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From Town Meadow to Pump Alley, numbers 61 - 69 High Street, Old Brentford

This section on the southern side of the High Street includes two long standing businesses: a corn dealers and saddlers, also the Rising Sun PH. The properties backed on to Town Meadow Road.

Properties

Notes prepared for numbers 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67 and Rising Sun PH (68-9); also a list of photos, ephemera and maps

Number 61

The property on the western corner of Town Meadow. Corn and coal merchants lived here from 1841 through to 1901 (John Warne 1841 - 1871, John Dale 1881 - 1891, Mrs Bertha Dale 1901). See Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society Journal 2007 for an article 'The Bargemen of Brentford' by David Blomfield which mentions the Dale family.

The 1909/10 Valuation describes no. 61 as 'Old brick built and tiled building with stucco front, fair average repair'. It had a frontage of 26' to the High Street and consisted of two rooms on 2nd and 1st floors and a shop and room on the ground floor, with a yard and WC. It was owned by Henry Bott, WW Walker and Ernest Hill, trustees for Thomas Cunningham and had an annual rent of £50.

Number 61 is not listed 1913 onwards but a 1964 photo shows a building at this location. In the 1839/41 tithe return Thomas & L Rowe owned this and other nearby properties, including the Police Station at number 60.

Number 62

In 1841 John James headed a family including Eliza James, a teacher aged 29; she is listed as the occupier of this property (which was a house and yard owned by James Neill) in the tithe return 1839 / 1841 and the 1845 trade directory has an entry for Miss Eliza James, schoolmistress, Claremont House. I am not sure if Claremont House was no. 62 or if she taught at Claremont House elsewhere in the town. Eliza remained at no. 62 working as a governess in 1851 and 1861.Extracts from Brentford Local Board Minutes (thanks to Peter King) December 1880 refer to the "Competition for Sewage Scheme", stating that certain maps/plans can be viewed at the Surveyors Office 62, High St.

At the time of the 1881 census William Foord junior, house decorator (see Number 63) was at this address. An aunt Ann Bridge and cousin, Richard Bridge, were living with him.

Brentford Local Board Minutes September 1881 "Surveyor to make immediate arrangements for the taking of the whole of the house 62 High St of Mr Ford (their spelling) as offices for the Surveyor from Michaelmas next at the yearly rent of £26 "

Minutes January 1882 "necessary furniture for the new surveyors office 62 High St to be purchased by the surveyor with the approval of the Works Committee"

Minutes June 1882 "Goddard J Fittings for surveyors office £17.14.10. Studley Carpenters bill for repairs at surveyors office £11.19.0"

Minutes October 1887 " The notice to give up possession of the surveyors office (62 High Street) at Christmas next given by the surveyor was approved"

William Foord married Harriet Louisa Morrell, 1890, settled at her home in South Ealing Road.

In 1891 George Lewington, florist, was living at no. 62.

The 1909/10 Valuation (dated 7 Jan 1915) described no. 62 as a 'house, cottage and premises' with a right of way at the back to Town Meadow. The house was terraced and included a shop; it had attics, a first floor with two rooms, a ground floor and basement. It had a small garden overlooked at the back by a cottage in Town Meadow. 'This is very old property and the pointing is in very bad condition. At rear is a small cottage with two rooms downstairs and a loft upstairs'. The High Street frontage was 14'. There is a reference to a Mrs Taylor of High Street Brentford (sister of William Foord junior).

In the 1911 census no. 62 (6 rooms) was occupied by Mary Ann Brooks, a widow, and her family plus George Williams, a boarder, a dock labourer. Daisy Brooks, a daughter aged 26 was a dressmaker, 'on her own account', working from home.

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Number 63

William Foord, plumber, painter & decorator, then his sons William & Frederick, lived here from 1841 - 1891.

In 1865 a Mr Foord 'painted and embellished St George's Chapel at his own expense' (P). William Foord senior died in 1879 and his will mentions his copyhold premises at numbers 62, 63 & 64 High Street, also 'two copyhold cottages lying at the back of the same'. He left the running of the business to his sons William & Frederick.

His daughter, Ellen Foord, married George Taylor, a baker who lived and worked at no. 237, in 1874.

By 1901 James Clements, tug owner lived here. He was later to become Charter Mayor for Brentford.

