Everyone knew each other
“My Uncle Mark used to live in Cambridge Street. He had a fish barrow which he wheeled around the streets, selling fish he bought at the fish market or that he had caught himself.
My Auntie Alice lived next door to the pub on the corner of Cambridge Street. She brought up twelve children there. In those days kids could play in the streets without any worries, there was always someone to keep an eye on them. Everyone knew each other round this way; you could always borrow things from neighbours even when things were short after the war, and no one took advantage. Day or night you never locked the door.”
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My great grandfather Frederick Shelah Harvey, was born at number 49, in 1874. It’s nice to be able to see how the street looked.
My grandparents lived at number 8, their name was Hewitt. Their house was bombed in the war with everybody out at the time. Grandad lost a leg in the 1st war. Does anybody remember them? My mum’s name was Sylvia and her brother was Jim.
I was born in No 45, in my Gran’s house, we soon moved to No, 47, where my two youngest brothers were born. As this was in the later part of the 1940s and the Luftwaffe had destroyed 2/3rds of the street, the Hewitts weren’t there then. Jane, there are pictures of the area from the James Gray collection, to include Cambridge Street on the Regency Society website. Also would Jock Harvey by any chance been a relation?
I lived in Cambridge Street. My nan, Alice Pocock, lived at 42 and we lived at 44. Any one remember Alice and Bunting Fulker, we where there when the war was on – 1939?
Geoff – my nan lived next door to your nan. My nan was Alice Pocock.
My great-grandfather John Ernest Charles Vaughan lived at number 28 and then moved to number 41.
I lived at 44/42 Cambridge Street next door to Granny Grump and Aunt Trussler. My Mother was Alice Fulker and my Dad, Bunting. My Grandmother and Grandad, Alice and Bill Pocock, lived at 44. We went to live with them until we went to the Warren Farm. I remember the Drays, Pratts and Maisie Dean. They were hard days as we were just getting over the war. I’m now 73, I left Brighton at 19 and have lived in Swindon for the last 49 years. Get in touch if you remember me.
My grandparents also lived in Cambridge Street with my mother and father. My oldest brother was born while they were living there. I remember that there was another family living there called Tugwell. Their house was the Sussex Street end, not sure of the number. There were 8 of us in my family, 6 of us were each born at different addresses starting with Park Street, then Cambridge Street, Cannon Place, Tichbourne Street, Belmont, Over Street and the last two in George Street. What a lot of moves. The only house I remember is George Street but walking around in Brighton I think the changes have been for the good. Out of all my brothers and sisters, there only 2 of us still living in the Brighton area. It is so interesting reading all these old memories. Keep them coming.
Getting old in my memories of old Brighton! I said I was still living in Brighton but I have moved and am now living in Ovacik, Turkey but I still think of Brighton as my home and always will.
I do remember you Barbara Fulker and I still bump into your Billy and Maureen (your little brother and sister) on occasion and others from the street and the surrounding area. I remember very well your whole family and your nan, she was a very lovely lady along with all the elders of that street. I remember very well that almost all the kids in the street were left all day while mums and dads went out to work whilst we all got on with getting ourselves off to school or played out in the street all day with no worries. There was always one or two of the elders that kept an eye on things. The kids would be put into care and the parents in jail if that went on in this day and age. Your Maureen will let you know how to contact me if you want. Or there’s Google. Lovely to read about you all.
Query - is the picture at the top of the page really Cambridge Street, as it looks very much like the picture shown in the article depicting New England Street?
Editor’s note: The image on this page is not meant to be Cambridge Street. It is the cover of the QueenSpark book an extract of the interview was taken from.
Hi Geoff, glad to hear from you. Cambridge Street was a good place, even through the war days when we were kids. If I remember right I think your mum’s name was Dolly, not sure. Will get in touch with Maureen for your address, she told me you were Mayor of Brighton! I can remember Cambridge Street very well, and the names of others.
I remember you Geoff; you and your brother used to fight with my brother Billy but you soon made up when we came out to you all. So I remember your mum, dad, nan, your Nan Crump’s grave is next to my Nan Pocock. They used to live next door to eachother. By the way, when you see Ann, Ken and Norman, give them my regards, I know them very well. Alice [Barbara’s sister].
