Hove in the Past: Palmeira Avenue, Hove

Judy Middleton 2003 (revised 2024)

Background

Palmeira Avenue was laid out on land belonging to the Wick Estate (later known as the Goldsmid Estate). The name derives from Sir Isaac Lyon Goldsmid (1778-1859); the Queen of Portugal granted him the title of Baron de Goldsmid de Palmeira but he preferred to use his English title.

The older name for the area was somewhat more prosaic because it was known as Coney Burrow Field – a cony or coney being the old word for a rabbit.

Although preparations for house-building started in the late 1850s, actual building work was conducted at a leisurely pace, continuing into the 1920s and beyond. Therefore, it is not surprising that there is a wide variety of architecture to be found in the completed road. In March 1889 it was stated that houses had been built for a length of 232-ft from Church Road, and in 1890 this part was declared a public highway.

In 1902 H. J. Gimblette, on behalf of Mr d’Avigdor Goldsmid, applied to Hove Council for permission to extend the road, and this was granted.

In 1922 the land between the north side of number 12 and Lansdowne Road measured 369-ft, of which 309-sq-ft had been built up on the east side, and 224-ft on the west side. Part of Palmeira Avenue remained a private road, and some of the land was still owned by the Wick Estate.

Palmeira Avenue Lawn

This green space was once reserved for the enjoyment of Palmeira Avenue residents, and it is still in place to this day, albeit somewhat truncated, and of course now open for everyone to enjoy.

Originally, the Lawn was managed by its own committee. In October 1892 Major Colwell, chairman of this body, complained to the Hove Commissioners that they were having to repair the railings on the north-east corner continually because vehicles kept on colliding with them. The Works Committee replied that they would seek the consent of the owner to set back the line of the fence in order to give a wider sweep.

This was not the last time some of the green space was lost because in 1913 it was decided that the relevant part of Church Road ought to be widened. This meant taking over 40-ft at the west end, and 50-ft at the east end. At the same time an underground lavatory was constructed at the east end, covered by a wide pavement. The convenience still lurks underground, although inaccessible these days. The cost involved was a payment of £200 to the Goldsmid Trustees, and some £1,280 for alterations, road works, and reconstruction.

In June 1915 Lady George Nevill donated a drinking trough for horses, which was placed west of Palmeira Lawn.

In 1919 there was a suggestion that Hove’s War Memorial might be sited on the Lawn, but nothing came of the idea, and instead the War Memorial was placed at the north end of Grand Avenue.

In 1926 W. C. Hillier, Chief Constable of Hove, came up with a dreadful proposal. This was that Hove Council should purchase Palmeira Lawn, and use the space to provide a car park. Happily for us, the Watch Committee were unenthusiastic about the idea.

It is remarkable that Palmeira Lawn remained private for as long as it did, and it was the Second World War that ended it. The iron railings surrounding the Lawn were patriotically removed to help the war effort. Once they were gone, you could not think of it as a private space any longer although the unfortunate residents of Palmeira Avenue were still forking out by paying a special garden rate. It is still a question of debate as to whether or not the metal thus acquired was ever used to make weapons – indeed there is a rumour that they were the ‘wrong’ kind of metal. In 1947 the Hove Corporation Act was passed, which meant that Palmeira Lawn became a public open space, along with the sea-front lawns.

In March 1988 five three-year old elm saplings were planted – the gift of Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce. In June 1988 it was announced that the first stage of improvements in the Lawn had begun. Planners at Hove Council used plans dating back to 1874 as a guide, and re-introduced a circular bed and pathways. The improvements were a combined initiative between Brighton & Hove Council, the Friends of Palmeira, and Adelaide Residents’ Association.

Today, in a time of cut-backs in the city, Palmeira Lawn still enjoys a formal display of spring flowers and summer bedding, with the city gardeners mustering to do the honours. This lovely green space certainly enhances the surrounding gracious architecture. It will also be noted that some cobbles have been retained, as a reminder of days past when horse-cabs were stationed hereabouts. In December two temporary items can be seen – the large Menorah for the Jewish community and a tall Christmas tree celebrated with a brief ceremony when the tree is lit up for the first time.

The Floral Clock

copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
The Floral Clock in the early 1970s, in the background is Palmeira Avenue

The Floral Clock was designed by G. A. Hyland, Hove’s director of Parks and Cemeteries, to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Messrs Richie & Son were responsible for the motor and clock mechanism, and the firm also created the Floral Clock in Edinburgh. Jack Houston, blacksmith to Hove Corporation, made some of the parts. It was installed by Smith of Derby. The Floral Clock was officially unveiled on Coronation day 2 June 1952.

Unfortunately, the Floral Clock has not been telling the time in recent years. This is because it is situated in a somewhat vulnerable place and has been subject to frequent bouts of vandalism. In February 2023 some local residents came up with the idea of restoring it in honour of King Charles III’s coronation on 6 May. Of course, restoration could not be done before that date because of the little matter of raising the necessary money. Brighton & Hove City Council’s finances are so constrained that it comes down to local people and a fundraising effort to come to the rescue.

