History of Church Street

A HISTORY OF CHURCH STREET, NEW SHOREHAM 1782–1920

Due to its predominance of surviving older properties Church Street is probably the best known of Shoreham’s old streets. Luckily this is also matched by the records and deeds that still exist to provide us with a more complete picture than any of the other streets.

 

Nevertheless, it has not been possible to identify occupiers in Church Street for some of the years – a particular problem area was for numbers 2 to 16, mainly for 1861 and 1871 almost certainly due to more than one household or family at one address – and where this happens the occupants for those years have simply been omitted rather than take an educated guess. To help identify the site of each building and original plot of land the 1782 Survey map has been overlaid on a modern map and street or property numbers are included in each section with their descriptions.

 

Photo author

 

If you can manage to ignore the vehicles that nowadays seem to be parked permanently both sides along its length the street looks much as it did one hundred and fifty years ago. However, a good many of the houses are of course much older and if you go back over two hundred years ago then some parts of the street would have looked different and even had trees which this research may help to describe. Fascinating though the history of the houses and other buildings in our town may be to us it is the people that built, owned and lived in them that helped to make that history – real people living out real lives within walls that absorbed the sounds of their voices and their touch as they passed by, the same walls that we can still see and touch today.

ChurchSt
The Church Street section of the 1782 Survey Map (red) overlaid on a modern map (the older map was not precise and the buildings on it do not always exactly match the modern map details)

 

West Side of Church Street from South to North

 

Numbers 1 to 7 (Survey number 38)

 

Number 1

 

The land covered by survey number 38 in 1782 did not actually include 1 Church Street but was in fact part of Ann Foster’s property in the High Street on the south-west corner of Church Street. However, its history is almost totally tied to its neighbour at number 3 and is therefore included here.

 

This is a small, two-storey building which had, until 2017, a ground floor bay window that indicates its use as a shop in years gone by as well as in more recent times. It stands on land that stretched from the corner of Church Street round and along the High Street including what is now the Co-operative store. Owned by Ann Foster in 1780, the site now covered by No.1 was for many years an access way from Church Street into the land behind the High Street houses and when it was eventually built upon there was only sufficient space for a ‘one up – one down’ building. It still has an access passageway from the street to the rear that is now only man-sized with the top storey of the building being built over it.

 

The town maps of 1782 and 1789 still show this access way but by 1818 it is shown as having been built over. Ownership at that time and the original builder is not apparent from records but in 1827 Barruch Blaker is shown as the occupant. Constantine Dowley then purchased the property and probably enlarged or rebuilt it, possibly as an extension to his house initially at number 3 next door, his initials ‘CD’ still appear on a stone in the wall at the rear of the number 1 together with a year of 1837. Dowley was then a 50 year old Customs Officer, later a Coastguard, and in 1861 at the age of 80 still appeared in the street records. After Constantine his son, Thomas Dowley, lived there with his wife and brother using part of the house as a carpenters shop. Constantine’s sister in law, Catharine Morley a spinster, was in occupation for a while in the 1850’s when she carried on a small laundering business there with Mary Sains. Thomas Dowley inherited the properties at numbers 1 and 3 at which time Oliver Kerridge, a 72 year old widower carried on a sweetshop at no.1 in the 1860’s and 70’s followed in 1881 by the widow Maria McKiernon who used the premises for her dressmaking business.

 

CDNo1
Dowley’s 1837 stone Photo author

 

 

The 1901 census reveals just how crowded this small house would have been then but even more so some years later as one of the Bennett family recalled living in that small cottage during the 1920/30’s with her seven brothers and sisters as well as her mother and father. Even then the downstairs room was divided into two and the front was used by her crippled father, a cobbler, as his shop and workshop. The back part of the room housed a huge cooking range leaving very little room for the family to eat in. Most of the family slept in the main bedroom and every night two of the sons had to hoist their father by rope pulleys up into the space in the loft where he slept.

 

The records from 1841 onwards are:-

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1841 Thos. Dowley 25 Builder (carpenter shop)

Mary Dowley 21

Robert Dowley 21 Shipwright

C.Dowley
1851 Catharine Morley unmarried 57 Employed in mangling

Mary Sains Widow 50 Laundress

Jemima Sains 10 Scholar

C.Dowley
1866/71 Oliver Kerridge, 72, (Census)Widower, Retailer of sweets and confectionery Thomas Dowley
1881 Maria McKiernon Widow 65 Dressmaker & fancy shop Eliza M. Young 18 Niece Assistant

Clara Tipper 64 Lodger Annuitant

?
1891 Florence A.M. Dean 80 Shopkeeper(general shop) W.R.Horrocks
1901 Osman C.Ward(Confectioner) (Rates)

Richard J.J.Sharp 25 Labourer (Brickmakers)

Rosa 20 Wife

Richard 2 Son

Henry 11mths Son

Harry Best 20 Boarder, Labourer (Brickmakers)

George E.Sharp 17 Boarder, Labourer (Brickmakers)

E.Sayers
1911/20 Horace Hugh Bennett, bootmaker E.Sayers

 

Number 3

 

Built around 1806 by Thomas Morley after George Brown sold off his land (as described later in number 5), Morley occupied the premises from at least 1807 until 1837 when on his death, ownership passed briefly to his daughter Catherine, then it was acquired by Constantine Dowley, a customs officer and Catherine’s brother in law. Constantine was living round the corner in the High Street next door to the Glazebrook’s butcher shop in the building that has since been replaced by the Co-op store. He had also recently purchased number 1 Church Street and continued to provide accommodation for Catherine there although during its 19th century life this house did see service as a shop in the late 1840s and again in 1881 as a confectioners.

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1841 Catharine Morley 44 Independent

John Brown 25 Hair Dresser

William Oliver 60 School Master

Mary Oliver 55

Ellen Oliver 25

Sarah Duke 10

Tom Duke 7

Con. Dowley
1851 Constantine Dowley 70 Superannuated Customs Officer Con. Dowley
1861 Constantine Dowley 80 Superannuated Coastguard

Susan Dowley 77 Wife

Kate Dowley 19 Granddaughter

Catharine Morley unmarried 68 Sister

Sarah Luff 70 Lodger, Farmer’s wife

Constantine Dowley
1871 ? Thos. Dowley
1881 John Bridger 38 Groom & Confectionery shop

Ellen Bridger 53 Wife

Annie Tolland 10 Boarder, Scholar

Thomas King 27 Lodger, Baker’s assistant

?
1891 Alfred Greenyer (Rates)

(Census = Not slept in on night of the 5th April)

W.H. Harker
1901 A.Coles (Rates)

Wallace E.Wimble 28 General Labourer

Alice 21 Wife

Amelia 1 Daughter

Harker
1911 Mary Agnes Reeves Miss Harker
1920 Alexander Bailey  

 

Number 5

 

5
Number 5 Photo author

 

This is the oldest building on this piece of land and is the one described as a tenement and backyard in the 1782 Survey and map. Owned then by George Brown, a shipwright, until 1807 after which he moved to Rotherhithe as a shipbuilder. During Brown’s ownership the building was rented by Thomas Mearsh, an Officer based at the Customs House further up the street, from 1782 to 1790; Henry Partington, later to become a Collector for the Customs, from 1790 to 1795 and lastly by the Rev Robert Briggs who subsequently became the vicar at Lancing until his death shortly after in 1808.

 

William Clegram, the Surveyor of Works at Shoreham Harbour, acquired the property after Brown had left Shoreham and is shown living there until 1827 when he let the house to William Weir. Subsequent owners and occupiers are detailed below and include the Glazebrook family who ran a butcher’s shop just round the corner at 20 High Street and rented a slaughterhouse in nearby Middle Street. Their prolific patriarch, John Glazebrook sired at least 12 offspring that we know of and having acquired the Church Street premises in the 1840’s then installed various of his family to live in and sub-let part of it to the Englishes, a branch of the ropemaking family who had their business in West Street and who also founded the renowned Englishes Oyster Bar in Brighton. John Glazebrook junior was in residence with his family in 1871 later to be replaced by his father who spent his last years there, all this time the family had continued their butchers’ business at the same shop in the High Street.

 

W.H.Harker was a subsequent owner of this house and simultaneously of number three next door as well, he was Shoreham’s well-known corn dealer and ironmonger who had his shop at the western end of the High Street and corn store in West Street, the latter of which subsequently became the dairy. Did he have plans to make the Church Street houses into more of his shops? – if he did they never came to anything. In the 1890’s it was used briefly as a lodging house then a pub under the name of ‘The Farmers Arms.’ The most outstanding period of its history was at the turn of that century when the building was chosen to house the town’s first telephone exchange and later became a post office.

 

Year Occupiers Owners
1827 Wm. Weir William Clegram
1831/33 Robert Weir William Clegram
1835/38 William. Oliver William Clegram
1841/46 William Oliver William Oliver
1851 James Glazebrook John Glazebrook
1856 W. English

Miss Glazebrook

John Glazebrook
1861 Miss Glazebrook (Rates)

William English (Census) 43 Coal merchant & Ropemaker

Harriet 43 Wife

William 20 Son, Master sailmaker

Thomas 18 Son Ropemaker

Edmund 14 Son Scholar

George 12 Son Scholar

Eliza 10 Daughter Scholar

Harriet 8 Daughter Scholar

Ellen 6 Daughter Scholar

John 1 Son

John Glazebrook
1866 Miss Glazebrook

Mrs Craig

John Glazebrook
1871 John Glazebrook 46 Master butcher

Susan 43 Wife

John 17 Son, Assistant

Gregory 14 Son, Scholar

Fanny 12 Daughter, Scholar

William 10 Son, Scholar

Kate 8 Daughter, Scholar

Ernest 4 Son, Scholar

Carrie Dolton 18 General Servant

(and Rates include George Bagley as the second householder)

John Glazebrook
1881 John Glazebrook (Senior) 79 Butcher

Alfred 34 Son Railway porter

Elizabeth Cragg 18 Granddaughter, Housekeeper

Caroline Grigson 16 Domestic

John Glazebrook
1891 Alan H. Hack 52 Mariner (Steward)

Jane 53 Wife

Annie E 16 Daughter Pupil teacher

Daisy E 4 Daughter

The census shows the house as the ‘Farmer’s Arms’ and in addition a second group of householders are included:-

Mercy Sedgewick 35 Nurse (sick)

Louisa Waddington 45 Visitor

W. H. Harker
1901 Francis E.Hughes 47 Carpenter (Telephone Co. Exchange, Farnborough House)

Edith 43 Wife

Daisy 18 Daughter/Telephone Operator

Gordon 15 Son/Baker’s Apprentice

Barnaby 14 Son/Tailor’s Apprentice

Gladys 11 Daughter

Roland 8 Son

Dorris 5 Daughter

Bessie 3 Daughter

Harker?
1911 Telephone Co G.J. Harker
1920 Post Office  

 

Number 7

 

Two buildings stood on the plot where the Co-op store goods entrance is now which in 1782 was also owned by George Brown. He sold this off to the Trustees of the Countess of Huntingdon’s Estate in 1812 after he had moved to Rotherhithe and the buildings are mentioned in the sale as “……. two several buildings lately standing one of which was lately used as a Custom House and the other as a warehouse.” It is not generally known that there was a Custom House on this site and these buildings can be clearly seen on the 1782 map (between numbers 5 and 9) which were quite small compared with the later Custom House further up the street. Additionally, further confirmation is provided in the description of John Roberts’ land matching the Survey number 37 in the Land Tax Assessment for 1790 which mentions the existing Custom House and the residents of numbers 9 and 11 but also the ‘Old Custom House.’

 

The chapel was subsequently built on this plot, later becoming the Star Cinema and was eventually absorbed into the Co-op premises. Although the top part of the wall fronting the street was removed the remainder was retained, re-rendered and the new windows and door installed in the same position as the originals.

 

chapel
This enlarged section of a 1920’s aerial photograph gives some idea of how the chapel looked Photo Marlipins Museum

 

These premises are simply recorded in the rates records as ‘Star Chapel’ or ‘Protestant Chapel’ from 1827 (it’s full title was in fact Protestant Free Chapel) until 1911 when W.E. Winton became the owner and by 1920 was known as the ‘Star Cinema Picture Palace.’ The census does not show any details and, as a ‘void’ premises, the rates records did not include it when it was a chapel.

 

Numbers 9 to 17 (Survey Number 37)

 

Originally, all the land from number 7 up to and including 25 was part of the Chantry land in the town, which up to 1549 had been an ancient church-owned land.

 

Numbers 9 & 11

 

If you view these two houses from the opposite side of the road you will have a good idea of how much of 18th century Shoreham would have looked before the fashionable, but less interesting, rendering of external walls in Victorian times. It is thought that in 1697 the earlier building set back behind a courtyard (still visible in black rendering on the external south end wall of number 9) was the Custom’s store but by 1740 the site belonged to the Fosters, a prominent Shoreham family of the time who built on to the original store to create the two properties we can see today. With walls faced with sea washed flints set in lime mortar the upper, middle window of number nine has been filled in – presumably as a result of the window tax of the 18th and 19th centuries.

 

9-11
No’s 9 & 11 A computer produced adaptation of a sketch of number 11 by John Elbro

 

The owners are shown as George, John & Mary Roberts in 1782 then John Pelham Roberts in 1788. Although no longer owning the property Mrs Ann Foster still lived at number 9 up until her death in 1805 aged 81 when ownership had by then passed to Hannah Roberts. Hannah was the daughter of John Roberts the Collector of Customs at New Shoreham and herself subsequently lived there from 1807 until her death in 1837. Henry Butler became the owner of number 11 in 1795 no doubt influenced by his marriage to Ann Roberts, Hannah’s sister the year before. Sadly Ann died in 1796 and subsequently Henry spent more time at sea letting the house out to his nephew John Butler junior in 1801, a William Symonds up to 1810 then his own son Henry before returning to the house after his second marriage. Henry, better known as Harry, was the mate on the Revenue cutter ‘Hound’ and brother of Captain John Butler who lived at number 22. Harry and later his descendants continued to occupy their house right up to the 20th century. A notable owner and occupier of number 9 was William Winton who in the early 1900’s also owned the Star Cinema next door at number 7 and was the organiser of many of Shoreham’s fairs, carnivals and markets.

