My Coffee, 186 Bath Road

From the late 1880s, for more than 100 years, this was one of the shops belonging to Singletons the gentlemen’s outfitters. Benjamin and Samuel Singleton were brothers born in Newport on the Isle of Wight in the 1840’s.

Benjamin was the businessman of the two and bought up various properties, equipping them as drapery and clothing businesses. He sold most of them but kept the best two for himself, in Albion Street and here at Bath Road, his brother Samuel managing this shop on his behalf.

Samuel managed the Bath Road shop admirably. He was a kindly man, who saved the small change from the shop to give to the poor. An accomplished musician, he was the organist at Emmanuel church. He died in 1923 aged 81, whilst his brother Benjamin died ten years later aged 88. But Singleton’s continued in business as an outfitter until 1987.

Looking further back in time we come across an unfortunate mystery.

From the mid 19th century these premises formed a grocery and butcher's shop belonging to Mr Alfred Wall. Alfred married Maria Smith at St Mary's church in 1846 and their son was born here in December 1851. In March 1860 Alfred was fined 2 shillings and sixpence for allowing the carcasses of several animals to encroach onto the footway but two years later he was commended for an excellent display at the Cheltenham Annual Christmas Meat Show.

On 5th May 1878 Alfred Wall mysteriously disappeared from his house in Montpellier, after finishing his Sunday dinner. It seems that he caught a train from Lansdown station to Liverpool that Sunday evening, without taking any luggage.

Alfred hadn't let his friends or family know where he was going, or why, and his absence caused them considerable anxiety. On arrival in Liverpool he booked into a small lodging house and retired for the evening.

In the morning the landlady couldn’t rouse him and, fearing something bad had occurred, called the police to break the door down. On entering the room they found him dead, on his knees with his head submerged in the domestic cold water tank, which was in one of the cupboards. At the inquest into his death no-one could account for his actions and the jury returned a rather ambiguous verdict of "found drowned". There has never been an explanation of this tragic and curious event.