The Palmeira and Adelaide Garden Fund are behind the initiative, and the directors sensibly conclude that a working Floral Clock would add value to the neighbourhood. The directors are Judith Taylor and Stuart Grainger, and they have already had a meeting with a representative from Smith of Derby – the firm who were responsible to installing the clock way back in 1953. It is intended to do away with separate numbers on the dial, and instead have a more integrated system with stout metal hands. Hopefully, the clock would be less vulnerable to vandalism. It would also be appropriate to have a plaque in commemoration of the new coronation – after all the Floral Clock was the only public memorial to the Queen’s coronation in Brighton and Hove.

The group are looking for another sponsor – there is already one sponsor – Priors Estate Agents. Then there will be fund-raising events such as a fair and picnic in the park on 7 May.

Lighting and Roads

In 1898 the residents paid for two street lamps to be installed in the unadopted part of Palmeira Avenue with Hove Council agreeing to pay for the gas used to light them.

In October 1925 it was stated that the cost of making up Palmeira Avenue between Lansdowne Road and Cromwell Road came to £881-19-2d. The following year that part was declared a public highway.

In 1926 it was stated that the existing electricity main on the east side reached half-way, and no street lamps were connected to it. The councillors decided that because houses were being erected on the east side, the electricity main should be extended.

A Marriage Settlement

It is interesting to note that at least six conveyances, and most probably more, of the deeds to be found at The Keep, mention a marriage settlement. For example, before Elim d’Avigdor married Rose Anne Alice Landau on 22 October 1907, a marriage settlement was drawn up. Mention was made of properties in Palmeira Avenue, besides Palmeira Square, Brunswick Road and Glendor Road. The deed provided maintenance for the bride should her husband predecease her, in which case she was entitled to an annuity of £2,500 from the estate. However, this provision was only valid for as long as she did not re-marry.

Restrictive Covenants

It was the usual practice to protect the value of properties being built by inserting clauses in the deeds aimed at keeping the residences in a high-class area up to scratch. For example in Palmeira Avenue it was stipulated that the buildings should only be used as private residences, and there was to be no commerce or trade. An exception was made for the professional classes such as doctors, surgeons and dentists. Other strictures were as follows:

No laundry to be hung outside

Not advertisements allowed

No pigs, fowls, of other livestock to be kept

Some Land Sales

On 25 July 1929 Osmond Elim d’Avigdor Goldsmid and the trustees sold land on the corner of Palmeira Avenue and Lansdowne Road for £1,000 to Hannah Littery, Hampstead, wife of Alfred William Littery.

On 23 September 1929 Osmond Elim d’Avigdor Goldsmid and the trustees sold some land to Jospeh Salbstein of 26 High Street, Worthing, wholesale fruit salesman, for £3,395. The land was situated on the west side of Palmeira Avenue and the east side of Salisbury Road with a frontage to the former of 151-ft, and a frontage to the latter of 188-ft with a return frontage to Eaton Road of 176-ft 3-in.

A Disastrous Fire

On 18 April 1992 at 2 a.m. a fire broke out at 11 Palmeira Avenue that caused the death of five people. Eleven other people were taken to hospital, including a couple and a two-year old toddler who spent two hours up on the roof before being rescued.

Trainee chef Timothy Sharpe was staging a party to celebrate his 28^th birthday. He died, and the other fatalities were Mabel Roberts, a nurse aged 48; Andrew Manners, aged 29 from Cheltenham; Adrian Johns, aged 32, from Brighton, and Paul ‘Tony’ Jones.

Forty firemen fought the blaze, and Brighton fireman Stephen Eke suffered burns to his neck when molten lead from pipes dripped onto him. Police suspected it was arson from the outset. Party guest Trevor Carrington, aged 41, apparently confessed to his brother that he had set fire to a sofa as a prank. Four days after the fire Carrington stepped into the path of a Mercedes lorry on the Lindfield to Ardingly Road and was killed.

The tragic fire raised a huge uproar and anxiety about safety among people living in houses of multiple occupation; the victims had no means of escape other than through a window, or down a drainpipe. Lea Homberg aged 33, who lost his brother and his fiancee, said he had no other option than to jump because his clothes were already on fire. As a result of his 80-ft drop, he suffered spinal injuries, and was left with a permanent limp. He had skin grafts for his burns in Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, and remained in hospital for eight months.

The inquest was held in August 1992, and the verdict was that five victims were unlawfully killed, and Carrington killed himself. However, the relatives of the victims were unhappy, claiming the inquest was flawed, one-sided, and unfair. They took their case to the High Court, and a judicial review won them the right to challenge the handling of the case.

