Hove in the Past: Fonthill Road, Hove

Judy Middleton 2002 (revised 2022)

Background

The land on which Fonthill Road was laid out was once part of the Stanford Estate, and it was agricultural land cultivated as Goldstone Farm. The oldest buildings on what later became Fonthill Road were cottages for farmworkers, and at least two of them dated back to 1750. When the census came to be taken, these families were listed under the heading ‘Goldstone Bottom’. The last of the old cottages managed to survive until 1968 when it was demolished.

There was also a more substantial farmhouse that later went by the name of Goldstone House, and later still was numbered at 22 Fonthill Road. It was built in around 1872 on the brow of the hill, and demolished in 1955.

Development

On 22 December 1888 Frederick Napper, a Brighton gentleman, reached an agreement with Ellen Benett Stanford to build houses with the option to purchase the freehold at any time within seven years. It was expected that the land in question should have some houses built upon it by 29 September 1895.

In February 1890 it was reported that the west side was built up, but as yet there were no houses on the east side. Also in 1890 part of the road was declared a public highway, the next part between the railway bridge to Newtown Road, followed in 1893, and the last stretch from Newtown Road to Old Shoreham Road was finished in 1899.

The naming of the road was not straightforward. At first the name Upper Goldstone Street was favoured. But house owners were not happy with this – did it smack too much of its agricultural past? Perhaps they thought Fonthill Road had a more up-market ring to it because that is what it became in September 1890. The name was put forward by Mr Nye on behalf of himself and adjoining house-owners. There does not seem to be any particular reason for choosing the name of a place in Wiltshire.

Re-numbering

In October 1893 it was decided that Fonthill Road should be re-numbered. This exercise also included the assimilation of six houses formerly known as Fonthill Villas, plus the twelve houses called Fonthill Terrace.

Street Lighting

In 1894 there were complaints about inadequate street lighting. The Surveyor reported that the road from Newtown Road to Old Shoreham Road was 870-ft in length, of which 700-ft was built up on the east side while on the west side Goldstone House occupied 450-ft. The Surveyor said that there were already three street lamps in existence, and he suggested that a further three should be added. The usual practice at that time was then followed – the home-owners paid for the lamps to be installed while the Hove Commissioners picked up the bill for the gas lighting.

Pillar Box

Fonthill Road boasts a venerable pillar box bearing the cipher of Queen Victoria.

House Notes

Number 12 – Clark’s Bakery occupied extensive premises here, although the longer frontage was on what later became Newtown Road. (For more details, please see under Goldstone Farm or Newtown Road.)

These two photographs, were published by the Brighton Herald, which began life in 1806, becoming the first newspaper in the Brighton area, changing its name to the Brighton Herald and Hove Chronicle in 1902, and to the Brighton and Hove Herald 1922; it ceased to be a separate title in 1971 and became part of the Brighton and Hove Gazette. In the earlier photograph dating from the 1900s, it is interesting to note the lettering on the roof does not face the north frontage. In the second photograph, probably dating from the 1950s, the factory has extended so far that it could not all fit into the frame, while the road looks remarkably smooth.

It is sad to record that one of its employees was killed in the First World War. He was Herbert Henry Jestico, and he was born at Hove in 1897. His parents, Isaac and Annie Jestico, lived at 132 Ellen Street. Before war broke out H. H. Jestico worked at Clark’s Bakery as a clerk. In 1914 he enlisted in the Royal Navy, and Able Seaman Jestico became part of Howe Battalion, one of the four battalions that composed the 63^rd Royal Naval Division. This unique Division was the idea of Winston Churchill, and was nearly all made up of reservists and other sailors not immediately required at sea although there were a few marines too. Thus Able Seaman Jestco was not lost at sea but died on 21 May 1915 at Gallipoli.

Number 15 – This house was built by Samuel James Smale of Hove, who sold it to John Osborn Baker for £450. On 7 June 1893 the house was sold to Mrs Frances Jean Maria Farina Breidenbach for £530. There were two conveyances of the same date. The first one was signed by Frederic Napper, Samuel Smale, John Osborn Baker and Mrs Breidenbach. The second conveyance was signed by Ellen Benett Stanford, and enforced a restrictive covenant on what the owner could, and could not do, with the property, which was the standard agreement issued with the sale of any house built upon Stanford land.

On 11 July 1901 Mrs Breidenbach took out a mortgage for £325 with John George Jenner of Hove; on 29 August 1901 she borrowed a further sum of £25 from the same man. She had also taken out a mortgage for £400 with the Loyal Western Star Lodge Friendly Society.

Frances Jean Marie Farina Breidenbach (b.1841) was a member of the famous Breidenbach & Co. perfume manufacturing family in London and owned Number 15 from 1896. Frances had previously lived in Southdown Road, Preston, Brighton in 1891.

Frances’ middle names come from the famous Jean Marie Farina Eau de Cologne brand. Frances' German born father Francis, the perfumer, died in 1871 and her mother Emily died in 1894, they are both buried in the Woodvale Cemetery in Brighton.

