5/3-7 Coney Street
From the An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in City of York, Volume5, Central
137) Houses, Nos. 3, 5, 7, (modern numbers) formerly four dwellings with No. 5 forming a pair, stand on the site of a 16th-century house belonging to the Darleys of Aldby and Buttercrambe. The present houses are mainly of the first half of the 18th century but incorporate parts of an earlier house, of which three decorated plaster ceilings survived into the 19th century.
The early 18th-century rebuilding may have been carried out by Francis Taylor, who acquired the property from the Thompson family, goldsmiths, in 1722. Taylor left the property to his nephew Francis Meek, who added a range at the back of No. 3, but No. 7 is said to have been refronted in 1758 and to have carried a rainwater head bearing a badge of the Brooke family.
Later alterations and additions may have been carried out by by Robert Sinclair who acquired the property at the end of the 18th century
Drastic alterations have been made in modern times to convert the houses to commercial use, including insertion of shop windows on the ground floor and removal of the fourth storey of No. 3 and the pitched roofs of Nos. 5 and 7. Only a part of one decorated ceiling is now visible. The heraldry relating to the Darleys described by Davies has been destroyed or concealed. (Davies, 57–63; YCA, Acc. 21, Deeds; G. Benson, Pamphlet on Bishophill).
The front elevations, of brick, have been much altered. No. 3 originally comprised five bays, No. 5 six, and No. 7 six; No. 7 has stone quoins. All are now of three storeys, with modern parapets. Inside, an elaborate plaster ceiling of c. 1600 remains at the rear of the first floor of No. 7 (Plate 165). This is by no means complete, and could possibly have formed a part of the heraldic ceiling described by Davies; it has a heavily moulded cornice, which breaks forward at intervals, and a background of scrolled foliage with vine, acorns, roses and birds. At intervals strapwork encloses male and female heads. The frieze has a similar background, with heads, a shield, a heart and a double-headed eagle. The fine early 17th-century ceiling on the ground floor of No. 5 (Plate 164), with a geometrical division formed with moulded ribs and decorative motifs, and the moulded cornice continued along the dividing beam with vine enrichment to the soffit, is covered by a modern underdrawn ceiling. The only other fittings of note to survive are the staircases of the second quarter of the 18th century in No. 3 and in the S.E. part of No. 5.
Images of the ceiling in number 7 are here
1570 ? john Darley
1617 Barnard Ellis Esq Son in law of john Darley
1628-29 Frances Mathew,
1629 James Brooke, Merchant/Grocer.
1675 Sir John Brooke
1691 Sir James Brooke
1735-1761 Montague Brooke,
Robert Sinclair is mentioned in the 1795 and 1825 deeds of number 6 as a neighbour
Davies mentions a Joseph Munby Esq in his book but no dates, and the deeds register has him elsewhere in the city
1840 Hatters, Barclay Wm,
1851 Hatters, Barclay Wm,
1850 *1851 census note may not practice here just live
John Farquarson dep lt Justice of the Peace
1861 Aitken Miss Mary Ann, milliner
5 1/2 Atkinson Albany, tailor
1872 Chambers Thomns, milliner and dress maker
5 1/2 Cooke Thomas and Sons, opticians
1876 Chambers Thomas, milliner and dressmaker
5 1/2 Cooke Thomas and Sons, opticians
1870 Chambers Thomas, milliner and dressmaker
5.5 Cooke Thomans and Sons Opticians
1885 Chambers Thos. milliner and dressmaker
5 1/2 Holmes G. H. optician
1886 Chambers Thos, milliner and dressmaker
5 1/2 Holmes G. H. opticion
1889 Chambers, Thomas, milliner, etc,
1893 Chambers Thos, millnr.&c
Irvine W. & Son, tailors
1895 Chambers Thomas, milliner
Irvine W. & Son, regimental tailors & outfitters
1898 Chambers, Thomas, milliner and dressmaker
5 1/2 Irvine, William (I. & Sons)
1900 Chambers, Thos., milliner and dressmaker
5 1/2 Irvine, William (I. & Sons)
1902 Bilsbrough, Wm. P., fruiterer and florist
5 1/2 lrvine William (L & Sons)
1905 5 Wilson Thomas, stationer
Irvine W. & Son, tailors
1913 Wilson Thomas, stationer
Wheldon Martin L.land agt
Unionist Associations of Ireland (Major E. Tombe, agent)
Smith Miss Hannah, servants’ registry office
Brown William Harvey, consulting constructional engineer
5A, Inglis J. B. & Son, opticians
1920 Webb, Walter Hamilton
Wilson, Annie
Wheldon, Martin Lowish
5 1/2 Inglis, Alexander McNaught
1921 Wilson Thomas, stationer Wheldon Martin L.land agt Rymer Miss Florence, costumier Anfield Miss Hylda, millnr
Webb Walter Hamilton, assistant sec. to York Golf Club
Hill & Douglas, solicitors
Mossops Limited, haulage contractors
5A, Inglis J. B. & Son, opticians
1929 Wilson Thos.& Sons,statnrs
Wheldon Martin L. land agt Rymer Miss Florence, costumier Barnett Chas. typewriting office Hill & Douglass, solicitors Mossops Ltd. haulage contrctrs. (regd. office)
5a, Inglis J. B. & Sons opticians
John Darley Esq, married Alice Mountfort, in 1570 daughter of Christopher Mountfort Esq of Kilnhurst.
Barnard Ellis Esq Son in law of john Darley 1617
Frances Mathew, wife of Archbishop Toby Mathew 1628-29 (unknown connection to the Darleys)
1629 James Brooke, Merchant/Grocer. His wife Priscilla was sister in law of John Darley’s daughter Frances Jackson. **The badge of the Brooke family is a Brock (badger) Freed 1614. Sheriff 1631, 1643-4 Alderman, re-elected 1649
Mayor 1651 & 1661. He died in 1675
His son John Brooke was made a Baronet in 1676 for the family’s loyalty to Charles 1.
1691 Sir James Brooke
1735 Montague Brooke, last member of the family to live here died 1761. His brother Job died 1770 as a lunatic. he was the last Baronet. His estate is left to his niece Honor, wife of John jenkins jnr Custom House Officer in Sussex. Unsure if or who then owned the house, or tenanted it. Nothing is showing in the deeds register
Full family information is in Robert Davies Walks Through The City Of York written in 1880