On 26 January 1994 Lord Justice Simon Brown and Mr Justice Morland announced their decision in a 45-page report. They stated that the coroner’s conduct had been inadequate and unsatisfactory but no purpose would be served by a fresh inquest, and the judges refused their right to appeal. The families were devastated.

However, there was an independent report because five people had died, and it was published on 2 July 1995. The report cleared Hove Council of breaking the law over fire regulations. Under the Housing Act of 1985 local authorities could insist on a means of escape, and if the building were larger than 500 sq-metres, they had a duty to see an escape was installed.

As for the house, after the fire there was little left of the staircase, and the entrance hall was badly damaged. Above the second floor there were only a few blackened boards, and nothing was left of the roof or attic flat.

In 1988 Hove Council gave permission for the third and fourth floor maisonettes to be converted into two flats on condition that a fire escape should be provided on the third floor at the back. But it was never fitted, and apparently the council had no power of enforcement

Other Fires

On 24 February 1988 a fire swept through the roofs of terraced flats. At the time high winds helped to spread the fire from its site of origin – an empty third-floor flat that was being renovated. There were more than 40 firemen on the scene plus eight fire engines and the battle to keep the blaze under control lasted for two hours. Sub-officer Tony Gunston was slightly injured when part of a ceiling collapsed on top of him. Forty-four residents were evacuated as a precaution, but one man who lived close to the blazing flat slumbered throughout the emergency and was discovered 90 minutes after the alert, still fast asleep.

On 25 October 2017 there was another fire in Palmeira Avenue, which again necessitated the presence of some 40 firemen, and once more arson was suspected. The blaze destroyed a nursery school and flats.

On 9 August 2022 at 11.29 p.m. the authorities were alerted about a fire in flats at the top of a four-storey building in Palmeira Avenue. Residents were ushered away from the scene and a rest centre was created for them at the premises belonging to the church of the Sacred Heart in Norton Road. Meanwhile, fire crews were busy tackling the blaze, and indeed stayed there for seven hours to ensure there were no unexpected flare-ups. The crews from Brighton and Hove were augmented by crews from Roedean and Lewes. In addition there were crews from West Sussex Fire and Rescue. It was reported that two people were injured.

Slow Development

According to the 1884 Directory, there were just three occupied houses with a Mrs Smith at number 2. Builders lived in the other ones. They were J. Reynolds, senior, at number 7, and J. Reynolds, junior at number 12. By 1889 there were still only three house in occupation. By 1893 twelve houses had been built. It is interesting to note how many of the military top brass moved in because in that same year there were no less than two major-generals, one colonel and one general.

By 1914 it was noted that there were two houses in Palmeira Avenue north of Lansdowne Road.

House Notes

Number 1 – In 1893 Major-General Clifford Parsons lived in this house. By this time he was of a mature age, having been born in 1840. He started off his military career by serving in the Seaforth Highlanders, and in 1873 as a major he joined the staff of Prince Arthur, born in 1850, the third son of Queen Victoria. In 1874 the prince was created Duke of Connaught and Strathearn. When Parsons left the duke’s service, he was presented with a special tie-pin displaying the duke’s coat of arms.

Later on Parsons commanded Sandhurst, and progressed to the post of Judge Advocate General. He was then given the important task of re-writing the Queen’s Regulations as well as revising Army Instructions. Parsons must have been of admirable character because he was so popular with his men that he was called ‘The Beloved General’ – not an appellation usually awarded to top military men.

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By 1912 two doctors were in residence at number 1 – William Ainslie Hollis and H. Stanley Hollis.

Numbers 2, 6, 8. 10, 12 – An indenture dated 20 February 1884 allowed Sir Julian Goldsmid, tenant for life of the Goldsmid Estate, to sell five plots of land on the east side to Edwin Knight of Hove. Apparently, number 4 had already been built and abutted the backs of Palmeira Mansions.

Number 2 - In 1889 Major J. Blackwood Colwell lived at number 2. Major Colwell was listed as the owner of the 254 tons barque, the SS Ermina in the Lloyds Register of Shipping and registered at Shoreham Harbour. Unfortunately his ship was wrecked of the Argentina coast in 1895 on its way from Port Stanley in the Falklands to Punta Arenas in Chile.

Number 3 – Major William Ogden Smith lived in this house in 1889 a veteran of the Indian Army, while in 1893 Revd W. Randall D. D. occupied the premises and was still there in 1899.

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Lord Brownlow Thomas Montague Cecil was born in 1827 but it was not until 1903 that he took up residence at number 3. By that time he had enjoyed a military career, and it was long past the days of his dissolute youth when he could not resist the lure of gambling. Indeed, so bad was his habit that there was no way he could repay everything he owed. This resulted in a notorious court case of the 1850s when he was sued for debts – this included the gambling debts as well as all the money he owed to various tradespeople. His father, the Marquis of Exeter, must have been furious with his son for dragging the family’s honour through the mud. Nevertheless, the marquis came up trumps, and paid off every penny owed to the court’s satisfaction.

