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====== 7 Market Street ======

This house is on the south side of Market Street on the section that once led from the junction with Kings Head Street to Bartons Gate, now the junction with Kings Quay Street.

The house was originally built in the 16th century but now mostly displays late 17th or early 18th century revisions with much reused timber. It was then re-fronted in brick with a shop front in the 19th century. The interior has been heavily modernised so that details of the original framing or later changes are hidden from view and there is a 20th century two storey extension on the rear.

In the garden there is a section of septaria wall but it is difficult to relate this to other structures nearby. It is too far west to be part of the medieval town wall but it could easily have been associated with an earlier house or other structure. The septaria section of the wall has been built up in 17th century brick and becomes part of the eastern flank wall of the house.

===== Occupants =====

On the 1861 census we find James Meachen a 55 year old clothier with his wife Ann and grandson William living at 7 Market Street.

In 1871 James Meachen is still at the premises but he has remarried and he is listed as a sailmaker whilst his new wife Elizabeth is a shoe shop keeper, perhaps implying that she is running the shop on the premises.

In May 1872 we find out from an article in the Essex Newsman that James Meachen has died and Elizabeth has remarried to a rather colourful Harwich character know as “Blind Billy”, real name William Carrington, who plays the fiddle in Harwich pubs. In fact Elizabeth, aged 41 and described as a “general dealer”, is rather colourful herself, being on her third marriage and with her shop stock-in-trade said to include “monkeys, parrots, dogs, cats, et cetera”.

In June 1972 we find the freehold to 7 Market Street up for auction as described thus:
//The Highly-valuable BUSINESS PREMISES, situate and being No. 7 MARKET-STREET, with three TENEMENTS in the rear, the whole being now let by Mrs. Meachen, £38 10s. per annum.//

On 1881 we find the Elwood family at 7 Market Street, John and Emma and their four children. John is a butcher so we assume the premises are now a butchers shop.

When the 1891, 1901 and 1911 censuses are taken we find that the premises are unoccupied.

===== Harwich Architectural Survey =====

The building at 7 Market Street was surveyed and interpreted as part of the Harwich Architectural Survey Project which was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. As most of the old features of the building are covered by modern renovations the survey was limited to observations at the front and rear of the property.

A brief survey report by Brenda and Elphin Watkin is available for {{ :7_market_street_building_survey.pdf |download here}}.
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