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Brentford High Street Project Home Page

The purpose of this site is to bring together information about the people and properties of Brentford High Street from around 1840 to 1940 as a resource for family and local historians.

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 around 450 web pages and about 200 images so it is worth spending a little time exploring.

New material is added regularly, please come back and check again. Also see Coming Soon: contributions recently received which will be added over coming weeks.

Recent Additions

• Views of Old Brentford from 1966 from Kings Arms Alley eastwards and Howards, ironmongers at nos. 298-300: both provided by Diane Lockie (8 Feb 2010)
• Two more nostalgic photos from 1966 provided by Diane Lockie; these show numbers 240-246 High Street and new buildings just visible in the distance (6 Feb 2010)
• Andy Webb sent a charming photo of his parents outside the Magnet (152 High St) circa 1950; he also sent an interior shot, to be added (6 Feb 2010)
• Bob Hubbuck sent a super photo from the late 1800s or early 1900s showing the Waterman's Arms, beer and boarding house, which was at 179 High Street and run by Robert Hubbuck at the time; Bob has also provided some details of the Hubbuck family; I have updated the property notes for the section of High Street including no. 179 to add details of more properties and notes from the 1911 census (6 Feb 2010)
• A view up St Paul's Road in 1966, provided by Diane Lockie, showing building work underway (1 Feb 2010)
• Graham Knight sent some photos and information in May 2009 about his Knight family, who were potato salesmen at Brentford Market from the early 1900s - apologies for delay in publishing (30 Jan 2010)
• Peter Wood has written about his Wood and Towe families who lived in Catherine Wheel Yard during the 19th century (28 Jan 2010)
• Pat (nee) Gardener and her sister Maureen seek friends who went to St George's school, Brentford in the 1950s and Brentford Secondary Modern Girls school in the 1950s/60s, please email, I will forward to Pat (26 Jan 2010)
• When the new International Stores supermarket opened in Brentford (in the 1970s?) it was on the site where my grandmother was born 90 years previously; luckily Diane Lockie's father took a number of photos of this area in 1966, the first photo shows the area near St Paul's Road and the former Feathers PH, number 229 -233 (20 Jan 2010)
• Remember Spanton's timberyard? Quentin Pickard has provided a photo taken when demolition was underway, around 1971 (19 Jan 2010)
• Diana Willment has written a number of local history books about Brentford, see her new website 'Diana Willment, a life in Brentford' for details of her publications and how to order them (19 Jan 2010)
• Research into my gt gt gt grandfather, Thomas Parsons, a shoe maker, and his children, who lived in Old Brentford from around 1814 (10 Jan 2010)
• Jim O'Reardon writes 'Have you any photos of my old school St John's RC on the corner of Brook Road and Clifden Road?' 'Brentford Past' (Gillian Clegg) includes information about the school, including that it was at this location between 1901 and 1968; please get in touch if you can help (8 Jan 2010)
• Milli Shooter has written about her Lynch family of Isleworth/Brentford and is happy to share information about other families they intermarried with - she reckons she has notes of 50 - 100 family members, including Hutchinson, Heather, Earl, White, Smith and Clark (6 Jan 2010)
• Selby Whittingham has provided details of his research into the Hardwick family who lived in New Brentford during the 18th century; Thomas Hardwick rebuilt St Lawrence's church in 1764 and the family had connections with Joseph Mallord William Turner the artist (3 Jan 2010)
• Peter Calver's Lost Cousins web site is highly recommended, see his latest newsletter at http://lostcousins.com/newsletters/latest.htm (3 Jan 2010)
• Numbers 133 and 134 High Street were still standing when Google Street View photographed Brentford (in 2008?); Quentin Pickard has sent a colour photo showing the properties in around 1980 (1 Jan 2010)
• Chris writes about his grandfather, who was the depot manager of Charrington's (formerly Rickett and Cockerell), Coal Merchants, possibly based in Lionel Road (East?). If you have any records or photos of the depot please get in touch (23 Dec 2009)