Perhaps the errant son had learned his lesson because he became a colonel in the Scots Guards, and later he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the 4^th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment.

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Another military gentleman lived at number 3 from 1906 to 1909. He was Major General Hamilton Chapman, the second son of Revd Herbert Chapman of Bassingbourn, Cambs. He saw service in India from 1857 to 1858 in what used to be called the Indian Mutiny, but is now known in the sub-continent as the First Patriotic War. Then it was straight on to the Bundlecund Campaign from 1859 to 1860, in which he was Mentioned in Dispatches and earned a medal.

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A later military man lived with his wife at number 3 from 1923 to 1924. He was Major Count Frederick Van der Heuval, son of a Papal Knight. The major no doubt undertook important work because during the Second World War he was SIS Head of Station (M16) at Bern, Switzerland

Number 4 – Major General William Edward Blewitt, CB, CMG, CBE (1854 – 1939) lived here in 1893, he served during the Second Boer War where he was Mentioned in despatches twice. In 1901 he was a member of the Ordnance Committee. He commanded the Southern Coast Defences from 1911 until the outbreak of the First World when he was transferred to Command the Portsmouth Artillery Garrison.

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In the 1930s Lady Casson Walker lived at number 4. By that time she was a widow who had lived in India for a spell. Her husband Sir George Casson Walker (1854-1924) had served as Financial Minister to the Nizam of Hyderabad, Asaf Jah VI, but she did not take a back seat and interested herself in education for girls. Indeed, she founded a school especially for them that is still in operation and known as Mahboolie Girls School. She was awarded the Kaiser-i-Hind medal for her work in this field.

Number 5 – Rear-Admiral (retd) the Honourable Richard Bingham RN (1847-1924) lived in this house in the early 1920s. He was the younger son of the 3^rd Earl of Lucan, and his mother came from a distinguished family, her brother being none other than the Earl of Cardigan of Balaclava fame. It is interesting to note that when Cardigan’s regiment, the 11^th Hussars, was quartered at Preston Barracks, he took out a lease on 45 Brunswick Square, Hove, while the famous soldier Martin Landfried (buried in Hove Cemetery) was one of the buglers who sounded the charge for the gallant light brigade to thunder forward into the ‘valley of death’.

To return to the career of Rear-Admiral Bingham; he served dutifully in the Royal Navy, and rose up the tree, becoming a commander in 1884, captain in 1891, and rear-admiral on 15 March 1904.

Admiral Bingham served on a number local committees as chairman :– The Women’s Hospital in Buckingham Road, Brighton, The Brighton & Hove Rest Day Association, The Brighton Branch of the British & Foreign Bible Society and The Colonial & Continental Church Society. Admiral Bingham died in 1924.

Number 6 – Colonel Mortimer Hancock lived in this house in 1893, and remained there until his death in 1899. He was commander of the London Volunteer Rifles, and Lord of the Manor of Willian and Bray in Hertfordshire.

Number 9

In 1893, Number 9 was the administration headquaters for the South-Eastern Volunteer Army Brigade

Number 11 – In 1893 General W. H. Richards lived in this house, he served as the Commander of the South-Eastern Volunteer Army Brigade in the Brigade's headquarters next door at Number 9.

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Superintendent Duncan Campbell Furner MBE lived at number 11 from the early 1900s to the 1920s. (See also under Hove Police)

Number 13 – It is claimed that the Bronze Age Barrow was situated where the back garden of this property was later laid out. The barrow was demolished in 1857/1858, and the occupant buried there must have been a person of high status because the priceless amber cup was found amongst his belongings. It is now on view in the Elaine Evans Archaeological Gallery at Brighton Museum. (See also Ancient Hove)

It is curious that the barrow was destroyed in such a hurry because it was to be nearly forty years before a building was erected on the site. The conveyance was dated 1 December 1896, and the deed was undertaken by the trustees of the Goldsmid Estate, the heir being under age at the time. The plot of land on the west side was sold for £882-10s to Hyman Davis, a London builder. By 1912 it was called York House.

Later on the famous cricketer Sir Jack Hobbs (1882-1963) lived in this house. On 14 April 1982, on the centenary of Hobbs’ birth, a special plaque was unveiled at the house by Neil Macfarlane, Sports Minister. It was not a blue plaque, but in the chocolate and cream livery of the Surrey County Cricket Club; it was paid for by the Sussex Cricket Society and Brian Rowe. (See also Hove Plaques)

Number 14

This house boasts a blue plaque to commemorate Victoria Lidiard. It was unveiled by no less a person than the Right Honourable Betty Boothroyd, Speaker of the House of Commons, who today is regarded as a paragon among recent Speakers. The plaque reads Victoria Lidiard (1889-1992) suffragette and campaigner. (See also Hove Plaques)

Number 15 – Mr and Mrs Charles Besley lived in this house in 1901, and Mrs Besley was the daughter of Lord Cecil Gordon. Their younger son, Arthur Charles Gordon, was born in 1881, and educated at Wellington. He set his sights on a military career, and by all accounts he became a model soldier being a good shot and a first-rate rider, besides being popular with his brother officers; he served in military intelligence. In March 1901 2^nd Lieutenant Besley set sail for South Africa, and he saw a great deal of activity out there. Unhappily, on 23 June 1901 he was killed in action. However, his comrades were determined that his name should not be forgotten, and a memorial tablet was duly placed in the Church of St John the Baptist, not far away from Palmeira Avenue.

