Ship chandlers

Being trading ports, the Hartlepools were well supplied with ship chandlers, the 1880 Trade Directory listing seven for West Hartlepool and five for Hartlepool.

Among those in West Hartlepool in 1880 was Hans B. Olsen, listed as chandler and provision merchant of 70 Church Street.  This business, with the addition of '& Sons',  continued to at least 1924/5.  However, he was not involved in the pictured Olsen & Reay, as this was a W.B. Olsen.  This shop on the corner of Church Street and George Street upset the street numbering as it had the address 1D Church Street.  There were other premises at 2 Church Street which dealt in engineers' accessories.  The business was in the 1921/22 Trade Directory, but did not appear in 1924/25.

W. Handley was a smaller establishment, modestly described as a shipping grocer, but taking advantage of the Scandinavian trade.

Rasmus Agerup Gjertsen's business started in 12 & 13 Musgrave Terrace and was first listed in Ward's Directory in 1910.  In 1924/25, as R.A & T.A Gjertsen, it was in 74 Church Street and this shop can be seen in the 'Church Street'  photographs.  Judging by the Minis parked outside, this photograph must date from the 1960s.  Gjertsen's most distinctive shop was on the opposite side of Church Street in premises that were listed in the 1935/6 Ward's Directory as The West Hartlepool Nautical Academy. The building featured a relief of a ship's bow as part of the facade.  This was retained when the shop was taken over by Atkinson's the printers and when the frontages were subsequently renovated.

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