Basics

People

Properties

Can You Help?

Roads Off

Janet's Research

Sources & More

If you are a new user to the site, the site guide contains an overview of the project and types of material held.

The site includes over 700 web pages and 500 images so it is worth spending a little time exploring.

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.

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Can You Help?

• Brentford register district…..Henry Talbot…1822….son Henry Talbot born 1847...Henry by 1871 census married to Charlotte…5 children Sutton Heston Middx…Upper Sutton lane by Gt West Rd……...Farnells 5 cottages..he at 1…brick labourer by Sutton Hse and Hope Anchor pub………..please does anybody know of them thankyou: Yvonne Butler (September 2011)
• Frank, Evelyn and daughter June Honeybone of 75 Ealing Park Gardens Julie P writes 'I would be grateful for the opportunity to see if anyone remembers June at school or was a neighbour or work colleague of any of the three'; 'one of our direct ancestors was a helper to the Ascott Martyrs and has her name inscribed on a bench in Ascott, Oxfordshire' ; see Honeybone gathering details(September 2011)
• Peter Burridge writes 'I am very interested to find out any further details about the Burridge family and share any details, as I know that several branches of the family lived in and around Brentford for many years. I have confirmed most house locations and the occupations of these family members and could certainly supply details if interested. Some residences include: 29 Orchard Road, 28 Clifden Road, 62, High Street, 43 Ealing Road. Mainly between 1886 - onwards. I would be very grateful to contribute or find out more details if possible, as this part of the family are all directly related to me (August 2011)

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Recent Additions

• A peaceful postcard view of Boston Road (or Boston Manor Road as it was later named) from the early 1900s, thanks to Howard Webb who also provided a high resolution scan (20 Jan 2012)
• Notes added for 39 High Street and updates to the notes for the Police Station at 42 High Street, to accompany the postcard view (next item) (19 Jan 2012)
• Do you remember the Police Station at 42 High Street? Howard Webb has provided a postcard image of the Police Station, from around 1908 - 1910, and a high resolution scan showing a glimpse of a policeman in the doorway and three men nearby (16 Jan 2012)
• Diane Lockie has sent in biographical details of her gt gt grandfather Thomas W. Stockley, local councillor from 1923 until his retirement in 1932, including a photo of him and his wife Ellen (14 Jan 2012)
• Janet McNamara has provided notes about Henry Newman Croxford, a member of the first Brentford Local Board and one of four brothers who settled in Brentford (13 Jan 2012)
• Jan Hernando has written about her Skilton family, who lived at 1 London Road - just across Brenford Bridge on the south side - in the early 1900s; is her family related to Quentin Pickard's Skilton family who lived a few doors away? It is easy to jump to conclusions ... (11 Jan 2012)
• In 1922 the Rothschild Girls' School performed 'The Magic Key', with a cast approaching 50; thank you to Roger Davis for providing a cast photo and scan of the programme with names of 18 girls; was your mother, aunt, grandmother or great aunt a peasant, bandolero, gypsy, toreador, gnome or fairy? Please get in touch if you can spot them in the photo (8 Jan 2012)
• Thanks to Duncan Walker (Brentford Dock Residents' Website) who wrote 'We have found the full article by Charles Dickens of his visit, in 1850, to Brentford's Grand Junction Waterworks Company, now the Kew Bridge Steam Museum, http://www.brentforddockresidents.co.uk/history/charlesdickens.php (1 Jan 2012)
• Notes for no. 377 added, filling another small gap (28 Dec 2011)
• Notes for no. 408 added; notes for no. 355 updated, thanks to query raised by David Daubney (27 Dec 2011)
• A photo sent by Howard Webb showing the 1909 demolition of two hundred year old Brent House sparked research which led to a possible Nell Gwyn connection (23 Dec 2011)
• Janet McNamara has sent articles about the Rothschild School; several pupils' names are mentioned in the March 1906 prize giving; were your grandparents (or great grandparents) winning class prizes, or special awards for Handwriting? Were they musical? (18 Dec 2011)
• Jenny J has sent a photo of the Royal Tar at 3 High Street, taken at the 1937 Coronation of George VI celebrations; Alice and Arthur William Burrows appear, but who are the other two people? (8 Dec 2011)
• The British Newspaper Archive offers over 3 millions searchable pages, see more details including a link to the website; also added to the Web Links page (4 Dec 2011)
• John Hinge was a farrier of New Brentford and when he died in 1802 he left a lengthy will which I have summarised; Hinge family notes also updated; happy to provide a paper copy of the original will to a Hinge descendant, please get in touch (3 Dec 2011)
• A peaceful view of Brentford Lock in the early 1900s - thank you to Howard Webb for this postcard scan (28 Nov 2011)
• Laurence van Kleek has written about Hepsley C Duckworth, who had an unusual mix of occupations: theatrical producer and actor; and solicitor (26 Nov 2011)
• A charming Edwardian photo of a bride, Maud Purscell, who married Francis Wheeler in 1913: thanks to Fay Twydell (26 Nov 2011)
• Janet McNamara has sent biographical notes for William Lee, a councillor and by trade a butcher (23 November 2011)
• Updates to the Clements family notes by Bob Sheridan, a mystery solved (17 November 2011)
• The Newens family were bakers in Kew and Brentford, Janet McNamara has compiled information about Henry J Newens, Councillor (17 Nov 2011)
• Evan Phillips was the headmaster of the Rothschild School, High Street for 40 years; he was also a Brentford Urban District Councillor - research by Janet McNamara (16 Nov 2011)
• Janet McNamara has sent an update on the later life of John Meyers, who served on the first Brentford Local Board in 1874 (13 Nov 2011)
• Janet McNamara has sent biographical details of James Clements, Charter Mayor who served in various offices for nearly 40 years (9 Nov 2011)
• Property notes added for numbers 106, 107 (a small pair of shops which feature in a 1906 photo in 'Brentford As It Was' ) and no. 111, Stone's Menswear, which was severely damaged in a gas explosion in 1977 (9 Nov 2011)
• Thanks to Angie Beck for sending a link to a website 'Victorian Crime and Punishment' (http://vcp.e2bn.org/) searchable by name - see example search for Brentfordincludes photos of criminals; sometimes Brentford and Brentwood (Essex) are confused; the site is also searchable by name (8 Nov 2011)
• Research into an 1820s Brentford theatre, Brentford Electric Cinema, Market Place and the cinema building's later use as 'E A & W H Browne Western Pattern Works': thanks to Peter King (8 November 2011)
• Gaye Wheeler has written with High Street sightings of her Baldry family, fishmongers (8 Nov 2011)
• Kirsty F asks if anyone can confirm Joseph Hambridge is in the late 1940s outing photo (30 Oct 2011)
• I have added a note to the How to contact page to highlight possible risks of including personal information if you use the same information for your online bank or PayPal account; (so far no one has said this has occurred, but better to be safe than sorry) (30 Oct 2011)
• Notes from adverts appearing in 1889 and 1898 issues of St George's Parish Magazine added to notes for each property, thanks to Janet McNamara for these 27 Oct 2011)
• Dave Padbury has written about his Padbury family, various Brentford addresses, back to Edward, born 1819 (24 Oct 2011)
• Jean Banaszak has written about the Rantons photo from 1949 which may include her mum Phoebe Francis (16 Oct 2011)
• Ron Tidy has sent in photos of North Road (1964/5) and 5 members of the local Boys Brigade (1955/6): can you name the other boys? (16 Oct 2011)