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It is a strange coincidence that another soldier who lived at number 15 in 1926 also had a connection with the Boer War, but managed to survive the experience. He was Captain the Honourable Robert Arthur Ward OBE (1871-1942) being the third son of William Ward, 1^st Earl of Dudley and his second wife Georgina Elizabeth.

Ward served with the 4^th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry, in the Matabeleland Campaign of 1896, and then in the Second Boer War from early 1900. He resigned his commission in March 1902 when he was appointed 2^nd lieutenant in the Worcestershire Yeomanry (Queen’s Own Worcestershire Hussars). The old war horse even served in the First World War, and moreover was Mentioned in Dispatches twice; not surprisingly, he was awarded and OBE in 1919. It also seems incredible that he managed to serve as a Conservative MP for Crewe from 1895 to 1900.

In 1906 Ward married Lady Mary Acheson, daughter of Archibald Acheson, 4^th Earl of Gosford ad his wife Lady Louisa Montagu. Ward died at the age of 71 in 1942.

Number 17 – Lady Louisa Bevan lived in this house from 1916 to 1920. She was married to Sir Alfred Henry Bevan, a businessman, and a Sheriff of the City of London. The couple must already have had a connection with Hove because after he died the south-west stained glass window at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit inside All Saints Church, Hove, was given in his memory in 1900. Lady Bevan was the daughter of Niven Kerr, a Consul who had postings to Dunkirk, Cyprus, and Rhodes. Lady Bevan immersed herself in raising funds for good causes during the First World War such as Hove Hospital, and the military hospitals set up in Hove for the duration.

Number 22 – Hove was once known as a transient place where people come and go. The Buist family were unusual in that they occupied this house from Victorian times until the Second World War. The occupancy started off with Major General David Simson Buist of the Indian Staff Corps. He married Grace Scott Napier who was nine years younger than him, and they had five sons who all served in the military. The major general died 16 January 1908 and was buried in Hove Cemetery (see also Hove and the Raj). Two of the sons then moved into number 22 to keep their mother company. Unhappily, she died on Christmas Day 1912. But at least she was spared the grief of the untimely deaths of two sons. They were:

Captain James Martin Buist, Royal Army Medical Corps. He was born 17 November 1876, the youngest son, and died at Davos-Platz 8 January 1913. He is remembered on the memorial in Hove Cemetery.

Henry Simon Buist. He was born 11 January 1870, and was the fourth son. He died on 3 April 1915 in Nyasaland. He is remembered on the memorial in Hove Cemetery.

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Lieutenant-Colonel David Simson Buist. He was the eldest son, born in 1864. Although the Buist family had Scottish roots, his birthplace was in Bengal, in a place called Cheera Poonjee, but he managed to be educated at Edinburgh University. By 1885 he was a lieutenant and served wit the 1^st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, in the two Burma Campaigns of the 1880s.

Then it was back to India and in 1891 he was serving in the Bengal Staff Corps. (It is fascinating to record that there are at least seven ex-Bengal Staff Corps members with memorials at Hove, and probably many more who also served but the fact was not recorded on their memorials). Buist was later to serve as Squad Officer with the 2^nd Cavalry, Hyderabad Contingent, followed by the 29^th Lancers, the Deccan Horse. He retired in 1912, and died at Hove aged 68 on 17 May 1932.

Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Hunter Buist. This man seems to have been the outstanding one of the Buist brothers. Besides being an excellent military man, he was also one of those blessed with all-round excellence at sport. Not surprisingly serving in India, he excelled at polo but he was also a good tennis player, and a scratch golfer too. It must have been galling for his contemporaries when he won the North Indian Golf Championship as a subaltern, a captain, and a major. It is a tribute to his character that despite his effortless wins he was popular with his comrades, and generally considered to be a lovable character.

He started off as 2^nd lieutenant in the Royal Scots Fusiliers, and in 1896 he transferred to the Indian Staff Corps. He seemed to be fond of change because in 1897 he joined 25^th Punjabis while by 1899 he was in the Queen’s Own Corps of Guides, having fitted in a campaign on the Punjab frontier in-between. He was fortunate enough to witness the Durbar Celebrations in 1911, but by 1914 he was with the 7^th Indian Division in France. That did not last long, and by 1915 he was back in the sub-continent on the north-west frontier in the Tochi Valley. Then it was off to Palestine to serve with the Guides Infantry in Allemby’s campaign.

