Judy Middleton 2001 (revised 2023)
|
copyright © J.Middleton Belfast Street looking north |
Belfast Street was one of the
small back streets of Hove, and was developed in the 1870s; in
February 1878 it was stated that there no less than 267 inhabitants,
and in December of the same year Belfast was declared a public
highway.
Horse Buses
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copyright © Royal
Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove Brighton, Hove and
Preston United Omnibus on the route from West Brighton (Hove) to Brighton Station.
|
In 1884 most of the local horse
buses operators had amalgamated to become the Brighton, Hove and
Preston United Omnibus Company, and the firm had a fleet 30 buses,
and 150 horses. These horses were stabled at Conway Street and
Belfast Street, as well as Gloucester Place, Brighton.
Kelsey’s Coach and Motor Works
This business was located at
Belfast Street during the 1920s. They had a fascinating advertisement
that stated ‘all kinds of motor bodies built to order’.
House Notes
Number 2
|
1892 Gardening Illustrated magazine
|
Number
8
– The Sanitary Inspector reported that there was no water supply to
the privy in 1888.
Number
9
– The Sanitary Inspector reported that there was no water supply to
the privy in 1891.
Number
14
– The Sanitary Inspector reported that there was no water supply to
the privy in 1894.
Numbers
15 / 17
– This was where the Belfast Tavern
was situated. It is interesting to note that in the 1870s when an
application was made for a beer-house licence, it was claimed it
would be the only one on the so-called Oliver Estate – this name
might derive from the previous land-holder John Olliver Vallance of Brooker Hall.
Naturally, there was a debate and Mr Champion claimed that there were
only around 50 occupied houses on the estate. But this figure was
shot down by Police Sergeant Marsh who stated that there were in fact
nearly 100 houses, all occupied.
|
copyright © J.Middleton This pub was originally the Belfast
Tavern, then
The Bell and
later on The
Urchin |
In
around 1991 the pub was re-named The
Bell, and
later it became The Urchin.
Number
16
– In June 1906 the occupant of this house was advertising for sale
‘High-class Pigeons and Rabbits, cheap’.
|
copyright © J.Middleton You could find ‘high-class
pigeons’ at this address in 1906 |
Number 18
|
1887 Gardeners' Chronicle magazine |
Numbers
20 /22 / 24
– These three houses were sold as one unit, and it was stated that
the houses were let at ten shillings a week.
Number
22
– The Sanitary Inspector reported that there was no water supply to
the privy in 1889.
Number
24
– The Sanitary Inspector reported that there was no water supply to
the privy in 1888 and 1889.
Change of Use
In the 1970s many of the houses on
the east side were demolished to make way for a large car park to
serve shops in George Street and Blatchington Road. This was a
well-used car park, but it later fell victim to the pressing need for
a new school building to house the expanding St Andrew’s School. It
was in October 2002 that the boards went up around what was known as
the Haddington Street Car Park to the fury of local traders.
Belfast Street and the First World
War
Belfast Street must hold rather a
sad record because in just 23 homes on the east side, the households
had to cope with the loss of six men who died because of the war.
Number
18
|
copyright © J.Middleton This was the home address of
Lance-Corporal F. R. A. Alexander |
Lance-Corporal Frederick Richard Alexander was the son of Richard
and Eliza Alexander of this address. He served with the 2nd
Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, 1st
Division, and was aged 24 when he died of his war wounds on 28 May
1918. He was buried in Cambrin Military Cemetery.
Number
20
|
copyright © J.Middleton Private William Webb lived in
this house |
William Webb was the son of Mr and Mrs Thomas Webb, but no
address was given. However, William was a married man and his wife
Florence Mary lived in this house. Private Webb was born at
Paddington, but enlisted at Hove. He served with the 9th
Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, 24th
Division, and died on 15 February 1917 aged 34. No cause of death was
recorded, and he was buried in Lillers Communal Cemetery.
Number
32
|
copyright © J.Middleton Private P. W. Bridger’s
parents lived at this address |
Private Percy William Bridger MM was the son of Mr Bridger and
Mrs Elizabeth Bridger of this address, but later they moved to Purey,
Surrey. Bridger was born at Hove but enlisted in Brighton. He served
as a private in the 7th
Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, 12th
Division and his conduct was such that he was awarded the Military
Medal. He was killed in action on 3 May 1917. It must have been a
fierce battle because it seems his body was not recovered. His name
is commemorated on the Arras Memorial.
Number
38
|
copyright © J.Middleton This house was occupied by Mr
and Mrs Paish, who, sadly, lost two sons during the First World War |
Henry and Mary Ann Paish lived in this house, and they had to
endure the tragedy of losing two sons in the war. The first to go was
Corporal Albert Walter Paish – how the couple must have wished
their son had stayed safely at home in Australia where his wife Mrs
S. E. Paish lived in Aldgate, South Australia. He was born at Hove in
1880 but had been living in Australia for around two years before war
broke out. He already had a taste of the military life because he
held the South African Medal, but he must have felt the call of duty
and enlisted in the Australian Imperial Yeomanry, and then served
with the 4th
Australian Army Medical Corps. This became part of the Anzac Corps
that suffered such a severe number of casualties on the ill-fated
shores of Gallipoli. It seems likely that Paish was injured there,
but was removed for treatment to Malta where he died on 12 July 1915.
He was buried in the Pieta Military Cemetery, Malta.
Alfred
Victor Paish enlisted in Horsham, and served in 8th
Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, 18th
Division. He was still only aged 19 when he was killed in action on 5
May 1917. He was buried at St Martin Calvaire British Cemetery, St
Martin sur Cojuel.
Number
46
|
copyright © J.Middleton 1st class Torpedo-man A. V. Butland
lived in this house |
This was the home address of First-Class Torpedo-man Albert
Victor Butland. He was born at Hove in 1893, and was educated at the
George Street Schools. He joined the Royal Navy as a Boy on 6
February 1911, and received his training on board HMS Ganges
II. He
was serving aboard HMS Irene
when
he was killed aged 21 on 27 May 1915, not by enemy action, but in a
horrendous accident in home waters.
What
happened was that HMS Irene,
a minelayer, was moored on the River Medway at Sheerness Harbour.
Unfortunately, she had on board 500 mines as well as some defective
mine charges, and was awaiting replacements. Suddenly, the ship blew
up, the explosion being so fierce that debris and body parts rained
down on adjacent villages. The death toll was put at 278, this
included 255 crew from HMS Irene,
Naval ratings HMS Bulwark,
and
local dock-workers. There was just one survivor.
Sources
Encyclopaedia of Hove and
Portslade
Hove Council Minute Books
Middleton,
J. Hove
and Portslade in the Great War (2018)
On-Line Hove’s Roll of Honour
Royal
Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
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