Readers may remember that in previous Nostalgia pages we have been studying the characters depicted in the painting by William Hannan of the High St, High Wycombe as it was in 1772, and the associated commentary.

We resume that study this week with the following part of the commentary: “Persons at the Maidenhead Inn, unknown. A carriage issuing from the Lane. A man unknown.

“Mr Joseph Steevens, one of the Society of Friends. Mr Clarke and Mr Flower walking in the Market House, both of the Bucks Militia. Joe Messer’s ginger bread stall. Mr Henry House, with his foot on a stone, talking to his uncle Alnutt in his shop.

“Captain Clarke and Mr Flower were in the Bucks Militia. Mr Henry House, a distiller in White Hart Street.”

The “carriage issuing from the Lane” is emerging from Crown Lane into the High St.

Mr Joseph Steevens [the man with a walking stick] was a member of the Steevens family who were prominent members of the Society of Friends, Quakers, in the town over several generations.

He was a mealman, that is a man who dealt in meal or flour. He married Mary Lane on September 12, 1727 at the Quaker Meeting House in Wycombe. 

The couple went on to have seven children, two sons Joseph and James, and five daughters. Joseph died in 1775. He had made his will made in 1767 some years before his death and from that it is clear that he owned much property. 

In High Wycombe this included his main residence and adjoining Malthouse in the High Street and two tenements in Crendon Lane, and five tenements in Loudwater.

From a codicil made to his will in 1770, he had by then also purchased premises at Knaves Beech in Loudwater. 

His wife was the main beneficiary in his will, but his sons and daughters were not forgotten, although they were to receive the bulk of their inheritance after the death of their mother.

She died on February 19, 1779, aged 77 and was buried five days later.

It has not been possible to positively identify Mr (later Captain) Clarke Mr Fowler, or Joe Messer, but all three surnames occur in the records of the town or adjacent parishes at that time.

“Mr Henry House, with his foot on a stone, a distiller in White Hart Street” [far right of image] was indeed a distiller and he like Joseph Steevens owned much property, which he left to his wife. 

After her death it was to be shared equally between his son Henry and daughter Mary. 

He also leased an estate in Princes Risborough. His will specified that his wife should ‘release’ a sum not exceeding £200 to either set up his children in business or to arrange their marriage.

Among the witnesses to the will was “Henry Allnutt, Attorney, Lt Marlow, Bucks”.

The uncle to whom Henry House was talking was Henry Allnutt [he cannot be seen]. He was a draper, was sworn a Burgess of the town in July 1764 and became a very wealthy man. 

In his will he listed among his estate property in High Wycombe, Monks Risborough, Hughenden, Wooburn and Lt Marlow.

The beneficiaries included his wife Ann, son Henry, his daughter Martha who was married to the Rev. John Winter, and grand-daughter Ann, the wife of John Rotten.

I am grateful to local history enthusiast Willie Reid for his assistance with this research work. Willie and I would be very pleased to hear from anybody who is descended from any of the people shown in the Hannan painting.

Please contact Mike Dewey by email deweymiked@aol.com or telephone 01494 755070.