The Earlsdon Research Group have recently been benefiting from access to recently released 1921 Census to delve into the changing profiles of the original eight streets set out on farmland in 1852 to constitute the new Earlsdon estate, to add to the other census returns already available between 1861 and 1911. On the basis of this data, they have completed their studies of Berkeley Road South, which was originally called Cromwell Street, Providence Street, Arden Street and Moor Street. These are all published on their website.
The results provide a fascinating picture of growth both in terms of houses and number of households and family size as well as migration patterns into Earlsdon. In the latter years of the 19th century it was noticeable how many residents came for a few years and then moved on. The other major change reflected in the census data concerns occupation and to help with this in the 1921 Census we even know details of each individual’s employer. Watchmaking dominated in the earlier period between 1861 and 1891 as would be expected but then came the cycle, motorcycle, and toolmaking industries. By 1921 the dominance of the big industrial employers is clearly shown. For example, in Arden Street in 1921 from among the total of 152 residents, 13 worked at the Standard Motor Canley site, 13 were employees at the Rover Meteor Works on Victoria Road and a further 13 worked for Alfred Herbert, the toolmaker in the Butts.
Standing out from all the other streets is Earlsdon Street, which is quite different in character as it became the prime shopping street but now seems to have changed radically. To study this over the whole period until 2023 we have made extensive use of trade directories, which reveal that from the beginning Earlsdon Street had three pubs, the City Arms, the Royal Oak and just nearby The Cottage, all established by 1867. Then there was, and still is, the working men’s club, the Albany. The Cooperative store opened in 1896. The range of shops here grew steadily over the years helped by the arrival of the tram and the rapid expansion of Earlsdon. At its peak, as the favoured shopping street in the last decades of the 20 th century it had four banks and the Coventry Building Society, four butchers, three greengrocers, a fishmonger and ladies and gents outfitters and drapers. However, radical changes have taken place in the last three years.
Now all the establishments listed above have gone. In their place, apart from empty shops, are cafés, restaurants, barber’s and other service establishments. Now you come to Earlsdon Street to buy services in the main. This and more will be examined in an article for the Echo, the local community magazine in the February edition, and then on the web with the title ‘The Rise and Fall of Earlsdon Street?’