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Number 1 to the Salutation or St George's Almshouses, Old Brentford

In the 1841 census what we now know as Kew Bridge Road was listed as part of the High Street, but in preparing these notes I’ve ignored Kew Bridge Road and concentrated on what became number 1 High Street onwards.

This section of the High Street was listed as ‘Front Street’ in the 1851 census, presumably in contrast to ‘Back Lane’.

Properties

Number 1

The Valuation Records (1909/10) describe the property as a house and corner shop on the East corner of The Hollows, with a washhouse in the yard for milk cans etc with a clearing yard at the side, the front wall of which was used as an ‘advertising station’ . There were cart gates to the yard and the premises were in ‘fair repair’. The owner’s name was altered from Messrs Pickfords Ltd to Mr Handsley, who lived in Chiswick. The occupiers were The National Dairy Co Ltd.

The Oak Farm Dairy Co is listed here in the 1913 trade directory, then David Haywood in 1920, 1928, 1933 & 1940.

Royal Tar Beerhouse - number 3

By 1871 Isaac Beese ‘beerseller & boiler maker’, Bristol-born, ran the beerhouse. In the same household were his wife and daughter, both named Priscilla, and Richard Pearce, his wife’s father, who ran the Royal Tar previously. Two nieces surname Marriner also lived here.

William Brooks, lighterman, had taken over by 1881: Trevor Mitchell advises William was the husband of Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Pearce and that another daughter, Jane Pearce, was working there as a waitress.

By 1891 John T Wilson, gas stoker lived here and in 1901 William Atkinson from Knutsford in Cheshire.

The Valuation Records (1909/10) describe the property as brick built and slated, with 3 bedrooms, a club room and WC on the first floor; 2 main bars, a jug bar and kitchen on the ground floor. The small yard had a WC and urinal. The owner was Ashby’s Staines Brewery and the frontage to the High Street was 34’ 0”, to The Hollows 32’ 0”.

There were a number of changes of occupier: to Richard Evans by 1913, Henry George Spilling by 1921, Albert Charles Barber by 1928, George Charles Payne by 1933 then Tom Hills by 1940.

By the 1990s the pub was O’Riordan’s and by 2005 Captain Morgan’s.

Number 4

In 1861 George Winter, lighterman, lived at no. 4. Brentford & Chiswick Local History Journal 2007 notes ‘The Winters ran the largest of the lighter fleets in 1841, and Thomas Winter … was one of only four barge owners to receive compensation’ (following the 1841 flood). George Winter may be related to Thomas Winter.

In 1871 William Becknell, barge builder, and William Bearman, blacksmith, shared the property; John William Smith, another barge builder, lived here in 1881, then John Wilson, carman, in 1891.

In 1901 a building was recorded between number 3 and the almshouses at no. 6.

1913 – 1933 trade directories show Wiggins & Co, lime merchants at numbers 4 & 5, The 1909/10 Valuation records Wiggins & Co as occupiers, Fanny E Mann as the owner. The premises consisted of a house, stables, wharf & premises with a frontage of 18’ 6” to the High Street, more at rear. The house was old, brick built and slated with one floor and basement. The ground floor had 1 room divided into two, a cart entrance at the side and a store room over. The basement included a stable with 4 stalls; there was a large brick built stores on two floors fronting the river. The annual rent was £60.

Saluation Almshouses, number 6

In 1871 an Elliner Hart, aged 70, is listed as living in one of the almshouses. Her surname was not clear so I checked the 1861 census for Brentford and found her living on the Back Lane, Elanor Hart: her occupation ‘pew opener’, age 70. She was born in Deptford, Kent.

The Valuation Records (1909/10) describe the almshouses as ‘consisting of 2 small blocks of rooms, each block containing on the top floor 2 rooms and on the ground floor 2 rooms, the ground floor rooms have a coal cupboard each’. In the West block the numbers upstairs were 1 & 3, downstairs 2 & 4. In the East block 5 & 7 upstairs, 6 & 8 downstairs. At the rear was a small garden, a common washing house and 2 WCs. The premises were repaired in 1871. The trustees, who paid the insurance and were liable for repairs were:

• M Thomas, The Lodge Brentford
• Rev T Selby Henrey, St Georges Vicarage Brentford
• J Clements JP, Thames Bank House, Brentford
• G H Jupp, Stafford House
• W J Newens, 327 High Street Brentford
• W J Noy, The Homestead, Clayponds Lane, Brentford

According to Gillian Clegg in ‘Brentford Past’ when the almshouses closed the inhabitants were re-housed and money from the sale of the site used to establish a pension fund for them.

See Photos/Ephemera/Maps for a link to a 1945 photo of the almshouses.

Photos/Ephemera/Maps

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