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Brentford High Street Project Home Page

Purpose of this site

Sources of information

People with High Street ancestry have also contributed some wonderful stories about their ancestors; other people have included their memories of the High Street from the 1930s onwards.

Accessing information

If you are interested in a particular numbered property on the High Street and want to find out more about the area, the properties introduction is a good starting point.

If you don't know exactly where your ancestors lived then the surnames index to the 1841 census or a 1928 trade directory will be your best place to begin. The 1851 - 1881 indexes are being worked on: the pre 1881 entries in particular are proving tricky to pin down to specific houses, but please email me if you have any look-ups.

Origins of the High Street

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Recent Additions

• When George SANDERS died in 1851 he left a splendid will in which he bequeathed over 60 local properties to his children, also noting debts owed by local people; crucially the will proves that Fiona Sheehan and Vicki Powys are related, being descendants of George by his first and second wives respectively; the will was proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (possibly due to George owning properties in Northolt, Ealing & Uxbridge) and was indexed as 'Will of George Sanders, Cordwainer of Ealing' on DocumentsOnline: Old Brentford was in the parish of Ealing and often a birthplace of Ealing is recorded in censuses for people who were born in OB and baptised at St Mary, the parish church of Ealing; Sanders family page also updated (10 May 2008)
• Three generations of the Norbury family ran a printing and book selling business in New Brentford until the retirement of William Philip Norbury in the late 1800s; using PCC Wills (left by three Norburys) and census entries a speculative family tree has been prepared (18 Apr 2008)
• A 1945/6 photo by Herbert Felton of no. 329 is available. This property was used by Frederick Nash, rag merchant, for over 50 years and Frederick Nash owned number 330 - 334 at the time of the 1909/10 Valuation (16 Apr 2008)
• The Dear family were punnet makers and later in the C19 cycle dealers/manufacturers; read Alan Dear's vivid account of his Dear family (23 March 2008)
• When Charter Mayor James Clements died in 1934 his funeral was well attended; 'The Middlesex Independent' listed chief mourners, those who attended at the church and at the graveside and names from floral tributes (there were about 180 of these alone); I have compiled an index of the names (22 March 2008)
• Liz Smart & Alan Dear have recently been in touch about occupants of numbers 353 - 355 so it is a good time to add some notes about these properties (16 March 2008)
• Maggie Luscombe, Joanne Tansley and Trevor Mitchell all have Snelling ancestors; a second Snelling page is available showing Joanne & Trevor's Snelling family back to Robert Snelling born ca 1783: so far this line does not appear to be related t0 Maggie's (16 March 2008)
• Local historian, Eddie Menday of Feltham, has written about his memories of war time Brentford; he mentions Italian prisoners of war and Woods Pie and Eel shop (26 Feb 2008)
• Joanne Tansley & Trevor Mitchell are descendants of the Pearce family, who ran the Royal Tar at no. 3 and who were also watermen; other Pearces lived in Brentford and a Pearce page has been prepared which looks at the different branches (11 Feb 2008)
• Dee Tickner has sent a charming postcard showing the Dock Road & St Paul's Road area around 1913, a view which has not appeared in any of the local history books as far as I know (6 Feb 2008)
• Roy England has sent a photo of the Magpie & Crown at no. 128 in the 1920s / early 1930s, a rare early sighting of this pub; it may show his great grandfather, Richard Henry Holt; see Gillian Clegg's 'Brentford & Chiswick Pubs'for a 1969 photo; the Magpie & Crown is still standing, pub web sites show how it looks today (23 Jan 2008)
• The King family were auctioneers who lived at no. 240 for over 70 years, three generations lived / worked at this address; John King left a PCC will in 1847 which includes references to his family and properties (19 Jan 2008)
• Anne Wallace, descendant of the Henrey family, has written about the Rev Thomas Selby Henrey, who was the vicar of St George's, Old Brentford for around 30 years until the late 1920s; she can add some background to the Henrey family, who must have been very well known to our Brentford ancestors (14 Jan 2008)

I hope you find something of interest and if you have any memories or stories about Brentford High Street please get in touch, I’d be delighted to include them.

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