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From 297 to 318 High Street, Old Brentford

There are 24 houses recorded in the 1851 census between St George’s Court and Drum Lane, but by the time of numbering in 1876 just 22 house numbers were allocated. I am reasonably confident that the extra households lie between numbers 305 (Sanders) and 316 (butchers – O’Hara) and have added two properties to accommodate these in census returns pre-1881, numbers 309-1 and 309-2 (they don’t feature below but will crop up in the name indexes).

Several members of the Sanders family lived in this stretch from the time of the tithe return through to the 1940 directory from a hundred years later. See notes under numbers 303 to 307 and also the Sanders family page.

Properties

Notes prepared for numbers 297,298-300, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308-312, 312a, 313, 315, 316 and The Red Lion (318); also a list of photos, ephemera and maps

Numbers 297

By 1881 Mrs Amy Wills, midwife lived here followed by Henry Harris, coachbuilder & wheelwright (1890). See Pauline Tate's notes on the Harris family. He too had moved on by the time of the 1891 census and George Hearn, coffee house keeper lived here with his wife and son.

The property was used as a greengrocers for the next 40 or so years, run by John Powell (1901), Arthur Lord (1913).

In the Valuation January 1915: a semi detached house and shop with passage way to George Court on the flank.

• Top floor: 2 rooms
• 1st floor: 2 rooms
• Ground floor: shop, parlour, old washhouse, WC. Small yard

In 1928, 1933 John William Hancock (greengrocer) and Mrs J W Hancock in 1940.

Numbers 298-300

A Howard is listed as living here from as early as 1861, when 35 year old Daniel Howard, whitesmith employing 1 man was at (as far as I can make out) no. 298. Next door at 299 was William Prebble, beershop keeper. By 1871 299 was occupied by a farrier/wheelwright Joseph Meakes (hence the reference to the forge in the Valuation Return?). By 1890 Daniel Howard & Son ran their ironmongers business from numbers 298 & 299, to be succeeded by Henry T Howard in 1891 & 1901.

Before becoming part of the Howard empire, number 300 was used by John Lightfoot, glass cutter (1861), Benjamin King, writer & (en?)graver (1871), George William Reeves, who is described variously as a carpenter, builder & undertaker in 1881, 1890 & 1891.

After the Howard Ironmongers era, no. 300 was ‘Chipperfields, Upholsterers’ Sundries’ (Official Guide ca 1953).

Number 302

Number 303

In the 1841 census George Winter, barge master lived here. Vicki Powys points out a possible connection to Joseph Winter, also a barge master who lived at no. 258 in 1841, aged 45 (to 49).

Number 303 was occupied by William Henry Sanders, agent and tax collector in 1851 and 1861, then his widow Caroline in 1871 – 1891. William was one of George’s sons: see the Sanders family page for more information about this family, which is being researched by two descendants, Fiona Sheehan who has been in touch since the early days of this project, and Vicki Powys, who has been in contact during 2007.

In the 1909/10 Valuation the property was owned by a Mrs Kate S Saunders of 77 Argyle Road, West Ealing and let at 10 shillings (50 pence) a week. Kate S Saunders was the daughter of William H Sanders, Kate having married William Christopher Saunders.

John Walker writes ‘My mother, Doris May Walker (nee Puzey), born 1921 grew up in Brentford (11 Sussex Place and then 55 Albany Road).’ The Halford family lived at no. 303 in 1930. My mother ‘remembers Connie Halford as a friend (born circa 1920). Connie had a sister, Eileen, possibly younger.’

I replied 'John Halford was at no. 303 in the 1928 trade directory, nobody was recorded here in 1933 and 1940 and I'd assumed the house was not lived in: it looks as if it suffered damage by the time the photo was taken in 1945/6. I haven't come across any other Halfords living on the High Street.'

See Photos/Ephemera/Maps for a link to a 1945/6 photo of this property.

Number 304

Edwin Sanders, who was born at no. 305, lived here in 1891, when he was a clerk heading a household of eight. His wife Clara Ann (nee Heath) was from Windsor originally and was a schoolmistress in a private school in 1891.

‘304 High Street, Mrs E W Sanders, private school’ (1913 trade directory). The owner and occupier at the time of the 1909/10 Valuation Record was E W Saunders. Their son Alfred Wilson Sanders continued to live here (1928, 1933 and 1940 trade directories). See the Sanders family page for more information about this family.

See Photos/Ephemera/Maps for a link to a 1945/6 photo of this property.

Number 305

According to his descendant, Fiona Sheehan, George died on 28 May 1881 shortly after the census. He is almost certainly the son of the George Sanders who owned properties in this area and who lived at no. 307. See the Sanders family page for more information about this family.

John Walker (see no. 303) writes ‘The Haywood family lived there circa 1930. My mother remembers a Lily Haywood as a school friend.’

Trade directories from 1928 and 1933 confirm William Joseph Haywood was at this address. Nobody was recorded here in the 1940 trade directory. There was an old greenhouse to the rear of no. 305 when the 1909/10 Valuation took place.

In 1933 there were a couple of other Haywoods at High Street addresses: David at no. 1 near Kew Bridge Road and Francis, a hairdresser, at no. 335 on the corner of Moore's Alley. There are earlier references to the name (and Hayward) on the High Street.

See Photos/Ephemera/Maps for a link to a 1945/6 photo of this property.

Number 306

Edward Sales or Scales (the census entry shows Edward Sales and Charlotte Scales, his wife), a coachman, born Lingfield Surrey, lived here in 1881.

In 1890 William John Dawes, basket maker lived here. He is recorded here in census and trade directories up to 1940 and is remembered by a descendant of the Sanders family.