You could certainly say it was a life well-lived. He had moved out of number 22 by 1940, and he died at Hove aged 75 on 28 June 1946.

Major Herbert John Martin Buist. He was one of the sons who moved into number 22 after his father’s death. No doubt it was a pleasant respite after a busy military career, serving in India on the notorious north west frontier, and taking part in the Malakand Campaign (1897-98). It would be fascinating to know whether or not he encountered a young cavalry subaltern and Press correspondent called Winston Churchill who was there too. Buist also served in the Tirah Expeditionary Force, being Mentioned in Dispatches, and receiving a medal with two clasps. Then there was another theatre of war for Buist, namely the Boer War, and he was present at the historic Relief of Kimberley. Buist was Mentioned in Dispatches again, besides being awarded the DSO and Legion D’Honneur.

Number 23 – On 28 August 1928 a piece of land on the west side adjoining number 21 was conveyed by Osmond Elim d’Avigdor Goldsmid and trustees to Sophia Limbert, widow, Ivo Reginald Limbert, retired major, and Arthur Limbert, retired captain.

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Dudley Alexander Charles Scott, 8^th Earl of Clonwell (1853-1935)

lived in number 23 in the 1930s. When he died, the title went with him and became extinct.

Number 24 – On 17 May 1920 a piece of land on the east side was sold by Osmond Elim d’Avigdor Goldsmid and trustees to George Henry King of Clapton, London, pianoforte manufacturer, for £425.

Number 28 – On 21 March 1924 Osmond Elim d’Avigdor Goldsmid and trustees sold a piece of land on the east side to Alice Farmer of 22 Aymer Road, wife of Leopold Farmer for £510.

Number 30 – In 1960 it was stated that Hove Council might have to place a compulsory purchase on this house, together with numbers 50 and 52 Holland Road if the District Valuer and the owners were unable to agree upon a price. This was to make way for the building of a new Magistrates’ Court, which eventually opened in 1971.

Number 31 – During the 1960s Jeanne Saunders worked as a nanny to a special-needs child. This gave her the idea of setting up a place where such children could be prepared for joining mainstream schools. In November 1989 it was stated that the Jeanne Saunders Centre at this address was helping some 50 children with different degrees of learning difficulties. The children were aged between two and five years, and class size was kept to six children so that each child could receive maximum attention.

In 1989 a new soft-toy room was opened costing £22,000. The room was foam-lined and there were slides, tunnels, and ball pools. There were major donations from American Express, the Variety Club of Great Britain and Legal & General Assurance.

In 1992 the head was Ann Broom and in February of that year she stated that the centre had suffered several break-ins since Christmas 1990. Video equipment, TV and video tapes worth £1,600 had been stolen. In the latest incident, it was the third video recorder to be stolen that year.

In 1995 there were fears that the centre might have to close because East Sussex County Council were considering cutbacks to the education service. However, the centre survived, and by August 1999 it was stated that facilities and staff were being expanded in a £68,000 year-long scheme.

In September 2023 there came news that this house, also known as Penny Gobby House but where the Jeanne Saunders Centre was situated, would be sold, and the proceeds used to purchase the Annexe building in Connaught Road, Hove; the nursery would be moved there.

It transpires that the Brighton & Hove City Council is the sole trustee of the charity, and some councillors thought more of them should have been involved in the decision-making. Instead, councillors were faced with a fait accompli taken by the Urgency Sub-Committee, which no doubt most citizens have never heard of before. This sub-committee answers to the Strategy and Finance Committee. (Argus 20/9/23)

In June 2024 there came news that the Jeanne Saunders Centre Nursery in Penny Gobby House was moving to more spacious surroundings in the old Connaught Road Schools – the building was apparently valued at £800,000. There would be much more space for different areas, all located on the ground floor. (Hovarian June 2024)

Number 41 – Colonel Edward Leslie Beves JP (1859-1935) lived in this house in the 1930s. He was colonel of the Sussex Garrison Artillery Volunteers. It is sad to record that the major lost his son during the First World War. Trevor was aged 25 and already the recipient of the Military Medal when he was killed in action near Beaumont Hamel in 1916; his name is recorded on Brighton’s Roll of Honour. The colonel was chairman of the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children in Brighton, and a churchwarden in All Saints Church, Hove. When he died in 1935 he was buried in Hove Cemetery.

