52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

108 Hythe Road Some houses are just buildings. Others become characters in our family story — silent witnesses to births, celebrations, and the everyday rhythms of life. For my family, 108 Hythe Road is one of those places. Affectionately known as “One‑O‑Eight,” the house homed the Wadey family for seventy‑six years , spanning two generations and creating memories for a third. It was a constant presence — a place of stability, laughter, and everyday life. But the story of 108 Hythe Road begins long before Stephen and Clara Wadey ever stepped through its doorway. 🗺️ Hythe Road Before the Wadeys: A Street is Born (1899–1904) At the turn of the 20th century, Brighton was expanding rapidly. The once semi‑rural Preston area was being transformed into a grid of new streets to house the town’s growing working population From 1901 OS map - Hythe Road is the first road unnamed off Ditchling Road after Preston Drove . On 20 July 1899 , plans were submitted for the construction of houses numbe...