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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

He was followed by a succession of tobacconists recorded in censuses 1851 – 1901: Mrs Elizabeth Bradshaw (1861-1881); Miss Florence Humberstone (1890 trade directory); Albert Mew (1891); Miss Sarah Matthews, tobacconist & newsagent (1901).

Like number 225 the building was demolished ca 1905 to allow for the tram way (D).

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

Gross value: £5000’

The 1911 census shows the Beehive had 11 rooms, occupied by the Shotter family, two barmaids and a nursemaid (there were 11 month old twin girls, Rita Mary and Kathleen Maud as well as three older Shotter children). William Charles Shotter gave his birthplace as New Brentford, his wife, Mary Louise, was born in Bath, Somerset.

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

Number 229

The inspection in 1913 as part of the 1909/10 Valuation returns describe it as ‘old’ and notes that the front was rebuilt ‘about two years ago’.

• Top floor: 2 rooms
• 1st floor: 4 rooms (communicating
• Ground floor: shop, back shop, sitting room, kitchen washhouse & WC outside.

The property was owned and occupied by J D Allen and had a High Street frontage of 15’ (wider to the rear), the plot was 88’ deep. There were ‘two dilapidated brick built and tiled sheds in yard’.

At the time of the 1911 census John Allen was 62 and had been married to his wife Eliza for 38 years, during which time they had 11 children, seven of whom were still alive. John was a barber, the two sons still at home, Sidney (21) and Kenneth (17) were a ‘lift repairers assistant’ and ‘picture framers assistant’. John was born in East London, his wife in Baughurst, Hampshire. The property had seven rooms.

Trade directories show later occupancy:

• 1913: John Daniel Allen, hairdresser
• 1928: John Daniel Allen; Mrs M E V Cullander, corn merchant
• 1933: Frederick Charles Marriner, butcher
• 1940: Frederick Charles Marriner, butcher

This was still Marriners, the butchers, into the early 1960s (L).

Number 230

In the 1909/10 Valuation Records 230 is described as a brick-built terrace shop & house ‘old and somewhat dilapidated’ with a (wider than average) frontage of 23’ to the High Street. It had three floors:

• Top floor: 3 rooms, box room and cistern cupboard
• 1st floor: 3 rooms and bathroom leading out of one room
• Ground floor: shop, parlour, kitchen, scullery & WC

It had a brick and timber built stable in rear with loft over in a very dilapidated condition and there was a cellar under the back portion of the ground floor. There was an entrance from Back Lane, and the plot 126’ 9” was long, varying in width. No. 230 was owned by Fanny Leonard who also owned 230a.

By 1911 Charles A Hermon lived at no. 230 with his wife Sarah A.: they were aged 46 and 47 and had been married just six years, they had no children. Charles was a railway goods porter, his wife ran a newsagents from their home. Living with them in this eight-roomed property were a niece and nephew, Ellen A and John H Akerman (born Windsor).

Lodging at no. 230 in 1911 was Maud Muriel Goodman, a 34 year old teacher of music, with her daughter Dorothy Muriel, 9. The mother ran a ‘singing and pianoforte school’ from her home. She had been married 10 years and although she described herself as ‘married’ rather than ‘widow’ her husband was not recorded at this address. The property was described as having seven rooms (as well as the eight rooms already recorded? I wonder).

Trade directories show later occupancy:

• 1913: Charles Augustus Hermon, tobacconist
• 1928: Charles Augustus Hermon, tobacconist
• 1933: William Alfred Hermon, tobacconist
• 1940: Seymour J Smith, neswagent

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.

In 1911 no. 230a was occupied by Harry Mitton (37), a veterinary surgeon (manager), born Ilkley, Yorkshire and his Amelia Anne, son Sidney and daughter Dorothy; the children were born in Lancashire. The property had 5 rooms and in the census enumerator’s list was described as a ‘farriers shop’.

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).

Dawn Welch (nee Hurdwell) writes in August 2010: “I lived at 230a high street Brentford from the age of six months till I was ten years old. The house at that time was owned by the Ideal haulage company. I loved living there as a child, I went to St Lawrence church for Sunday school and St Paul's school.”

Number 231

The 1909/10 Valuation names the occupiers as ‘Pearce & Co (watchmakers)’, the owner as George C Hill. At this time the property was described as ‘terrace shop & dwelling house, very old and more or less delapidated’.

Thomas Alfred Dermott, his wife Agnes Eliza and their four children lived at 231 in 1911. Thomas gave his occupation as ‘jeweller (dealer)’. He was a 'worker’ so presumably lived and worked at 231 but did not own the business. The property had eight rooms and the birthplaces of the children show the family moved from London to Essex to Surrey before settling in Brentford.

A 1913 trade directory records ‘Pearce & Co Ltd, watchmakers’ at no. 231. Frederick Souch, watchmaker, is listed at this address in 1928; by 1933, after nearly 100 years of use for watchmaking, the premises were used by a clothier E A Clarke, and then Paine Bros, clothiers in 1940.

Paul Godfrey writes in September 2009 'After WW2 a company called Kennington & Bourlet Limited was set up by Arnold Reginald Kennington and financially backed by a Mr Bourlet. Their first product was the Kennington Syncromat a projection contact printer, to be followed by the Kenprinter a projection enlarging print or enprinter. Reg Kennington filed a patent on 2nd November 1954 for the Kenprinter ... giving an address of 231 High Street Brentford'.

Dave Baker, who worked at this address from 1958 as a Prototype Instrument Maker for Kennington & Bourlet remembers 231 as being a shop with a workshop at the rear. More of Dave Baker's memories of K&B. Searches of phone directories indicate that K&B moved to Thanet House by 1961.

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

In 1911 Charles Henry Pennefather, 62, licensed victualler, ran the Feathers with his wife Maria. They had been married 39 years and three of their six children were still alive. Two barmaids and a general domestic servant completed the household. Their servant, Julia Harriett Jarvis, 25, gave her birthplace as ’34 High Street Brentford’. The property had 12 rooms.

Trade directories show later occupancy:

• 1913: Charles Henry Pennefather
• 1928: Mrs Marion E Jarrett
• 1933: Mrs Marion E Jarrett and George Shepherd
• 1940: George Shepherd

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

Photos/Ephemera/Maps

References such as '1899 (A11)' indicate the date of a photo (1899) and where it is published (A11). Details of 'A' are available: see Mainly paper sources page; '11' refers to the page no, or photo no. in the publication.

• 225 Mariners, ca 1899; J. Angles butcher 1904 (A78); Titmarsh & Co. butchers 1905, demolished ca 1905 (D8); at some date prior to 1904 was Frederick Marriner, butcher (A78); bill from P Goddard & Sons Ltd ‘complete house furnishers’, for a table, 197*
• 227 Re-opening announcement for the Beehive Hotel 1907 (Y66); 1935 (A52); and ca WW1 (A53); photo 1950s (S50); 1966 (Y66); 2006 (S50)
• 228 1935 (A52)

Warning - download over 200k! 1839 Tithe map modern numbers 225 to 232 are tithe property refs 433 to 423

Warning - download over 150k! 1894 Ordnance Survey Map annotated with house numbers

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First published 2005; last updated December 2010