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Numbers 7 - 34 High Street, Old Brentford

In 1840, starting from the eastern end, this stretch contained about two dozen properties, interrupted by various small courts running south towards the river, then a flour wharf, the gas works, the Brewery Tap, the Royal Brewery, Half Moon & Seven Stars, the Royal Hotel, St George's vicarage then half a dozen properties leading up to Smith Hill.

Properties

Several properties in this stretch were lost between 1865 (OS Map) and 1881 (census) as the Gas Works expanded. Numbers 9 to 12 survived until the 1901 census but had gone by the time of the 1909/10 Valuation returns (which took place from 1909 onwards).

To account for the properties which were demolished before the High Street was numbered in 1876 I have given these properties references 19-1 to 19-17. There were also more properties in the Brewery area occupied in 1841 than in later censuses, these extra properties have references 23-1 to 23-3.

Notes prepared for numbers 7, 8, 11, House on eastern corner of Knights Buildings (19-9), Flour Wharf, Gas Works (20), 21, Brewery Tap (22), Royal Brewery (23), Half Moon & Seven Stars (25), Royal Hotel (26 - 27), St George's Vicarage (28), 29-32 mentioned in passing, 33 and 34; also a list of photos, ephemera and maps

Number 7

The 1909/10 Valuation Records describe it as a semi-detached house next to the Almshouses with a top floor attic, and two rooms on the first and ground floor, a basement cellar, kitchen and washhouse. It had a side entrance , was in ‘very fair repair’ and ‘the garden runs to river at rear and goes partly behind no. 8 High Street’. The owners: The Misses M & L Thick, ‘in occupation’. It had a frontage of 18’.

North Thames Gas Board records (held at the LMA) include documents relating to the freehold messuage of Miss Martha Thick 1897 – 1922 at 7 High Street. The property was sold to the Brentford Gas Company in 1922/3.

Edwin Butler lived here in 1928; the property is not included in the 1933 trade directory.

Number 8

North Thames Gas Board records (held at the LMA) include documents relating to the freehold premises of Mr Courtain Thomas Chivers at 8 High Street, 1896 – 1905 and executors of J J Dorey 1905 – 1922. These names do not appear in the 1891 or 1901 censuses. A John J Dorey, stone mason, lived at no.351 in 1881 and other Doreys are recorded on the High Street from 1861.

The 1909/10 Valuation Records list the owner as John J Dorey of 39 Boston Road Brentford and describe it as a semi-detached house – presumably with no. 7 – with passage way at side.

Trade directories list Walter Baker as resident here in 1913, 1920, 1928, 1933. There is no reference to no. 8 in the 1940 trade directory.

Number 11

In 1891 & 1901 this was a sizeable lodging house or beerhouse. In 1891 over 20 people lived here. In 1901 George Buss, licensed victualler, headed a household of 17 including 9 boarders. According to a descendant, George remained at number 11 in 1902, but by 1904 had moved across the road to number 386, where he remained until 1927. Another relative, Benjamin Buss, lived at number 388. George Buss is known to have run pubs called the Harp & White Hart, so it is possible that number 11 was one of these.

House on the east side of Knights Buildings ('19-9'

The second household in the house was occupied by widower James Cradduck from Staplehurst, Kent. He was working as an "engine man" at the local water works. Also sons James, Charles and George. (Thanks to Martin, descendant of the Cradduck family for passing on this information).

Flour Wharf

Gas Works (number 20)

Number 21

Brewery Tap (22)

In the 1890 trade directory Harry Blake was at the Brewery Tap; he appears as Henry Blake, mineral water manufacturer in the 1891 census. According to his great grandson, Peter Blake, Harry remained at the Brewery Tap until about 1900, when he and his young family, including Peter's grandfather Augustus born 7th October 1890, moved to Argentina.

In 1901 James Marriott from Oxford had taken over, succeeded by 1913 by Thomas Turner, who was still there in 1921 & presumably remained until the property was demolished in 1923.

In the 1909/10 Valuation Records the Brewery Tap is given the next consecutive property reference after no. 8. It had two bars and a bar/parlour on the ground floor, was brick built with a slated roof, in good condition. It had a frontage of 36’ 6” and gross value of £4000.

Royal Brewery (23)

Described in the 1909/10 Valuation records as having 'valuable frontage to High Street'. The accompanying plan shows three substantial buildings (eg 56' by 95') described as 'Brewery, bottling stores, house, office, stabling & premises' and mentions 'vat rooms & store rooms', 'all buildings well built and in good condition'.

Brewing ceased in 1923, the buildings were demolished 1926; the site is now (1983) part of Waterman's Park (C58).

LMA has documents from Courage, Barclay and Simonds (Brewers), created by the Medway Brewery and Anchor Brewhouse of Southwark relating to the Royal Brewery Brentford (I).