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Coming Soon

• Janet McNamara has provided biographies of more late Victorian councillors: Dr Gubbins, Frederick Stephen Newth and George Pearce (January 2012)
• Tom Toomey has sent his memories of 1940s and early 1950s Brentford, he was one of the 'Toomey family who lived in Hanwell W7' (January 2012)
• Lynn has provided a scan of a memoriam card dated 1919 for her ancestor James Pither, who was buried at South Ealing Cemetery (January 2012)
• Janet McNamara has sent heaps of Brentford Councillor material, including biographies for Isaac Ward, William John Noy, Christopher Ernest Saunders and Robert Edward Addey; also additional newspaper articles (January 2012)
• Dave P has sent details of the Bissell family, back to Jeffrey Bissell born 1767 (January 2012)
• Guy R has asked about Griffith Bros, who ran a gents outftters/clothiers business at 125/126 and 188 High Street from 1900 until the 1930s (January 2012)
• Janet McNamara has provided photos of the Brent House area as it is today, also a biography of Isaac Ward, a brewer's manager who was elected to the council in 1900 (December 2011)
• Information about Brent House, The Butts, from Janet McNamara; also Janet has sent biographies for two Brentford councillors: George Lamb and James Booth Milburn (December 2011)
• William Bradley was elected to the Brentford Urban District Council in 1901, he was also a manager in a timber yard (Montgomrey's?); another councillor biography researched by Janet McNamara (December 2011)
• George Lamb was a stone mason and member of Brentford Council in 1909; his name is recorded on the Brentford Monument; Janet McNamara has prepared his biography (November 2011)
• Howard Webb has sent scans of many local postcards, including ones of the High Street, Boston Road, Brent House demolition in 1909, the Congregational Church and Police Station (November 2011)
• Janet McNamara has compiled information about George Haley, who first stood for the Council in 1899 as a working class representative of the Labour Party a year before the Labour Party was officially formed (November 2011)
• Quentin Pickard has sent contemporary notes from the 1960s archaeological excavations of the High Street and a link to Current Archaeology (www.archaeology.co.uk) featuring excavations near Syon House (November 2011)
• Colin has written about the Pitt family, including Joseph Pitt, Esquire, a surgeon who lived in The Butts (October 2011)
• The Gaydon family were watchmakers; Janet McNamara has provided local newspaper articles (October 2011)

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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