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From 225 to 232 High Street, Old Brentford

There are plenty of photos of this section of the High Street in local histories of Brentford.

Properties

Notes prepared for numbers 225, 226, Beehive PH (227), 229, 230, 230a, 231 and The Feathers PH (232); also a list of photos, ephemera and maps

Number 225

See Photos/Ephemera/Maps for a link to a photo from ca 1899 showing this property.

Number 226

Beehive PH (227)

See ‘Brentford & Chiswick Pubs’ (Y) for details of the Beehive from the 1830s and the brewery of the same name, which was originally on a site near to the current Beehive.

The tithe enumeration from 1839/41 shows Joseph Sexton as the owner of two ‘houses and premises’ which were later to become the Beehive: one was occupied by Ann Sleap, who is recorded in the 1841 census as a confectioner, the other by Miss Pearce.

In the 1851 census William Gomm ‘beer shop keeper’ lived here with his wife and young family; he had 4 lodgers at the time of the census. He remained there in 1861 and moved to Catherine Wheel Yard by 1871. Thomas Farrington, a local man, was living at the Beehive with his wife, five children and a pot boy in 1871. This is the first census where it is named ‘Bee-hive Inn’. Thomas Farrington is listed as publican here in 1881 & 1890.

Jesse East had taken over by 1891. He was born in Monks Risborough, Bucks and his wife Jane in Marylebone. They had two children and Fred Cherry, comedian aged 28 was a lodger.

In 1901 Francis Henbrey, born Brighton and his wife ‘Feliaca’ (born Notting Hill) lived here with a two year old granddaughter. Nearby in the Half Acre were caravans, occupied by William Beach ‘proprietor of steam circus’ and his family. The Beach family was at ‘The Grounds, Railway Approach, Hammersmith, London’ in 1891.

Half Acre was widened to accommodate the tramlines not long after the 1901 census, numbers 225 and 226 being demolished in the process, and the Beehive was rebuilt, to a design by Nowell Parr the council architect, on the corner site.

In the 1909/10 Valuation returns after the 1907 rebuild it is described as

Trade directories name the following landlords: William Shotter (1913), Joseph Morris & Robert Myers (1920), Joseph Morris Myers (1933), Thomas G Beare (1940).

Number 229

Number 230

Number 230a

Access to Archives includes details of a lease held by LMA: 'Lease for 21 years from 25 March 1882: 1. William Ruston of Brentford, Middx., gent.; 2. James Frederick Hall of Twickenham, Middx., veterinary surgeon. Messuage with outbuildings, yards and gardens near the Seventh Mile Stone in the High Street, Old Brentford, bounded on north by Back Lane, on south by High Street, on east by premises of Thomas Honeybone, on west by premises in occupation of Benjamin Evens.'(I)

In the 1909/10 Valuation Records the property was owned by Fanny Leonard and described as a ‘veterinary infirmary, forge and house’. It had an entrance on Back Lane, a plot extending 132’, was ‘old and dilapidated’. It had a stable with 3 stalls, harness room and coachhouse. 230a is listed in directories from 1913 as a farriers, by 1928 it was a garage (Charles A Knights), then Ideal Haulage Services & Motor Works Ltd, haulage contractors (1933 & 1940).

Number 231

Frederick Souch, watchmaker, is listed in 1928; by 1933, after nearly 100 years of use for watchmaking, the premises were used by a clothier.

The Feathers PH (232)

1909/10 Valuation Returns describe it as ‘Public House, stables, premises. Frontage 36’.

Owner: Fuller, Smith & Turner, freehold.
Brick built & slated public house on 3 floors with return frontage to St Paul’s Road.

• Top floor: 3 bedrooms
• 1st floor: club room, bedroom, sitting room, room with bath, WC
• Ground floor: 3 bars & saloon bar, sitting room, kitchen, scullery, WC, pothouse etc.
• Urinal, small brick built stable with loft over

An excavation in the garden of number 232 in 1974/5 uncovered the Roman road surface (Q13).

Photos/Ephemera/Maps

Roads Off