Formerly known as Sleepy Hollow, the Brighton & Hove Reform Synagogue was built on the site and consecrated in 1967. It has some beautiful stained-glass windows designed by the celebrated John Petts (1914-1991) (See under Brighton and Hove Reform Synagogue)

copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
Northern section of Palmeira Avenue in the 1950s, Sleepy Hollow is by the road junction on the right

Number 52 – Major Malcolm Louis Wollcombe OBE lived at this address from the 1930s to the early 1970s. He was the son of Malcolm Louis Woolcombe and his wife Lady Agnes. In 1911 he was serving in the Indian Army, but no doubt a chronic shortage of men during the First World War meant he was transferred the Lincolnshire Regiment and he was present at the Battle of Arras. In 1918 he went to work for the War Office in the capacity of Intelligence. It is interesting to note that he was a member of the British Delegation to the Peace Conference at Paris in 1919. He must have been invaluable because he continued his career with the astonishing record of serving in the Secret Intelligence Service from 1921 to 1944.

Number 61 – This house was built in the 1920s. In August 1994 it was put on the market at £360,000. For the previous eighteen years it had been a dental surgery, but now David Forman was retiring. Upstairs there were five bedrooms. The garden-level floor boasted a games room, studio suite, sun-room, shower room, storeroom, and a swimming pool measuring 24-ft 3-in by 9-ft 3-in; there was also a wave-making machine.

Miscellaneous

British Telecom – From 17 March 1990 a new digital exchange began operating in the existing building. Modern fibre optic cables would give 43,300 customers in the area clear calls and faster access.

Car Parking – Car parking, and particularly double-parking, was a continuing cause of concern for the fire brigade. For example, in the severe fire of April 1992, fire officers were obliged to bump cars out of the way before they could take action, causing a quite unnecessary delay in bringing the fire under control. Then in June 1994 it proved impossible to employ their hydraulic lift to reach a kitchen fire on the fourth floor.

Croft Hotel – In 1994 it was stated that there had been a hotel on the site for 28 years but there had been a reduction in guests in recent times until by 1993 occupancy rates had dropped to between 15 and 22 per cent. In June 1994 there were plans to turn the premises into accommodation for young single women, but there was a great deal of opposition from the neighbours.

Glynde House – It appeared in the 1982 Directory

Hartfield House – Wilfrid B. Newton lived here in the 1920s. Although an unknown name today, he was a most prolific writer, and during his lifetime hundreds of people must have read his articles and books. Naturally, an aspiring writer has to start somewhere, and his first appointment was as assistant editor of Boot and Shoe Retailer. Ascending the ladder he wrote articles for many different magazines and newspapers, as well as books. One book published in 1917 was entitled Over the Top and one can imagine the grim contents.

Perhaps a highlight was becoming Special Correspondent to the London Daily Chronicle 1919-21. In this capacity he travelled and reported on the tour undertaken by the Prince of Wales when the prince visited Newfoundland, Canada, and the USA. Newton wrote a book about it afterwards entitled Westward with the Prince of Wales (1920).

Kenmare – This was the name of a house in Palmeira Avenue occupied in the 1920s by London-born Terrick Charles Fitzhugh (1876-1939). He was educated at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and enjoyed a long connection with the Royal Irish Regiment, being commissioned as a 2^nd lieutenant to the 2^nd Battalion in 1896 before he had even celebrated his 20^th birthday. He saw service with that battalion in India, then transferred to the 1^st battalion when he became a lieutenant. Then it was off to South Africa and the Boer War and other operations in that area.

He returned to Ireland in 1903 and was with the 2^nd battalion when Edward VII presented them with new colours. Fitzhugh had the privilege of being part of the Colour Guard, and subsequently was awarded the Royal Victorian Order, 5^th class. Shortly afterwards, he was promoted to the rank of captain.

Fitzhugh was notable for his remarkable facility in languages, and 1905 found him at staff college studying to qualify in German and Russian; by the time of his final exams in 1907, he had added French as well. Perhaps he was eager to add more languages to his portfolio because he went off to China to learn Mandarin. By this time he was on the list of Reserve Officers, and he landed the post of Commissioner in China for the British Engineers’ Association.

The outbreak of the First World War recalled him to duty, and he re-joined his old regiment in the 2^nd battalion. He was present at the early stages of the Battle of Ypres. But soon he was transferred as a staff officer to the Quartermaster-Generals Department, and saw service at Calais and Dunkirk where no doubt his knowledge of French came in useful. It is interesting to note that his final war appointment was to the headquarters of the Chinese Labour Camp.

He was twice Mentioned in Dispatches.

He returned to England in December 1918 but his labours were not yet over. He was sent to Murmansk as part of the British Force in the Russian Intervention, and earned some rather more exotic medals; they were the Russian Order of St Vladimir, 4^th class, with swords, and the Russian Order of St Anne, 3^rd class, with swords. After that, he was busy with the British Mission to Estonia, and assisted in the repatriation of British prisoners of war from Finland. He was mentioned in Dispatches again for his ‘valuable services in connection with military operations in Finland and the Baltic States.’ He was finally demobbed on 11 June 1920 but his experience in the Baltic States was too valuable to waste, and he continued to serve in the area on behalf of the British Commission of the Russian Red Cross to report on the large numbers of Russian refugees in Finland.

