James Monk: Cab Proprietor - Where was this photo taken?

This photo comes from the Lancashire Lantern Image Archive, which is where all images in the possession of Lancashire Record Office and the local libraries are uploaded for online viewing. It is quite clearly labelled as Adlington, and caught my interest as I couldn't quite put my finger on where it was located.

James Monk - Cab Proprietor: Where was this photo taken?

The photo shows what appears to be terraced houses in brick, which is looking a little bit worn. The windows are quite thin, and upstairs and downstairs windows are quite close together. The tops of the doors are rounded and have some detailing. There is a small step leading up to the front door. There is a decent sized pavement, so presumably it is on a main road. The road appears to be quite flat, not on a slope like Babylon Lane and Railway Road would be.

I searched trade directories and through all the censuses, looking at all the James Monks in Adlington, and found none doing any similar profession. Then I looked at all of the addresses where all of these James Monks lived in the hope that one of these houses would match up with the photo.

In the 1901 census, there is a James Monk, aged 25 living at 50 Bolton Road, Adlington (just before the boundary into Anderton), whose occupation is what appears to be a 'cloth batler'  (the second word is a little ambiguous, but it almost certainly has nothing to do with cab proprietors). His father, before his death, was a 'carter' and a 'funeral labourer', both of which would have taught a prospective cab proprietor useful skills.  Take a look at 50 Bolton Road below.

View Larger MapThese two houses look like a near perfect match for the ones in the old photo. Understandably the tatty exterior has been rendered, and during this, some of the lintels over the window have been rendered over. But the doors are exactly the same, as are the windows and the steps. Furthermore, next door to the right is the gateway which leads through the terrace, to outbuildings at the back of the property. The gateway and these outbuildings were both there there prior to 1900. I suspect this gateway might have been used to take the carriages and horses through to stables in these buildings at the back. By 1911, this James Monk was living in Chorley, and had been doing since 1906. He was working as a life insurance agent, a much more middle class occupation. My theory is that between 1901 and 1906, he ran the cab business, and this foray into middle class life allowed him to acquire a more steady job as a civil servant. James and his wife had sons in 1902 and 1904. I believe that if someone was to purchase these birth certificates, at least one would have the father's occupation listed as cab proprietor.I intend to keep my eyes open for any mention of James Monk in the future, that might further cement this theory. I do however, feel quite certain now that this is the correct James Monk and the correct address. Any comments are encouraged.