Hi Geoff, my son who lives in New York, sent me a book on the war days of Brighton. Years of the book go from 1938 to the 60s, it contains really old photos of the war at Brighton. Guess what? He bought the book in New York City in a book shop. If I come to Brighton I will bring the book with me, and leave it with Maureen so you can have a look at it. Brings back many memories of our childhood.
I am trying to find anything about my great grandmother Eliza Hillman, she was born in 1882 we think. She was living with a William Sheppard in number 10 Cambridge Street in 1904 when my grandmother Dorothy was born (illigitimate). We would love to know who Dorothy’s father was, and could it have been William? Should anyone know anything, could they please email me. Thank you so much.
Hi Sharon, it is regrettably most unfortunate that you are unlikely to find a solution to your query after such a long period of time. The answer to such a question is usually derived from family members, but sometimes a birth certificate (which I assume you already have) will give details. In the past I have found a maintenance order awarded by a court, which would be one avenue you could check upon. However, for me this was only found because it was referred to in the father’s army record in respect of a hitherto unknown child of his. For you, you are starting from the child and only laboriously trawling through court records would stand any chance of finding such a record, if it exists. Regards
Thanks Andy, it was a long shot. Eliza Hillman seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth. It’s so frustrating.
Hi, I made a mistake. It was 18, Cambridge Street that Eliza Hillman and William Shepherd lived in 1904. Eliza had an illigitimate daughter called Dorothy Hillman born that year at the same address. Does anyone know anything of these people? There was also a surgeon called Charles Nugent Chadborn, born 1872, who lived at 10, Cambridge Street; was he the only Dr in the street at this time? Did he have a connection with Eliza?
Hi again Sharon, Dr. Charles Chadbourn lived at 10, Cambridge Road and not Cambridge Street. The properties in Cambridge Street commonly contained lodgers, usually occupying one or two rooms and often for only short periods of time. I would imagine that this would have been the situation for Eliza and William at that time. Regards, Andy
Thanks Andy I nearly at the point of giving up! Wish I could look back in time. Sharon
Hi Sharon, There was a William James Shephard living at 27, Edinburgh Street, Brighton in the 1911 census. Amongst the others living with him is Dorothy Shephard, aged 5 and described as his granddaughter. As the William Shephard living in Cambridge Street appears to have moved out by 1908, this looks a very likely contender for your Dorothy. This child was evidently recorded by the GRO in Mar 1906, as Shephard, Dorothy Elizabeth J, Brighton 2b 220. Although this may be a legitimate birth, it is worth ordering the certificate to see who the parents were. Regards, Andy
Oh thanks so much Andy, I will set to and order that certificate. Fingers crossed, you never know. Thanks again, Sharon.
Joyce Dray, Patsy and Barbara Dean. Where are you now? I would like to hear from you or anyone that lived in Cambridge Street.
130 Cambridge Street Brighton in 1872. The family of Edward Patching (daughter Rose). I am checking out my ancestors and would be very interested in finding out the name of Edward’s wife and more about the family. Grateful for any information. Thank you
I’m not sure if this comment will reach anyone now but my great grandma lived at 23 Cambridge street in 1919 and worked in a pub, does anyone know the name of the pub that was there? she had my grandad Ernest Arthur Harrison in 1919, does anyone recognise the name? she was called Olivia Harrison thank you.
Kirsty,I looked at street directories for 1914 & 1925 either side of your 1919 date and they show Isaac Wood there in 1914 and William Wood in 1925. The pub you mentioned may be the Duke of Cambridge on the corner of Cambridge Street and Richmond Street run by Mrs Emily Ann Stride in 1914 and George Parfitt in 1925.
My mum was Maisie Dean as mentioned in this stream above. I was born in 35b Cambridge Street in 1957, my sisters were Patsy and Barbara, brothers were Vic, Terry, Graham and Adrian. Sadly, we have lost Patsy, Terry and Graham. I remember Aunty Alice (Faulker), she was mum’s best friend and kept in touch until Alice passed.
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