Postmasters and Post Offices

Postmasters and Post Offices

Coddington is lucky to retain a village shop and Post Office, however its position within the village has changed since it was first established in the 1860s. There have been at least four locations of the Post Office in Coddington:

John Ellis's cobblers shop (1860s - 1895ish now demolished)
location unknown - Mrs Ellen Farmer (1897- early 1900s)
21 Main St (Post Office Row) - William, Helen and Molly Sharp (circa 1912 ? 1975)
Orchards, Main St - Mary and Bernard Mastin (1975 - 1989 now a private house)
Newark Rd, the present site from 1989

(insert map(s) showing Post Office locations)

See more information about Coddington shoemakers. (insert link)

See more information about the Sharps and Post Office Row. (insert link)

Village sub-Postmasters from Trade Directories

	The Ellis Family (Shoe and Boot Makers)	Post Office
1814	1814 John Ellis shoemaker and Ann his wife baptise son William, 1816 son James and 1818 another child.
1827	John Ellis married Mary Keetley at Coddington 27.2.1827
1832	1832 TD Shoe and Boot Makers: John Atter, John Ellis
1841 Census	1841 Census: Cordwainers John Ellis 50 Cordwainer; Mary Ellis 50;William Ellis Cordwainer 25; Harriet Ellis 20
1844	1844 Whites: Shoe and Boot Makers John Ellis; William Ellis Christopher Else, John Whitaker
1848	1848 Lascelles: Shoe and Boot Makers John Ellis; William Ellis William Langton; Samuel Lawson
1853	1853 Whites: Shoe and Boot Makers John Ellis; William Ellis William Langton; William Laughton
1861 Census	1861 Census: Shoemakers 2 doors from Red Lion:John Ellis 70; Mary Ellis 70 4 doors from Plough: William Ellis 45; Harriet Ellis 46; Ann Ellis dau 19, William 18 joiner and builder, Elizabeth 14 dressmaker. William Goodman brother in law shoemaker.
1864	1864 Whites Shoemakers John Ellis; William Ellis, William Laughton
1869	1869 Morris: William Ellis shoemaker + sub-postmaster William Langton	1869 Morris: William Ellis sub-postmaster
1871 Census	1871 Census: Main St near Church Lane John Ellis 80 shoemaker, lodger with Marshalls. William Ellis 55 shoemaker + sub- postmaster; wife Harriet Ellis 56, daughter Ann 29 dressmaker.	1871 Census: Main St near Church Lane William Ellis 55 shoemaker + sub- postmaster; Harriet Ellis 56
1872	1872 Whites: William Ellis shoemaker + sub-postmaster William Langton	1872 Whites: Post Office at William Ellis?s
1879	1879 Wrights: William Ellis bootmaker + Post Office	1879 Whites Post Office at William Ellis's
1881 Census	1881 Census: William Ellis 65 shoemaker; Harriet Ellis 66; Ann Ellis dau 39 dressmaker	1881 Census: William Ellis 65 shoemaker; Harriet Ellis 66; Ann Ellis dau 39 dressmaker
1881	1881 Kelly's William Ellis shoemaker + Post Office	1881 Kelly's Sub Post Office: William Ellis receiver
1885	1885 Whites: William Ellis bootmaker + Post Office	1885 Whites: Post Office at William Ellis's
1892	1892 Cooks: William Ellis shoemaker + Post Office	1892 Cooks: William Ellis shoemaker + Post Office
1894	1894 Whites: William Ellis bootmaker + sub-postmaster	1894 Whites: Post Office at William Ellis's
		Mr William died Jan 1896 aged 80. Mrs Harriet Ellis died 3.1.1898 aged 83, wife to Mr William.

1897	1897-8 No Ellis listed	1897-8 Mrs E Farmer - sub-postmistress (post & telegraph)
1900		1900 Mrs E Farmer - sub-postmistress Mrs Ellen Farmer, wife and mother; died 1.1.1904 - b 25.5.1862
1912		1912 Kelly's: William Sharp - Post & telegraph Office
1916		1916 Kelly's: William Sharp ? sub-postmaster
1918		1918 Sale Catalogue: Cottages Lot 35 - Post Office Row, No 21 is Post Office, William Sharp tenant / sub-postmaster
1923		1923 Kelly-s: William Sharp - sub-postmaster:
1928		1928 Kelly's: Not identified
1932		1932 Kelly's: Not identified
1936		1936 Kelly?s: Not identified
		William Sharp died 27.7.1937 aged 76. Mrs Helen, wife to William, died 3.3.1946 aged 80.
1938		1938, 1942, Mrs Helen Sharp shopkeeper and post office.
1941		1941 Kelly-s: Not identified
		Mrs Sharp then daughter Molly ran PO in 1940 - c1960 1950 Miss F A Sharp shopkeeper and post office. 1957 Francis A Sharp.
		1961 Francis A Sharp - Post office. Bernard Mastin, The Orchards Main St. John Mastin 70 Main St, John R Mastin 65 Main St.
1975		1975 Mary and Bernard Mastin's home, The Orchards opposite the Inn on Green, becomes the village Post Office. Mary was the Postmistress.
1987-89		1987 Post Office at The Orchards. Mary and Bernard Mastin ran this until 1989, when Mary became too ill. There was an armed robbery on the post office, but Bernard's actions ensured the man was caught.
1989 onwards		1989 Post Office moved to near Lodge on Newark Rd.