Hansons Tea House - 2 Cathedral Close

Dating from 1530, this restaurant next to Mol's Coffee House, is part of one of the most attractive, and historic group of buildings in Exeter.

It was part of a complex built by the Cathedral Authorities to house 'Annuellars', or priests. Annuellars would attend the last wishes of benefactors to the Cathedral. They would perform duties requested by the deceased, visit and comfort relatives and keep a candle lit in remembrance. The Reformation saw these practices abandoned and the buildings housing the priests were taken over for other purposes.

John Trickey occupied the premises as a boot maker from about 1866 to the end of the century. Trickey was declared bankrupt in 1862, but somehow managed to recover from the setback and set up in business at 2 Cathedral Yard. Trickey was from a line of  Culmstock shoemakers. His father, James, appeared as a character in the R D Blackmore novel Christowel – the novel was set on Dartmoor and Blackmore was well known for basing his characters on real people – three of his sisters worked for the Blackmore family. There is a memorial to Blackmore in the Cathedral. In 1875, John Trickey took premises at 88 Queen Street for his retail trade, but continued to live at 2 The Close and use the premises for manufacturing shoes..

Some occupiers of No 2 the Close:

1846 - Mr Gove - dentist
1850 - Public Library
1862 to 1863 - Tucker's Old Curiosity Shop
   Exeter and Exmouth Railway - company office
1864 to 1866 - John Clench, stock and share broker
1866 to 1898 - John Trickey, bootmaker
1902 to 1923 - Ashman's Servants Registry Office
1935 to 1955 - Irene the Costumiers
1959 to 1967 - Duffill's Restaurant
1972 - Nicholson's Restaurant
1982 - Hanson's Tea House

The photo shows 2 Cathedral Close around about 1900 when it was Ashmans Servants Registry Office – the name board for John Trickey, bootmaker is still in place – Trickey died in February 1898.

Source: Various trade directories including Kelly's and Whites. Photo and information on John Trickey courtesy of Paul Graham.