Hove in the Past: Wilbury Avenue, Hove

Judy Middleton 2003 (revised 2023)

These handsome Victorian villas are at the west end of Wilbury Avenue

Background

Like the other ‘Wilburys’ this road was also laid out on land that once belonged to the Stanford Estate. Wilbury Avenue is unusual in that is bisected by The Drive, and they are completely different from each other.

The west Wilbury Avenue has some stately Victorian residences on the north side, and on the south side there is a series of white-brick houses reminiscent of similar ones in other parts of Hove, and Portslade – for example in St Leonard’s Avenue, and St Andrew’s Road. The east Wilbury Avenue has suffered from the building of the usual ugly flat-roofed blocks of flats so loved by developers.

The houses on the south side are quite different from those opposite

To return to west Wilbury Avenue – some of the houses have lovely stained-glass roundels, depicting flowers and leaves at numbers 12/14 and 28/30, and birds at number 16. Number 29 has a large diamond-shape in its front door and terracotta insets in the white brick. The large house on the corner of Wilbury Gardens has a terracotta shield bearing the date ‘1896’ on the east side.

Street Lights

In April 1893 Mr G, Kerridge asked the Hove Commissioners to provide additional lights in Wilbury Avenue. The reply was that if the house owners erected four lamps, then the Commissioners would undertake to light them and maintain them. It appears that the lamp standards were duly erected, but the lamps were not fitted up.

In January 1894 Mr Juden complained about the darkness of Wilbury Avenue between The Drive and Hove Park Villas. The Commissioners responded that they would be happy to light the standards as soon as they were fitted up. By 1900 there were six street lamps in action.

copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
In 1895 a house in Wilbury Avenue could be rented for £80 a year

Building Progress

In December 1900 the Borough Surveyor reported that the north side of Wilbury Avenue between Wilbury Gardens and The Drive was built up with the exception of one plot. On the south side one house was in the process of being built, while the rest of the space was taken up with tennis courts.

This block of modern flats are at the east end of Wilbury Avenue

The east part of Wilbury Villas was slower to be developed, and indeed it was nor declared a public highway until 1928 when the cost of making up the road was stated to be £1,732-6-11d.

Shunting Woes

On 21 March 1903 a letter of complaint was sent to Hove Council concerning the discomfort to the inhabitants of Wilbury Avenue ‘caused by the shunting operations carried out by the LB&SC Railway Company in the vicinity of Hove Station, and also the great annoyance caused by the smoke from the engines, which often remain some time stationary immediately to the east of Wilbury Avenue.’ Hove Council replied that they would call the company’s attention to the nuisance.

However, it seems that shunting went on regardless. Indeed, during the 1950s when there was a national railway strike, a Mrs Sharp told her family that she was unable to sleep a wink at night because of the unusual peace and quiet. She had become so used to shunting at night that it had assumed a background familiarity.

No Buses

In 1925 a bus company proposed to run a bus along Wilbury Avenue starting out on the north side of Hove Station. Far from viewing such a service as a convenience for them, the inhabitants worried about their property values. They got up a petition against such a move signed by 60 residents, and stated that they did not consider the ‘construction of the road sufficiently strong to prevent a great deal of vibration resulting in damage to properties.’

Hove Council decided not to grant a licence to the bus company.

Hamilton House

It was named after Dr Guy Hamilton, a local GP whose son was disabled. Dr Hamilton was the founder of the Brighton, Hove & District Spastics Society. Hamilton House was intended as a day centre for the disabled, and when it opened in 1955, it was the only such facility in Sussex. The first Hamilton House was situated in Dyke Road, and Dame Very Lynn performed the opening ceremony. In 1966 this house was sold, and a larger one purchased at 69 Wilbury Avenue, which had enough space to accommodate 30 people.

In 1975 Dr Hamilton and his wife Margaret visited Hove from their home in Australia, where they had lived since 1957, and planted an apple tree in the garden of Hamilton House to celebrate its 20^th anniversary. In 1977 it was stated that Hamilton House received a grant for around 48 per cent of its expenses from East Sussex County Council, but all the rest had to come from fund-raising and donations.

By September 1994 Hamilton House occupied two houses and was still run by the Spastics Society – shortly to be renamed Scope. An appeal was launched to raise £70,000 for alterations. Tim Nail, 34, the director, had worked there since 1988, and he was a specialist music therapist. Carmen Howse, 30, deputy director, was a specialist in relaxation, massage and aromatherapy.

