. . . . THE FRIENDS OF . . . .

WHO LIVED HERE ?

The first of a series of articles on past residents of

                            Adelaide Crescent and Palmeira Square.


Many who come to live in our area are curious to know who may have lived in these historic buildings over the 150 years of their existence.

There are a number of ways of researching this. Brighton History Centre, on the upper floor of Brighton Museum, holds Census returns, Electoral Registers and residential street directories, all of which show the names of those who lived here. There are also the Wick Estate records, now housed at East Sussex Record Office at Lewes, which include the rent books covering many years of tenants of the Estate. And there are many publications on local history, such as Judy Middleton’s definitive History of Hove and Portslade which includes detailed sections on both the Square and Crescent.

It is FOPA’s intention to bring together as much information as possible about those who lived here, but this will be a considerable task and may take some time. The years up to 1850 are relatively simple as only a few houses existed on the estate, but by the late 1860s building was complete and the records thus become extensive. Naturally not all the residents are of special interest, and Newsletter articles will need to be selective to be worthwhile. Those interested in their own property will be able to refer to the archive.

As an introduction, this article covers the Census and other sources in the years to 1850. As only the first dozen or so houses in the Crescent were built by 1850, this is thus of fairly short content.

The Census Act
The early years of the reign of the young Queen Victoria saw a number of important improvements in the administration of the population of the British Isles. In 1837 compulsory registration of births, marriages and deaths was introduced in England, Scotland and Wales, with Ireland following shortly after. As far back as 1800 an Act had been brought before Parliament “for taking an Account of the Population of Great Britain and the Increase or Diminution thereof”, and the first Census was taken in 1801 and repeated on a ten yearly cycle. Names were not at first included, so the first useful Census is not until that taken on the night of 6th June 1841. Due to the 100 year closure rule, the latest available to public view is currently that of 1901.

The Census of 1841
Compared to later models, the 1841 Census was a fairly primitive record without much of the more useful later information. Also, the preferred medium for the records was pencil, much of which is faded or hard to read. To compound this, some of the Census has gone missing, but fortunately not that for Hove. As far as the Crescent and Square are concerned, only part of the Crescent was built by that date, so the entries are limited. All houses were included, whether occupied or not.
Adelaide Crescent
No.1 Isaac Newton Wigney, a Banker age 42, with his wife, four children and seven servants. He had taken a sub-let from Nicholas Hall, also a Banker, but in 1842 was obliged to give up the house when the family bank failed and he was declared bankrupt.
No.2 George Simmons, a Gardener age 30, with his wife, two children and no servants. Probably caretakers.
No.3 Unoccupied.
No.4 Emily Suttery, of Independent Means age 30, with two children and five servants.
No.5 Unoccupied.
No.6 Henry Cooper, a Cleric, and his wife Caroline, a school mistress, both age 35, their daughter, two Governesses (one French), fifteen pupils (ages ranging from 5 to 15) and five servants. As the Census recorded the over-night residents of a property on the due date, this school was evidently a pretty crowded establishment. Small private schools of this kind abounded in Victorian England.
No.7 Unoccupied.
No.8 Agnes Smalley, of Independent Means age 39, her seven children and five servants.
No.9 Mary Baydon, a Labouring Woman age 55. Probably caretaker.
No.10 James Burchell, a Tailor age 30, his wife, two children and no servants. Probably caretakers.







It is difficult to be sure if the three houses occupied by probable caretakers were those employed by the estate whilst the houses were unlet, or staff left behind by tenants whilst away. The fact that only four of the ten houses appear to have been fully occupied and three completely empty suggests difficulties in letting, considering that this was mid-summer and high season. After the death of King George IV in 1829, fashion and society had somewhat turned away from Brighton and Queen Victoria’s antipathy to all things related to her wayward uncle and his dull brother can only have exacerbated that. All the houses at this stage would have been taken on lease or let from the Wick Estate owner and developer Isaac Lyon Goldsmid. Houses were frequently taken for a summer season only, and usually fully furnished.

Work had stopped on the Crescent in 1834, following the disastrous collapse of the Anthaeum (which will be the subject of future articles), and did not to resume for fifteen years. By the 1851 Census Nos. 1 to 13 were occupied, details of which will follow in the next article.

Residential Street Directories to 1850
These Directories did not always include houses where no answer was obtained by the surveyor, or no information could be found. The first of these available at Brighton History Centre is that for 1845, with three more for 1846, 1848 and 1850.
Adelaide Crescent
In 1845;
No.1 Lady Eliza Twysden. No.4 Mrs Pearson.
No.6 Mrs Howard. No.7 Dr John Turner MD.
No.8 Rev. Frederick Henry Pare No.9 The Misses Pugh, boarding school for
No.10 Rev. James Wharton. ladies.
In 1846:
No.1 Lady Eliza Twysden. No.3 Spencer Smith Esq.
No.5 Charles Taylor Esq. No.6 Robert Carter Esq.
No.7 Dr John Turner MD. No.8 Mrs Obley
No.9 The Misses Pugh, boarding school for ladies. No.10 Rev. James Wharton.
In 1848:
No.1 Lady Twysden. No.3 Furnished House.
No.4 Rev. William Du Pre. No.5 Furnished House.
No.6 Furnished House. No.7 Dr John Turner MD.
No.8 Rev. F.H.Pare and unfinished houses
In 1850:
No.1 Lady Eliza Twysden. No.2 Furnished House.
No.3 Capt. Sir Richard Grant RN. No.4 Furnished House.
No.5 Mrs Rickman. No.6 H Bettesworth Esq.
No.7 Dr John Cosens Turner MD. No.8 The Misses Gould.
No.9 Henry Janson Esq. No.10 Furnished House.
No.11 Furnished House. No.12 Furnished House.

These records indicate that a good many of the houses were taken on short let, probably furnished, and that letting was not an easy business with houses frequently standing empty. Long term tenants seem to be few. They also suggest that Nos. 9 to 13 were under construction from 1847 to 1850, Nos. 1 to 8 having been completed by 1835.

Electoral Registers
Official local records were kept of those permitted to vote from 1832, but until 1867 this included only those men owning freehold property. The tenants of the Wick Estate in Adelaide Crescent thus do not appear in this decade.

Wick Estate records
These have yet to be fully investigated.

Richard Hawkes
June 2007