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Joseph (Lewis) Della Porta was from a family of shopkeepers, originally from Northern Italy. Joseph Della Porta Snr settled in Shrewsbury and in 1857 established a small shop on Princess Street. The shop initially sold hardware and then diversified into furniture, household goods and clothing. As the business became more successful it expanded into adjoining premises, including Lloyds Mansion on the corner of Princess Street and The Square. By 1904 it was an established and thriving department store and in 1982 the business was sold to House of Fraser.
Lloyd’s Mansion (as seen here) was built in 1570 by David Lloyd, a successful draper and local bailiff. It is considered to be the first house built in the Shrewsbury decorated timber frame style. It was demolished in the 1930s with the intention of being rebuilt near the castle but sadly, it never happened. A gable end of the mansion with its decorated carvings is on display in the Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery. Della Porta was a keen amateur photographer and in the late 1880s took extensive photographs of the local shop keepers, these are now preserved in the Shropshire Archives.
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