The Breidenbach’s were perfumers to Queen Victoria, as well as in New Bond Street, London, the Breidenbach’s also had a perfume shop at 68 King’s Road, Brighton from 1889 until 1899. (Coincidentally, many years later the Dubarry Perfumery factory was sited very near to Fonthill Road in 1924)

The 1901 census shows, John Francis Breidenbach (b.1872), a furniture salesman, was living at his mother’s address with his wife Kate and son John Francis who was born in Fonthill Road. John and his family eventually moved to Derby where he was a photographer. In 1916 John Francis Breidenbach changed his surname by deed poll from Breidenbach to Bryden because of the anti German ‘surname’ sentiment that was sweeping the Country.

Strangely, the 1901 census shows that the mother, Frances (b.1841) was not living at 15 Fonthill Road but in Preston Drove, Brighton, she was a Seed, Corn and Coal Merchant, her daughter Agnes (b.1877) and son Francis Welter Breidenbach (b.1881) a corn shop assistant were also living at the same address.

The London Gazette reported on 17^th April 1903 that Frances' other son, Francis Welter Breidenbach (b.1881) of 15 Fonthill Road and 105 Portland Road, a Corn, Seed and Coal Merchant lately in partnership with (his mother) Frances Breidenbach & Co., that his bankruptcy was to be discharged as from 17^th April 1905.

Frances Jean Marie Farina Breidenbach (b.1841) died on 26 November 1911.

The house was sold to Joseph Short who had married Francis Breidenbach’s daughter Agnes Emily Jean Marie Farina Breidenbach (1877-1921). Joseph was a boiler-maker, of 4 Boston Street, Brighton.

Joseph died on 2 April 1926, and his children, Francis Joseph Short of 10 Beatrice Street, Swindon, and Margaret Agnes Short, spinster, of 4 Boston Street, Brighton, sold the house for £625 to Robert Middleditch on 24 December 1926.

Mr Middleditch seems to have enjoyed the longest tenure of the house, occupying the premises for some eighteen years. He died on 16 December 1944, and his two sons handled the sale of the property. They were:

Flight Lieutenant John Henry Middleditch of RAF Station Bentley Priory, Stanmore (late of 16 Orchard Gardens, Hove)

Harry Robert Middleditch of 7 Langmead Drive, Bushey Heath, Watford, mechanical engineer.

They sold the house for £1,285 to Hugh Munro of 11 Princes Crescent, Hove, gentleman, Mr Munro then made a handsome profit by selling the house almost at once for £1,775. The buyers were Harriet Whitehead and Mabel Victoria Pettett, both widows, of 8 Crabtree Arcade, Lancing, and Harry Whitehead of 60 Wray Crescent, Tollington Park, London, Civil Servant.

On 25 March 1957 Mrs Pettett and Mr Whitehead sold the house to Laurie Palethorpe, foreman glass-processor, and his wife Olive Gwendoline. Ten years later, the property was sold for £4,000 in July 1967.

Number 19 – George (retired London solicitor) and Matilda Vanderpump, the parents of Louisa Butler at number 23, lived at this address in 1889. After George died in 1901, Matilda moved to 11 Hartington Villas around the corner from Fonthill Road.

Number 21 – Arthur Hollingshead (b.1857) A.Mus.T.C.L (Associate in Music, Trinity College, London) was a teacher of music. Arthur, his wife Ellen and their daughter with the musical sounding name – Nelita Rossini, moved into number 21 in 1911 and stayed at this address until 1933. Arthur supplemented his income as a music teacher by working as a clerk in Hove Borough Council’s accounts office. Arthur had previously lived at 71 Westbourne Villas and 18 Hova Villas before moving to Fonthill Road.

Number 22 – Goldstone House was built in around 1872 with a frontage of 450-ft. The farmhouse was occupied by William Marsh Rigden who had been obliged to relinquish the previous farmhouse and land he had managed for so many years because of the encroachment of housing in the Wilbury Road area.

This photograph was taken in 1955 when Goldstone House was being demolished. It is a somewhat sad image because in its heyday it must have been a handsome property (Brighton Herald)

Modern houses replaced historic Goldstone House (Brighton Herald)

In 1877 John Jackson Clark moved into Goldstone House. The 1881 census describes him as being aged 35, and a farmer of 205 acres. He lived with his wife Georgina, aged 33, and their children Kate aged 8, Maud aged 6, Florence aged 3, and one year-old Constance; there were two resident servants. Their son Arthur must have been away from home on census night, but he was recorded in the 1891 census living in the house. Perhaps he had come home to work in his father’s nearby bakery which was founded in 1887.

J. J. Clark certainly lived a busy life with all his business interests, and he also managed to notch up forty-five years of loyal service to Hove. In fact, his name appears on Hove’s Charter of Incorporation with that of G. B. Woodruff as the two ‘well beloved and trusty subjects’ to whom the charter was granted. It is amusing to reflect on his early days as a Hove Commissioner when his fellow Commissioners consisted of gentlemen of status and retired colonels while he was an upstart businessman.