See Photos/Ephemera/Maps for a link to a 1945/6 photo of this property.

Number 307

In 1871, 1874, 1881 & 1891 this was a beerhouse run by George Clifford Pearce. The 1909/10 Valuation returns describe it as owned by Harman & Co, who also owned no. 306, occupied by Albert T? Pearce and described as a ‘brick built tiled & slated beerhouse. Old ...dilapidated sheds & stables in yard’ formerly sold in 1898. It was called the ‘Alexandra’ but there is a note dated February 1913 ‘not now licenced’. In 1913 (directory) Walter Sturgeon, beer retailer lived here (the directory was presumably complied in 1912). William T Dawes lived here in 1928 & 1933. Not listed in 1940.

Numbers 308-312

Number 312a

The 1871 census names the archway entrance as Bowdens Gateway.

Number 313

The property was used by Walter Voysey, florist, according to an 1890 directory, but he may not have lived here as no, 313 was unoccupied when the 1891 census took place.

In 1901 George Payne, born Kilburn, a hairdresser, lived here with wife Sarah and two infants.

No. 313 was described as a ‘shop, stables, house and premises’ when valued ca 1909/10; it was owned by William Lee of 73 Bell Street, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire. It had a frontage of 22’ to the High Street plus an archway 10’ 8” wide and was rented:

• Shop £22 p.a.
• Stable £12
• Room over arch £10
• Cottage pays no rent

It was a terrace house and shop of 3 storeys: Ground floor: small shop, side room with frontage to High Street, old kitchen and 1 room. That part of building which is over the archway let separately, contains 2 attics on the top floor, 2 rooms on the first floor, also a washhouse. Old stables at rear with accommodation for about 15 horses. To let.

One of the attics runs over no. 314 by about 4’. Small advertising station on front wall of 313. This is very old property, is dilapidated and in a very dirty condition.

Walter Hopkins, ironmonger, is recorded here in 1913 and also in 1928 and 1933 with no occupation. The 1940 trade directory has no references to properties numbered 310 – 317 inclusive, suggesting they were empty or demolished.

Number 315

Catherine Gregge is recorded at no. 315 in 1871 and in an 1874 trade directory as a stationer. In 1881 her step son Henry, who was a butcher’s assistant in 1861, was running the business with his wife Alice Maud Mary nee Frost. (There were Frosts living with the Gregge family in earlier censuses).

By 1890 the Gregges had moved away and James Lockley, dairyman born in Ipswich, Suffolk had moved here with his wife and 10 children (aged 6 months to 14 years in the census in 1891).

In 1901 John W Osborne, a widowed confectioner born in Hull is recorded at no. 315 with three children, including Tom S, aged 20, a dairyman. There is a photo of John, possibly his daughter Margaret, a lad and a small child (D22) from the early 1900s; the caption states the first reference to the Osborne’s dairy was in 1897 and the family owned the property until 1931.

The 1909/10 Valuation indicates the owner was William Lee of 73 Bell Street, Henley on Thames: he also owned numbers 313 and 314 and stabling behind these properties.

Number 315 was described as ‘a house shop and premises, frontage 14’ 8”, rental £20 p.a.’ It was a terrace house and shop of 3 storeys. It had 2 attic rooms, 2 rooms on the first floor and a small shop, kitchen, washhouse and coachhouse (should this be coalhouse?) on the ground floor. It was an ‘old property’ and had a stable at the rear with a loft over. There was an entrance from Lee Yard. ‘The stable is not used by the tenants of 315 but is used by 316 as a means of access to his back premises – he pays an amount for its use.’

Trade directories list John William Osborne, corn dealer (1913) and grocer (1928). There is no reference to no. 315 in trade directories for 1933 & 1940.

Number 316

In the 1909/10 Valuation Returns the property is described as a terraced house and shop of 3 storeys, with a frontage of 27’ 5” (most High Street shops had a frontage of 11’ – 15’). William Lee was the leaseholder & the lease expired in 1924 – he paid a rent of £40 per annum. ‘Although this property is very old and is constructed of brick and wood with a tiled roof it is in very fair repair.’ One room on the top floor and one room on the first floor of number 317 are over the shop of the property. There was a slaughter house to the rear.

Frederick William Jones, butcher, had his business here in 1913, 1928 & 1933. Not listed in the 1940 trade directory.

The Red Lion (318)

Landlords include:

• Mrs Elizabeth Saunders (1839, 1841, 1851)
• Charles Loader (1861)
• George C Banks junior (1871)
• James Tarling (1881): probably the James Tarling who was a police inspector in 1871 & 1874)
• Oliver Damp (1890)
• Sam Smith, who was born in Thurmaston, Leicestershire (1891)
• Miss Maria South from Southwark (1901)
• Walter Hamblen (1913, 1928, 1933): presumably a relative of the Walter Hamblin who ran the Prince of Wales at no. 346 in the 1870s/1880s
• Frederick George Caffyn (1940)

The 1909/10 Valuation Returns describe it as:
A public house & premises (including forge) frontage 50’.
Owner: Fuller, Smith & Turner, copyhold.
Term: yearly, 1 months notice, rent £160.

‘Well & substantially built modern brick & tiled Public House with return frontage to Ealing Road on 3 floors, Front and flank elevations part stone. Built 1906. Called to inspect 20 Aug 1914 after notice passed but could not go over.’

Gross value: £5000.

The Red Lion was demolished in 1965 (A34) and rebuilt on the opposite corner of Ealing Road (A34, Q62)

Photos/Ephemera/Maps

Roads Off