Tuesday 27 March 2018

#52Ancestors Week 13 "The Old Homestead"

108 Hythe Road

Affectionately know as One O Eight by the family this house was home to the Wadey family for 76 years.  Stephen and Clara Wadey brought up seven children in this house, four boys and three girls.  I have fond memories of this house from my childhood, from "sleep-overs" with my brother when my Mum and Dad had evenings out and being looked after by my uncle and aunt to visiting when The Wadey brothers and sisters visited Brighton with their families. I cannot mention these visits without being reminded of Stanmer Park where we used to go for Family Picnics, special times x

From records it would appear that plans for the building of 29 homes 78 to 134 Hythe Road were first submitted 20 July 1899.  There are some large houses in Hythe Road set for demolition

From 1901 to 1904 the old houses still seem to be inhabited.  The first clue we have on the residents of 108 Hythe Road comes in the 1911 census when Ben Heath and his family are showing as living there.  Ben's occupation is a Chimney Sweep!
The street directories show Ben continuing to live at 108 in 1914
But by 1915 Ben has moved out and his brother George has moved in with his family.  George who in earlier years was a Coachman is showing as a Cartman in 1911.
1917 and all change again the street directory shows Mrs Painter living at 108
With so little information it is impossible to know who this is lady is and a year later the Heath's are back with the 1918 directory showing Mrs Heath.  1920 George is back on the directory and stays showing until 1924 with his death.  Probate shows his address as 108 Hythe Road
1925 shows Mrs Heath as resident.
  
1926 shows Mrs Heath and STEPHEN WADEY.
1926 and the first time that STEPHEN WADEY is shown along with Mrs Heath in the street dirctory. Stephen and Clara married in 1920 and by 1926 both Stephen AL Wadey and Robert Wadey have been born so 1926 the Wadey family shown as occupants along with Mrs Heath.   As Stephen bought the house in 1925 I imagine that Mrs Heath boarded there until she disappears from the street directory for Hythe Road in 1931  I can find no family link with the Heath family, other than the fact that George's brother was also a chimney sweep.  Initially I thought that Mrs Heath was Mrs George Heath, but this is not correct as Mrs George Heath died 1912.  Maybe a family member may be able to recall something?
This is the 1931 register the first time that Stephen Wadey is shown as the only family head.  Next door is Sharman, if memory serves right when I was a child 60's and 70's the lady next door was Bolly (sic) Sharman?  The daughter of Jn David Sharman?
Again any family member with any information this would be gratefully received.













Land registry shows Stephen buying the house on 26th August 1925

In my search for information in the newspaper archives I came across a very strange advert for a miracle cream in several local newspapers throughout the country this cream has been endorsed by a Mrs B Shepherd of 108 Hythe Road, Preston, Brighton, England.  Cannot find any record of this lady at 108 Hythe Road, but makes interesting reading

Tuesday 20 March 2018

#52Ancestors Week 12 "Misfortune"