 

winton
Winton’s advertisement mentioning the chapel hall (he also lived for a short while at number 8 Church Street before moving across the road to number 11)

 

 

Number 9

 

Year Occupier Owner
1827/35 Miss Roberts Miss Roberts
1838 John Ulwins(?) Miss Roberts
1841 John Durrant 44 Dissenting Minister (probably the minister for Star Chapel)

Susannah Durrant 45

Charles Carpenter 44 Dissenting Minister

Priscilla Carpenter 53

Mrs. Roberts
1846 J.B.Skidder J.Roberts
1851 James B. Shiddon 36 Beerhouse keeper

Ann 34 Wife

Rebecca Daughter Scholar

Mathew 6 Son

Harvey 4 Son

Ann 2 Daughter

Rebeca Harvey 59 Mother in law

James Maybank 56 Superannuated Coastguard

Catharine 54 Wife

Rev. M. Good
1856 Barge (Beershop) Rev’d Good
1861 James Edwin Page 57 Tailor

Harriett 43 Wife

Thomas 23 Son Ship’s carpenter

Charles 19 Son Blacksmith

Elizabeth 15 Daughter Domestic

George 12 Son Scholar

Ann 10 Daughter Scholar

Louisa Lashman 42 Schoolmistress

Richard Lillywhite 69 Lodger, Gardener

Woolford
1866 James E. Paige Woolford *
1871 James E.Paige 67 Tailor

Harriett 63 Wife

Elizabeth 25 Daughter Unemployed domestic

Charles 27 Son Bricklayer

Emily 7 Granddaughter

Sarah 1 Granddaughter

Ann Drury 54 Lodger Schoolmistress

Mrs. Helford *
1881 Empty ?
1891 Mary Elphick 61 Widow

Charles Farley 23 Grocer’s assistant

Albert Hinkley 23 Grocer’s assistant

The latter two are referred to as boarders and a second household is also shown:-

Thomas Bannister 36 General Labourer

Annie 27 Wife

J. E. Brown 1
1901 Jane Gray 47 Widow

Edward 20 Son./Butcher

Rose 18 Daughter/Scullery Maid, Domestic

Charles 16 Son/Baker’s Assistant

Lily 13 Daughter/Nurse Girl

Thomas Maynard 52 Pilot/Master of Steam Dredger

Jane Maynard 47 Sister

J. E. Brown 1
1911 W. E. Winton W. E. Winton
1920 W.E. Winton, Bill Poster ?

* Possibly spelling errors by the clerk entering the details and perhaps one and the same person.

1 Almost certainly John Ellman Brown

 

Number 11

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1827/38 Henry Butler Henry Butler
1841 Henry Butler 71 Messenger

Mary Butler 70

Jane Butler 35

John Butler 18 Tailor

Samuel Butler 10

Elizabeth Puttick 73

Ann Greenwood 26 Milliner

Mary Greenwood 2

Henry Butler

 

 

Scullery
The scullery in number 11 showing the 1830’s range and in the corner the copper for boiling clothes Photo author

 

1851 Henry Butler 83 Superannuated Army Officer

Mary 78 Wife

Richard 52 Son Painter& Glazier

Henry Butler
1856 Henry Butler (jun) Henry Butler
1861 Henry Butler 65

Mary 65 Wife

Henry 33 Son Journeyman Butcher

John 31 Son Labourer

Mary Jane 24 Daughter

Alfred 19 Son Grocer’s Assistant

Georgiana Ratcliffe 14 Granddaughter Scholar

Ann Drury 44 Lodger Schoolmistress

Henry Butler
1871 Henry Butler 75 Widower Retired Tea dealer

Ellen Ratcliffe 48 Widowed daughter, Housekeeper

Henry 46 Son Grocer & Tea dealer

John 44 Son Shipyard labourer

Ema 34 Daughter General servant

Alfred 32 Son General labourer

Henry Butler
1881 Henry Butler 57 Gardener at Swiss Gardens

Ellen Ratcliff 58 Sister Widow

John Butler 55 Brother Coal labourer

Emma Butler 45 Sister

Alfred Butler 42 Brother Journeyman Baker

Henry Butler
1891 William Butler 70 Army pensioner

Henry Butler 66 General labourer

Emma Butler 55 Sister Charwoman

William Butler
1901 Albert Sawyer 31 Harnessmaker

Bessie 30 Wife

Miriam 4 Daughter

Henry Penfold 26 Bricklayer’s Labourer

George Cook 30 Carpenter

W.A. Gates
1911 Albert Sawyers W.A. Gates
1920 C.H. Pope, printer ?

 

Numbers 13 to 17 (consisting of the northern end of Survey number 37)

 

13 to 17 Church Street

 

Prior to the 1850’s this area of land housed what was probably a 16th century set of buildings of substantial size arranged on three sides around a square courtyard or garden with the open side fronting on to the street. It is probably best remembered for the use of its south wing in the 18th century as the town’s Custom House, then quite important locally with a good number of clerks and officers, to which the Custom’s business was moved to from the smaller premises that once stood where the Co-op store goods entrance is now. With the exception of the Customs Comptroller or Collector who sometimes ‘lived in,’ officers were required to reside in digs or their own houses in nearby streets as they were always ‘on call’ having to attend when summoned at short notice. Many were employed for their sea going experience. The pay for most men below senior ranks was not generous but like all Customs personnel they did enjoy a proportion of the sale of seized goods. Subsequently, even the lower ranks such as Rice Jones for example, a Tidesman, Henry Edwards and John Snook, Boatmen, managed between them to accumulate sufficient funds to be able to acquire a number of properties around the town.

 

customs
The old Custom House with numbers 9,11 and the chapel below it (author’s sketch)

 

In those days the life of a tax man had its demands, risks and stresses as suggested by events involving two of the officers mentioned in the records. One day in 1776, one Collector, Albinus Pelham and his wife were holding a social evening there but when Albinus failed to show his wife went looking for him and eventually found that he had hung himself in their bedroom. Another Collector, John Bridger Norton, was robbed and murdered in 1795 between Southwick and Shoreham by two men from the Westminster Militia that were encamped nearby.

 

There were about twelve officers (besides clerical staff that were not included in the listings) at any one time stationed at the Custom House although the very nature of their jobs meant they were usually working elsewhere – either at sea, at the harbour, riverside or along the coast. Their names and rank we know from the Land Tax Assessments up to 1814 following which for some reason they were no longer included. The following list shows the serving officers and their year or period of service from 1782 to 1814:-

 

Mr John Pelham Collector 1782
John Roberts Esq Collector 1786
Thomas Norton Collector 1790
John Bridger Norton Collector 1795
Henry Partington Collector* 1807/1814
Mr Hugh Roberts Comptroller (Controller) 1782/1786
Thomas Edwards Comptroller 1790/1813
Richard Gates Comptroller 1814
Mr James Stow Surveyor 1782/1795
John Foster Surveyor 1807/1814
Nicholas Roberts Tide Surveyor 1790/1807
George Roberts Tide Surveyor 1810
Edward Lashmar Tide Surveyor 1813/1814
John Smith Boatman & Tidesman 1790/1795
James Legg Boatman 1782/1795
John Snook Boatman 1782/1795
George Young Boatman 1807/1814
James Robson Boatman 1807/1814
James Courtney Boatman 1807/1814
Henry Edwards Boatman 1807/1813
William Holcomb Boatman 1807/1814
Nathaniel Hillman Boatman 1810/1814
William Fuller Riding Officer 1782/1790
Thomas Mearsh Riding Officer 1782/1786
William Corbett Riding Officer 1807
Thomas Walter Riding Officer 1795
William King Officer in Excise 1782/1790
Peter Palmer Officer in Excise 1795
Thomas Loud Officer in Excise 1807/1810
William Bourne Officer in Excise 1810/1813
Charles Richards Excise Officer 1813/1814
Josiah Ridgwell Tidesman 1782/1807
Samuel Wilson Tidesman 1782/1807
William Hosegood Tidesman 1782
Rice Jones Tidesman 1782/1795

‘and Searcher’ was included with Partington’s title in 1810

 

At a time when many inhabitants of seaside towns and ports, including Shoreham, were involved in smuggling to some degree or other the presence of a Customs Officer was never welcome. Those Shoreham men who chose to join the Customs, were inevitably ostracised by other townsfolk – Riding Officers particularly who patrolled the area on horseback ran the risk of injury or death from smuggling gangs and pistols and cutlasses were a necessary part of their equipment.

 

There was always a temptation for Customs men to ‘turn a blind eye’ to smuggling activities especially where the perpetrators were local people personally known to them or they were bribed to do so. This had become such a problem that eventually the Customs introduced their own policing system with the result that Comptrollers checked the work of Controllers (despite the former being lower in rank to Controllers) and Surveyors checked Tidesmen etc.,

 

Officers’ titles were descriptive of the task involved, tidesmen (or tidewaiters as they were also known) literally waited for the tides to join a vessel off shore and accompanied it to its berth until unloading was completed. Searchers ensured that a cargo tallied with the receipt and coal meters measured the cargoes of coal. Unsurprisingly Customs Collectors and Comptrollers were expected to be ‘good men of education and respectability;’ Surveyors and Searchers to be ‘people of respectability well versed in figures and accounts;’ Tide surveyors ‘conversant in nautical matters.’ Riding Officers and Coal Meters were to have ‘proved themselves trustworthy servants able to read and write fairly.’ The humble Boatman was not expected to have any particular qualification educationally but to be a ‘regular bred seafaring man.’

 

In 1782 the south wing (including at that time the neighbouring land and houses numbers 9 & 11) was described as ‘Three tenements, Custom House, warehouse and backyard’ owned by the Roberts family as shown in the details for numbers 9 & 11. The Roberts family continued to own the Custom House for many years after:- John Roberts from 1782 until 1794, John Pelham Roberts 1795 to 1814 and finally John Roberts until G.H.Hooper had acquired this and the land north of it (ie., Survey number 36) by 1830.

 

When Hooper demolished the Customs House and built today’s numbers 13 to 17 Church Street he did so at the same time as numbers 19 to 23 in the adjoining land to the north. The subsequent records for numbers 13 to 17 are therefore included with the next section.

 

Numbers 19 to 25 (Survey Number 36)

 

The remainder of the land covered by the west side and the north wing of the old building up to and including number 25 and westwards to Middle Street is described as ‘Two tenements, malthouse, garden stables, coach house, and coachyard’ then owned by the Bridgers who acquired it from the Smith family. A conveyance of 1792 gives us considerably more information about these buildings and describes ‘Chantry House’ as it was known then (before the house of the same name in East Street) ‘with wine vaults, stables, chaisehouse, buildings, forecourt, back yard and garden late in the occupation of John Bridger Norton.’ It goes on to describe a malthouse and cistern or pump room adjoining, with lofts or granaries over the pump room (of which John Burton, a maltster who had previously owned 4/6 Church Street was undertenant) and a washhouse or brewhouse of a messuage at the north end of the pump room belonging to Colvill Bridger (i.e., 25 Church Street) ‘late in the occupation of Rev.William Marchant.’

 

This parcel of land has an old but sparse history of ownership:- pre 1687 Avis, 1687 Dungate, 1701 Bartlett, 1734 Richard Smith, 1743 Mrs. Smith. In 1745 North & Blaker are shown as trustees of a marriage settlement when Richard Smith’s widow remarried to Harry Bridger and the Bridgers obtained and kept the land at number 25 but sold the remainder on in 1792 to John Bridger Norton. Norton sold to Samuel M.Sayers in 1794 and finally G.H.Hooper acquired it in 1830 ‘subject to the lease of the wine cellars’ although he also managed to obtain the latter as well by 1841.

 

vault1
The vault showing (left) the curved ceiling and (right) the walled up southern entrance

 

The wine cellars were beneath the north wing and were in fact one extensive arched cellar constructed of chalk blocks measuring 54 feet in length, 16 feet wide and 8 feet in height. It still survives, now beneath number 21 which was built over it, although its proportions are no longer as easily recognisable due to the brick partition walls that were built during WWII to facilitate its use as an air raid shelter. The entrance is now at the western end but the original entrance was in the southern wall of the cellar that once opened on to steps up to the courtyard in front of the southern wall of the old building.

 

Apart from the chalk blocks, the cellar’s appearance is typical of the brick-built vaults and cellars still to be seen throughout the country of which many originated in medieval times. One of the chalk blocks is inscribed ‘TH 1776’ (possibly Thomas Hanington – the Hanington and Roberts families jointly owned and developed a number of properties in the town at this time). It is most unlikely that the cellar was dug out underneath an existing building which leads us to two possible conclusions:- (i) the building above the cellar was not itself built until after 1776 or (ii) this was perhaps the year when the cellar was renovated. Of the two, general opinion tends to support the latter theory and the style of the old southern entrance suggests a much earlier construction date than 18th century. Its last recorded use as a wine vault was in 1856 when the land above it was redeveloped.

 

As we have already seen, in 1830 the land now covered by no’s 13 to 23 came into the ownership of G.H. Hooper, a property developer and descendant of the ancient Poole family of Shoreham. Sadly Hooper later demolished the old buildings after having built the new Custom House in the High Street which was later to become the Town Hall (and incidentally in doing so also replaced the Poole family’s lovely old medieval mansion house there). In place of the Custom House in Church Street he built a row of set-back terraced houses in the late 1850’s with small front gardens and at each end of the terrace was a different style of building fronting directly on to the street.