In 1995 Dr Hamilton visited the centre to plant a second tree to mark the 40^th anniversary.

The Pavilion Lawn Tennis Club and Site

This club was situated on the south side of west Wilbury Avenue, and was established there at least as long ago as 1911, and of course the Borough Surveyor mentioned tennis courts being there in 1900. There were several grass courts, and as a measure of how popular tennis was both as a sport as well as a social gathering place, there was also the Grasshoppers Tennis Club at no great distance in The Drive. It was a well-remembered summer sound to hear the pinging of tennis balls on rackets through open windows. Curious spectators did not have a chance to view the tennis in progress at the Pavilion because there was a thick hedge as well as a good stand of trees. Some of the trees survive to this day although the grass courts have long since gone.

Later on, the interest in playing tennis declined, and the club at Wilbury Avenue merged with another Hove club to became the Palmeira and Avenue Lawn Tennis Club. In the 1990s the club decided that they would like to re-locate to The Droveway. But such a move was contingent on the profit to be made from house-building on the land in Wilbury Avenue. In September 1996 Hove Council received a planning request to build eighteen houses. At first it was expected that planning permission would be refused because it was believed the council wanted to preserve Hove’s few remaining green spaces. It was something of a shock to neighbours when it seemed that the council was not averse to house-building, although they would prefer the total to be sixteen rather than eighteen properties. Neighbours were furious; Friends of the Earth weighed in but not to protest at the loss of a greenery but rather the thought of large houses – if there had to be housing they would prefer terraced housing, and to squeeze in another two.

The final decision was taken at a full council meeting in January 1997, and the club received the go-ahead. There was one significant ‘planning gain’ in the matter because the club was obliged to donate £40,000 towards the creation of a sports area in Stoneham Park. The development began, and the show house was opened on 3 April 1999. The houses had secluded south-facing gardens, and a choice of 2/3 reception rooms, 4/5 bedrooms, and 3 bath/shower rooms plus a garage. The building of such luxurious houses would be unheard of today with developers apparently only willing to build blocks of flats. The new development was called Champions Row, perhaps as a nod to past tennis stalwarts; Gleesons were the developers, and Mishon Mackay marketed the houses.

House Notes

Number 4

The Chemist & Drugist Magazine January 1927

Number 5

Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Curties (1860-1928) late of the Royal Engineers, Connaught Rangers and 11^th Royal Warwickshire Regiment, lived at this address from 1893. He was a prolific author across many genres of fiction and non-fiction:- historical, romance, crime mysteries, science fiction, children’s books and a pilgrim’s guide to the Walsingham Shrine.

Many of his books were serialised in newspapers around the World in the 1930s.
The following is a selection of Henry Curties’ works:-

The Slipper Chapel (1901)
The Idol of the King (1905)
An Imperial Love Story (1906)
Tears of Angels (1907) - science fiction of an alternative future on earth
Out of the Shadows (1908) - crime novel
The Queen’s Gate Mystery (1908)
When England Slept (1909) – a foretelling fictional novel set in the future when Germany invades England
The Blood Bond (1910)
The Silver Shamrock (1911) – crime novel
A Queen's Error (1911) – A Ruritanian fiction historical drama
Idina’s Lover (1912)
A Forgotten Prince of Wales (1912) – non fiction
Redeeming Flames (1919)
The Carnation Club (1924)

Number 9A

Captain Merchant H Penfold R.N., C.B.E, lived at this address from 1923-1927. He was a friend of the Prime Minister of the Cape Town Colony, Cecil John Rhodes, who appointed Penfold as Port Captain of Cape Town. Later in his Royal Navy career he served as Commander of Hong Kong’s H. M. Dockyard and in Kent at the H.M. Dockyard Sheerness.

Number 11

Deputy Surgeon-General Sir James Howard Thornton K.C.B. (1834-1919) lived at this address from 1893.

James Thornton entered the Indian Medical Service in 1856 and served throughout the Indian Mutiny Campaign 1857-1859. He also saw service in the China War 1860, Khasa and Jyntia 1862-1863 (wounded in action), Bhutan War 1865-1866, Egyptian Expedition 1882, Shakin Expedition 1885 and the Hazara Expedition 1888. He was mentioned in despatches five times and received four war medals with seven clasps. He was also awarded the Kedive’s Star. He retired from the army in 1891. Dr Thornton was the author of Memories of Seven Campaigns: a record of thirty-five years' service in the Indian Medical Department in India, China, Egypt, and the Sudan (1895).

