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If you are a new user take a look at the site guide.

New material is added regularly, also see Coming Soon: recently received contributions; perhaps you can help someone with a Brentford enquiry - it could be about a person, place or business, see Can You Help.

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

Brentford Local History Day - 21 July 2012

Brentford Bantams in the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant

E. C. Jones & Son (Brentford) Ltd built nearly 90 Bantam Boats at Brentside Wharf from the late 1940s. Two Bantams are sailing in the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on Sunday 3rd June: Bantam 64 Wheldale, restored by the Waterways Museum in Goole and used in the docks and Bantam 16 MSC Bantam1: privately owned and recently restored. Around 1000 vessels are taking part, one of the largest flotillas ever assembled on the river. Pam Vernon-Roberts has provided company history details and a super photo from 1950 showing a Bantam in trials at Brentford Dock. Read about what makes Bantams unique tugs!

Sandycombe Lodge, designed and lived in by Turner, open days

Unaware of the artist's connections with Brentford? Read Janet McNamara's article.

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Can You Help?

• Torron-Lee writes 'My great grandma used to work at the old Smith Kline Beechams on the Golden Mile (art deco building) in the 70's, maybe someone has pictures of the building back then and also Mercedes depot in Brentford'; also ' does anyone happen to have any pictures of Albany Parade in 1992 - 1997, I remember as a little boy there being a double "Happy Shopper" store' (March 2012)
  Peter Langley: building you refer to was used by B O A C air before Kline Beecham through 40s to very early 50s
  Sandra Graves: Before BOAC it was Simmons Aviations, they built parts for the aircraft in the war. Outside the building [ I think some might remain ] is some metal fencing and each piece has SA on it . Which stood for Simmons Aviations. Each worker had to pay a Penny a week to pay for this. My mum Lou Payne maiden name Grant worked there during the war.

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Recent Additions

• If your male family member was born around 1908/10 they may appear in one of two photos taken at the Rothschild School, dating from 1918-1923, thanks to Tony Healey for scans showing a classroom interior and group of boys with violins; a Healey family history page includes a photo of 38 High Street, the Healey wireless accessories shop, around 1924 (18 May 2012)
• Kay Day has sent in a poem written in the late 1950s by Kitty White describing her feelings at the time when Brentford was being re-developed; this will be filed in Memories (17 May 2012)
• Anne Thompson, descendant of the Wardens, butchers of 277 & 280 High Street, has provided two family letters dated 1874 which name a number of their Brentford neighbours, surnames include Fisher, Foord, Fricker and many more; a unique insight (17 May 2012)
• Bill Brown has written about his great great grandfather Richard Brown, a greengrocer who lived at High Street addresses in the mid 1800s (16 May 2012)
• Howard Webb has provided an interesting postcard image of the new Brentford Market (built 1893), taken around 1910 - 1920, includes enlargements to show the people (15 May 2012)
• Details of 157 High Street from Fay Twydell: numbers 157 and 158 were 'Grade II listed buildings that were owned at one time by the Duke of Northumberland'; (this explains why I could not find them in the 1909/10 Valuation, aka Lloyd George Survey) (10 May 2012)
• Notes for numbers 374 and 375 prepared, this area of the High Street was bought up by Brentford Gas Co. in the 1880s ready for expansion (9 May 2012)
• Pam Butler and I have both researched aspects of the life of Joseph Thomas Taylor, my gt gt uncle and a councillor from the early 1890s; he was a market gardener and devoted his energies to Brentford local government for around 15 years (8 May 2012)
• If your research has hit a brickwall take a few minutes out with some non-Brentford items (7 May 2012)
• If you have a football playing family member born around 1900 - 1905 they may be captured in Simon Holloway's photo of St George's football team in 1921 (5 May 2012)
• Did your family live in Brentford in 1866? If so you may be interested in a description of Brentford from a trade directory; names list to follow (4 May 2012)
• Newspaper account of the funeral of William George Chovil, who died in 1905, added; thanks to Janet McNamara for providing a scan of the cutting; includes many names (2 May 2012)
• Janet McNamara provided newscuttings about the death of Edward Gaydon and an account of his funeral (1913), also an advert for Gaydon's from the same year; Gaydon family page updated (2 May 2012)
• A snippet about the Brentford and District Tramways Bill from the British Newspaper Archive, May 1885, it was opened in 1901 (1 May 2012)
• Sandra Graves reminded me I have some Strand on the Green postcard images: one from the early 1900s, the other 1950s (30 Apr 2012)
• Brenda Bostock wrote about Brentford's local author, Glady Mitchell, who 'retired from Brentford Secondary the year before I started'; this sparked a bit of research... (29 April 2012)
• Lynn H has provided a plan showing the layout of South Ealing Cemetery (no names but if you have a grave reference this may help) (26 April 2012)
• Janet McNamara has suggested another possible burial place for your Brentford ancestor to the burial help page: Isleworth Cemetery; links to London Borough of Hounslow and LB of Ealing websites also added (24 April 2012)
• Simon Holloway's photo taken in 1932 outside Clements Knowling, Ferry Lane showing a group of eleven men with a float loaded with two boats (for Empire Day?); also a Union meeting in a pub, 1950 (possibly Barnes/Putney, maybe Brentford?) and a coach holiday photo at Gretna Green, around 1960 (23 April 2012)
• A photo taken at a meeting of Buffalo Lodge 53, at the Bull, in 1951, thanks to Simon Holloway (21 April 2012)
• Charlie writes about her Chandler and Sedgwick ancestors, a charming tale of two young people from poor families who eloped...; occupations include basket making and a family laundry business (21 April 2012)
• Howard Webb provided an advertising postcard for the Beehive at 227 High Street: probably prepared not long after its rebuild in 1907; it includes an interior view: the Dining Room (17 April 2012)
• Gillian has provided details of Henry Kennerson, gardener, born in Brentford in 1849 (16 April 2012)
• Cyril Smith has sent a class photo from Brentford Secondary Modern Boys School around 1948 and memories of childhood in Boars Head Yard (16 April 2012)
• George Pearce was reported as 'one of the famous eight Pearce brothers, whose rowing feats on the River Thames made local history' when he died; he was elected a councillor in the early 1900s: Janet McNamara has prepared his biography, also some details of his brothers added to the Pearce family page (16 April 2012)
• A Wootton Bassett born man, Frederick Stephen Newth, moved to Brentford in the mid 1880s where we was initially a commercial traveller, later a corn and flour merchant; he was elected to the BUDC in 1910; Janet McNamara has prepared his biography (15 April 2012)
• Dr Joseph Stanislaus Gubbins, originally from co. Tipperary, served as a Brentford councillor in the early 1900s; he was a physician and surgeon; a Janet McNamara biography (14 April 2012)
• Griffith Bros, clothiers at 125/126 High Street until the mid 1930s: George Arthur Griffith a local councillor early 1900s, younger brother William Griffith honorary secretary for the Brentford Chamber of Commerce 1920 and started up Griffith Bros in Brentford after moving from Kent; after much research a mystery remains: another William Griffith (born Wales) ran an earlier Griffith Bros at 300 High Road, Chiswick: are the Kent and Welsh Griffith families related? Guy Richardson, descendant who contributed to the research, also provided a 1920s photo showing a heavily postered Griffith Bros van used in the BUDC elections (13 April 2012)
• Two Brentford snippets from the British Newspaper Archive from April 1854 and April 1884, one about the Three Pigeons and the other about a burglary at Bradbury's which includes the glorious word 'burglariously' (10 April 2012)
• Robert Edward Addey was a fruit grower in Brentford and also served as a councillor in the early 1900s: see Janet McNamara's biography (10 April 2012)
• Christopher Ernest Saunders founded 'Saunders & Taylor: Auctioneers, Surveyors, Valuers, & Estate Agents' and was also a local councillor; he died in a road accident in 1924; thanks to Janet McNamara for preparing his biography (9 April 2012)
• William John Noy was elected to the Urban District Council in 1904 and also worked as a market gardener; read Janet McNamara's account, part of her research into local councillors (7 April 2012)
• Sandycombe Lodge, designed and lived in by Turner, opens its doors to visitors on the first Saturday of the month from April – October 2012, commencing on Easter Saturday, April 7; download a poster with more details (6 April 2012)
• Tom Toomey has sent his memories of 1940s Brentford, he was one of the 'Toomey family who lived in Hanwell W7' (20 March 2012)
• Details added for 40 High Street and nearby Paxton's Yard and Wharf(20 March 2012)
• Howard Webb sent an early 20th century postcard image: the Boatmen's Institute, which served as a school, community centre and maternity hospital during its history (see 'Brentford Past' for more details) (19 March 2012)

