Saul Shopkeepers

by John Slaughter

Published in Soul Search in August 2001

Carol Saul has kindly sent me copies of various photographs/postcards (shown below) sent to her some years ago by a correspondent, who had in turn obtained them from an elderly aunt. The aunt’s husband’s first wife was a Saul.

The first picture below is a postcard showing the shop of Saul Bros, a general provision shop. The reverse is postmarked Woking 22 November 1904 and was addressed to Miss Saul, 98 Upper Fore Street, Edmonton. 

Beneath that is a photograph of the shop of Edwin Saul, a retail, wholesale, grocer and provisions merchant. The location of the shop is not stated nor who the two people in the doorway are though it is a good bet that one of them is Edwin. The next photograph is believed to be that of Edwin Saul. 

In addition there are copies of three memorial cards to recording the deaths of Edwin, James Henry and Sarah Anne Saul.

I looked at the 1881 census and found James H Saul, aged 36 years, and his wife Sarah A at 104 Coburg Buildings, Westminster St Margaret. His occupation was given as a bath attendant and born in Islington. There were four children Ann R (9), Edwin P (8), George H (4) and Walter J (1). All the children were shown as born in Westminster except for the eldest Ann who was born in Lambeth.

I also found Edwin on the 1881 census at Upper Fore Street, Edmonton. He was a grocer, aged 33 years and born in Kentish Town, Middlesex. Also in the household was his wife Elizabeth A, born Rugby, Northants, a daughter Florence N (2) and a grocers assistant, Frederick Mitchell (21).

It seems clear from this that Edwin’s shop was at 98 Upper Fore Street, Edmonton and that the postcard of the Saul Bros shop in Woking had been sent to one of Edwin’s daughters. But who were the Saul brothers and what is there connection to Edwin? Are James Henry and Edwin brothers? James Henry was a bath attendant in 1881, not a shopkeeper, so does he have any connection to the Woking business?

If anyone has any more information I would be pleased to hear  

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