Sir James Thornton was a Hove Councillor, Member of the Steyning Board of Guardians, Chairman of the local Anti-Vivisection League and one of the original subscribers to the Hove Peace Statue scheme.

Kenneth Horne (1907-1969) – During the Second World War Horne served in the RAF, and he also found the time to purchase number 11 Wilbury Avenue as a business investment – his actual home being a cottage in Alciston. However, because of petrol shortages he often found it convenient to use the house for overnight stays.

Number 11, this house was once owned by Kenneth Horne

The house also lays claim to radio fame because the top floor was utilised as rehearsal rooms for the celebrated Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh, which kept the nation amused during their tough wartime lives. Horne is remembered for two other radio programmes as well – Beyond our Ken and Round the Horne. It is interesting to note that Bill Pertwee (1926-2013) who took part in Beyond our Ken lived around the corner from this house at 17 Hove Park Villas from 1962 to 1967. Kenneth Horne considered his radio career as something of a sideline because he was a successful businessman. Number 11 was sold in 1969. In 1984 it came onto the market with a price tag of £72,000.

Number 13

Vice Admiral Robert Sydney Rolleston (1849–1926) lived at this address in 1919.

In 1899 Rolleston was part of the operation to mark the position of Point Playa and the demarcation of the boarder between British Guiana and Venezuela.

On 25 June, 1901, Rolleston was appointed in command of HMS Nile. On 25 October 1901, she collided with HMS Trafalgar. Rolleston was criticised by the Admiralty for not being on deck when the accidental collision occurred, especially in the light that his ship was entering narrow waters.

Rolleston was appointed in command of the battleship HMS Royal Oak in February, 1903.

Number 17

Alderman William Jago lived at this address from 1905 (in 1899 he was living at 9 Wilbury Avenue). He was born at Marzion, Cornwall and trained as a mining engineer. However, after completing his studies, he found that mining was in the doldrums so he went into teaching and he became the first headmaster of the science side of the original Brighton School of Science and Art. Among his students was JJ Clark who was studying agricultural chemistry. Later, Jago became associated with Clark in the formation of the famous Clark’s Bread Company and Jago remained a director for many years. Jago was also a successful analytical chemist and he won international fame for his work in cereal chemistry. He wrote books including Inorganic Chemistry, which became a standard textbook for generations of students. Then, in mid-life, he started an entirely different career by qualifying as a barrister. His involvement with Hove Council dated back to 1898 and in 1913 he was made an Alderman. He was Mayor of Hove from 1923 to 1926 and during that time he entertained the Duke and Duchess of York. Jago celebrated his 80^th birthday by giving a dinner party at Hove Town Hall and the guests included his six surviving brothers and sisters. His son W Claude Jago presented him with a silver salver, tankard and cigarette box. William Jago died aged 84 on 28 March 1938. His wife Elizabeth Mary died on 17 January 1928 and they were buried in Hove Cemetery.

Number 19

Dr Thomas Fuller – He lived at number 19 in a house called Penryn. In around 1908 he wrote a booklet entitled Fragmentary Jottings. It concerned Shoreham Harbour, and in particular, the movement and effect of winds and tides on the beach from the harbour to Brighton. On the front cover there is a rather charming note ‘for those who might know less than him’.

George Wingfield – He lived at this address in 1923 and his name is important in the annals of Shoreham Airport because he started off as a solicitor and then became director of Aviators Finance who were involved right at the start. It is interesting to note that his son also had a keen interest in aviation and served in the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War as Lieutenant Lawrence Arthur Wingfield. However, his frail aircraft was shot down while he was flying over France. But at least he managed to land safely even though it meant that he was captured by the Germans and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. It must have been a time of great anxiety to his family back home. But Lieutenant Wingfield managed to escape and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Number 29

Sir Trevor Wood Wheler (1889-1986) lived at this address in the early 1900s. Like his late father he also served in the Royal Sussex Regiment. Sir Trevor was the principal land owner in Leamington Hastings in Warwickshire. His mother and sister lived at 59 Wilbury Avenue.

Number 59

Lady Mary Leotine Wheler (died 1917) lived at this address with her daughter Feridah (Dolly) from 1909. Her late husband was Sir Edward Wheler, a major in the Royal Sussex Regiment.
Lady Mary’s father was Sir Richard Wood, Consul General to Tunisia and later Consul in Damascus. He was credited for his vital role in securing British and Ottoman interests in the Middle East.