 

During the period 1827 to 1851 there were no references at all to the Custom House in the Poor Rates records as it was a ‘void’ property – that is, one like churches and other similar premises that were not liable to the rates. In 1827 there is only a reference to the part of the property not including the Customs House (the latter being the ‘void’ portion of the building) as being two buildings, one a house and the other a malthouse, both noted as ‘empty.’ In 1830 or 1831 the Customs House moved to the new premises in the High Street when W.I. Pinkey (or Tinkey) a surgeon is shown as the occupier of a ‘house’ which was one of the buildings around the courtyard (probably the southern, ex-customs part) and I.H. Smith used the wine vault on the north side. Both the house and vault were owned by Thomas West.

 

G.H. Hooper is first shown by the rates records as the owner of the land, buildings and vault in 1841 but as already shown we know he acquired most of them in 1830. The occupiers for that year were W. Pinkey again then 59 with his wife Mary, 45, but with Messrs West, Hall & Smith now using the vault which they continued to do so until at least 1856. Frederick King (builder and landlord of the Star Inn across the street) rented a shop there (in those days often a workshop rather than shops as we know them today) from Hooper in 1846 and George R. Butler, brother of Henry at no.11, used another part of the old building as a store.

 

By 1851 W. Pinkey’s residence is still recorded and again in 1856, albeit as ‘empty,’ and it seems likely therefore that the old buildings were not demolished and the new terrace of houses not started until the late 1850’s. By 1861 the new houses were completed and number 15 in fact then housed part of St.Saviour’s school from growing number of pupils that the main building at numbers 22 and 24 could no longer cope with. It may seem strange to use a brand new house for this purpose but we do know that other nearby residential properties were also used during this period and Hooper, a well known local businessman, was probably involved as one of the school’s benefactors perhaps allowing the use of his property until 1870 when the school relocated to Ardingly.

 

Among the residents of Hooper’s new houses were the usual smattering of Customs Officers and also one or two families of oyster merchants that had moved down from Essex to become involved in Shoreham’s oyster trade. This continuous set of properties is a good example of the lack of permanency of residents in rented accommodation with only two or three families remaining in the same place for more than a few years. G.H.Hooper died shortly after 1862 when the estate passed to Robert Poole Hooper. The latter in turn died in 1918 at which time all the houses were sold off individually.

 

Number 13

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1861 Thomas Stapledon 59 Customs Collector

Fanny 45 Wife

Mary E Parsons 24 Domestic

G.H. Hooper
1866 Wm. W. English G.H.Hooper
  Empty R.P. Hooper
1881 William English 40 Sailmaker

Ellen 36 Wife

Mary Scott 14 Domestic

R.P. Hooper
1891 Robert I Downey 26 Market Gardener

Alice 28 Wife

Robert 4 Son

Dorris 1 Daughter

R.P. Hooper
1901 Smith (Rates)

Charles King 30 Furniture Dealer

Ellen 33 Wife

Daisy 8 Daughter

Reginald 5 Son

Elsie Turner 16 Daughter in law/Dressmaker’s Apprentice

R.P. Hooper
1911 F.Street R.P. Hooper
1920 Ernest Bowley  

 

Number 15

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1861 Rev. T.J. Meretens (Rates)

Part of S St. Saviour’s school

2 staff and 21 pupils

Census:-

Henry Harris 20 Assistant Master

Edward De La Hooke 18 School Secretary

Pupils:-

Henry Day 14, Edward Edwards 9, James Farmer 13, Edwin Ford 14, Frederick Fulker 11, Charles Goldup 13, Henry Jenkins 13, John Pollard 15, Henry Pollard 13, George Reid 8, William Ring 11, William Rowson 10, Edward Taylor 14, Henry Thomas 14, John Thomas 10, Robert White 12, Henry White 10, Nicholas White 9, Francis Williams 15, Cecil Wilson 12, Richard Winter 12.

G.H. Hooper
1866 Richd. L. Pannell G.H. Hooper
1871 Alfred English 33 Sailmaker

Mary 38 Wife

Alfred 9 Son

Sabina 7 daughter

Mary 5 daughter

Eveline 1 daughter

Beatrice 2mths Daughter

R.P. Hooper
1881 Charles Bays 34 Mariner(Mate)

Emily 36 Wife

R.P. Hooper
1891 Maria Williams 55 Widow, Lodging House Keeper

Sarah 20 Daughter/Draper’s Assistant

Ann E.Drury 73 Single/Retired Schoolmistress (second household)

R.P. Hooper
1901 Marian Williams 65 Widow

Anne E.Drury 82 Retired Schoolmistress

R.P. Hooper
1911 W.L.Scammell R.P. Hooper
1920 Mrs. F. F. Turrell ?

 

Number 17

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1861 Edward Trangener 28 Railway Clerk

Caroline 28 Wife

Harry 2 Son

Caroline 9mths Daughter

G.H. Hooper
1866 Edwin Trangmar G.H. Hooper
1871 Eliza Griggs 70 Widow/Oyster Merchant

Elizabeth 44 Daughter

Rosa 30 Daughter

R.P. Hooper
1881 Clement Barber 34 Accountant at Bank

F.E.(Effey?) 28 Wife

Ralph 3 Son

Clement G 1 Son

R.P. Hooper
1891 Rebecca Read 92 Widow/Independent

Mary A 64 Daughter/Single

Elizabeth 54 Daughter, Single/Lodging House Keeper

Ellen Pepham 58 Widow/Visitor

Ethel Pepham 26 Single/Visitor

R.P. Hooper
1901 (then known as ‘Lenerton House’)

Ernest Atherfold 24 Mariner

Annie 28 Wife

Albert 2 Son

Arthur Weeks 22 Boarder/Grocer’s Assistant

Kerzia Grinstead 73 Widow

George J.Trumpton 28 Carter Market Garden

Emma J. 28 Wife

Louisa G. 2 Daughter

Violet M. 6mths Daughter

R.P. Hooper
1911 Emily Keen R.P. Hooper
1920 Mrs.Keen Albert James Hatcher

 

Number 19

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1861 John Williams 54 Oyster Merchant

Mary 55 Wife

Emma 4 Granddaughter, Scholar

G.H. Hooper
1866 J. Augustus Wise(?) G.H. Hooper
1871 John Wellman 40 Captain of Merchant Vessel

Susanna 36 Wife

Thomas 12 Son/Scholar

R.P. Hooper
1881 George Green 61 Freehold Houses & Land

Fanny 40 Wife

Elizabeth 20 Daughter

Fanny 18 Daughter

George 10 Son/Scholar

Thomas 8 Son/Scholar

Hannah 6 Daughter/Scholar

Harriet Ayres 15 Domestic

R.P. Hooper
1891 William. Snelling 35 Widower, Gardener (Foreman)

William 12 Son/Scholar

Kate 7 Daughter/Scholar

Bertie 6 Son/Scholar

Georgie 4 Son/Scholar

Elizabeth 3 Daughter

Sarah J Snelling 18 Sister/Housekeeper

R.P. Hooper
1901 William.G.Snelling 46 Contract Hire Carter

Elizabeth 43 Wife

Herbert N. 16 Son/Engineer/Fitter

Winifred A. 7 Daughter

Hugh 6 Son

R.P. Hooper
1911 A.J. Redman R.P. Hooper
1920 Arthur John Redman ?

 

Number 21

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1861 James Beach 48 Superannuated H.M. Customs

Elizabeth 36 Wife

William 21 Son, Journeyman Carpenter

Harry 15 Son, apprentice

Edward West 28 Hair Cutter

Ellen 25 Wife

Edward 1 Son

Jane 12 Sister

Martha Woolgar 60 Widow, wife’s sister

G.H. Hooper
1866 Robert Fieldgate G.H. Hooper
1871 Robert Fieldgate 45 Customs House Officer

Mary 34 Wife

George 16 Son/Solicitor’s Clerk

Edmond 8 Son

R.P. Hooper
1881 James Fisher 54 Mariner

Elizabeth 54 Wife

Jessie 18 Daughter/Milliner

Annie 15 Daughter/Scholar

Jabez 13 Son/Scholar

R.P. Hooper
1891 Elizabeth A.Fisher 66 Widow

Leonard Watson 47 Son in Law, Draper(E)

Lizzie Watson 28 Daughter

Dorothy M.F.Watson 4 Granddaughter

Kathleen M.Watson 3 Granddaughter

George C.Broadhurst 52 Boarder, Independent

Sarah R.Gates 62 Single/Domestic

Second household:-

Henry S. Brigden 23 Poor Law Clerk and Clerk to School Board

Annie 25 Wife

R.P. Hooper
1901 Alfred Adams 38 Milkman

Helen 33 Wife

Edward 6 Son

William 5 Son

Helena C. 3 Daughter

Edith Hollands 25 Housemaid Domestic

Mary A.Englefield 75 Living on own means

R.P. Hooper
1911 Henry West R.P. Hooper
1920 Henry West  

 

Number 23

 

When the records for all Shoreham inhabitants are seen over a period of years the same individuals can often be seen moving from one street to another. Reasons for these moves are not always evident except, for example, in situations where a recently bereaved widow can be seen removing from a house where she lived with her husband to rooms in a shared house, sometimes earning the dreaded ‘poor’ notation alongside her name in the poor rates records as an indication that she is a beneficiary of the rates arrangements and not a subscriber. Others moved on simply because they could no longer afford the rent and changed to another house until, again, rental arrears built up necessitating the next move.

 

In the case of James Dean however, who started life (at least in these records) as the builder of the houses at 27 and 28 Church Street we can see that he gave up building work in the 1850’s to run the post office at Stone House – numbers 23/25 in the High Street. Here his daughter Emma assisted him in his postal duties which would have been in similar circumstances to those that are beautifully described in ‘Lark Rise to Candleford’ albeit two decades or so before the authoress Flora Thompson experienced hers.

 

Following the death of his wife and his retirement from the post office James and his daughter moved back to Church Street at number 23 in the 1880’s. Here Emma demonstrates her apparent diversity, education and talent with her occupational record shown as a teacher, governess and organist. One of the most intriguing facts out of all this is that Emma apparently states her age as 50 in 1881 and again in 1891, then 51 in 1901 by which time she was in her late 60’s – census recorders often made mistakes but these three consistent instances may perhaps suggest a lady a little sensitive of her advancing years?

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1861 William Harfield 35 Tailor

Emily 32 Wife

Emily 11 Daughter, Scholar

Mary 6 Daughter, Scholar

Elizabeth 3mths Daughter

William 2 Son

John March 26 Fisherman

Rosina 22 Wife

Herbert 11mths Son

Jane Good 36 Lodger, Governess

G.H. Hooper
1866 Henry Harris G.H. Hooper
1871 William English 52 Coal Merchant

Harriett 53 Wife

William 31 Son/Sailmaker

Edmond 25 Son/Widower, Commercial Clerk

George 23 Son/Sailor

Eliza 20 Daughter

Harriett 18 Daughter

Ellen 16 Daughter/Scholar

John 12 Son/Scholar

Edmond J. 6mths Grandson

Charles Hack 8 Boarder/Scholar

R.P.Hooper
1881 James Dean 82 Widower, Retired

Emma 50 Daughter/Teacher, Governess and Organist

Jane Still 15 Domestic

R.P. Hooper
1891 Emma L.Dean 50 Organist and Teacher

Emily Still 17 Domestic

R.P. Hooper
1901 Emma L.Dean 51 Governess, School

Eleanor E.Paine 16 General Servant Domestic

R.P. Hooper
1911 Wm. Barton R.P. Hooper
1920 William Barton ?

 

Number 25

 

This northernmost part of the old Chantry land was acquired by the Bridger family, then of Southwick and later of Buckingham Place, around 1745 and details of the complete land’s previous ownership have already been stated in the previous sections. The present house was built about this time but does, on the north wall at least, appear to incorporate an older structure and was another of the houses in town once used as ‘the Vicar’s House’ in the late 18th century when the Revd. William Marchant, vicar of St. Marys, lived there. The Bridgers were wealthy merchants and land owners so that although they were not Lords of the Manor (that was the Duke of Norfolk) they probably appeared to be so in the eyes of the town’s populace and it may be that is why the house became known as ‘the Manor House.’

 

25 & 27
Numbers 25 (the Manor House) and 26 from the churchyard Photo Author

 

 

The malthouse also mentioned in the description of numbers 13 to 23 was included with the land retained by the Bridgers and still existed as late as 1833 when it is mentioned as being occupied/used by James Turner, a maltster who was then renting the Manor House and the malthouse from the Bridgers. However, this malthouse was unlikely to have been the existing barn we see today (rebuilt in 2002) at the rear of the garden backing onto Middle Street as it is not on the 1782 or 1818 maps and does not appear until the 1860 map.

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1782/99 Revd. William Marchant Colvill Bridger
1801 Revd.William Marchant Henry Bridger
1807/10 Edward Bridger Harry Bridger
1814/19 Henry Partington Collector of Customs Harry Bridger
1827 Harry Bridger junior Harry Bridger
1831 James Turner Harry Bridger
1833 JamesTurner Harry Bridger
1835 James Turner H.C.Bridger
1838 Mrs.Turner  
1841 Sarah Turner 75 Independent

Harriet Barker 45 Independent

Fanny Weeks 19 F.S.