The 1909/10 Valuation describes no. 63 as a terrace house and shop with 3 attics, two rooms and a slip room on the 1st floor, a shop, large parlour and large kitchen on the ground floor. There was a cellar under the shop and at the rear were stables for horses, a coachhouse and WC. The garden ran behind no. 64. There was also a store room with a loft over behind no. 64 and two exits to Town Meadow. 'This property is very dilapidated'. Mrs Sarah Taylor of High Street Brentford owned numbers 62, 63 & 64 and no. 63 had a High Street frontage of 16' 3".

In 1911 the census records no. 63 as a shop, no one lived there.

In 1913, 1920 and 1928 Richard Butfoy is recorded at this address in trade directories, as a wardrobe dealer (1913/20) and leather seller (1928). Thomas King is recorded at no. 63 in 1933; no reference to this address in a 1940 trade directory.

The properties numbered 62 - 64 had been demolished by 1964.

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Number 64

Owned by Mrs Parrott (or Perrott) when the tithe apportionment took place in 1840. John Sumner, a tailor, aged 15 (ie up to 19 in practice) occupied this property in 1841. He shared it with Rebecca Sumner, aged 25, Samuel Floyd or Lloyd and Ann Whyatt.

In 1851 the property appears to have been occupied by Stephen Hubbart, cowkeeper, his wife Amelia and a Margaret Sammen (Salmon, Sumner?), formerly a governess, aged 65.

Mrs Sarah Wilson, a widowed staymaker born in Cranbourne, Dorset, occupied no. 64 from 1861 to 1881. In 1861 she had two sons living with her, surname Warn. In 1881 a niece, Kate Warne born Islington, was living with her.

William Stidolph, a wholesale confectioner born Forest Hill, was living at no. 64 by 1891 with his wife Louisa and baby daughter Beatrice. He remained here in 1901 and the census confirms that he worked from his home. A younger daughter, Ethel Mary, lived at 104 High Street 20 years later.

The 1909/10 Valuation describes no. 64 as a 'terrace house and shop of three storeys' and 'very old property'. It was rented out at 9 shillings a week.

In 1911 no. 64 was a shop with living accommodation occupied by James Dennis Fulcher, furniture dealer, age 57 and family. Birthplaces indicate the Fulcher family moved from Wisbech to Chiswick before settling in Brentford. A son and daughter were factory hands at the Lyons factory, Cadeby Hall. Two visitors surname Tomkins were included in the household and no. 64 had 9 rooms.

Trade directories show James Fulcher, furniture dealer, at no. 64 in 1913; then George Chelton in 1920 and 1928. There is no reference to the property in directories for 1933 and 1940 but Christine wrote in October 2013 to say 'my Great Great Grandfather had a Bootmakers shop there. His name was Frederick William Lindley and his wife's name was Alice. Sadly I never met them'.

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Number 65

Owned by Mrs Parrott (or Perrott) when the tithe enumeration took place in 1840.

Saddlers/harness makers lived here from 1851 - 1940 (Robert Fox from 1851 - 1871, Frederick W Stone 1881, Frederick G Remnant from 1891 - 1940); LMA has a file dated 1918 which refers to 65 High Street and the Jersey family (I).

In the 1909/10 Valuation 'Terrace house and shop of three floors, old property but in fair condition.' It had an 18' frontage to the High Street.

• Top floor: 2 attics
• 1st floor: 2 rooms
• Ground floor: shop, parlour, kitchen, WC, outside washhouse.

In 1911 Frederick George Remnant was 54, a widower, harness maker, born Petworth Sussex. Living with him was a sister Ellen Maria Remnant (single), son Percy James 27, a harness maker, and Freda, 23, both children were born in Brentford. The property had 6 rooms.

Frederick George Remnant, saddler, 65 High Street was included in trade directories for 1914, 1926, 1931, 1933, 1937 & 1940.

Beverly wrote in August 2011 'I was born here in 1960 and we moved in 1968 when the building was demolished.' See below for a link to a 1945 photo.

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Number 66

One of three properties (66, 67 & 68) owned by 'Charity Neads' at the tithe apportionment 1840. Occupancy in 1841, 1851 & 1861 is uncertain. In 1871 & 1881 John Hopkin, a tailor born in Melksham, Wiltshire, lived here with his local wife Martha.

James Harris, a general labourer born Dudley Worcestershire, lived here in 1891 and 1901.