J. J. Clark was also responsible for laying out Goldstone Football Ground, as well as West Hove Golf Course. Some of his market garden land was lost when Hove Park was created but he received £2,501 in compensation. Clark lived to the age of 84 and died on 30 September 1928, his wife having pre-deceased him on 6 January 1923, and they were buried in Hove Cemetery. Goldstone House continued to be occupied by family members – Arthur Jackson Clark, and Kate Clark who died aged 74 on 4 February 1947. The house was demolished in 1955.

Number 25 – was the home of Edwin S. Cassell who ran the Sussex Centre of Cycle Traders’ Association in 1889 from this address.

Number 33 – Frank Butler F.R.C.O. (Royal College of Organist) was born in Brighton in 1861 and was a much travelled organist in the Brighton and Hove area. During his music career he served as an organist for the following Brighton churches:- St Nicholas, Chapel Royal, Emmanuel and St Luke’s Prestonville. Besides Frank’s church employment, he was also the resident organist at the Brighton Aquarium where he gave organ recitals twice a day at 4pm and 7pm in the aquarium’s entrance hall.

In 1894 he moved from 8 Crescent Place, Brighton to 33 Fonthill Road, Hove, with his wife Louisa (née Vanderpump) and daughter Aileen Valerie Butler in order to take up the post of organist and choirmaster at All Saints, Hove. In 1900 his second daughter Vera Yolande Butler was born. Frank was also the Conductor of the Hove Music Society’s orchestra and President of the Brighton District Organists’ Association.

Aileen Butler L.R.A.M (Royal Academy of Music) was a violinist and was well known locally in Brighton and Hove where she played at concerts professionally as well as at many charity events. She also ran private tuition sessions at number 33.

Vera Butler was a teacher of Dance and Movement, used number 33 as her business address and taught all types of dance at various halls around Brighton and Hove.

The Butler family left number 33 Fonthill Road in 1927 and Frank continued as the organist and choirmaster at All Saints, Hove until his retirement in 1933.

Number 43 – In May 1984 this house was on sake for £122,500. The main room was a west-facing lounge measuring 14-ft by 13-ft with a period iron fire-place and inset tiles. There was a separate dining room, and a combined breakfast room and kitchen measuring 27-ft by 10-ft. The house also had four bedrooms.

Fonthill Road Business Centre

In July 1992 Cliff and Sue Collins opened their £150,000 Shape Club in these premises. It was stated that they had the largest health membership in the south-east, the number standing at 3,500. They had owned the original Shape Club in Devonshire Place, Brighton, as well as the Cheetahs Gym at the King Alfred; the Gym was happy to expand into the space left vacant by the old Shape Club.

In September 1994 it was announced that the Rox School of Dancing was to hold special, separate dance classes for gays and lesbians. It was the idea of 28-year old professional dance teacher Carola Degener. Later on, Rox moved into part of the old Dubarry Perfumery, but today their classes are held at Cardinal Newman School.

By January 1996 Stonelands Ballet School had opened in the premises, having moved from Dawlish, Devon in 1995. It was thought that being nearer to London might provide more opportunities for the students. But their stay in Fonthill Road was of short duration and by the Autumn term of 1996, Stonelands had moved to 170a Church Road, Hove. The upstairs dance studio situated above the estate agents had windows looking north, south, and east. In July 1999 talent scouts from the Bolshoi Ballet were impressed by five dancers and they were picked to take part in Don Quixote in London. However, in 2008 Stonelands went into receivership.

Hove Planning Approvals

1890 – J. J. Clark, one house near the bakery

1891 – C. Nye for G. Kerridge, seven terraced houses, and six shops and houses in Newtown Road and Fonthill Road

1892 – G. M. Nye for S. C. Smale , three pairs of semi-detached villas on corner of Hartington Villas

1892 – C. Nye for S. C. Smale, four pairs of semi-detached villas, east side

1892 – J. J. Clark, four pairs of semi-detached villas, east side

1892 - J. Parsons, workshops and stores

1894 – A. E. Lewer, six pairs of semi-detached villas

1894 – C. Nye for S. C. Smale, twelve houses, west side

1896 – T. H. Scutt for Mr Backshall, four houses

1897 – J. Parsons & Sons, two cottages

1898 – T. H. Scutt for Mr Backshall, two houses, west side

1902 – F. T. Cawthorn for Revd H. W. Maycock, church and parish room (St Agnes Church) on the corner of Fonthill Road and Newtown Road.

1902 – A. E. Lewer, detached villa

1902 – A. E. Lewer, three terraced houses, west side

1907 – C. J. Kerridge, five houses, one shop, east side

1909 – J. Parsons & Son, five houses, east side, amended plan

1910 – A. W. Nye for H. Saunders, carriage workshops, east side

1911 – G. H. Burstow for J. J. Clark, additions to Goldstone House

2000 – Three three-storey houses in Newtown Road and Fonthill Road

Sources

Encyclopaedia of Hove an Portslade

Hove Council Minute Books

Royal Pavilion & Museum, Brighton & Hove

Street Directories

05 May 2022

Fonthill Road, Hove