Number 60 Holland Street 1881 – David Gracie, Coffee House

Please note Caldwell Street was called Holland Street in 1881 – see here.

Kelly’s Directory 1881 tells us that at 60 Holland street lived Mr David Gracie, Coffee House Proprietor.

Click here to see where this property would have stood on a modern day map.

Expanding on the info taken from Kelly’s Directory and looking at the Census we find out a little more…

Mr Gracie, a Scot can be seen living at this property along with his family on the Census of 1881, the same year that the Kelly’s Directory I took my original information from was published. Mr Gracie and his coffee house are not listed on the census of 1871.  The property is no longer standing.

1881

NameRelation to head of householdAgeYear bornTown of birthCity of birthCountry of birthProfession
David GracieHead54abt 1827/MidlothianScotlandCoffee House Keeper
Ann GracieWife54abt 1827/MidlothianScotland/
George GracieSon31abt 1850/MidlothianScotlandMackintosh Maker
Henry GracieSon22abt 1859ShoreditchLondon/Labourer
Elizabeth GracieDaughter17abt 1864ShoreditchLondon//
William DayGrandson6abt 1875ShoreditchLondon//
Charles BestLodger37abt 1844//BarbadosWarehouseman

Looking at the 1881 Census the Gracie family appears to contain a William Day, listed as Grandson. He is the son of Elizabeth’s older sister, Helen and her husband William Day who live nearby.

Looking forward in time to 1891 Mr Gracie is still running the coffee house. We can see that all of his children except him grandson William have left. His lodger, Charles Best from Barbados have left too.

1891

NameRelation to head of householdAgeYear bornTown of birthCity of birthCountry of birthProfession
David GracieHead54abt 1827/MidlothianScotlandCoffee House Keeper
Ann GracieWife54abt 1827/MidlothianScotland/
George GracieSon31abt 1850/MidlothianScotlandMackintosh Maker
Henry GracieSon22abt 1859ShoreditchLondon/Labourer
Elizabeth GracieDaughter17abt 1864ShoreditchLondon//
William DayGrandson6abt 1875ShoreditchLondon//
Charles BestLodger37abt 1844//BarbadosWarehouseman

Looking closer at the census of 1891 the property next door, number 62 has Charles Best listed as living there. The same Mr Best that lived with the Gracie’s ten years earlier. Looking even closer it appears that he has married young Elizabeth Gracie.

Number 62

NameRelation to head of householdAgeYear bornTown of birthCity of birthCountry of birthProfession
Charles G BestHead47abt 1844British Colony/BarbadosTramway Inspector
Elizabeth A BestWife27abt 1864ShoreditchLondonEngland/
Charles H C BestSon2abt 1889BrixtonLondonEngland/

0 Responses to Number 60 Holland Street 1881 – David Gracie, Coffee House

  1. Susan Coombes says:

    Hi, I was facinated to find your site with so much very useful information!

    Just thought I’d drop you a line to let you know that Elizabeth Gracie and Charles Best were my great grandparents. They did indeed marry and live next door to Elizabeth’s parents. However, William Day was the daughter of Elizabeth’s older sister Helen and her husband William Day who were living near by. So she didn’t have a baby at age 11!
    Best wishes
    Susan

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