39 West Street is believed to have been built in the middle of the 17th century but it is difficult to confirm that for certain because virtually all of the original timber framing is covered by later features. Certainly the roof timbers, which are visible, confirm the 17th century build date.

The house is of two storeys with attics with front, middle and rear ranges. There is a small stack on one side of the front bay and a large stack, with cooking hearth on the ground floor, at the rear of the middle bay. The rear bay is arranged as a self-contained cottage accessed via Newhaven Lane and the property shows signs of having been subdivided for multiple occupation during the 18th century in common with many houses in the old town.

There is a suggestion that the front range of the house was once connected to 38 West Street but axial beams on the ground and first floors have been boxed in and it is impossible to confirm whether the front once formed part of an older structure with its next door neighbour.

No. 39 was upgraded in the 18th century with a brick frontage, parapet and an elaborate entrance door case. Inside a panelled entrance hallway leads to typically Georgian room provisioning and fitments.

We have no candidates for the 17th century build of the house at 39 West Street or indeed any residents in the 18th century. West Street was on the western edge of the old medieval town and the west side of it only really started to be built up in the 17th century. It then became fairly chaotic as the expanding population pushed development outside the old defences, new builds sprang up and older houses were subdivided. West Street did not acquire house numbers until the 1860s and it is difficult to trace property in old documents up to that point.

When the 1871 census was taken we find Edward Webber and a general servant resident at 39 West Street. Edward is a 48 year old widower and his occupation is given as “smith”. His servant is Hannah Salmon from Woodbridge in Suffolk and she is a 47 year old widow. Edward may have given his occupation as smith but he also owned the Packet Inn, directly across West Street from his house, which had a large blacksmith’s shop attached.

The 1877 Ordnance Survey town map shows a packed collection of dwellings and warehousing in the vicinity of 39 West Street and it is difficult to see how New Haven Lane would have picked its way through all that to provide access to the rear range of the property. The 1871 census does feature five properties in New Haven Lane but it is difficult to know if any of these could be the rear of 39 West Street.

In 1881 we find Maria Wilding at 39 Church Street with her daughter, son, mother and brother. Maria is listed as a Lodging House Keeper but as she only shares the house with her relatives we assume no. 39 is not the lodging house in question. Despite being listed in enumeration district four New Haven Lane isn’t clearly featured in the 1881 census.

In 1891 we find the house, as 39 West Street, subdivided. Living in four rooms is shipwright Samuel Ellis and his family, comprising his wife Jane, four children and aunt Emma Lakey. Both Samuel and Emma are originally from Tresco in the Scilly Isles. Living in another three rooms we find blacksmith James Jenkins, his wife Hannah, two young children and a lodger, Charles Hunwicks who is a widower and a retired mariner. New Haven Lane is well-defined in the 1891 census but it still isn’t clear if one of the featured properties is the rear of 39 West Street. In 1901 no. 39 is still listed in two parts but with only one person in each. The main part of the house is occupied by Fanny Bell who is 64 years old and working at home as a laundress. Fanny is originally from Coldwaltham in Sussex. Living in two rooms we find Alice Mills who is listed as married with no occupation, so we could speculate that her husband was away at sea when the census was taken. The 1901 census lists five properties in New Haven Lane but again it isn’t clear how they relate to each other or the rear of 39 West Street.

In July 1906 we find an advert placed in the Era by “Leonzi, World’s Greatest/ Human Knot and Marvellous Barrel Expert” who resides at 39 West Street. In October that year we find Leonzi living in Sheffield and in November he or she was performing at the Palace Theatre in Hartlepool as a contortionist on a variety bill.

When the 1911 census was taken we find the house divided into two again. In the main part of the house the Poole family are resident with 38 year old William Poole head of household living with his wife Maud, six sons and one daughter. William Poole is a coal porter working for the Great Eastern Railway and his eldest son Frederick is a “milk boy”. Living in two rooms are William and Linnie Heath and their three children. William Heath is a “smiths striker” working for the Great Eastern Railway.

The building at 39 West Street was surveyed and interpreted as part of the Harwich Architectural Survey Project which was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

An interpretation of 39 West Street by Brenda and Elphin Watkin is available for download here.