16 Highgate

Between Fleece Inn Yard 16 Highgate and 22 Highgate (previously Mountain Warehouse) on the west side of Highgate.

Curwen

Mentioned in "Kirkbie-Kendal, Fragments collected relating to it's ancient Streets and Yards; Church and Castle; Houses and Inns", John F Curwen, 1901 in relation to the Commercial Hotel (later Kendal Hotel) on Hightgate

Alderman William Cock, mercer, when mayor in 1692, lived on the southern side of the entry, where a seedsman’s shop now is.

And here too, Christopher Woodburn also lived in 1723.

Subsequently this quaint old shop temporarily formed part of the “Golden Fleece” and was used for accommodating the humbler guests that arrived by coach, whilst your honour” went to the higher-board in the inn itself.

Then followed the Rigg family, who were established here from 1779 to nearly 1870, as hatters and hosiers. The best of everything was sold over their counter, and moreover handed, it is said, with that old world courtesy which, costing so little, is yet so pleasant to receive. Old Robert Rigg was justly proud, and we are told how he used to perambulate up and down in front of the shop and draw the attention of passers-by with the exclamation “ Here’s a property, what a fine property!” alluding probably as much to the zinc and gold- edged cocked hat which did duty as his sign, as to the building itself. And this is the legend of the sign. Being anxious to have a most comely and suitable inscription, the following was, after anxious thought, finally decided upon : “ Rigg, hatter, makes and sells hats for ready money.” Yet, still being anxious, the good man decided to seek the advice of his friends, and the first to whom he showed it thought the word hatter superfluous, because followed by the words “makes hats,” which shewed that he was a hatter. It was struck out. The next observed that the word makes might as well be omitted, because his customers would not care who made the hats if good and fitted well they would buy them by whomsoever made it was struck out also. A third friend to whom the inscription was shewn said that he thought the words for ready money were useless, as it was not the custom of the place to sell on credit. These too were parted with, and the original fine inscription then stood, “ Rigg sells hats.” “ Sells hats.” said the next friend, “why who expects you to give them away?”, so sells was struck out and “hats ” was all that remained attached to the name. And, brief as the inscription thus was, it was finally reduced by his most trusted friend to that all important name of RIGG, with the addition of that odd looking zinc erection with its gold edged rim. In later years I fear that another friend thought fit to interfere and make a further reduction, for upon one fine autumnal morning this poor hat was found floating away down the river and was only rescued by chance when passing down beyond the Watch Field.

On the property being sold this quaint old corner underwent the usual modernizing revolution, the pent roof resting on its wooden pillars was taken away, the shop front extended forward and the last of an old landmark was erased. John F Curwen, Kirkbie Kendal (1900) p73