This is a brief followup to the talk I gave last Sunday at the Royal Victoria Hotel, which was largely based on the research of Christopher Maxwell-Stewart.
The catalogue of The Keep, which has East Sussex’s archives, contains AMS6247/1. This reference has a very detailed catalogue description of the mortgages related to 22-23 North Street. I looked at the first deed in it recently, for the actual purchase in 1835, and a detail from it is given below. The plot was 27 feet wide and 75 feet deep. This provided plenty of space for the cows and horses to enter on the Gensing Road frontage. The photo shows that entrance, just past the telephone pole.
It is interesting that a S. Sinden was the neighbour to the south, on Gensing Road, and S. Milsted the neighbour to the east, on North Street. Information on early residents tends to be lacking. In the 1841 census there was a Samuel Sinden, baker, on Gensing Road, with the next entry the Chapmans on North Street. Milsted had apparently moved, as there was next to the Chapmans Richard Haywood, a police officer, whose wife Maria was a laundress. No house numbering was given, but it is clear that the enumerator on his walk proceeded north along the east side of Gensing Road, and then turned onto the south side of North Street. Such information can be used to plot addresses, so the actual house inhabited by a family of interest can sometimes be traced.
Note also that measurements are given. For example, Gensing Road was 30 feet wide, and North Street was 40 feet wide. Presumably that is still true today. I have not got out my tape measure to check !
The Chapmans do not seem to have used the newspapers for advertising except for one example which I once found but forgot to record the date. I am guessing the 1930s ?
The talk included some very interesting photos of the Chapman family going about their activities. See the bottom of this post.