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Coming Soon

• Patsy Langley has written with memories from the mid 1960s onwards, including her former home at 158 High Street; also first hand experience of a Brentford ghost and an update on the Inverness Lodge haunting (May 2012)
• Jeb Buffinton: My wife & I recently visited a little 12th century church on the coast in Auberville, France. There were a small number of graves there, and we happened to notice this one, and were interested in the story of how this Brit (Robert Selby Henrey) and his wife met a French girl, and wound up buried in this little graveyard; Jeb sent a photo of the gravestone (May 2012)
• Martin Hooper has provided further details of the Gaydon family of watch and clockmakers (May 2012)
• Postcard of Brentford Bridge area dating from around 1904/5 (May 2012)
• Vicki Powys has sent a photo of Christopher Ernest Saunders in army uniform (WW1) adding to the biography prepared by Janet McNamara
• Lynn Hayter has sent scans of both sides of a postcard showing the British Schools, Brentford, early 1900s (April 2012)
• Sue D has provided two photos taken at VE Day celebrations in Distillery Road, one showing lots of very happy children (April 2012)
• Janet McNamara has sent a biography of Dr Walter, 1856 - 1932, who was a member of the local council (April 2012)
• Brian has been in touch with many memories, including Moriarty and Taylor families (April 2012)
• Postcards of Brentford from the early 1960s: Boston Manor Park, High Street near the Beehive, St Paul's church (April 2012)
• Leigh O has written about the Reynolds family who worked on the barges; he also has Buck ancestry (April 2012)
• Simon H has sent some interesting photos: his mother, Eileen Chapple, and schoolfriends from Chiswick County School, 1957 (March 2012)
• Janet McNamara has found some photos showing Boars Head Yard (Feb 2012)

The above is not a complete list of all material outstanding (one of the challenges is to keep tabs on all contacts and I occasionally have a 'hot moment' when I find a mis-filed email dating back two or more years... If you write and have no reply, or I have said I'll do something and then don't a reminder will be appreciated!

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