Basics

People

Properties

Can You Help?

Roads Off

Janet's Research

Sources & More

Plans for Future Developments

New pages planned (as at June 2011)

• photos from books / maps from the Internet and books / photos sent to me with a photographer's name: need to sort out copyright first
• sample documents: now included with 'Lists', intend to add examples from each census
• newspaper articles: Janet McNamara has sent a number of cuttings about businesses, shops, adverts etc
• PCC will abstracts started in January 2007: over 35 included, lots to do
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), including hints and tips for research: material is being gathered, notes on parish register availability added in 2011
• notes on the 'great and good': Janet McNamara has forwarded her write-ups about a number of local movers and shakers; during 2010/2011 she has researched local councillors and the first 10 biographies have been added
• roads off: I have completed some research into four of the alleys in New Brentford, which run down to the river: Boar's Head Yard, Bradshaw's Yard, Catherine Wheel Yard, Plough Yard; an A-Z of roads, alleys off the High Street has been added and will provide links to new pages
• further development of the Occupations page: 30 occupations are now included, ones to add include beer retailer, schoolmaster/mistress, policeman, potter
• family photos: I have a bit of a backlog as photos take more time to prepare for the site than text
• as there are so many photos I would like to add categories such as 'School photos', 'Outings', 'VE Day Celebrations' so people are more likely to find what is of interest to them
• having accumulated many High Street photos I would like to provide links so it is possible to 'walk along the High Street', from photo to photo
• The property notes are based on my interpretation of census returns and other material; I would like to add 'vanilla' pages, to show the raw census data, so anyone can review my conclusions and draw their own; linked to this I would like to revisit the property notes so it is clearer why I have drawn certain conclusions
• other material waiting to be added includes lists of Brentford born men who served in the Army and who were discharged in the early to mid 1800s; 1801 and 1811 census summaries for Old Brentford (includes name of head of household)
• Facebook, Twitter - I am not not sure if they would be useful for this web site, what do you think?

Updates to property notes

A first pass of all 33 sections of the High Street was completed in March 2006. A spot check in June 2011 shows a third were updated in 2011, around a half in 2010 and the remainder earlier. On-going!

Adding 1911 census details is another big exercise, now underway, and during 2010/2011 more property notes have been prepared, so several sections of the High Street now have information for each property. The goal is to have property notes for all High Street properties, numbers 1 to 411.

The Holy Grail

Even better, to create versions from the 1840s through to the 1940s or later.

I claim copyright for this - June 29 2011!

Free look-ups

• Head of household information from 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901 and 1911 censuses of Brentford (typically this includes surname, forename occupation; sometimes I have added number in household, age of head, birthplace of head).
• I may have more details from the 1909/10 Valuation Records than is included in the property section pages.
• If I do not include information about your house number please get in touch, I will have notes of who lived there in each census and details from the 1909/10 Valuation as a minimum. So far I have concentrated on the properties where I am more confident of the position / number, or where there was a long running business, plus pubs, doctors, public buildings such as the fire and police stations, post offices - or where I know someone is already interested through making contact with me.
• If anything takes your interest in the 'New pages planned' section at the top then let me know, I am happy to share information before it goes on the site

Published October 2008; updated June 2011