Lieut-Colonel Dr James Entrican C.I.E. (1864-1935), was living at this address in the 1920s. He entered the Indian Medical Service in 1891. He served in the Burma Campaign 1891-1892 and in China in 1900 for which he received medals. In later years he served as Inspector of Civil Hospitals in Burma. In 1922 he was awarded the Companion of the Indian Empire.

Number 61

Alfred Vere Oakley (b.1885) lived at this address from 1922, he was a journalist who wrote for Punch, Bystander, Passing Show, Autocar, Light Car, Morning Leader, Weekly Tale-Teller, The Globe and The Sporting Times.

Number 65

Lieutenant Victor Richardson MC (1895-1917), Victor was obviously a family name because the lieutenant’s father was Frank Victor Richardson, a dentist who in 1897 had his practice at 1 Sillwood Place, Brighton. The lieutenant’s mother was Emily Caroline. Frank Richardson moved his dental practice to 15 Cambridge Road in 1909 with the family home at 65 Wilbury Avenue. In the 1920s it appears Frank Richardson had given up his Wilbury Avenue home and was living at the same address as his dental practice in Cambridge Road

Hove-born Victor Richardson attended Uppingham where he became best friends with Roland Leighton (1895-1915) and Edward Brittain (1895-1918). They were all born in the same year and died within three years of each other. The ‘devoted trio’ became so close that Roland’s mother called them ‘The Three Musketeers’. They also shared an interest in the school’s Officer Training Corps, and all were expected to attend university – Victor to Cambridge, and the other two to Oxford. The three men have been immortalised in Vera Brittain’s autobiography Testament of Youth in which the men appear in brilliant close-up representing the flower of the finest young men slaughtered in the First World War. Vera Brittain was Edward’s sister and she included photos of them in her book, describing Victor as handsome and reticent and even taller that Edward who was 6-ft. Victor also possessed the remarkable gift of being a sympathetic listener, as Vera would discover, and the other two nicknamed him ‘Father Confessor’. Victor Richardson died of his wounds on 9^th June 1917. See Lieutenant Victor Richardson for more information.

Dusty Wesker – In the Argus (17 May 2001) it was stated that Dusty Wesker lived in Wilbury Avenue. It was in 1958 that Arnold Wesker (1932-2016) married Doreen Bicker ‘Dusty’ and they had three children. The pair met while working at the Bell Hotel, Norwich. Stepney-born Arnold Wesker was a famous playwright with over 45 plays to his credit, besides works of fiction and non-fiction. He was in the forefront of the ‘kitchen sink drama,’ a theme which today is commonplace but then was something of a revolution. It brought the lives of ordinary working-class folk to the attention of theatre audiences.

Hove Planning Approvals

1891 – Charles Nye for G. Kerridge, four semi-detached villas

1893 – A. Cresswell for G. Kerridge , four semi-detached villas

1896 – William Jago, detached house, number 9

1897 – C. Bullock for Kerridge & Kerridge, three pairs of semi-detached villas, south side

1897 – A. C. Udney for Kerridge & Kerridge, six detached houses, north side

1898 – A. C. Udney for Kerridge & Kerridge, detached houses, north side

1898 – G. M. Nye for Mrs Campbell, detached house, north side

1898 – C. Nye for Kerridge & Kerridge, four detached villas, north side

1898 – C. Nye for Kerridge & Kerridge, five houses, south side

1899 – Kerridge & Kerridge, one house

1899 – A Carden, detached villa, north side

1899 – A. Cresswell, two pairs semi-detached villas, north side

1899 – T. Garrett for A. H. Sauley, detached villa, north side

1899 – Kerridge & Kerridge, detached villa, north side

1899 – W. Jago for J. G. Martin, detached villa, number 33

1899 – Kerridge & Kerridge, eight pairs of semi-detached houses, south side

1900 – Kerridge & Kerridge, two detached villas, south side

1901 – Kerridge & Kerridge, one pair of semi-detached villas

1902 – J. G. Martin, one pair of semi-detached villas, south side

1903 – J. W. Hawker for C. B. Sherman, one detached house, north side

1905 – Overton & Scott for G. P. Kerridge, one pair of semi-detached houses

1921 – C. Scott, pair of semi-detached houses, south side

1922 – F. Parsons, pair of semi-detached houses, south side

1925 – F. Slaughter for A. A. Ross, detached house

1925 – F. Parsons, detached house, south side

Sources

Argus

Brighton Graphic

Brighton Herald

Encyclopaedia of Hove and Portslade

Hove Council Minute Books

Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove

31 March 2021

Wilbury Avenue, Hove