Hove in the Past: Belfast Street, Hove.

Judy Middleton 2001 (revised 2023)

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

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.

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’.

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

Lance-Corporal Frederick Richard Alexander was the son of Richard and Eliza Alexander of this address. He served with the 2^nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, 1^st 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

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 9^th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, 24^th 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

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 7^th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, 12^th 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 4^th 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 8^th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, 18^th 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

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

Hove in the Past

Pages

29 June 2023

Belfast Street, Hove.