Hove in the Past: Byron Street, Hove

Judy Middleton 2001 (revised 2023)

Background

Most people would have no difficulty in recognising the name of this famous poet – Lord Byron (1788-1824) and it seems entirely appropriate that such a named street should be found in the area known as Poets’ Corner. However, it is quite surprising that the staid Hove Commissioners should have chosen Byron because his work was considered somewhat adventurous. Perhaps the commissioners were not much given to reading poetry, or perhaps the Vallance family had some say in the matter because the land was once part of the Vallance Estate. It is also interesting to note that in England Byron’s work declined in the public regard after his death, whereas on the continent he remained an important influence.

Growth

Building work started at the east end of Byron Street in the 1880s, and the Directory for 1886 noted ‘houses building’. By 1890 there were 31 houses listed but by 1892 the west end was still only partially built up. In 1894 Byron Street between Sackville Road and St Patrick’s Road was declared a public highway, while the part between St Patrick’s Road and the east side of Westbourne Street did not follow suit until 1897.

It was natural that Thomas Lainson should be involved in the creation of Byron Street because he was surveyor to the Vallance Estate, and designed nearly all the houses in the street.

The Builders

The 1890 Builder's Magazine

The houses in Byron Street were erected by a variety of builders, as follows:

Messrs Beeves

Mr Chadwell

Mr Cook

Mr J. Lewis

Mr Mr Lidbetter

Mr Marston

Mr Short

Mr A. Chadwell was later involved in building most of the houses in Mortimer Road, and so it is unexpected to find that in 1882 he was in trouble with the Hove Commissioners for shoddy building in Byron Street, and slapped with a notice under bye-law 50 to rectify the matter. The eagle-eyed surveyor had noted that the upper portion on the west side of the party wall in a house being built was not solidly put together with mortar. Perhaps Mr Chadwell had learnt his lesson, and there was no trouble with his building work in Mortimer Road. Besides, he chose to live in one of the houses. The Hove authorities were strict in ensuring that houses built on their watch were up to scratch.

Edward Beves and Francis Tooth built four houses in Byron Street, namely numbers 25, 27, 29 and 30. Tooth was probably connected with the firm of Tooth & Co, timber merchants, who were involved in the development of St Aubyns. There was a Frederick Tooth who was a Hove Commissioner, and a Shoreham Harbour Trustee. He holds a unique place in Hove’s History by becoming the first person to be buried in Hove Cemetery after he died in January 1882; it is remarkable that his rose-marble cross memorial is still in good condition.

In addition to the supervision of house-building, there was also an inspector who went around ensuring there was an adequate water supply to the outside privies. In Byron Street this was found not to be the case on four occasions between 1882 and 1893.

Wartime Attraction

copyright © J.Middleton
Part of Hove Hospital’s frontage was in Byron Street. It was from the windows in the older part on the left of the photograph that soldiers used to lean out of the windows to chat to Hove girls congregated in front of the railings below

Hove Hospital played its part in the First World War by admitting wounded soldiers – in fact in 1916 they outnumbered civilian patients because there were 23 soldiers and only nine ordinary folk. Some of the soldiers were not badly wounded, and were able to get out of bed and survey the local talent. Apparently, the soldiers proved an irresistible magnet to local girls who congregated at the railings in Byron Street hoping for a chat.

Revd Francis Smythe, vicar of neighbouring St Barnabas Church, was a frequent visitor to Hove Hospital. On 7 May 1918 he left us a charming anecdote by writing in the Visitor’s Book that Matron was complaining about the flock of girls who gathered outside the railings to ‘induce the soldiers to hang out of the windows in their night-shirts to talk to them.’ Allowing that this was after all human nature, the reverend gentleman suggested that it might be a good idea to have a word with the police, and perhaps a plain-clothes man might be sent to Byron Street occasionally.

House Notes

Number 1

In the 1920s this property was purchased to house the verger of St Barnabas Church. In 1931 the curate of St Barnabas, Revd Geoffrey William Poultney, occupied the house; it remained a church property until 1968 when it was sold.

Number 2 & 4 – The Directory for 1931 records that these two houses provided nurses’ quarters for those employed at Hove Hospital.

The Annual Report of the Brighton, Hove & Preston Dispensary, including Hove Hospital: 1928

Number 26 – In 1931 George Kelsey lived here; he was a coach builder.

Number 27 – In 1910 T. P. Walsh ran a green-grocer’s business here. In 1921 it was Alfred Sheppard who was in charge. But by 1931 there was another Sheppard running the shop with a completely different line of trade – he was Stephen Sheppard, a boot repairer, and he was still in operation in 1938. Also in 1938 Miss Winifred Wilsher ran a ladies hairdressing business at number 27a. (For more Wilshers, see number 38.)