H.Bridger
1846 Misses Bridgers H.C.Bridger
1851 Harriet Bridger 80 Landholder

Catherine 79 Sister

Mary Jane Best 31 Housekeeper

Eliza Kidd 21 Servant (Cook)

Maria Young 22 House Servant

H.C.Bridger
1856 Miss Bridgers H.C.Bridger
1861 William Bridger 26 Militia Lieutenant (ManorHouse)

Mary 23 Wife

James 9 months Son

Elizabeth Potter 39 Nurse

Mary Barnes 22 Domestic (Cook)

H.C.Bridger
1866 Joseph White H.C. Bridger
1871 Empty (Manor House) H.C.Bridger
1881 Mrs Catherine Scott 58 Boardinghouse Keeper (Manor House)

Catherine King 15 Granddaughter Pupil Teacher

Fred J King 14 Grandson Scholar

George King 12 Grandson Scholar

Harry Paine 32 Son-in-Law Ironmonger

Rosanna Paine 30 Wife

Vincent Scott 2 Grandson

Mary Scott 9 months Granddaughter

Mary McG ? 13 Niece

Victor Paine 1 month Grandson

Hny Bridger
1891 Catherine Scott 69 Widow Independent

Susannah Hedgecock 23 Domestic

Hy Bridger
1901 G Wm Butler (Rates) (Manor House) (empty by the time of the census) Hy Bridger
1911 Noel James Bridger
1920 Noel James  

 

Numbers 26 to 29 (Survey Number 35)

 

This land was owned by John Snook in 1782 when the only buildings on it were number 26 and a workshop adjoining it to the north where 27 now is. Snook sold the property in 1791 to William Walker, a tailor, and when William died in 1814 he left it all to his wife Mary. Mary Walker died in 1848 leaving the entire land and property to her six daughters. By 1860 John Battcock, a draper of Brighton had acquired all six shares and his widow is recorded as having sold off the land to the north. However, numbers 28 and 29 were actually built in the 1820’s and although this anomaly is in part explained in the notes for number 28 we can only assume that a similar situation also applied to 29.

 

Number 26

 

This is an attractive, low flint building and its internal structure indicates some antiquity beyond the age indicated by these records. John Snook, a boatman with the local Customs was owner and resident from 1782 to 1806. William Walker purchased the property in 1807 living there until his demise and left it to his wife Mary who let it out to Thomas Greenwood in 1815 then George Parker from 1816 to 1819. Mary moved back in 1823 and stayed there until her passing during the late 1840’s. Following the brief Battcock ownership the house came into the hands of solicitor and one time clerk to the Local Board, J.W.Mardall, who seems to have run into difficulties (but not necessarily financial ones) and ended up in the workhouse perhaps for surgery and nursing care.

 

The house is nowadays remembered mainly for its occupation by the Burtenshaw family of blacksmiths who purchased it from Mardall in 1875. They ran their smithy behind in Middle Street and remained there until 1982. Shortly before the Burtenshaws the house, not a particularly large property, was rented out as a lodging house in which no less than sixteen occupants were accommodated including the town scavenger. This was not unusual for those times when lodgers who were often strangers to each other, adults and children alike, often not only shared rooms but also the same beds although in this case the beds must surely have been palliasses to enable them all to fit in. Sadly, despite its history and like so many of our old properties, its earlier records and deeds have so far not been traced.

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1827/38 Mrs.Mary Walker Mrs.Mary Walker
1841 Mrs Walker (Rates)

Mary Watkins 76 Independent *

Emma Watkins 35 Independent *

(* believed to be the recorder’s mistake and should be Mary and Emma Walker)

Mrs Walker
1851 Richard Burton 60 Carrier

Annie 60 Wife

Elizabeth 34 Daughter

Charles Challen 27 Carrier’s Assistant

James Boniface 18 Carrier’s Assistant

Louisa Tilgate 7 Visitor

Exor. Mrs Walker
1856 Richard Burton (blank)
1861 Charles Williamson (Rates)

Elizabeth Williamson 39 Master Mariner’s Wife

Susan Moore 30 Sister

Mary A.Williamson 11 Daughter

Sarah 5 Daughter

John Battcock
1866 William Bryant Exors. of Battcock
1871 John Parry 50 Town Scavenger

Ruth 32 Wife

John 9 Son, Scholar

Timothy 7 Son, Scholar

Annie 3 Daughter

Edward Russell 27 Visitor, Ship’s Carpenter

Philip Rose 33 Mariner

Eliza 34 Wife

Henry 4 Son

George Ranger 24 Bricklayer’s Labourer

Caroline 18 Wife

Alfred Mitchell 17 Blacksmith’s Labourer, Lodger

John Ward 35 Lodger, Shipyard Labourer

James Woodley 50 Lodger, General Labourer

Daniel Greenfield 61 Lodger, Unemployed Labourer

Thomas Lind 22 Lodger, Mariner

John Mardall
1881 William Burtenshaw 39 Blacksmith

Hannah 40 Wife

Elisa A. 14 Daughter, Schoolteacher, unemployed

Albert 9 Son, Scholar

George 7 Son, Scholar

Charles 4 Son, Scholar

Alice Dinnage 15 Visitor, Board School Teacher

Wm Burtenshaw
1891 Willam Burtenshaw 49 Ship’s Blacksmith

Hannah 50 Wife

George 17 Son, Stationary engine stoker

Charles 14 Son, Blacksmith’s Assistant

Wm Burtenshaw
1901 William Burtenshaw 58 Ship General Smith

Hannah 59 Wife

Alfred W. H. Howells 11 Grandson

W.Burtenshaw
1911/20 William Burtenshaw William Burtenshaw

 

Number 27

 

As already shown by 1782 number 27 had started life as a workshop and surviving deeds for 28 disclose that on her demise Mary Walker left 26, the workshop at no.27 and the rest of the land to her daughters.

 

James Dean rented the premises until nearer 1851 when he acquired it via his wife, one of the Walkers’ daughters. From then on it is no longer referred to as a ‘shop’ (also the term for a workshop in those days) so it is probable that it is about then that James converted it to a residential property and sold it off.

 

The Hedgthorn family, immigrant oyster merchants from Essex are notable residents as is Claud Coffin, a wonderfully apt surname for a pastor who, when it comes to his christian name, may suggest he had parents with a dark sense of humour!

 

Year Occupier Owner
1827/38 James Dean (Workshop) Mrs Walker (Shop)
1841 James Dean Mrs Walker (Shop)
1846/51 Thomas Frederick Gates 30 Butcher

Susanna 30 Wife

Emily 5 Daughter

Frank 3 Son

Caroline 1 Daughter

Fanny Page 20 General Servant

James Dean
1861 James Hedgthorn 52 Oyster Merchant

Eliza 52 Wife

James 26 Master Shipwright

Elizabeth 19 Wife

Jane 1 Daughter

James Hedgthorn
1871 James Hedgthorn 36 Oyster Merchant

Elizabeth 39 Wife

James 11 Son

Emily 9 Daughter

Albert 5 Son

Eva 8mths Daughter

Eliza 62 Widow, Mother

Laura Adams 13 General Servant

Mrs Hedgthorn
1881 Spencer Reid 37 Grocer & Draper

Jane 34 Wife

Nelson 8 Son, Scholar

Ernest 5 Son, Scholar

Alice H. 3 Daughter

Arthur 4mths Son

Emily Allcorn 13 Domestic

Miss Moull
1891 Emily Thomas 51 Widow, Private Day School Mistress

Jessie 25 Daughter, Day Governess (School)

Emilie 20 Daughter, Dressmaker

Miss Moull
1901 Emily Thomas 61 Schoolmistress

Emilie 30 Dressmaker

Miss Moull
1911 E. Thomas Miss Moull
1920 Claud Coffin, pastor  

 

Numbers 26 (far distance) 27, 28, 29 and number 1 The Twitten in the foreground Photo Author

 

Number 28

This property appears to have been built in the early 1820’s when still under the ownership of the Walkers and was occupied by James Dean a builder and later postmaster (as already described with number 23 Church Street) who developed number 27. James was married to Louisa, third daughter of William and Mary Walker and was renting and living in the property at the time. During restoration in the 1960’s a receipt was found recording the sale of 14/-s for half a chalder of coals made out to Albinus Dean who may have been James’ father. There was once a wall inscription dated 1824, perhaps it still exists, indicating that the property was built by James Dean in which case he either built it for his in-laws or had just acquired it himself through his wife. It subsequently transpires that James may have believed that he and his wife had inherited the property from the Walkers or had the tacit agreement of his in laws that led to his building the house. Certainly, the rates records show him as owner albeit incorrectly it seems from at least 1835. He later discovered he and his wife were not the outright owners and had to trace all of the Walker’s surviving daughters. It was not until 1859 that he at last managed to purchase the remaining shares relating to number 28 for £20.

 

In 1860 the Deans sold the house to Richard Ratcliff a market gardener who passed it to his daughter Sarah. She subsequently married William Horrocks, a sea captain who eventually became a ship owner with others in the joint syndicates that operated in the town.

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1827/31 James Dean William Walker (Tailor)
1835/38 James Dean James Dean
1841 James Dean 40 Builder

Louise 40

James 12

Emma 8

Edwin 6

Lucy Dean 76

J. Dean
1851 James Dean 52 Builder

Louisa 49 Wife

Emma 25 Schoolmistress

Catharine Parsey(?) 10 Visitor, Scholar

Sarah Parsey(?) 8 Visitor, Scholar

George Parsey(?) 6 Visitor, Scholar

Charlotte Evans 24 House Servant

(The mis-spelt Parsey visitors were in fact the Pawsey children, relatives from Marylebone, Middlesex who were staying at the time.)

James Dean
1861 John Cobby (Rates) Rich. Ratcliff
1866 Richard Horrocks Richard Horrocks
1871 Thos. R. Horrocks (Rates)

Sarah Horrocks 30 Wife of Captain of Merchant Vessel

T.R.Horrocks
1881 William Horrocks 57 Shipowner

Sarah 50 Wife

W.R.Horrocks
1891 William R.Horricks 67 Retired Shipowner

Sarah M. 60 Wife, Independent

W.R.Horrocks
1901 Robert John Austen 32 Railway Clerk

Harriett 33 Wife

William 7 Son

Robert 5 Son

Marian E. Streeter 16 General Servant (Domestic)

R. Austin
1911/20 Colvin West (property known then as Farnham House) R.J.Austen

 

Number 29

 

Built around 1823 on the northernmost part of the Walkers’ land by Thomas Branton who’s family lived there from then until the 1850’s. The name was subsequently reflected in the house name ‘Branton House’ up to the 1920’s.

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1827/33 Thos Branton  
1835/38 Thomas Branton Thomas Branton
1841 Thos Branton 68 Independent

Elizabeth 67

Mary Mitchell 70

T. Branton
1851 Elizabeth Branton 78 Widow, Annuitant

Mary Ann Simpson 16 Servant

Mrs Branton
1856 Mrs Parker Wm Parker
1861 Henry Lelliott 66 Bargeman

Jane 49 Wife

Hannah 24 Daughter

Henry 20 Son, Gardener

Maria 18 Daughter

Thomas 10 Son, Scholar

Wm Parker
1871 Thos. C. Comber 28 Saddler (Brandon House)

Elizabeth 25 Wife

William 5 mths Son

Bernard Parker
1881 Elisa Kenward 44 Widow

Elisa 6 Daughter, Scholar

Caroline Reeves 12 Visitor

Christian Ludd
1891 Luke Ledward 47 Gardener

Lucy 45 Wife

Edward A. 18 Son, Beerhouse Labourer

Charles 15 Son Beerhouse Labourer

Annie E. 12 Daughter

Gilbert 7 Son, Scholar

Nathaniel H. 4 Son, Scholar

Cowell & Ch(ristian?)
1901 Thos Offord (Rates)

Thomas W.H. Holford 26 Contract Carter

Mary 24 Wife

Edith 4 Daughter

Mrs Christian
1911 Arthur March Mrs Christian
1920 C.J.Ward (Branton House)  

 

Numbers 1 & 2 The Twitten and Number 30 (Survey Number 34)

 

Numbers 1 & 2 The Twitten

twitrten
The Twitten looking towards the church. The furthest house on the left is 1 The Twitten and in the 1780’s was the Swan inn

 

 

The larger of these two properties on the north-eastern corner of the twitten is late 17th century with 18th century alterations. Surviving documentation identifies four one-time owners through two indentures, the first being 1680 when Margaret Hooke sold the property (with other holdings) to John Wood, a blacksmith of New Shoreham. The second is dated 1779 when Thomas Fawler sold (again, with other property including Swan Croft in Middle Street) to John Webb. It is referred to in 1782 as ‘the sign of the Swan’ which alludes to it’s use then as an inn under the ownership of Thomas Bennett who held it until 1795 and rented it out to Rice Jones, a Tidesman with the Customs (1782), Richard Monkhouse (1786), Richard Osbaldston (1790) and Benjamin Roberts (1795). Bennett sold on to George Weller in 1801 when Daniel Young lived there followed by Lieutenant Wetherstone of the Royal Navy who was in occupation from 1807 to 1810 when ownership changed hands again this time to George Carr – subsequent occupants are shown below. Carr’s widow Ann ultimately sold the house to the developer G.H.Hooper.

 

Of the residents Phillip Cunningham, a boilermaker, is noteworthy as renting this house for some 30 years having married widow Helen Mann and taken on her five children! A map of 1818 shows the northern extension to the house to have been added and the small cottage (number 2) on its western end was built between around 1825 during Ann Carr’s ownership. James Dean rented it whilst building numbers 27 and 28 Church Street round the corner and after him James Beach a shoemaker who shortly after moved to East Street where he is shown as having been appointed as a ‘Clerk to H.M.Customs.’ Richard Bacon was the next resident and yet another Customs man who, as a ‘Locker’ was responsible for the security of the Customs wharehouses and held the key to the King’s (or Queen’s) locks.

 

The earlier years of the Parish Poor Rates records suggest that the recorders were undecided as to which of Church and Middle Streets the Twitten should be shown with. As a result it was shown in either one or the other until later into the 19th century when it became permanently part of Church Street.

 

Number 1 The Twitten

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1813 George Carr George Carr
1814/18 John Puttick George Carr
1819 Mrs Platt George Carr
1823/35 Mrs Ann Carr Mrs Ann Carr
1838 Henry Brooker Mrs.Carr
1841 Mrs.Brooker (Widow) G.H.Hooper
1846 Thos.Puttick G.H.Hooper
1851 Thomas Puttick 70 Carpenter

Mary 70 wife

Eliza 11 granddaughter; servant

Thomas Holden 24 lodger; boat builder

G.H.Hooper
1856 Wm.Rogers G.H.Hooper
1861 Joseph Levett 50 Mariner

Sarah 46 wife

John Woolven 15 nephew; shipwright’s apprentice

G.H.Hooper
1866 Loveland Exors of G.H.Hooper
1871 Empty R.P.Hooper
1881 Moss R.P.Hooper
1891 Philip Cunningham 34 Boilermaker

Hannah 40 wife. Caretaker of church hall

Harry Mann 14 stepson. Grocer’s errand boy

Amelia Mann 10 stepdaughter

Alice Mann 8 stepdaughter

Ellen Mann 6 stepdaughter. Scholar

George Mann 3 stepson

Thomas Cunningham 5 months son.