Half Moon & Seven Stars (25)

Local man Robert Pearce was the landlord in 1839, 1841, 1851 when it is described as the ‘Half Moon and Seven Stars Lodging House’ and 1861; Robert was described as a ‘licensed victualler & waterman’ in 1851. There were 8 lodgers in 1841, 9 lodgers and a visitor in 1851 and 5 lodgers in 1861.

By 1871 Charles Gibbins had taken over, and he was succeeded by John Fairchild by 1874, who was succeeded by Mrs Annie Moffatt, ‘licensed victuallers wife’ in 1881. Thomas Waight had taken over by 1890, followed by Londoner Samuel Ferris in 1901 (An older Samuel Ferris ran the Marquis of Granby in 1901). It closed around 1903 (Y70). There is no reference to no. 25 in the 1913 trade directory and by the 1920s the gas works had expanded into this area.

Royal Hotel (26 - 27)

St George's Vicarage (28)

In 1901 Rev Thomas Selby Henrey was living at St George’s vicarage with his wife ‘Harriet E.S.’ and Harriet’s sister Ann E. Lindsay. What the census doesn’t show is that Harriet was expecting a son, Robert Selby Henrey; his birth was registered at Brentford in the July – September quarter of 1901, at Brentford. Interested to find out more about the Henrey family?

I am indebted to Jeremy Kite for a reference to a ‘newsletter’ sent on a monthly basis between 1910-11 to those connected with, or serving, Trinity House. He describes it as:

“a bit like ‘ Lighthousemen Monthly’, it contains lots of information about shipwrecks, exploits and adventures. It has a strong religious flavour and a thoroughly ‘masculine’ and ‘seafarers’ feel to it throughout. ...

On page 406 the author offers a 2/6 prize for the ‘most interesting and best written paper on natural history…. These might have to do with the habits of sea-birds…..’ and offers the return address for contributions: Mrs Henrey, St George’s Vicarage. Brentford. W.

So, this hearty and lusty guide to life in Trinity House, shipwrecks and seafaring yarns was compiled by…. the vicar’s wife!”

Jeremy asked whether I knew of the burial place of Thomas Selby Henry. It appears he was living at Westaway, Godalming, Surrey in 1937 (telephone directory) and there is a death registration in ‘Surrey SW’ registration district in the January – March quarter of 1941: he was aged 82.

The detached vicarage stood in its own grounds and had a frontage of just 10' 5" to the High Street but 'a large frontage to the river'. The property consisted of

• Top floor: 5 rooms, a dressing room, bathroom, WC
• Ground floor: 5 rooms, kitchen, WC, entrance hall
• There is a detached building originally used as a laundry but now disused with 1 room on the first floor and one room on the ground floor

Thomas Selby Henrey remained here until his retirement in 1930and then moved to Godalming. The vicarage was demolished in 1931 to make way for the Gas Works expansion (Q51).

If you are interested in the Henrey family, ‘The King of Brentford’, published 1946, is about the family’s (named ‘Rayhen’ in the book) life in Brentford. It was written by ‘Robert Henrey’ ie Mrs Robert Henrey, Madelein nee Gal. The book mentions other Brentford families and a summary of names featured in the book are on a list of things which will be added to the web site.

Numbers 29 - 32

Number 30

Number 33

The 1839 trade directory includes John Round grocer, the 1841 census shows Ruth Round, grocer, heading a household of 7 including a female servant and an apprentice. She was 45 (in practice this could be up to 49, as ages were rounded down in this census).

The 1913 directory lists number 33 as a fried fish shop run by John Harvey; number 33 is not listed in 1920 and later (although there was a fried fish shop at number 32 in 1920, 1928 & 1933. See further notes under number 34, below.

Number 34

Photos/Ephemera/Maps

Roads Off

Swan Steps is listed in 1841 to 1871 censuses as having 11 or more households; in C18 there was a notorious pub on Brentford Ait called the Swan or Three Swans, closed in 1796 (Q65), presumably Swan Steps led down to the river crossing to this pub. It lay 7 to 10 properties to the west of Poppets Parlour (ie between 19 and 19-1). Not recorded in the 1881 census and presumably demolished between 1871 & 1881.

Knights Buildings/ Steps lay 6 to 8 properties to the west of Swan Steps – listed in 1841 as 7 households, 1851 as 8 households and as Knights Steps in 1861 (4 households). Not referred to in the 1871 census.

Anns Court is listed as 4 households between numbers 19-10 and 19-11 in 1841 & 1851,in 1861 as 23 households, some of the 23 may actually be on the High Street.

Swifts Wharf: according to a document held at the LMA (admission of a tenant) dated 2 June 1851 there was a piece of land called Swifts Wharf south of the High Street and to the west of the Royal Hotel which had 7 cottages, since pulled down, and now has 2 cottages and copyhold land with dwelling house. (I)