SQUIBBS & Son was a well-known furniture maker in Bridgwater at the turn of the century.
While we were carrying out some work in our photo archives at the Mercury, we turned up this picture of the Squibbs & Son store.
On the back was a note, which said ‘corner of St Mary Street and Penel Orlieo 1906’.
We were curious as to whether the building was still there now, so turned to Google Street View to see if we could pin down the building.
But initially, we couldn’t find it.
We posted the picture on our Facebook group - We Grew Up In Bridgwater - to see if anyone could shine some light on the store and what happened to the building.
And people responded.
Group member Mary-Jane Collington had a link to the store.
“My grandfather was Antony Squibbs (b.1906) and I think this belonged to my great grandfather, Henry James Squibbs,” she said.
And fellow group member David Jarvis pinned down where the building was - on the western end of St Mary’s Street, just across from The Corner House.
It turns out Squibbs & Son was a well-known furniture maker and retailer in the town at the turn of the century.
The company used withy growing on the Levels to make much of their furniture, including wicker chairs and more, mainly from the Athelney area.
And the building is still there, and has since been redeveloped into apartments.
The doorways and upper-level windows remain in the same place, with the shop front being replaced.
Do you have old photographs of Bridgwater? Do you know more about Squibbs & Son?
You can post your pictures, and see more of ours, by joining the dedicated nostalgia group - We Grew Up In Bridgwater - at www.facebook.com/wegrewupinbridgwater.
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