Rev.R.P.Hooper
1901 Philip Cunningham 47 Boilermaker

Hannah 49 wife

Nelly 16 daughter

George 13 son

Thomas 10 son

Rev.R.P.Hooper
1911 Phillip Cunningham Rev.Hooper
1920 P.R.Cunningham (No’s 1 & 2 then known as Church Cottages)  

 

Number 2 The Twitten

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1825 James Dean Mrs Ann Carr
1838 James Beach Mrs Ann Carr
1841 John Bacon (Rates) (a mistake and s/be Richard?)

Richard Bacon (Census) 48 Customs

Harriet Bacon 48

G.H.Hooper
1846 Rich.Bacon G.H.Hooper
1851 Richard.Bacon 57 Locker Customs

Harriet Bacon 57 wife

G.H.Hooper
1856 Wm.Waterman G.H.Hooper
1861 William Lashman 49 Superannuated H.M.Customs

Harriet 54 wife

Sophia 22 daughter Dressmaker

William 18 son Shipwrights’ Apprentice

Louisa 15 daughter Dressmaker

G.H.Hooper
1866 William Lashmar Exors of G.H.Hooper
1871 Henry Street (Rates)

James Fenn (Census) 33 Mariner

Phebe 30 wife

Ernest 6 son

Henrietta 3 daughter

Frank 5 months son

R.P.Hooper
1881 J.P.Ranson R.P.Hooper
1891 Charles Pigot 53 Mariner

Jane 51 wife

Rev.R.P.Hooper
1901 William E.Dyer 27 Bricklayer

Annie E 23 wife

Rev.R.P.Hooper
1911 Hy.Stenning Rev.Hooper
1920 James Stenning  

 

Number 30

 

At one time part of the old timber market, the pre 1827 history of this piece of the land (number 34 on the 1782 Survey map above the Twitten cottages) is tied up with, and included in, the description of numbers 31 to 33 Church Street immediately following. Once a walled garden (of which the wall predominantly survives) the house now in it was built by G.H.Hooper when he acquired the land in 1824. Previously known as ‘Ivy Cottage,’ then ‘Lennoxdale’ and now ‘Myrtle Cottage,’ it was for a while used by R.P. Hooper as his office. The siting of the building appears to place it in Middle Street and, like the Twitten properties below it, was for many years recorded as such but for postal purposes nowadays the front entrance is firmly in Church Street.

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1827 Thomas Maple (House and Garden)  
1831 Daniel Maple (House and Garden)  
1841 James Thorncroft 40 Bricklayer (Ivy Cottage and Garden)

Jane Thorncroft 40

Alfred Thorncroft 7

Emily Thorncroft 4

Mary Thorncroft 2

G.H.Hooper
1851 James Thornicroft 56 Builder (House and Garden)

Jane 53 wife

Alfred 16 son. Assistant

Emily 13 daughter

Mary Jane 12 daughter

G.H.Hooper
1856 James Thornicraft (Shop, House and Gardens) G.H.Hooper
1861 James Thorncroft 59 Builder (House, Garden and Shed)

Jane 64 wife

Alfred 26 son. Builder

G.H.Hooper
1866 James Thornicraft (House and Premises) Exor. of G.H.Hooper
1871 Edwin Burfoot 25 Builder (House and Premises)

Ellen 19 wife

George 11 months son

R.P.Hooper
1881 Edwin Burfoot 36 Master Builder

Emily 29 wife

E.E. 10 daughter. Scholar

Emily 9 daughter. Scholar

Elisa M. 8 daughter. Scholar

Edwin 7 son. Scholar

John 5 son. Scholar

R.P.Hooper
1891 Edwin Burfoot 45 Builder & Nurseryman (House and Garden)

Emily C. 39 wife

Eliza M. 18 daughter. Boardschool Teacher

Emily C. 19 daughter. Market Stall Attendant

Edwin F. 17 son. Assistant Gardener

John 15 son. Assistant Gardener

Arthur H. 8 son. Scholar

R.P.Hooper
1901 Edwin Burfoot 56 Nurseryman (House and Garden)

Emily 49 wife

Arthur 18 son Carpenter

Rev.R.P.Hooper
1911 Rev. Hooper (Office) Rev. Hooper
1920 Baldy

Hygate (30a)

 

 

Numbers 31 to 33 (Survey Number 44)

 

This land with its ‘tenement and garden’ (before 1782 it included the land beneath it now covered by number 30) was known as ‘The Timber Market’ and used as a timber yard. A succession of owners are indicated in 1677 (i.e., ‘late Gibson, lately Sharpe’s, late Richard Shaft’s’ but without any dates) when Edmund Piper a mariner from Old Shoreham sold the land to Henry Robinson, Shipwright of New Shoreham in 1677. It was sold on again in 1700 to John Kemp, Maltster and William Durrant who in turn sold it in 1732 to Daniel Stow. It then passed down through the family, first to Daniel’s son Benjamin in 1767 (at which time we are told that John Partington was in occupation) then a D.E.J.Stow and Susannah Roberts in 1775 who sold it to John Stent but excluded the walled garden from the sale (i.e., the area now covered by number 30).

 

Owned and occupied by the Stents for over 40 years, John eventually left the property to his wife Mary in 1805. When she also passed on her heirs sold it to G.H.Hooper in 1824 at which time he also purchased the previously mentioned walled garden from the Roberts family and built number 30. The ‘tenement ‘ described in the 1782 Survey stood on the north-west corner of this site. Hooper demolished this and built numbers 31 to 33 during the late 1870’s and these were converted into one building sometime near 1910 to form the present day rectory.

 

Number 31

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1881 Moss (Rates)

Edward Cook 39 Mason (Census)

Fanny 30 wife

Edward 11 son Scholar

Fanny 10 daughter Scholar

John 7 son Scholar

Ernest 5 son Scholar

W.G. 3 son Scholar

George 1 son

R.P.Hooper
1891 Eliz.Buckley (Rates)

Elizabeth Bushby 54 widow (Census)

George W 18 son Butcher

Edward 16 son Baker

Walter 14 son Scholar

Edith Benson 22 visitor

Maggie Benson 2 months visitor

Rev.R.P.Hooper
1901 Elizabeth Bushby 64 widow

Bessie B 30 daughter Teacher in Elementary School

George W 28 son Butcher’s Assistant

Walter H 24 son Gardener (Market)

Rev.R.P.Hooper
1911 Wm.Brown Rev.Hooper
1920 Miss A.M.Hooper  

 

Number 32

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1881 Jacob Boyce 31 General Labourer

Maria 34 wife

Michael Sabin 12 son-in-law? (stepson?)

William Boyce 6 son

Sarah Sparks 78 widow aunt

R.P.Hooper
1891 Benjamin Read (Rates)

John Snelling 27 Gardener

Rose E 28 wife

John W 7 son Scholar

Albert H 5 son Scholar

William H Miller 22 lodger Carter

Rev.R.P.Hooper
1901 Henry G Mann 25 Plasterer

Esther 28 wife

Gladist 1 daughter

Victor 3 weeks son

Rev.R.P.Hooper
1911 Caroline Dyer Rev.Hooper
1920 Mrs C.Dyer  

 

Number 33

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1881 Arthur Allcorn (Rates)

Unoccupied (Census)

R.P.Hooper
1891 James Ridley (Rates)

James Nutley 52 widower Market Gardener

Rev.R.P.Hooper
1901 Elizabeth Lewis 48 widow District Nurse

Rosa 19 daughter Pupil Teacher

Catherine Waters 46 sister Housekeeper

Rev.R.P.Hooper
1911 George Norris Rev.Hooper
1920 George Norris  

 

Westover (Survey number 45)

 

The largest of Shoreham’s surviving Georgian houses and now known as Westover this building is another of those addresses that history has recorded at various times in Middle Street and Church Street. In fact it faces Pond Road but for the purposes of this work is included with Church Street. A 19th century flyer for Shoreham Grammar School includes a drawing of this building showing a typically charming flat fronted three storeyed Georgian fascia which the addition of bay windows in later years has only served to make it look like any other Victorian house. In 1782 the original, smaller building before it was set back further on the site with its garden or yard in front. Described as a ‘tenement and garden’ it was owned by Clement Freeman but without any occupier recorded. Freeman lived at the time at the Fawler family’s mansion house in the High Street and is believed to have been related to them. He achieved a little notoriety by losing his vote in Shoreham’s ‘Christian Club’ rotten borough scandal, died in 1799 and was buried in St.Mary’s churchyard. Clement must have left this property to his son James as he is shown as the next owner at which time the site supported two households.

 

Hutch
Left: An 1850’s sketch of Hutchins Place before the Victorian bay windows were added. Right: Builder Robert Butler’s stone

 

 

For much of the 19th century the new building that replaced the original tenement was known variously as Hutchins Place or Hutchings Place, assumed to reflect the surname of the Reverend Richard William Hutchins whom the Church of England Clergy records show was the vicar of New Shoreham from 1819 to 1828. Although named after him he is not shown as owner nor occupier in the Land Tax Assessments for the years that have been checked and only appears in them briefly as the owner of a field in Shoreham. Between 1890 and 1911 the name ‘Hutchings Place’ was used to describe the all the buildings in the area at the south end of Pond Road, not just the house itself.

 

Although the building nowadays has the appearance outwardly of one big house it was built to contain three separate households. We do know who the builder was, Robert Butler who built it in 1824 and placed a stone in the rear wall recording his name and that year. Robert was joint owner with his brother George (his partner in their building business who probably helped build Hutchins Place) and their brother-in-law C.G.Wrankmore who also lived there for a while as did the Butler brothers. Robert and George were sons of Captain John Butler of 22 Church Street and had previously lived at 55 and 57 New Road, which they also built. George was of course the father of Maria who left us so much information on many Shoreham people of her time and who also related the tragic loss of three of Robert’s sons:- Thomas who died young of measles, Allever who became lame after an accident and died of consumption at 21, and Robert William who perished at sea in the Azores during a hurricane – by some awful coincidence Robert received news of his son’s death on the very day he received his last letter home.

 

With the building facing directly northwards the occupants would have had a grandstand view of the building of the railway embankment at the end of Pond Road and by 1845 witnessed the first locomotives carrying passengers and freight to extend the existing Brighton – Shoreham service to Worthing. Robert Butler and the Wrankmore family continued as owners of their parts of the house until the 1870/80’s. George Butler lived most of his life at his New Road house but left his part of Hutchins Place to his son George Wrankmore Butler who remained there with his family into the next century.

 

Used by Nathaniel Woodard in the 1860’s as one of the many temporary annexes in nearby streets for overflow from his St.Saviour’s school at 22/24 Church Street it was also to accommodate teachers and pupils from the Protestant Grammar School (later to become Shoreham Grammar School) that stood in Pond Road. W.H.Harper, who founded the Grammar school, appears as a resident from time to time as does S. Gregory Taylor the subsequent headmaster and proprietor. By 1911 Gregory Taylor appears to have altered the building internally to make it into two households instead of the three as before.

 

Pre 1824 Building

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1782 None shown Clement Freeman
1807 None shown James Freeman
1810 John Penfold

Parish

James Freeman
1813 John Penfold

Richard Lashmar

James Freeman
1814 John Penfold

Widow Lashmar

James Freeman
1815/16 John Penfold

Timothy Evans

Late Freeman
1817/1823 John Penfold Lashman

 

Post 1824 Building

 

Westernmost Household

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1827/40 Robert Butler (House and workshops) Robert Butler
1841 Robert Butler 50 Builder

Ann Butler 35

Olliver Butler 12

Robert Butler 9

Ellen Butler 3

 
1846 Robert Butler Robert Butler
1851 McAdam 36 Tide Waiter Customs

Susan McAdam 37 wife

James Robert McAdam 7 son

Isabella McAdam 3 daughter

Ellen Wright 18 House Servant

 
1856 Henry Towner Robert Butler
1861 Part of St.Saviours school (all three households used )

Charles Fitzhenry Hill 22 Assistant Master

Charles Decent 20 Assistant Master

Pupils:-

Enoch Bettersworth 12, Francis Cheetham 16, Thomas Edwards 14, William Haese ? 13, Robert Harmon 11, John Holmes 14, John Meades 9, George Mitchell 12, Alfred Nelson 10, Henry Pannell 11, Richard Pinder 15, T. Rees 12, John Ryan 12, George Taylor 10, Charles Welton 11.