• Andrea Tidy writes 'I am trying to trace information on my grandmothers family. Her name was Vera Tidy, nee Smith'; family addresses include Pottery Road, North Road and Carville Crescent; please contact if you can help (19 Dec 2009)
• Photos of the Six Bells and St Lawrence's Church from 2008, provided by Dave Stoneleigh (13 Dec 2009)
• June Bagley writes from Perth, Western Australia 'Richard Malam Moore married my cousin (once removed), Dora Margaret Clyne Christian in Bray, Wicklow in 1931.' Dr Richard Malam Moore died in 1973, aged 70; ' I noticed Dr Richard Moore in the telephone books in Brentford from around 1968--1981 at the Brentford Health Clinic, I was wondering if this could be the son. I am looking for the descendants of Richard Malam Moore and Doris Margaret Clyne Christian'; please contact if you can help (11 Dec 2009)
• Three more New Brentford photos from Dave Stoneleigh, 2008: Brentford Bridge from the canal, view towards The Ham and a view from the Six Bells (9 Dec 2009)
• Quentin Pickard has provided a late 1960s photo showing the site to the east of Rattenburys, running up to the old Red Lion at 318 High Street; Albany Parade flats were newly built at the time (but already looking rather sad) (6 Dec 2009)
• Selby Whittingham has forwarded research into 5 families associated with the church and school in New Brentford: Harrington, Porteus, Randall, Tooke, White (6 Dec 2009)
• Is there a Thames Lighterman in your family? John Kite has provided a handy guide to researching lighterman ancestry: thanks John; this page is also accessible through the Occupations page (6 Dec 2009)
• John Kite is searching for information on the Hilliard families of New Brentford, in particular Thomas/William/Benjamin names; if you can help please get in touch (Nov 27 2009)
• Clements Knowling Ltd was a Brentford canal carrier business; Mrs. Sophie Ashford writes 'Do any descendants of James Clements know anything about his partner/fellow director George Knowling. I have the will of George Knowling dated 1922 in which James Clements is mentioned as "my old and valued friend and partner in business". George Knowling was my great grandmother's brother. I would be most interested to hear from anyone who may have information about him.' Please get in touch if you can help (Nov 27 2009)
• Quentin Pickard sent a photo from 1981 showing a sign for H J Robinson, builder; this was painted on the side of a property in the south east side of Brentford near the canal (22 Nov 2009)
• Details for no. 135 added: this was a timberyard in the 1930s, initially G E Turk, then Charles Spanton (Nov 22 2009)
• Selby Whittingham has provided his detailed research into (1) Trimmer family, brickmakers of Brentford from the early 1700s, Sarah Trimmer nee Kirby established a Sunday School next to St George's church in 1786;and (2) other local families who were associated with the Trimmer family: Clarke, Cracknell, Hart, Harvest, Haverfield, Howard, Lees, Roberts, Tunstall, Zoffany (22 Nov 2009)
• Quentin Pickard has sent a scan of a b/w 1960s photo showing 280 High Street to Rattenburys at 288/9 - many derelict shops (7 Nov 2009)

Coming Soon

• Robyn Waymouth of Australia suggests a Brentford Basics' page for those who land upon the web site following a Google search: this page will provide information about where Brentford is and links to find out more
• Diane Lockie sent 13 b/w photos showing the High Street around 1966: mainly around the area opposite Dock Road near the 'Feathers'; (numbers 231-246), which is great as this area was rarely included in postcards; the small photos were taken by her father
• Quentin Pickard sent four colour photos showing the High Street in the 1976-1986 period, including area around 290-294, 273-277, 241-246, and 234a (the former chapel, later a factory) set back from the High Street; he has also provided colour photos of the (new) Red Lion around 1970, former St George's church mid 1960s, Brentford Dock (mid to late 1960s) - and others
• Arthur Peters has sent three photos including one showing no. 272 where his father worked as a self-employed engineer from the 1930s; he has also sent some of his father's memories / anecdotes
• Rob Sutherland has sent a full transcript of an 1806 Indenture relating to a property in the Butts (found at a fleamarket; Rob lives in Canada), this includes many names including some Brentford residents

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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