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233 - 246 High Street, Old Brentford

This is in Old Brentford and originally part of Ealing parish, later St George's Parish until St Paul's Church opened (1868).

Properties

Number 233

Number 234

Wesleyan Chapel, Polytechnic, Organ Factory - number 234a

Number 235

Joseph retired or died and his son Benjamin Burness took over the business. He married Emma Carpenter in 1860 and they had a 4 month old daughter, Emma when the 1861 census took place. By 1871 he had 5 children aged 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 and a live-in servant.

William Langdon, currier and leather seller, was based in the High Street by 1874, and was recorded at no. 235 in the 1881 census. He had moved to Brentford from Hammersmith with his wife Isabelle and children. He remained here in 1891 and 1901, by which time he was 62.

In the 1909/10 Valuation no. 235 is described as a ‘terrace house and shop of three storeys – old property’. It was owned by William Langdon of Eastrey, Hampshire. There were two rooms with sloping ceilings on the top floor, two rooms on the first floor and a large shop on the ground floor, with a very long extension ‘old and built of brick and wood, comprising sitting room, kitchen, scullery and loft over'; a WC and old shed at the rear completed the property, which had a High Street frontage of 15’ 3”.

The next occupant was Daisy Brooks, draper, who is recorded at no. 235 in 1928 and 1933. She may have married as a Mrs D Evis, draper, is recorded here in a 1940 directory. Dee has kindly written up a charming newspaper article about Daisy Brooks and her drapery business, which we think appeared in a local newspaper in the 1960s, shortly before the property was demolished.

Number 236

In 1851 Frederick Cross, born Hackney and his wife Emma lived here, he was a clerk to a (tape?) maker.

Samuel Goddard, furniture dealer, born Isleworth, had settled here with his wife Frances (nee Goddard) and family by 1861 and the Goddards remained here until at least 1881. In 1881 Samuel Goddard, head of household, was 34 and presumably a descendant of the original SG. His occupation was ‘auctioneer’. Other Goddard descendants ran various local businesses into the C20.

By 1901 a coal and coke merchants was based here and the property was occupied by Richard Hitchens, manager. No. 236 was used by G K Cockerell & Co (incorporated with Rickett, Cockerell & Co Ltd), coal & coke merchants in 1913 and in 1928, 1933 and 1940 this was a hardware stores run by various members of the Miller family.

A bakery for over 50 years - number 237

Mrs Maria Taylor, baker and widow of John Donville Taylor, ran her bakery from here 1861, 1871. In 1872 Maria Sarah married William Grew and her son George took over; he remained running the business until his death in 1914. George had four daughters then two sons, John Donville (known as Jack) and Egbert Oliver. He married twice - to sisters named Foord from number 63. Egbert Oliver emigrated to America in 1907 and Jack moved to Brighton after his father’s death to run the Black Horse PH on Church Street, so the bakery business ceased shortly after George’s death.

One of George’s daughters remembered 237 as an old building, where you could see between the gaps in the wooden floorboards to the rooms below. At the time of the Valuation Returns (1910) the property is described as ‘a terrace house and shop of three storeys, top floor – 2 attics; first floor: 3 rooms; ground floor: shop, parlour, kitchen, old shed. Old bakehouse at the rear (now demolished). This property is undergoing extensive alterations & repairs and is being re-drained’.

In 1928 this was a ‘domestic stores’ run by Mrs Florence Mary Browning, in 1933 Robert Istead was running the stores and in 1940 this was an antiques shop run by Mrs Ella Turvill.

Kings, the Auctioneers - number 240

By 1901 no-one was living on the premises. The 1910 Valuation returns mention a small warehouse known as No. 239 at the side of no. 240 and a stable & harness room with loft over to the rear of 240. ‘This is an old property but in fair repair’. It had a back entrance from Albany Road and was owned by M J King at the time.

In a 1913 trade directory King & Son, auctioneers are listed at 239 & 240. Marshall King's death was registered in Brentford in 1917, aged 70 and by 1928 number 240 was Druce & Smith, bakers, who remained there in 1933 & 1940.

Number 241

In 1841 Charles White, butter dealer & presumably the same man, lived here. By 1851 the business was run by James Wilmot, ‘butterman’ who remained here in 1861, 1871, 1874. In 1881 Horace White, provision merchant, was living here, in 1890 Edward Albert Fricker, provision merchant & cheesemonger had taken over. Edward Albert Fricker married Sarah Gilbert in 1884: she was from the Gilbert family who ran a mineral water shop at no. 69 & the Rising Sun beerhouse at no. 68. Edward is listed at no. 241 in 1891, 1901 and 1913. By 1928 T Bradshaw & Co, corn merchants were running their business from here, listed also in 1933 but not 1940.

Number 245

A Samuel Goddard, umbrella maker, is included in the 1839 directory; by 1851 presumably the same man was living at number 246. In 1861 Mrs Eliza ‘Lungernot’ umbrella maker lived here, then in 1871 John Longenotto (in 1874 Longinotto), finally in 1881 Mrs Elizabeth Longinotto. The premises were subsequently used by a boot and shoe dealers (1890, 1891, 1901), Thomas Maddicks, blind maker in 1913 and then Mrs Newman, wardrobe dealer 1928 – 1940.

Photos/Ephemera/Maps

• 234 1909 advert W Langdon, boots & shoes (L)
• 234a late 1960s photo (S31)
• 235 1909 advert W Langdon, boots & shoes (L)
• 236 1909 advert George Cockerell & Co coal merchants (L); 1963 photo
• 237 1963 photo
• 238 1921/1922 adverts for Cowley Bros, coal merchants (L)
• 244 1935 (A49); 1909 advert J Perlmutter, watchmaker (L)
• 245 1935 (A49);
• 246 Brentford Tyre Service, 1935 (A49)
• 2006 photo showing this area (S31)
• New Spring Gardens 1950s (A49)
• Warning - download over 250k! 1839 Tithe map modern numbers 233 to 246 have tithe property refs 421 to 399
  
• Warning - download over 170k! 1894 OS Map annotated with house numbers
  

Roads Off

New Spring Gardens between numbers 246 and 247: the County Court was built on this site in the 1960s (A49)