 
1871 Uninhabited  
1881 Herbert Harper 26 Schoolmaster (brother of William H. Harper who founded the Protestant Grammar School)  
1882 Charles Harper 31 (also brother of above) Secretary, Clerk  
1891 Frederick Chapman (Rates)

James C Chapman (Census) 31 Postman and Bill Poster

Mary E Chapman 27 wife

Frederick Chapman 5 son

Arthur J Chapman 2 son

George Seaborne
1901 Empty  

 

Middle Household

 

George Butler is shown living here for a while and having a (work) shop up to 1827

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1827/33 John Rogers George Butler
1841 Edward Tate 40 Clerk

Priscilla Tate 37

George Tate 10

William Tate 9

Hewlett Tate 5

Frank Tate 1 month

Ellen Tate 16

Frances Tate 12

Sarah Tate 4

 
1846 Edward Tate George Butler
1851 Edward Poole 49 Railway Clerk

Priscilla Poole 47 wife

Frances Mary 22 daughter Seamstress

Edward Poole 23 son Mariner

Sarah Poole 14 daughter Scholar

Frank Poole 11 son Scholar

Edwin Poole 8 son Scholar

Robert Poole 7 son Scholar

Alfred Charles Poole 5 son

 
1856 W.H.Harper George Butler
1861 Used for overspill from St.Saviour’s school (see westernmost household)  
1871 John Aylward 66 Shoemaker (Deaf)

Martha Aylward 52 wife

May Row 1 Nurse child

 
1881 Frank Good 35 Assistant. English Master

Joseph Callaghan 39 Assistant. French Master

Luigi Penco 25 Boarder Scholar

 
1882 William H. Harper

George Gragan 30 Boarder Articled to Piano Manufactory

George Butler
1891 Unoccupied (Census)

George W. Butler (Rates)

George W. Butler
1901 George W. Butler Rates)

Caroline Miller (Census) 60 Widow Needlewoman

George W. Butler

 

Easternmost Household

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1827/33 C.G.Wrankmore C.G.Wrankmore
1841 Edward Butler 40 Tailor

Charlotte Butler 35

Frances Butler 16

David Butler 8

Louisa Butler 1 month

 
1846 John Mitchell W.G.Wrankmore
1851 Uninhabited  
1856 Rev. E. Field W.M.Wrankmore
1861 Used for overspill from St.Saviour’s school (see westernmost household)  
1871 George Knight 35 Excavator

Caroline Knight 35 wife

Margaret Knight 2 daughter

William Knight 1 son

 
1881 John Gordon 43 Assistant. Classical English Tutor. Professor

Alfred Hill 28 Assistant. English Master

Eugene Leplasque 16 Boarder Scholar

Andrew Jarman 15 Boarder Scholar

Henry Jarman 14 Boarder Scholar

 
1882 William H. Harper Mrs. Wrankmore
1891 William Tapner 69 Crab Merchant

Martha Tapner 50 wife

William Tapner
1901 William L. Scammell 41 Journeyman Butcher

Rosina 27 wife

Sallie 7 daughter

Winifred 5 daughter

Lilian 3 daughter

Francis 1 daughter

Lidia 5 months daughter

E.R.Harmsworth

 

Post 1901 (two households only)

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1911 S.Gregory Taylor

S.Gregory Taylor

S.Gregory Taylor

S.Gregory Taylor

1920 S.Gregory Taylor

S.Gregory Taylor

S.Gregory Taylor

S.Gregory Taylor

 

East Side of Church Street from South to North

 

Number 2 (Part of Survey Number 25 – High Street)

 

Originally part of the Star Inn property in the High Street it was first used as a workshop around 1865 by the then landlord who was also ran a carpentry business. It was not converted to residential use until the end of the 19th century when the inn was rebuilt. Number 2 was sold off from the main building after 1911.

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1866 Fred.Haws.King (Office and Carpenter’s shop) *F.H.King
1871 F.H.King (Carpenter’s shop) *F.H.King
1881 Wm.A.Gates (Carpenter’s shop) *Late King
1891 Void *Ashby & Co
1901 Emma F. Butler 66 Charing

Henry Butler brother 68 General Labourer

*Ashby & Co
1911 William Durrant *North Street Brewery
1920 Alfred Atkins (Star Cottage)  

* also owners of Star Inn

 

Numbers 4 & 6 (Survey Number 26)

 

Now just one block of houses (that now includes what was number 8) rebuilt in the 1960’s and currently housing a dental practice with access to the rear of the High Street shops. Once two dwellings of varying sized frontages these were by Victorian times very similar in appearance to no’s 10 and 12 which still exist to the north of them.

 

Prior to 1775 this plot of land is recorded as being owned by John Burton (believed to be a maltster who later rented the malthouse above the old Customs House) and occupied by a person with the unfashionable surname of Hogsflesh. In that year Burton sold on to John Wood and in 1783 the ‘two tenements and gardens’ were purchased by James Edwards. In 1795 the houses were noted to be in the occupation of John Morey and Thomas Thornicroft when sold by Edwards to John Lintott. John Rice, a merchant, bought and immediately sold the properties straight on to George Short in 1798 when just one previous and existing occupant is shown as ‘James Courtney and now Thomas English’ but does this mean that the other house had been empty for a while? (these records reveal another example of ownership changes being slow to be reflected in the Land Tax Assessments until a year or two after the event.)

 

By 1801 both properties seem to have been sold off seperately, number 4’s long term resident John Moorey had become the owner and J.B.Hooper the owner of number 6 about the same time although the latter is not certain and may not have come into Hooper’s possession until 1823 when he is said to have rebuilt it. John Moorey left his house to his widow following his demise but despite being a house owner then the Widow Moorey was later recorded there as ‘poor.’

 

Number 4

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1782 Ann Whalford John Wood
1783 John Moorey James Edwards
1795 John Morey John Lintott
1800 John Morey

George Short

John Rice
1801/19 John Moorey John Moorey
1823 Mrs Moorey Mrs Moorey
1827 Widow Moorey {Poor}  
1831 Mrs Moorey  
1838 John Durrant M.Broadhead
1841 Mrs Lelliott Matthew Broadhead
1846 W.J.Pinkey Matthew Broadhead
1851 W.T.Pinkey (Rates)

William Penley 69 Halfpay Officer R.M. (Census)

Mary 60 wife

Mary Ann 27 daughter Teacher

Mary Brown 28 visitor Teacher

Mr Broadhead
1856 Skedden Broadhead Wm.Broadhead
1861 John Tiltman (Rates)

Mary Tiltman (Census) 30 Mariner’s Wife

Mary King 9 daughter

William King 7 son

Georgiana King 5 daughter

Elizabeth King 3 daughter

Ellen R. Tiltman 8 months daughter

?
1871 Thomas Clark 55 Master Mariner

Elizabeth 54 wife

William 23 son Mariner

Horatio 18 son Mariner

Walter 14 son

Harry 12 son

Lavinia 9 daughter

Kennett Ashby & Co
1881 Empty  
1891 John H. Phillips 39 Shipwright

Mary 33 wife

Ellen 9 daughter Scholar

Clara 5 daughter Scholar

Thomas 3 son

William 1 son

Arthur Eade
1901 Wm. Bacon (Rates)

William J. Barton (Census) 46 Cement Miller

Alice 32 wife

Annie 19 daughter General Servant Domestic

Victoria 13 daughter

Caroline 10 daughter

Edgar 6 son

Alberta 4 daughter

Reginald 3 months son

Harry Loader 29 Boarder

A. Eade
1911 (Not mentioned – possibly used by Eade as a store) A. Eade
1920 A.G.Snelling  

 

Number 6

 

From 1775 to 1823 the ownership of this house was of course the same as shown for number 4 and for those years only the occupiers are shown here. Long standing resident Mary Hills ran the premises as a beer shop for almost 30 years.

 

As another example of the continuous movement of families from one rented property to another, the William Adams family were in John Street in 1861, at this address in 1871, in the Lower Road in 1881 then back at number 6 Church Street in 1891. The Adams were descended from a long line of farmers and millers at Barcombe who came to Shoreham in 1833 and founded a bakers business at 46 – 52 in the High Street using the windmill in Mill Lane to grind their flour.

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1782 William Hosegood  
1786 Rice Jones  
1795 Thomas Thornicroft  
1801 Ann Marsh  
1823 Webb J. Hooper
1827 Mrs Hill late J. Hooper
1831 Mary Hills G.H.Hooper
1833 Mrs Hills G.H.Hooper
1835 Mr. Hibbs (Hills?) Beer Shop G.H.Hooper
1841 Mary Hills (House & Beershop) (Rates)

Mary Hills 53 Beer Seller

Samuel Meredith 65 Mason

G.H.Hooper
1846 Mary Hills G.H.Hooper
1851 Mary Hills 74 widow Beerhouse Keeper

William Tribe 30 nephew Bricklayer

Charlotte Tribe 29 wife

James Hopkins 30 lodger Mariner

Jesse Jupp 40 lodger Labourer

Thomas Tutton 41 lodger Blacksmith

G.H.Hooper
1861 B. Coomber (Beershop) (Rates)

John Tull 59 Postman (Census)

Ann 56 wife Greengrocer

John Cullum 30 Mariner

Sarah 26 wife

G.H.Hooper
1871 William Adams 34 House Carpenter

Elizabeth 32 wife

Kathleen 11 daughter Scholar

Alfred 8 son Scholar

George 4 son Scholar

 
1881 Wm. Smith (Rates).

Robert Higham (Census) 37 Master Printer

June 35 wife

Eleanor 14 daughter

Thomas 13 son Assistant Printer

Robert 11 son Scholar

Edgar 9 son Scholar

Edith 7 daughter Scholar

Ida 4 daughter

Ernest 1 son

R B. Higham
1891 Elizabeth Adams 53 widow

Alfred 28 son Market Gardener

George 24 son Rural Postman

John English 57 widower Boarder Gardener

Arthur Eade
1901 Thomas Laws (Rates)

Alfred Winter 30 Boat Maker

Alice 32 wife

Alfred 7 son

Robert 3 son

Alice 2 daughter

Doris 7 months daughter

A.Eade
1911 Geo. King

Arthur Eade (Store)

A.Eade
1920 Mrs. E. Monnery  

 

Number 8 (Survey Number 27)

 

Records show that in 1761 Bess Bartlett passed the property to Joseph Bartlett and in 1776 he, in turn, sold to Samuel Deane, cordwainer who was still the recorded owner in 1782 by which time he had split the dwelling into two (although the 1782 Survey map only shows one house and the Land Tax Assessments do not show two occupants until 1801). After the Deans left for Kent the property passed to Ambrose Ward, thought to be a relative of the family who held it until 1823 when R. Edwards purchased it (not reflected in the Land Tax records). In 1827 long standing resident Widow Streeter is shown at this address in the Land Tax records and also at 14 Church Street in the Rates records (both exercises carried out at different times of the year) to where she subsequently moved.

 

In 1830 Edwards and others sold to James Turner, a maltster (he lived at 25 Church Street) who rebuilt the property as one house, then left it to Mrs. Turner when he died in 1838. The property is noted to be held in trust for Frederick Cooper by 1843 although the rates still show Mrs Turner as the owner until at least 1861.

 

Mr & Mrs Crackland sold to James Fisher in 1872 and ownership is later confirmed as John Ellman Brown around 1877 then later Minnie Austin about 1910. Most of this is also confirmed by the rates records and the one or two exceptions that occur are almost certainly due to brief periods of ownership that fall between the ten year gap of most of the years researched.

 

This house was eventually to succumb to the same rebuilding as numbers 4 and 6 in the 1960’s. In 2002 further alterations were necessary for the new dentist’s surgery during which time it was discovered that the back wall of the northernmost front room was a surviving relic of the 1830 internal wall. This was of brick construction between a framework of oak timbers but some of the oak timbers were notched and had dowled timber insertions at right angles that had been sawn-off. Furthermore, most timbers were blackened down one side from scorching. Perhaps the earlier building had burned down and the timbers were older salvage from the fire damaged house that Turner reused for the reconstruction in 1830?

 

wall
The original 1830’s wall showing (left) the timber framework shortly before demolition and (right) one of the blackened oak timbers

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1782/86 Ann Lintott Samuel Dean
1795 Edward Streeter Samuel Dean
1801 John Sawyer & Thomas Vincent William Dean
1807 John Sawyer & Widow Streeter Ambrose Ward
1810/13 William Holcombe (a Customs boatman) & Widow Streeter Ambrose Ward
1814 Joseph Potter & Widow Streeter Ambrose Ward
1815/17 William Muggerage & Widow Streeter Ambrose Ward
1819 James O’Kelley & Widow Streeter Ambrose Ward
1823 Widow Kelley & Widow Streeter Ambrose Ward
1827 Henry Lee & Widow Streeter Ambrose Ward
1831 John Butler James Turner
1833 John Butler Junior James Turner
1835 John Butler Jr James Turner
1838 John Baker Mrs. Turner
1841 John Baker (Rates)

Henry Baker 75 Independent (Census)

Sarah Witten 20 Female Servant

Mrs. Turner
1846 John Hilton Mrs. Turner
1851 Chas.D. Burthwell (Rates)

Charles Bakewell 36 Timber Merchant (Census)

Elizabeth 32 wife

Elizabeth 9 daughter Scholar

Emily Eade 19 House Servant

Mr. Turner
1856 Charles Dowley Buckwell Miss Turner
1861 Thomas English 35 Shipowner

Ruth 32 wife

Eliza 14 daughter Scholar

Miss Turner
1866 Wm. Beach  
1871 William Beach 31 Master Builder employing 4 men & 2 boys

Eliza 23 wife

Maud 4 daughter

Horace 2 son

Gertrude 3 months daughter

Sarah Clark 12 Nursemaid

Ruth English 44 widow Annuitant

Martha Cracklen
1881 Wm. Bush(?) (Rates)

William Burt (Census) 49 Sergeant Instructor to Artillery

& Chelsea Pensioners

Susan 40 wife

Caroline 17 daughter

William 14 son Grocer’s Assistant

Charles 12 son Assistant Clerk on Railway

Samuel 11 son Scholar

Albert 9 son Scholar

Elizabeth 7 daughter

Ellen Mary 3 daughter

J.E.Brown
1891 George Rogers 34 Auctioneer’s Clerk

Mary 20 wife

Charlotte Pennicott 48 widow Mother in Law Independent

George Parsons 64 widower lodger Naval Pensioner

J.E.Brown
1901 John Henry Brigden 60 Boat Maker and Assistant Carman

Emily 39 wife

Marjorie 4 daughter

Eric 2 son

Jane Dinnage 71 mother in law

J.E.Brown
1911 Alfred Snelling  
1920 Mrs. Brigden  

 

Numbers 10, 12, & 14 (Survey Number 28 for 10 & 12 Church Street: Survey Number 29 for 14 Church Street)

 

In 1782 there was only one building on each of these two survey sites and as both were under the same ownership for many years they are included together here. The southernmost house (Survey Number 28) was not split into two to become 10 & 12 until after 1871 and of the two original properties only part of number 14 still survives.