Finally, he returned to China where he died in Peking on 12 August 1939.

Marina House – It was established in 1983 to provide accommodation and counselling for single mothers or homeless and vulnerable women between sixteen and twenty-one. The service was run by the National Children’s Home under contract from the council. In 1997 the social services committee decided to shut it. A petition against the closure bearing 3,000 signatures was handed to the social services committee. However, at a full council meeting on 16 October 1997 closure was agreed, but it would remain open until January 1998.

Palmeira Court – In January 2001 it was stated that building work would start shortly for Barratt Homes on a site formerly occupied by a derelict house and its grounds. It would be a four-storey apartment building with eighteen flats. All the flats would have two bedrooms, two bathrooms or an en suite, and fully fitted kitchens. A feature of the design would be the semi-circular balconies. Prices started at £153,995 and more than one-third had been sold off-plan already.

Sussex View – In May 2001 the building was described as a ‘stunning prestigious development of just fourteen apartments overlooking the Sussex County Cricket Ground by Roffey Homes.

Willow Court – It appeared in the 1972 Directory.

People

copyright © J.Middleton
Although these flats have a large frontage to Palmeira Avenue, they are actually numbered in Lansdowne Road

Parnell Bradbury – In the 1960s he earned a living as a chiropractor in Palmeira Avenue but he was also a playwright. Four of his plays were published, six were performed by repertory companies, and seven were produced at club theatres. In 1962 his play Heresy was chosen to open a new theatre just off Broadway, New York. Three of his plays were performed in the West End and they were:

Angry Dust

The Curling Tale

The Lady and the Mortal Man

Dudley Davies – He lived in a flat overlooking the Sussex County Cricket Ground. In 1999 when he was aged 74 he took part in TV’s Blind Date hosted by Cilla Black. The programme was shot the previous year but aired on 20 March 1999 and 27 March 1999. Davies picked Peggy from Devon as his blind date, and they went on a trip to France. Davies enjoyed the experience but Peggy did not, and she was none too complimentary about him on their return.

As a young man Davies played football for Charlton Athletic and Leyton Orient, but he was forced to give up when he was aged 29 because he became ill with tuberculosis. When he recovered he served as a health and safety officer with local councils, and when he retired he became emergency planning officer for Hove.

Corin Gardner – She lived in Palmeira Avenue in the 1990s. In 1941 she posed for a poster designed by Abram Games proclaiming Join the ATS. Abram Games was the official war poster designer. The two of them met up again in November 1999 at an exhibition of his works at Brighton Polytechnic Gallery.

Gerald Lip (1929-2021 – He was an artist and cartoonist, and he lived in Palmeira Avenue before he moved to Kingsway.

George Henry Powell – He lived in Palmeira Avenue for ten years before his death in 1951. He is famous for writing the lyrics for the song Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag set to music by his brother Felix. The inspiration came to him one morning while he was shaving. He was so certain that he was on to a winner, and wanted to write it down immediately, that he rushed into the bedroom with lather all over his face shouting to his wife ‘I’ve got it!’ The brothers were disappointed that it was not an immediate success. However, later on during the First World War the song was awarded the first prize in a competition for a song to boost the nation’s morale. From then on the song never ceased to be popular, and ensured a steady flow of royalties to the brothers.

Hove Planning Approvals

1897 – G. M. Jay for Davis Brothers, two pairs of semi-detached houses, west side

1898 – Davis Brothers, four semi-detached houses on east and west sides

1902 – Clayton & Black for Revd D. Davies, one detached house, west side

1906 – Clayton & Black for Revd D. Avies, one detached house, west side

1908 – Overton & Scott for G. Cooke, two semi-detached houses, east side, north end

1912 W. H. Overton for J. C. E. Glover, three semi-detached houses, east side

1913 – W. H. Overton, one detached house, west side

1914 – W. H. Overton, one detached house, east side

1915 – A. Carden for J. Butler, two maisonettes to be made at number 3

1920 – W. Silk & Sons for Mr King, two semi-detached houses

1925 – Field & Cox, one detached house, west side

1927 – J. G. Witcombe for Mrs W. Lucraft, one detached house, east side

1028 – E. W. Long for Mrs E. M. Newman, one detached house, west side

Sources

Encyclopaedia of Hove and Portslade

Evening Argus

Hove Council Minute Books

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

Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove

Street Directories

The Keep

ACC 4982/68/14 – Deeds relating to Palmeira Avenue 1882-1936

ACC 4982/68/33 – Marriage Settlement, Osmond Elim d’Avigdor Goldsmid, 1907

ACC 498268/35 – Abstract of title to the Goldsmid Estate 1879

Additional research for House Notes carried out by D. Sharp

04 October 2023

Palmeira Avenue, Hove