The 1909/10 Valuation showed nos. 66 - 69 owned by the brewers, Fuller, Smith & Turner and notes that no. 66 was 'old premises pulled down. On the site now stands an office and very small yard.'.

There is no reference to no. 66 in the 1913 trade directory, but by 1920 numbers 66 & 67 were used by the Isleworth Coal Co. (incorporated with Spencer Whatley Ltd). Spencer Whatley, coal merchants, were recorded at 66 & 67 in 1933, but no ref to 66/67 is made in the 1940 directory.

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Number 67

See notes under no. 66. In the tithe apportionment and 1841 census the occupier seems likely to be Joseph Bradley, lath render. Occupancy in 1851 is unclear - there are no households recorded between those in numbers 65 & 68.

In 1861 an Irish family lived here: Thomas Hutchinson, a tin man born Queens County, wife Ellen and unmarried 'daughter-in-law' Eliza See(?): both born Limerick.

Thomas Hughes from Galway Ireland, a bell hanger, lived at no. 67 in 1871 with his wife Bridget (born Liverpool) and son Thomas (aged 18 born Westminster). Thomas remained here in 1881, married but no wife recorded in the census: he was a 'tin plate worker' and shared the property with George Martin (soap refiner) and his wife Julia.

The 1890 directory describes Thomas Hughes as a 'china riveter'; the following year's census as a 'tin smith, neither employer nor employed (he worked on his own). He had married Ann from Kent by 1891.

In 1901 John Perkins, general labourer was recorded at no. 67; he was married to Elizabeth and had a three week old daughter Louisa. His widowed father Robert Perkins completed the household, which occupied just four rooms.

On 30 April 1909 the 1909/10 Valuation recorded no. 67 was a 'cottage' but presumably it was demolished not long after as the description refers to notes for no. 66.

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Rising Sun PH (68-9)

In the 1839/41 tithe return the occupiers of number 68 & 69 were William Westbrook & John Hope, both properties being owned by Charity Neads.

In the 1841 census William Westbrook appears as a beerhouse keeper at no. 68, aged 65 (he could have been as old as 69, as ages were rounded down in this census). From the 1851 census through to 1901 the Gilbert family is listed at no. 68 and 69 as beer retailers, mineral water manufacturers, ginger beer manufacturers.

The 1909/10 Valuation for no. 68/9 notes 'premises now demolished and new building erected'.

Christopher Edwin Stuart succeeded the Gilberts by the time of the 1911 census. In 1911 he was 41, a beer seller, had been married 16 years and his wife Elizabeth Jane had had 9 children, 7 surviving. There were four daughters and a son still at home, aged 1 to 15. A widowed uncle William Stewart was living with the family, age 69, his birthplace of Marsham Norfolk giving a clue as to the Stewart family's origins. Local girl Nellie Lacey, a servant aged 17, completed the household.

In 1920 Albert E Freeman was the landlord, in 1928 Mrs Ann E Freeman, then L E Bisshop in 1933.

Doreen Lee (nee Priest) wrote in 2008 thought you maybe interested in my grandfather George Diggins, he was the publican of the Rising Sun pub in Brentford high street, 1934 till some time during the war and Its nice to know that the Rising Sun pub is still there, it was going to be pulled down, I took a photo the other day, and compared it to the old one, wow, it hard to believe the two. .

'Fat Boys' Thai Restaurant in 2003 (L).

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Photos/Ephemera/Maps

Links are included below to some photos, ephemera or maps accessible on this site. There may be additional photos on the site - suggest you check the Properties - photos link (the navigation area to the left).

References such as '1899 (X11)' indicate the date of a photo (1899) and where it is published (X11). Details of 'X' are available: see Mainly paper sources page; '11' refers to the page no, or photo no. in the publication.

Photos

61: 1945 (H)

62: 1964 photo of site (Chiswick Library)

63: 1896 Advert for Foord (L); 1964 photo of site (Chiswick Library)

64: 1964 photo of site (Chiswick Library)

65: 1945(H); 1964 photo (Chiswick Library

68 & 69: 1960s photo of the Rising Sun (Y98)

66 - 69: early 1900s (A44)

General view from no. 61 onwards, early 1900s (S25), also on this site

Maps

Roads Off

Town Meadow Road between numbers 60 & 61

Pump Alley between numbers 69 and 70

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Published by 2008; last updated October 2013