 

Recorded in 1782 as 2 tenements and 2 gardens when the previous owner was Rivetts but subsequently owned by C.Elgar (whose christian name of Cedric appears to have been delightfully mis-spelt in the tax records as ‘Siderick’ although this same mis-spelling was also repeated in other records). The properties later passed to Thomas Elgar then Mary Marchant, widow of William the previous vicar at St.Marys, before John Foster purchased them in 1817.

 

The family did not move in to the house (at what are now numbers 10 & 12) until 1819 following the death of its recent resident Captain Witherstone RN but thereafter it remained the family home until 1851. After Foster’s death in 1835 both properties were left to his wife Elizabeth (died 1848) and then to his daughter Elizabeth (d.1865) the wife of John Davis. Eventually, they passed to John Brown, a nephew of the Fosters who put both houses up for sale in 1867 by auction at the Royal George Inn in the High Street. Henry Brooker, a plumber, purchased the properties and converted the southernmost into two houses to create today’s no’s 10 & 12. As part of the arrangement Brooker sold on number 14 to Dr.Thomas Fuller who lived at ‘Lladloes House,’ an ancient dwelling that stood in East Street backing on to number 14. Fuller then annexed most of number 14’s rear garden to add to his own, altered the house in Church Street then leased it to the local water company for use as a store. (Fuller did eventually convey some of the garden back to later owners in 1896 but this was still only half the size of the original garden).

 

It appears that Brooker also had a close association, and probably did work for, the water company as he sold the out house at the rear of number 12 to Thomas Fuller for use as the company’s office and stables for some years (the company’s store of course being at number 14). In the late 1880’s Henry Brooker moved on to 45 John Street where he had recently built numbers 45 to 53 leaving his son George at the Church Street house. By 1911 George had regained ownership of 12a which was then reintegrated as part of the main house.

 

Number 12 was modernised and virtually rebuilt internally in 2001 and before then it still had a flagstone passageway lined with wooden brackets to hold mangers, relics of the time when horses were kept here and in stables in the courtyard behind. During the 20th century number 14 was used for a time as a garage complete with petrol pump – a somewhat unusual concept in this day and age when Church Street is now strictly controlled by conservation laws.

Macintosh HD:Users:rogerbateman:Desktop:zx.png
The old passageway at number 12 before rebuilding showing the manger brackets and flagstone floor Photo author

 

 

Owners and Occupiers of the building covering both survey sites to 1835

 

Year Occupiers of site 28 for No’s 10 & 12 Occupiers of site 29 for No. 14 Owner
1782 Henry Partington Widow Cheesman 1782/1800 Siderick Elgar
1786 late Bridger Widow Cheesman  
1790 William Harley Robert Grover Senior  
1795 William Harley William Binstead  
1801 Benjamin Roberts William Grinstead Thomas Elgar
1807 Mary Marchant Thompson 1807/1810 Mary Marchant
1810 Mary Marchant Stevens  
1813 Capt. John Witherstone James Beach Junior 1813/1816 late Mrs Marchant
1815/16 Capt. John Witherstone William Tribe  
1817 Capt. John Witherstone William Tribe John Foster
1818/35 John Foster William Tribe John Foster

 

Captain John Witherstone of the Royal Navy was in 1813 the newly promoted Lieutenant Wetherstone who had previously lodged at number 1 in the Twitten – not a young man at the time as he died at Shoreham in 1819 aged 66. William Tribe came from a family of builders, carpenters and shipwrights. Even up to recent times building businesses have turned their hand to coffin making and funereal work so it is perhaps not too fanciful to imagine William and his family as the predecessors of today’s funeral business based in Worthing.

 

The details for each house are now shown seperately:-

 

Site for Numbers 10 & 12

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1835 Mrs Foster Mrs Foster
1838 Geo. Trew(?) Mrs Foster
1841 John Davis 62 Schoolmaster

Elizabeth Davis 50 Schoolmaster

Elizabeth Foster 80 Independent

Elizabeth Cooper 5

Dianah Dean 15 Female Servant

Mrs Foster
1846 John Davis Mrs Foster
1851 Elizabeth Horrock 29 Master Mariner’s wife

Mary Ann 2 daughter

Elizabeth 3 months daughter

Sarah Ann Parker 21 visitor Dressmaker

Mary Lelliott 14 House Servant

Mr Davis
1856 William Young Mr Davis
1861 William Young 62 Shipwright

Elizabeth 60 wife

Ellen 19 daughter

Betsy Rennard 32 Master Mariner’s Wife

Ellen 10 daughter Scholar

Betsy 8 daughter Scholar

Elizabeth 6 daughter Scholar

Emma 4 daughter Scholar

Agnes 2 daughter

Mrs Davis
1866 William Young Davis
1871 S.Pauldice & F.Monk (Rooms) (Rates)

Henry Brooker 36 Master Plumber (Census)

Emma 40 wife

Emma 13 daughter Scholar

George 11 son Scholar

Thomas 9 son Scholar

Mary 7 daughter Scholar

Annie 5 daughter Scholar

*Thos.Fuller

(*Thomas Fuller as owner is perhaps a mistake by the person entering the rates records as the deeds clearly show Brooker as the owner. Nevertheless it indicates a temporary use of the building for rental income pending the conversion.)

 

By 1881 Henry Brooker had split the property in two. The following records are those for the new, smaller buildings that are numbers 10 & 12 Church Street:-

 

Number 10

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1881 Fennell H.W.Brooker
1891 H.W.Brooker H.W.Brooker
1901 Thomas W. Brooker 37 Smith Black

Annie 29 wife

H.W.Brooker
1911 Emma Brooker Mrs Brooker
1920 Walter Farley  

 

Number 12

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1881 Hy.Walker Brooker H.W.Brooker
1891 George H.Brooker H.W.Brooker
1901 George H. Brooker 41 Plumber

Elizabeth 45 wife

Ethel 16 daughter

Louisa Phillipps 16 General Servant Domestic

H.W.Brooker
1911 Geo.H.Brooker Mrs Brooker
1920 George H. Brooker (Plumber)  

 

Number 12a (this was the outbuilding at the rear of number 12 part of which was also used as stables but now forms part of the main house)

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1891 Waterworks Co (Offices) Thos.Fuller
1901 Waterworks Co (Offices) Thos.Fuller
1911 Waterworks Co (Offices) Brooker
1920 12a once again part of the main (no.12) house  

 

Number 14 

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1827/41 Widow Streeter who moved here from number 8 Church Street (noted as ‘Poor’ in 1827) John Foster (to 1835)
1841 Sarah Streeter 70

Ann Streeter 30

William Streeter 25

Mrs Foster (1835 to 1848)
1846 Thomas Williams  
1851 Thomas Williams (Rates)

Ann Williams 40 Mariner’s Wife (Census)

John Thomas 4 son

Sarah Ann 1 daughter

William Greenfield 38 brother Carpenter

Mr Davis
1856 Thomas Williams Mrs Davis
1861 Thomas Williams 49 Mariner

Ann 49 wife

Sarah 11 daughter

Mrs Davis
1866 Thomas Williams Davis
1871 Thomas Williams 59 Ship Rigger

Ann 60 wife Laundress

John 25 son Sailmaker

John E. Brown
1881 John Ellman Brown J.E.Brown
1891 Waterworks Co (Store) Thos.Fuller
1901 Waterworks Co (Store) Thos.Fuller
1911 Waterworks Co (Store) Thos.Fuller
1920 Brighton Corporation Waterworks, Shoreham District Office,

J.J.Frampton, Collector

 

 

Number 16 (Survey Number 30)

 

It is generally believed that this and number 18 next door were once one building and certainly the deeds do appear to support this theory. Records indicate common owners for both prior to 1782 – i.e., John Shepherd originally, then the Roberts family. Rebuilt about 1780, probably after being split from number 18, the owner is shown in 1782 as Henry Newton with the property described as ‘one tenement.’ Today the house is in a style similar to numbers 10 & 12 further down the street.

 

In common with deeds of the time neighbouring properties, owners and occupiers are often referred to in order to explain where the property being sold stood. Number 18’s deeds mention John Deadman as the occupier of 16 in 1825 and John Brown who lived at number 18 – both men were property owners throughout the town and were also involved seperately and jointly in the ownership of number 16 at various times throughout the 19th century.

 

One of the occupants in 1856 was David Pilmore a Customs Clerk from Devon. He later moved with his family to 3, Western Road (and was still working at the age of 78 as the Collector of Harbour Dues). His daughter Annie Pilmore ran the ‘Ladies School’ at Dolphin Chambers in the High Street and is remembered for her writings ‘Sketches of Shoreham’ in 1895 and co-author with E.F.Salmon of ‘Two Shorehams – Two Inhabitants’ in 1902.

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1782 Richard Blair Henry Newton
1786 Sarah Thompson Henry Newton
1790 Richard Puttick Henry Newton
1795 Thomas Blair Thomas Blair
1801/07 Thomas Blair John Rice
1810/16 Widow Thompson John Rice
1817/18 Widow Thonpson 1817 to 1838 J & J Deadman
1819 Widow Thompson  
1823/27 James Deadman (but John Deadman in Rates records)  
1827 John Deadman  
1831 Deadman  
1835 John Baker (later moved to number 8)  
1838 W.Clarke  
1841 Empty D.Alston
1846 I.W.Mardell(?) David Alstone
1851 Mrs E. Crumb (Rates)

Elizabeth Crunch (Census) 59 widow Dressmaker

Jane Sayers 48 sister Dressmaker

Jane Gregory 21 lodger Railway Porter wife

Rebecca Sharp 17 lodger

Harriet Gregory 3 months lodger

Mrs Atstone and L.Deadman
1856 David Pilmore John Brown
1861 James Dyer 51 Master Mariner

Sarah 44 wife

Sarah 20 daughter

John Brown and L.Deadman
1866 Thomas Cobbold John Brown
1871 John E.Brown  
1881 John Ellman Brown (Rates)

Charlotte Hodges (Census) 31 Dressmaker

Edith 5 months daughter

John Ellman Brown
1891 G.Manns (Rates)

(No entry in Census – perhaps unoccupied or used by Brown as an

office only as he lived in Buckingham Road at the time)

J.E.Brown
1901 Ellen King 59

Lewis 20 son

Edward 21 son

Kate 19 daughter

J.E.Brown
1911 James King Thos.Fuller
1920 James King  

 

Number 18 (Survey Number 31)

 

Number 18 is older than 18th century and is best known for being the childhood home in the 1760’s of Henry Roberts, the renowned hydrographer who accompanied Captain Cook on his voyages to the South Seas and Australia and witnessed Cook’s assassination there. Henry’s father commanded the Revenue cutter ‘Enterprise.’

 

18
Number 18 and Captain Henry Roberts RN (House photo – author ; Roberts-National Maritime Museum)

 

 

Prior to the 1780’s, when the property was believed to have been a larger building including the land upon which number 16 now stands, the owner was John Shepherd before the Roberts family held it. By 1780 the southern half was sold off to become number 16. John Edwards, a Shoreham shipbuilder, was the recorded owner of the northern half (number 18) in 1782 and passed it to his son Thomas in 1795.

 

The tragic Ann Partington lived here in 1814. She was the sister of Captain John Butler (who lived one door away at 22, Church Street), wife of Henry Partington senior and mother of Henry junior (both were Collectors of the Customs at different times). Ann was ultimately to be preceded in death by her husband and all her children which caused her to become a recluse ending her years at her house in East Street when she died in 1847 at the age of 90.

 

John Rice purchased the house in 1808. He was a banker in the town but seems to have overstretched himself through his purchases (in 1814 he owned 34 properties in Shoreham alone) became bankrupt and in 1819 sold the house to Edward Hide, a merchant who had married Esther Rice – at the time Hide also owned 20/22 East Street which is now the restaurant on the corner with New Road. He subsequently moved to Gloucester and in 1825 sold number 18 on to John Brown who lived there for many years.

 

John Brown was a ship broker and by 1871 had moved his family home from Church Street to the impressive Buckingham Lodge in Buckingham Road keeping his Church Street house as an office. His son John Ellman Brown was Clerk to the Council (as was grandson, Harold); Vice-Consul to no less than five nations; had held the position of High Constable of Shoreham and was known to have a great interest in the town’s history. The house also has a small schoolroom at the bottom of the garden and it is almost certain that this was built during the occupation by John Brown and his family.

 

Brown Ad
A 1907 advertisement for the family business for which the office was for many years at number 18

 

(Some of the following dates again illustrate the delay in the dates of ownership changes being reflected in Land Tax and Rates records)

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1782/86 William Fuller 1782/90 John Edwards
1790/1813 Thomas Edwards 1795/1813 Thomas Edwards
1814 Ann Partington 1814/15 John Rice
1817 John Gravely 1816/1824 Edward Hide
1818 John Rice  
1823 Thomas Vincent  
1825 John Brown 1825/71 John Brown
1827 Mrs Ellman  
1831 John Brown  
1833 John Brown  
1835 John Brown  
1838 John Brown  
1841 John Brown 40 Corn Agent

Ann Brown 45

John Brown 15

Emma Brown 10

Ann Carter 65

Louisa Brenman 9

Rhoda Laros 18 Female Servant

 
1846 John Brown  
1851 John Brown 54 Ship & Customs Agent

John Ellman 24 son Customs Agent

Albert Foster 11 visitor Scholar

Ann Deane 20 House Servant

 
1856 John Brown  
1861 John Brown 64 widower Ship Broker

John 35 son Ship Broker

Jane Masters 26 Domestic

Mary Holder 11 Domestic

 
1866 John Brown  
1881 John Ellman Brown (Rates)

Ann Woolven 67 Housekeeper at Office

 
1891 J.Ellman Brown  
1901 Empty  
1911 Brown Harold Brown
1920 John Brown & Son, Coal Merchants

Council Offices, Harold Brown, Clerk to the Council

 

 

No.20 (Survey Number 32)

 

Like its neighbour next door (number 18) this cottage has dressed flint wall facings and brick window surrounds in common with some of the older buildings in town but, more unusually, have brick parapets. Both sport what must be original porches although number 18’s is more ornate and has a very high, gabled roof.