#52Ancestors Week 12 “Misfortune”
Thomas Wadey 1859-1924 (Great Great Uncle)
Thomas Wadey was the second son of Stephen Edwin Wadey (1829-1904) Stephen's story and Mary Ann Johnson (1830-1876) born 1859 in Brighton and baptised at St Nicholas Church Brighton on 29th May 1859.
Misfortune came early to Thomas at the age of 2 ½ he was walking across the road with his father Stephen when he was hit by a pony and cart being driven “furiously”
The Brighton Guardian on 23rd December 1861 printed to following transcript from Brighton Borough Bench
Monday December 23rd
Present A Bigge and W Alger Esqrs.
John Whiting and Thomas Terry, two middle-aged men. Dressed as labourers, were placed in the dock on the charge of driving a pony and cart in a furious manner, and    running over a child     
The Chief Officer said the child which was run over was named Thomas Wadey, and was only two and a half years old. After the accident it was take to the Hospital, and was found to have received serious injury.  He had sent two or three times to the Hospital to make enquiries, and this morning Mr Rogers, the house surgeon, had sent to say that the child was now progressing favourably.
Stephen Wadey, sworn;  I am a chimney sweep, and live in Circus Street.  On Saturday, at about two o’clock, I was coming down Market Street with my little child, and I was crossing over the road towards Castle Square.  My little child was walking at my side.  The prisoners must have been driving from Castle square towards Market street, for they went up Market street.  I was not looking before the accident happened, so I cannot tell you the pace.  The child was knocked down, and the wheel went over it.    It was so much hurt that I was obliged to take it to the hospital.
William Benham sworn;  I live at 113 Western Road.  I was crossing this road on Saturday afternoon, and I saw the prisoners driving a pony and cart at a very furious pace.  They appeared to be coming from across the Steine.  I had some difficulty in getting out of the way myself.  The pony was galloping, and it was the noise that first attracted my attention.  I was driving, and if I had not had a lively horse I should not have been able to get out of the way.  When they had passed me I looked round, and I saw the pony going towards the last witness.  The little child was walking a foot or so behind him, and before he could pick it up the pony and knocked it down and the wheel had gone over it.  This was a fast pony, and was going at quite twelve or fourteen miles an hour.
Henry Chamberlain sworn; I live at 9 Rose Hill terrace, and am employed at Mr Hannington’s. I saw this accident occur.  The pony was going at the top of its speed, land the men did not make the least attempt to stop it till they had run over the child.  The off wheel of the cart went over it, and I think the child must have been killed if the pony had not been going at such great speed.
Samuel Duly sworn; I was coming down St James’s street on Saturday afternoon, and I saw this pony and cart coming down the street at a fearful speed.  The people were running away in every direction.  The men in the cart were rolling against each other, and made no attempt to stop the pony. When I got down into Castle square I was that this accident had happened.  I should think the pony was going quite as fast as Mr Benham states.
Police constable Stoffel, sworn; I came up just after this accident.  I saw that the child was very much hurt,- I couldn’t tell whether it was dead or not , - and also that the men were both the worse for liquour, so I took them in charge and brought them here.
Mr Bigge: What do you propose to do Mr White?
The Chief Officer: I must leave it in the hands of the magistrates now, Sir.
Mr Bigge said it was a great mercy that the men were not charged with manslaughter.
The Chief Officer mentioned that they both bore a good character, Terry had a wife and six children,
Whiting admitted that he was driving the pony fast, but said he did not see the child till he was close on it, land the tried to pull up, but could not.
Mr Bigge said this was a very serious charge, and he thought the best course would be to remand both prisoners til to-morrow, to see how the child went on.
Prisoners applied to be admitted to bail, but Mr Bigge refused to grant the application.


The next day they  were both found guilty and fined 40s each plus costs.  The court was told that Thomas was “fast recovering from his injuries”.  40 shillings equates to around 10 days wages at the time.

Thomas recovered from his brush with death and continued to live in Circus Street with his parents until his marriage in the summer of 1891 to Mary Ann Hopkins.  The 1891 census shows Thomas as cab driver / groom, 1901 he is shown as a fly proprietor living in Upper Lewes Road.  A fly be a type of pony and cart!  

 28th July 1903 records show Thomas taking over the license for The Liverpool Arms in Gloucester Place, Brighton







The James Grey collection has a photo taken in 1913, I presume showing Thomas outside his pub.  1914 a new licencee is shown so Thomas and his wife left the Inn sometime between 1913 and 1914 ten years after taking it over.  Have no further information for Thomas who died 1924,   
http://regencysociety-jamesgray.com/volume30/source/jg_30_079.html
Unfortunately the pub along with other buildings were demolished in 1935 to make way for Telephone House that was completed in 1938

Tuesday 13 March 2018

#52Ancestors Week 11 "Lucky"


It was a warm Saturday afternoon in September, but what happened that afternoon has been written into Brighton's history.  On 14th September 1940 at approximately 3.30 a lone Dornier bomber being chased by a spitfire jettisons its load of 20 100lb bombs in a last ditch attempt by its pilot to get away from the spitfire, this was to no avail as the bomber was later shot down, but not before destruction is rained down on Kemp Town.  The 20 bombs were dropped over Kemp Town killing 52 people.  During the whole of the War 198 people died in Brighton from German bombs, the 52 that died on that day represents over a quarter of all deaths throughout the war.  The bombs hit the Kemp Town area which included Edward Street and Upper Rock Gardens. The Odeon cinema in St Georges Road look two direct hits which killed 4 children and 2 adults and left dozens injured, the cinema was busy so it was a small miracle that more were not killed.






Keith WEST was taking his younger brother John to the cinema that Saturday afternoon, Keith being John's elder brother was already working and earning so Keith was treating his younger brother then almost 10 years old to a trip out to the cinema and was intending to go to the Odeon, but on their arrival they were turned away because the theatre was full, so the brothers walked down to the Astoria in Gloucester Place, not knowing that this initial disappointment of not getting into the Odeon could well have saved their lives.

