We know of three establishments known as The Letters, the most likely of which was mentioned as being somewhere in the Market Place/Gilesgate area in 1827 – sadly, the only mention we have of it. A Hannah Hedley was running a butcher’s shop at 21 Market Place in 1873 so the original Mr Hedley was presumably her forerunner. I’m afraid we have no relevant photos in our archive. Although 15 Fore St still exists as a shop (now Sea Salt), the rear of the shop was long ago replaced by a blank wall.
We’d be very interested in seeing the section of your PhD relating to Hexham once completed. Somewhat embarrassingly, Hexham’s soup kitchen has, to date, escaped our notice! Are you able to be any more precise as to when it was established? We have added Mr Pruddah’s pharmacy to our Shops Index as we were unaware of him; do you have any other details of his occupancy?