 

20Cole
John and Elizabeth Cole’s stone in the porch of number 20. (The configuration of the surname initial above the two christian name initals was usual for the time) Photos author

 

As with 18 this building also originated in the 17th century, perhaps before. John Cole, a mariner, held this house along with other property in Shoreham and his and his wife Elizabeth’s initials are still to be seen above the front door with the year 1754. In 1773 Cole willed it to John Burton (also a mariner and thought by present day descendants to be unconnected with the maltster of the same name who owned 4/6 Church Street). The 1782 Survey shows John Burton as the owner with Thomas Snook as resident although Burton moved in the following year and remained there until 1801 when Henry (Harry) Innott purchased it.

 

Long time owners of number 18, the Brown family, had by the 1870’s also acquired this house (20) as well as numbers 14, 16 and even rented the college houses numbers 22 and 24. As property dealers with interests in a continuous row of six Church Street properties it is easy to imagine that the family’s increasing business and fortunes may well have tempted them towards thoughts then of redevelopment of that row. However, luckily for Shoreham, we do know that the man in control of the business, John Ellman Brown, was fascinated by Shoreham’s history and to demolish some of the towns most historic buildings was probably too great a loss for him to consider.

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1827 Harry Innott Harry Innott
1831 Henry Innott Henry Innott
1833 Harry Innott Harry Innott
1835 John Innott  
1838 William Sayers Miss Peachey
1841 John Merrix W.Peacher
1846 John Merrix Richard Stevenson
1851 John Merrix 47 Pilot

Elizabeth 48 wife

Betsey 19 daughter servant

Eliza 14 daughter

Mary Ann 12 daughter

John 3 son

James Mills 34 visitor Mariner

Mary Ann Mills 33 visitor wife

James Mills 8 visitor son Scholar

Mary Ann Mills 5 visitor daughter Scholar

Elisa Mills 2 visitor daughter

Richard Stevenson
1856 John Merrix  
1861 Rowland Williams (Rates)

Mary Williams (Census) 48 Lacemaker

Mary 21 daughter Dressmaker

Albert 18 son Boatbuilder

Adelaide 17 daughter Dressmaker

Rowland 16 son Shipwright’s Apprentice

William 12 son Scholar

Sarah 9 daughter Scholar

Harriet 4 daughter Scholar

John Brown
1866 George Bowles Davis
1871 John E.Brown Brown/London
1881 William Bennett 52 Road Labourer

Sarah 48 wife

J.E.Brown
1891 George Peterson 43 General Labourer

Eliza 42 wife Laundress

J.E.Brown
1901 William King 49 Market Gardener J.E.Brown
1911 William King  
1920 H.E.Hygate  

 

No.22 and 24 (Survey Number 33)

 

butler1
Captain John Butler’s House (foreground) with Nathaniel Woodard’s college addition beyond it Photo author

 

 

The Butler family originated in Ireland and the earliest Butler we know of was Richard who married in Shoreham but died in Brighton in 1776. His son John (1730 – 1813) built the house in 1771 at a cost of £900 financed by money made during his voyages for the East India Company. Upon his death the property passed to his son Captain John Butler (1755 – circa 1840). One of Shoreham’s better known sons, Captain Butler’s exploits as a Customs Riding Officer and Captain of the Revenue Cutter ‘Hound’ are already well documented by his granddaughter.

 

After John Butler’s demise the building ‘with a cottage adjoining’ was sold to the Rev. Nathaniel Woodard. There is no dwelling shown to the north of the house on the 1782 map but there is in the 1789 and 1818 maps and presumably the Butlers built it – long before Woodard rebuilt his school extension in its place. In her history of the Butler family (Memories of a Shoreham Seafaring Family) Maria Butler (1830-1858) even describes some rooms inside the house and the events that occurred within them. She specifically mentions being able to see the family tombstones in St.Mary’s churchyard from a window seat of John Butler’s house.

 

To see the Butler graves from a front window (even allowing for the fact that the cottage before the college extension did not protrude beyond the Butler house frontage as the college extension does now) would have meant leaning out so far as to risk falling out. So it is more likely that Maria was able to see the tombstones more comfortably from an upper, perhaps attic window (as still exists on the south end of the building) that overlooked the graveyard. It follows therefore that the cottage to the north of the house could not have been as tall as John Butler’s house otherwise Maria’s view would have been obscured. The rates records for 1841 reveal that part of the cottage was used as a carpenter’s workshop for John’s son, George Butler, in addition to John Brewer who lived there.

 

butpic
Captain John Butler Photo author

 

 

Renovations to 22 in recent times led to the discovery of a bundle of William Butler’s romantic letters. One of the sons of Captain John Butler, William wrote these whilst he sailed with his father on the Hound. These are recorded and examined under the title ‘A Small Book of Letters’ on the Shorehambysea.com website and at Worthing Reference Library.

 

The buildings were being used as ‘St. Mary’s College’ as early as 1851 but were referred to as ‘St.Saviour’s School’ in 1861. After Woodard rebuilt the cottage to create an extension including an assembly hall he mirrored the design of Butler’s house and used the same materials. However, the number of pupils soon outgrew even these extended premises so that it became necessary to rent odd houses and rooms elsewhere in Church Street as well as in the nearby streets. Eventually Woodard built a brand new college at Ardingly to which the Shoreham school or college was transferred in 1870 but the Church Street buildings continued to used albeit as a laundry for the pupil’s clothes at another of Woodard’s colleges at nearby Lancing.

 

The census returns for the school or college in Church Street does include the names of pupils staying there on the day of the census and they are shown here (relatively few appear to be from Shoreham families). However, it should be remembered that the total number of pupils by 1861 was 160 or so and these were spread all over town including one in Middle Street, the High Street (probably), New Road and the two in Church Street (numbers 15 and 22/24). The High Street school lists the teachers and pupils but the name of the school is not provided so it cannot be certain that this was in fact part of Woodards’ school, particularly as the newer Protestant Grammar School also commanded a large attendance at the time. The pupils at 22 and 24 Church Street are all shown as if they were at number 22 but they would have been using both buildings as would the pupils in the annexes, particularly at assembly times in the school chapel at number 24.

The college or school chapel inside number 24 – left, looking east and right, looking west

 

Number 22

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1771/1813 John Butler John Butler
1813/1846 Captain John Butler Captain John Butler
1841 John Butler 86 Independent

Elizabeth Butler 40

Jane Wrankmore 42

Frank Wrankmore 5 months

Mary Woolgar 18 Female Servant

 
1851 Rev.N.Woodard (New School,Churchyard) (Rates)

Census:-

John William Hewitt 27 Teacher & Tutor at St.Marys College

George William Temple 24 BC.Probity Fellow & Tutor of St.M.College

Students:-

John Sidebotham 20, Henry Montague James 14, Francis Arthur Groom 13, Edward Everhard 11, Francis Woods 13, Thomas Cox 13, Oliver Humphrey Fowler 10, Charles H. Connor 14, William H. Connor 11, James Connor 9, William Cox 11, Edward Llewellyn 14, Henry Martin 13, John Hodson 13, Melmouth S———–? 13, William Ayres 10, Herbert Candy 18, Percy Nicholas 16, Benjamin Wood 10.

Late Captain Butler
1856 Rev.F.M.D.Meretens  
1861 Rev. T.F.Meretens (School’s House) (Rates)

College

(Census)

Frederick Mestons 21 MD Oxon.Clergyman & Schoolmaster (probably Meretens)

Pupils:-

Frederick Appleby 11, Henry Appleby 13, Charles Baily 13, John Baily 11, Charles Berry 12, William Culton 10, Samuel Gander 14, Harry Marsh 12, Henry Price 11, W.Tucker 11, Horace Umber…? 7, Stephen Wells 17.

Staff:-

Esther Short 35 Housekeeper

Caroline Tucknott 20 Cook

Caroline Tinsley 19 Housemaid

Caroline Gale 19 Housemaid

Jane Seagram 20 Housemaid

Jane Bryant 18 Kitchenmaid

Eliza Tucknott 14 Housemaid

Provost & Fellows, St.Saviours
1866 John Woodward Provost & Fellows
1871 John E.Brown Provost & Fellows, College No.1
1881 Benjamin Barns 68 Wheelwright

Jane 63 wife Dressmaker

Priscilla 43 daughter Domestic

Rev.Woodard, College No.1
1891 Blackmore (Laundry) Rev.E.Blackmore
1901 Rev.E. Blackmore (Laundry) (Rates)

Kate Hedgcock (Census) 39 widow

George 12 son

Frank 10 son

Rev.E.Blackmore
1911 W.B.Woodard (Laundry) Edward Lowe
1920 Mrs Hedgecock, College Laundry  

Rev.E.Blackmore was an Associate of St.Nicolas College, Bursar at Hurstpierpoint and Fellow and Bursar of Lancing College from 1868 to 1909 and Assistant Master at Lancing from 1861 – 71. W.B.Woodard was the third of Nathaniel Woodard’s sons who oversaw much of the building work at Lancing College and Chapel until his death in 1918.

 

Number 24 (cottage, until rebuilt for the college around 1850)

 

Year Occupiers Owner
1827 George Snook

Widow Lashmar (Poor)

 
1831 Mr Snook

Mrs Lashmar

 
1833 Mrs Snook  
1835 John Field John Butler
1838 John Field John Butler
1841 G.Butler (Carpenter’s Shop) (Rates)

John Brewer (Rates)

John Brewer 50 Tide Waiter (Census)

Elizabeth Brewer 40

Charles Brewer 13

Elizabeth Brewer 9

John Brewer 7

Sarah Brewer 5

Mary Brewer 3

J.Butler
1846 G.R.Butler (Shop)

Widow Sawyers

John Butler
1851 (See number 22)  
1856 Rev.A.C.Wilson (School)  
1861 Rev.T.F.Meretens Provost & Fellows, St Saviours College
1866 Robert Hammond (Schools etc.,) St.Saviours
1871 John E.Brown Provost & Fellows, College No.2
1881 Void Rev.Woodard, College No.2
1891 Void (College – St.Saviours Hall) Rev.E.Blackmore
1901 Kate Hedgecock (St.Saviours Hall) Rev.E.Blackmore
1911 Kate Hedgecock (St.Saviours Hall)  
1920 (Part of the laundry at 22)  

 

 

Sources:-

1782 Survey

National Archives, Kew

Lancing College and Chapel Archives

New Shoreham Land Tax Records,

New Shoreham Rates Schedules

Census Returns

and with special thanks for information from the deeds, wills and access to the buildings included in this work to the current day owners and occupiers:- Trish Goodchild; Derek Goss; Barry Hayward; Barry Hilson; Anne Humphries; Grahame Jennings; Colin Major; M. Norman; Jane Ogden; Michael Pierson; Janet Presley; Jim Randall; Doris & Dick Steers; Sue Voice:

 

Roger Bateman

Shoreham

April 2008

9 Replies to “History of Church Street”

  1. Brilliant history – thank you!
    My family lived in Myrtle Cottage, Church Street from around 1962 to 1985.
    It was called Myrtle Place when we moved in, but my parents, Norman (a well known artist) and Pat Battershill (an influential member of St Mary’s Church), renamed it Myrtle Cottage – as we thought it was a prettier name!
    We had the ground floor extension built, and the garden was without the Middle Street driveway gates,as is now, we only had the little gate to that road, and of course, the main gate onto Church street.
    It was such a wonderful place to grow up.

  2. My great grandfather, Harry Payne, married a Sarah Ellen Mann. Harry was foreman of the timber yard and, to quote my mother, “lived in the lovely foreman’s house.” I wonder which house that was as I cannot see any of the family as “occupants” anywhere on the lists. Harry’s children were Nellie b. 1882, Leslie b 1883, Elsie Margarite b 1886, Harry O b.1891 and (my Dorothy Penrose b.1894 (my grandmother)
    Thank you for your help.

    1. Hi Merrilyn,
      If you look at our census returns for 1891 you will find the complete family you mention on page 37 in West Street. In the same section (Censuses and Directories) the 1899 street directory shows them at the fourth house on the east side of the street. This turns out to be number 8, one of the ancient cobble fronted buildings that still stand there.
      Hope that helps.

  3. seeking any information with regards to the family of John Edwards shipbuilder of Shoreham. His siblings, what I have thus far, Thomas, James, Sister Elizabeth possible William and Robert Edwards. sister Elizabeth married James Britton Bally who was the partner of John Edwards in shipbuilding. seeking parents of these Edwards children and any other information.
    I am from New Zealand and my family believe that we are connected to this Edwards family.
    Any help gratefully appreciated. Birth dates, born where, parents and grandparents also if possible. ([email protected]).
    B J Edwards

  4. Thanks for your enquiry Britina – we have information on this long standing Shoreham family going back to the 17th century on this website. I have additional information on them too so it’s probably best if I write to you directly.

  5. Hello SbS
    I am tracing Dr Reginald Brown who lived in Shoreham by Sea in the 1930’s. He was a London GP and local amateur artist. He is my great grandfather.
    Please can you tell me his address in Shoreham and if you have any record of his life and other family.
    We will be visiting the area on the 26th Oct for a few days.
    Thank you.

    1. We have little on Dr Reginald Brown I’m afraid, Nicholas. I have been able though to trace what appear to have been his address. From aronnd the mid 1930’s up to the 1940’s at least Dr Reginald Brown MD is shown at Fairways in Buckingham Road. This is the fourth property up on the west side of the road after the Mill Lane junction and was later numbered as 49 Buckingham Road. It still exists but I’m afraid this comments facility doesn’t enable images to be used so I can’t include a photo. It is easily obtained using google earth though or, of course, when you visit.

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