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EDWARD GEORGE JONES 1891-1971

He lived in the family home until 1916 when he moved to 78 High Street, Brentford, this property was owned by the Gas Accumulator Company Limited. During World War One he joined the Royal Navy and served on the HMS Royal Oak, he returned to Brentford and the family business in 1918. His naval record number was 18659.

Edward George married Ada Caroline Hiatt in the early 1900's and they had three sons, Edward Charles George born 27th January 1912 (my father), Robert William born 28th December 1913, and Stanley Alfred born 6th June 1920. They were better known as Ted, Bob and Stan. Edward George was always recognisable on the road as he had a ruby red Austin car; he was very fond and very proud of it.

The family lived in 78 High Street, Brentford until 1930 when they brought Brent Haven, 5, Brent Road, Brentford from Sir George Seaton Buchannon. In the Rate Book records it shows the house consisting of both upper and lower flats and there was a garage rented from Brent Cottage owned by the Grand Union Canal Company.

After buying the property the upper flat was let out to W. M. Yates from 3rd July 1939 to 18th October 1939. The house remained in two flats and I presume it is after 1939 that Edward George’s spinster sister Evelyn (Eva) moved in. She remained there until the house was sold in 1958 or 1959.

The garden of the property went down to the River Brent and Grand Union Canal. There were stables in the garden behind the garage where the barge horses were kept. Employees of my grandfather remember having to go to the house to build a concrete air raid shelter in the garden during the war.

In the documents relating to the purchase of 5 Brent Road Edward’s occupation is listed as ‘barge builder’, so the company was building barges then although the records of this time are all hearsay and no papers exist to prove this except two photograph from 1923 and 1932 showing the Success and Intrepid.

In 1958 Edward George submitted plans to build a bungalow on the land where the garage for the property stood; this was adjacent to the house and meant taking about a third of the land from the road down the canal. The plans were eventually passed after several amendments and they moved into the bungalow in 1959.

After the decline of inland waterways as a form of transport my grandfather always believed that it would be revitalised and was the mode of transport that should be used to transport goods in the future. He wrote letters to the press and articles advocating this but it never happened, as we know.

Brent Haven was sold to the Philanthropic Society with the understanding that Eva could have a room in the house for the rest of her life if she needed it. The house name was changed to Brent Lodge.

My grandparents lived in the bungalow until their deaths, Ada Caroline in 1965 and Edward George in 1971.

Published October 2006