Ancestors and Descendants of Adams and Mann and Others

  Life on Ber Street in the 1850’s. Ber Street, an ancient Roman Road, has been a major route out of the city since the 12th century, but by 1696, development in the area was limited to the street itself.   Ber Street’s function as a cattle drove is reflected in its width, a key feature of the street. It was the location of many butchers and slaughterhouses;   it was known locally as ‘Blood and Guts Street’. The area between Ber Street and King Street was densely built up by the 1840’s with many yards and courts leading off the street.   It also became home to the Italian community, with ice cream parlours and pubs.   However, slum clearances between the 1930’s and 1960’s, together with Second World War bomb damage means that few houses from before the war remain.   During the 1930s more than 35 yards with almost 300 homes were flattened. The area was bombed in the Second World War and then in the late 1950s/60s much of the rest of the area was pulled dow...