This is just one of the stories of lucky escapes that I suspect everyone that lived through the war can relate.  Another lucky escape happened when the two boys were walking along Preston Drove when an enemy aircraft strafed the road, the boys diving for cover into Blakers Park.  The strafing of the roads especially around the main London Road apparently were not uncommon.  Maybe because of these close escapes John was evacuated to High Bentham in Yorkshire in 1941 where he stayed for almost 3 years.  On his return with the war still ongoing an incendiary bomb was dropped which landed next door to their home in Waldergrave Road, but luckily did not go off

Dedicated to the 198 in Brighton that were not so lucky

Sunday 4 March 2018

#52Ancestors Week 10 "Strong Woman"



#52Ancestors Week 10 Strong Woman

Rosetta Elizabeth Lane 1853-1926
There was no dithering over who I should write about this week, it has to be Rosetta Elizabeth Lane my paternal Great Great Grandmother.  Everyone has someone in their tree that they admire, Rosetta is mine, this is one strong woman. 
Rosetta was born on 10th February 1853 at Hope Street, New Town, Sheerness, Kent, baptised 13th April 1853 the only daughter of Michael LANE and Amy TAYLOR.  The next record we have of Rosetta is the 1861 census where at the age of 8 she is living with her Grandmother Mary and Aunt Elizabeth LANE at 7 Meeting House Lane, Chatham.  Her parents and brother are living in Radnor Square, Chatham.  1871 sees her still living with her Aunt Elizabeth also her Uncle (brother of Elizabeth) Joseph LANE, still at Meeting House Lane, her father Michael is in Medway Union Workhouse, her mother living in Post Office Yard, Chatham with Rosetta’s brother William George.
Rosetta marries Horatio Blair WEST a tailors cutter at St Margaret’s,  Rainham on 21st January 1872. Their first son Joseph William Blair WEST is born the following year in Chatham. Henry Charles (my Great Grandfather)  is born in 1876 and Albert Edward Blair in 1879 by which time Horatio is already committing adultery with Patience Nicholls a spinster from Old Brompton.   Horatio joins the Royal Navy in Oct 1881 leaving Rosetta with their 3 sons living in 8 Paddock Street, Chatham with Joseph and Elizabeth LANE.  In November 1882 Rosetta petitions for a divorce on the grounds of adultery coupled with cruelty which was granted 1884, according to the Office of National Statistics this was one of just 348 divorces granted in 1884 throughout England.  There are not the stats re the petitioners but I would imagine that the number of these that are petitioned by the wife must be small.
The transcript of the divorce petition can be found here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zut3Hr1P3zggupsQhjltNCqDzp5TjPXH/view?usp=sharing

The nurse mentioned in the petition I think is Rosetta’s aunt Elizabeth Lane who Rosetta & Horatio lived with in Paddock Street.
 A year after her decree absolute on 27th June 1885 she marries Peter Joseph Gregory  an Engine Room Artificer (i) in the Royal Navy .  They have a daughter in 1887, Rosetta Charlotte Gregory.   
On the 1891 census Rosetta and her daughter Rosetta Gregory are still living in Paddock Street with Elizabeth and Joseph Lane along with her 3 sons from her marriage with Horatio. Peter is at sea with RN on HMS Pembroke, returning June 1892.  Would love to say after a tough first marriage that she now lives happily ever after, but unfortunately I cannot.   
The next record found is showing Peter being admitted to Medway Workhouse on 21st October 1892, it would seem due to a removal order (ii).  I can only surmise that Peter did not return to Chatham after leaving the navy and was forcibly returned to his home parish when he could not support himself as it looks as though he left the navy after 15 years was due to rheumatism.  Some removal orders have survived but unfortunately cannot find one for Peter, to confirm this guess, within a year at the age of just 35 on 3rd June 1893 Peter dies in the workhouse (Update - Peter dies in the county lunytic asylum of "general paralysis of the insane")
Now a widow Rosetta is still living with her aunt Elizabeth Lane now in New Road, Chatham on the 1901 census along with her daughter Rosetta.  Her uncle Joseph Lane having died 16th June 1891, probate shows him leaving his whole estate of £7 to his sister Elizabeth.  Rosetta is working as a home worker for a shirt factory in Chatham.  On 20th October 1904 Elizabeth dies at the age of 83 in Medway Workhouse, as her parents seem to have had little contact with Rosetta Elizabeth must have been like a mother to her, being that she lived with her  from the age of 8.
The 1911 census shows Rosetta living on her own in 1 room at 22 Hartington Street, Chatham after her daughter Rosetta married in 1908 and is working as a colour maker at the dockyards
Rosetta died 9th October 1926 at All Saints Hospital, Chatham, her death certificate shows that she was living with her daughter Rosetta at 68 Cross Street before going into hospital, Rosetta was with her when she died, cause of death is shown as Senile Decay at the age of 73.


(i)                  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_Room_Artificer