“Pastry Cook; Noted Shop for Cakes” is David Press’s regular classified advertisement in the Bath Chronicle for his shop at 28 Broad Street (sometimes Ices are mentioned too). Directly above his advert is always placed J.A. King, the next door shop at 26, “Confectioner; Easter Novelties in Sugar, Chocolate, Almond Paste &c.” – but there is also Mr Sturtewagen’s confectionery and cake shop with his “choice almond ice cakes” (1888) on the opposite side of Broad Street. So here was the place to go in the later 19th century if you had a sweet tooth!
The portrait of David Press (1841-1921) is another in the Museum’s collection of glass plate photographic negatives from the studio of Tom Carlyle Leaman, dated around 1900, so he is 60. It was a long life – he lived through almost the entire reign of Queen Victoria, Edward VII, and well into the reign of George V – just think of the changes in society and technology that he saw during his 80 years.
In 1861 he lived with his mother, sister and grandmother at 27 Lampards Buildings (just round the corner from the Museum, off Morford Street) – David now aged 20 was a Journeyman Baker and sister Leah was an assistant school teacher.
In 1869 he married Harriett Bishop and they had three children. From 1870 onwards, in the Bath Directories and in censuses, he is listed variously as Confectioner, Pastry Cook, Baker and (in 1911) ‘Dealer in Yeast’ – first at 16 James Street, then 22 Broad Street and then for many years at 28 Broad Street. I can’t find a suitable Victorian image of cakes and confectionery, so these cakes from a 1950s recipe book will have to stand-in.
Mr Press appears several times in the Bath Chronicle and the items give a great deal more colour to his life:
1878,12 December – summoned under the Licensing Act for “giving a false name & address to PC Staines” and fined 40s (£2) and costs.
1884, 28 February – summoned “for having on the 24 January feloniously and violently assaulted Sarah Wooton” (case dismissed).
1907, 10 January – a report of two girls, Nelly Norman and Lilian Parsons, stealing from the Press’s shop till (ages not given, but under 16). This is a fascinating account, with the magistrate interrogating the two fathers; Mr Parsons says (of course he does) this is the first time anyone in the family has ever been in trouble; and Mr Norman says desperately, please send my daughter to the ‘industrial school’ because she is “practically uncontrollable”. The case concludes with both being sent to the industrial school, Walcot Parade.
David Press died in 1921 at 28 Broad Street. His obituary in the Bath Chronicle 14 May 1921 says that he was a Rabbit Fancier and Pigeon Fancier “well known all over the county and in demand as a judge”; the article also tells us he owned the refreshment room at the Jubilee Hall and did catering for the YMCA in Broad Street.
We can make an interesting link to another Broad Street shop-keeper, Kate Aaron (1827-1901). After her husband Samuel’s death in 1881, Kate took on the lease of his shop at 6 Broad Street and continued his business, advertising as a ‘Dealer in Antique Plate’. By 1889, Kate and her two daughters had moved to 28a Broad Street: her shop was now listed in Kelly’s Directory as a “Fancy Repository” – selling things like umbrellas and parasols, gloves, ornaments and knick-knacks. The freehold for number 28 (where David Press lived and ran his confectionery shop) was sold in 1892 – presumably to Press – and lists Kate Aaron as the sub-tenant, leasing her shop 28a and part of the large dwelling house of ten rooms, a kitchen, two WCs and offices, from Mr Press. She died in 1901 and was buried in the Jewish Burial Ground at Combe Down; you can read more about her here on the Friends of Bath Jewish Burial Ground website.
Ann Cullis
Thanks to Pat Heynes for her research into David Press
Ann Cullis is a Trustee of Bath Industrial Heritage Trust (Museum of Bath at Work) and also a Trustee of the Friends of Bath Jewish Burial Ground CIO