Butchers Store High Street 1914                                                  Butchers Store High Street  c.1915/16

Butchers store was established in 1818 in premises in Churchgate Street, by Mr Butcher, it was later taken over by his Cousin Mr Francis Butcher and his Wife Maria nee Andrews, the Family appear to have come to Soham from South Elmham in Suffolk where their Son James was born on 11th November 1796, who took over the business from his Father. The Butchers were master Taylors and Drapers and Milliners and were a long established Shop here still being advertised in the 1940's. although the premises were now in The High Street,  where they  had two Shops.
The Shop depicted on the Left , shows Butchers store in the High Street in about 1914 which is now Blockbusters Video Store and also at the same time the picture on the right shows their store on the opposite side of the road, which is now a Fish and Chip Shop both shops still retain their original frontage.

Advert dated 1914.

The Directory listings for Butchers of Soham are as follows:

1830.....James Butcher, Taylor & Draper, Churchgate St.
1839.....James Butcher, Taylor & Draper, also Grocer & Tea Dealer, Churchgate St.
1847.....James Butcher, Taylor & Draper, & Agent for Crown Life Ass Co., High St.
1850.....James Butcher, Taylor & Draper, High St.
1864.....James Butcher & Co., Taylor & Draper, Agent for Crown Life Ass Co., High St.
1875.....James Butcher & Co., Taylor & Draper, Agent for Crown Life Ass Co., High St.
1883.....Francis Butcher, Taylor & Draper, High St.
1896.....Francis Butcher, Taylor & Draper, High St.
1900.....Francis Butcher, Taylor & Draper, High St.

It appears that Jame's Son Francis took over the business in c. 1883 although he probably joined his Father in 1864 when the Company is shown as  James Butcher & Co.
Advert dated 1935.

Census Listings for 1841 1851 & 1881.
1841
Churchgate Street Soham.
James Butcher, aged 40, Draper, Born Suffolk
Adelaide Butcher, aged 32, Born Middlesex.
Francis Butcher, aged 2, Born Soham.
Adelaide Butcher, aged 6mths, Born Soham.
Hannah Warren, aged 28, Shopwoman.
Thomas Spalding, aged 24, Shopman.
George Cricket, aged 23, Shopman.
Henry Martin, aged 17, Drapers Apprentice.
William Household, aged 15, Drapers Apprentice.
George Westgate, aged 20, Male Servant.
Susan Clark, aged 20, Servant.
Mary Petley, aged 24, Servant.

1851.
Churchgate St, ( next to White Hart Hotel )
James Butcher, Head, aged 54, Draper & Master Taylor, Employing 16, Born St James Suffolk.
Adelaide Butcher, Wife, aged 43, Born Kensington Middlesex.
Francis Butcher, Son, aged 11, Scholar, Born Soham.
Henry Butcher, Son, aged 7, Scholar, Born Soham.
Rose Butcher, Daughter, aged 4, Scholar, Born Soham.
Jane Magule, Servant, aged 20, Drapers Ass, Born Southwold Suffolk.
William Rickard, Servant, aged 30, Drapers Ass, Born Fowlemere, Cambs.
Joseph Bentley, Servant, aged 17, Drapers Ass, Born Norwich.
Sophia Tabner, Servant, aged 26, House Servant, Born Worlington Suffolk.
James also had another Daughter Adelaide who was born in 1840 in Soham. Adelaide was the 2nd Wife of Alfred Clark one of the founders of Clark and Butchers Mill, the other founder being her Brother Henry.

1881
High St Soham
Francis Butcher, Head, aged 41, Draper, Born Soham.
Harriet Butcher, Wife,aged 37, Born Soham.
Francis Butcher, Son, aged 3, Born Soham.
James H Butcher, Son, aged 2, Born Soham.
Arthur M Butcher, Son, aged 11mths, Born Soham.
Charles John Sudbury, Assistant, aged 24, Shopman Draper, Born Halstead Essex.
Harriet Adcock, Assistant, aged 20, Drapers Assistant, Born, Watton Norfolk.
Mary Ann Speller, Assistant, aged 18, Milliners Assistant, Born St Ives Huntingdonshire.
Eliza Houghton, aged 19, General Servant Domestic, Born Soham.
Elizabeth Palmer, aged 19, Nursery Maid, Born Soham.

Advert dated 1958.

It seems that after the first Mr Butcher was taken over by his Cousin Francis, ( whether this was due to his death we do not know ), the business seems to have passed from Father to Son. We do not know when the first Francis Butcher died but it appears that by 1830 the business was being run by his Son James Butcher. James continued to run the Business and in c.1864 it became known as Butcher & Co and this is when we can probably assume that his Son and Heir Frances Butcher came into the Business. James died in 1876 at the age of 79 years and is buried in Fordham Road Cemetery in Soham with his Wife Adelaide who had predeceased him by 8 years. After his Fathers death Francis Butcher carried on in Business. Francis died in 1924 aged 85 years and is also buried in Soham Cemetery with his Wife Harriet who died in 1881 aged 38 years. It seems likely that the Business remained in the Family until at sometime before 1945 it passed on to a Mr C. Court, and then in 1945 to Walter & Penistons Ltd. and in 1952 to the United Drapery Stores and then in 1954 to Mr Robinson, who still traded under the Butcher name.