Number 29 – In 1901 W. Hollands ran the Eclipse Meat Stores on the premises. In 1910 H. Short, butcher, was in residence. By 1921 there was neither meat store nor butcher, and instead there was a green-grocer’s run by Thomas E. Mustchin.

Number 38

copyright © J.Middleton
This house shows evidence of a former shop window from the time when it was Wilsher’s greengrocer’s

In 1910 W. G. Wilsher was in charge of a grocer’s business here. It must have been a substantial concern because it also occupied number 36. However, by 1921 it had shrunk to just number 38 and Walter Henry Wilsher was in charge. In 1931 the family was still working in the business, which was then known as Walter Henry Wilsher & Sons and remained a grocer’s. It was the same in 1938. It is interesting to note that also in 1938 in the same road, a Miss Winifred Wilsher ran a ladies hairdressing business at number 27a.

Number 40 – In 1910 W. Hankins lived in this house. He was a decorator, and he must have had a steady trade because it was still in operation in 1938.

Number 45

copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
Brighton Herald 23 December 1911
Sarah Bassett lived at Mrs Timson's Lodging House at Number 45

Number 53 – In 1938 William Kettle, boot repairer, lived in this house.

Numbers 50, 54, 58 and 60 – Just to confuse matters, when these houses were first built by Edward Beeves and Francis Tooth, they were given the numbers 25, 27, 29 and 30 before the street was renumbered. Beeves and Tooth sold the properties to John Osborn Baker who on 12 June 1893 sold them to Mary Edith Bulmer Vickers. The very next day, she mortgaged the lot for £45.

Number 71 – In 1901 Mrs Bryon lived at 71 Byron Road, which no doubt caused the postman to smile. In 1931 George Sivger, upholsterer, lived in the house.

Byron Street and the First World War

Number 9 – John and Elizabeth Parks lived in this house, and their son was Gunner John Henry Parks of 237 Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. He was born in Newhaven, and enlisted in Chichester. He was only aged 21 when he was killed in action on 30 August 1918. He was buried in Tilloy British Cemetery, Tilloy les Maffaines.

Number 18 – Walter and Sarah Faulkner lived in this house, and their son was born in Hove but enlisted in the military at Chichester. He was Private John Edward Faulkner of the 9^th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, 24^th Division. He was killed in action on 12 October 1918 at the age of 22. He was buried at Del Saux Farm Cemetery, Beugny.

Number 30 – Lieutenant Stephen James Chapman was born at 30 Byron Street in 1891, and was educated at East Hove Schools. He later became an engineer. When war broke out, he was in Canada visiting his sister who lived there. Presumably, he could have stayed put, but duty called, and he returned to England, enlisting in the Army in January 1915. Initially, he served as a dispatch rider, and then he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. By 1918 he was in love with Leonie, the grand-daughter of Major William Percy, Military Knight of Windsor. The couple married by special licence on 5 March 1918, and just three months later, Leonie was a widow. Her husband was killed in an aeroplane collision at Littlestone-on-Sea, New Romney, Kent. Tragically, the couple were both only children.

Number 37 – This was home to William Manfield and his wife Daisy. He was already aged 38 in 1918, and so was quite a mature soldier when compared to the youth of the majority. At first Manfield served with the Royal West Surrey Regiment, but then he was transferred to the 11^th Battalion, Notts & Derby Regiment (Sherwood Foresters) 25^th Division. He died of his war wounds on 6 November 1918 near Landrecies, and was buried in Landrecies Communal Cemetery.

Number 68 – John Henry Ford was the son of George and Kate Ford of this address. Ford was born at Hove, but enlisted in Brighton. He served in the 2^nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, 1^st Division, and was killed in action on 23 December 1914 at the age of nineteen. He is commemorated on Le Touret Memorial.

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For every week that the Brighton Graphic was published between 1915 to 1916 during the First World War, it featured a dedicated page called The Great War – Our Roll of Honour showing photographs and brief details of some local residents from Brighton, Hove and Portslade in the armed services. The above photographs show three servicemen who lived in Byron Street. Their names are not listed on Hove Library's War Memorial, therefore, presumably, they all survived the First World War.

Left:- Sapper A. Martin, Royal Engineers, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, of 6 Byron Street, (Brighton Graphic 6 January 1916).
Centre:- Stoker E. Pocock, H.M.S. Africa, of 24 Byron Street, (Brighton Graphic 9 December 1915).
Right:- A. W. Stringer R.N.V.R, Sussex., Present at the Siege of Antwerp and now stationed at Granton, Scotland. Son of Mr and Mrs Stringer of 30 Byron Street. (Brighton Graphic 6 March 1915).

Sources

Encyclopaedia of Hove and Portslade

Hove Council Minute Books

Middleton, J. Hove and Portslade in the Great War (2014)

Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove

On-line Hove’s Roll of Honour

29 July 2023

Byron Street, Hove