr. Freeman's place.

Written by Frank Breen of Southside Road.