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J E Smith's Music Rooms

Wymington Road junction
Early hand coloured postcard of the junction with Wymington Road
shows the high causeway - it was not fenced until 1928
The school is behind the wooden fencing:

Left: the area where J E Smith opened his shop.

1880s advert
c1889
Joseph Enos Smith came to Rushden in 1875 as organist at St Mary's Church, a post he held until his death in 1930. He was born at Stanwick and passed St Mary's on his way to Souldrop where he was previously playing the organ.

At Rushden, alongside his duties at the church, he gave music lessons and first listed in 1890 Kelly's as a professor of music. He had opened a music shop in High Street about 1889 [see advert right].

In 1881 when the census was recorded, he is classed as a lodger, but is alone in a house in High Street.

He married Sarah (nee Morris) in 1887 and by 1891 they were living at 204 Wellingborough Road. Sarah ran a private school in Moor Road.

Rushden Argus, 7th May 1897, transcribed by Kay Collins

First-class Pianofortes and Music up-to-date may be obtained at J. E. Smith’s Music Room, High-street (opposite the National Schools), Rushden. [High Street South]


Rushden Argus 6th May 1898
1898
When he moved to 22 Church Street, in 1903, the tutoring and sales of music moved too.

He often wrote articles for the local newspapers, on history or local music concerts. He had extracted many details from the British Library. In his seventies he started to record details gleaned from his conversations with the older men in the town about various properties or events.

Many snippets have been added to our web pages throughout the website, thanks to extracts taken from J Enos Smith's copious notes. KC


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