All had been going fine with Bedford Street until it split into North and South, subdivided by the Square. Working backwards from later directories (which actually give intersecting street names) and identifying anomalies I was certain I had it right, that both now worked outwards from the square in some years, with number 1 the house I needed each side. Reached the 1880s and a house I knew with 100% certainty had changed its address (from the side road to the square by moving the entrance) suddenly appeared with 2 addresses. Anomaly I thinks. After ten years of the anomaly listed I have to admit the error is probably mine. The next part is kind of fun, except for a sinking feeling a great deal of work needs to be re-done.
Going back to street maps of 1850 and 1890 to count the actual number of houses on each street to cross reference with listings I examine closely and, good news, find a physical entrance change I didn’t know about (new doorway, now gone), with a new set of steps (also long since gone) to accompany the address change. Bad news, counting houses, cross referencing Gore’s listings in five years from 1850 to 1890 as a sample, I discover the answer. To frustrate me from history, for no identifiable reason, when the Square officially split the road, Bedford Street South had its odd numbered houses on the opposite side of the street to Bedford Street North! Checking the adjacent years confirms it, as does the counting of residences listed. Bugger.
Good news, a whole new raft of names to research with possible interest, bad news, forty odd Trade directories and six censuses to re-research. Bugger bugger bugger. And you think this post is hard to follow, imagine what it was like doing the research!