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Black Lion Lane

From a private collection

The oldest houses in Brighton?

By Viv House

I would like to research the history of my house which I moved into a couple of months ago. It is in Black Lion Lane. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I particularly want to find out when it was built, because the date seems to be in question. There are only three houses in Black Lion Lane which form a terrace. So they were obviously built at the same time and they are adjacent to the Black Lion Pub.

History has it that the houses were built in 1563 and are the oldest in Brighton, so the tour guides say when they pass anyway, but I read in the Encyclopaedia of Brighton that they may have been built in the 17th century. That dispirited me slightly as obviously someone writing a book would have researched the history as much as possible and leaves me thinking that it may not be possible to find out the exact date. Any news and help would be greatly appreciated.

E-mail sent to website 21/06/2002

This page was added on 22/03/2006.

Comments about this page

I am coming to see one of these houses on Saturday so, all being well, we could be neighbours! I have been told by the vendors that these date back to 1563 but will do some investigating and feed back to you.

By Shonali (02/03/2007)

I'm moving in tomorrow to number 2. It would be nice to know when they were built. Agents told me 16th century!

By Neil Ambridge (05/05/2007)

Does anyone know anything about Saunders Buildings? Apparently it was between Black Lion Street and Black Lion Lane and there were six 'addresses' inside, so it must have been sizeable. What is in that position now? Are there any photos in existence?

By Mike Alliston (14/03/2010)

I don't know when the houses were built but my ancestors are listed as living in Black Lion Lane in the 1841 census. My great-great grandfather seems to have been called James Buddle, and was 3 in 1841. Unfortunately I can't tell what my great-great-great grandmother's name is. It looks like Soroline Buddle, but can't be sure. No husband is listed but Soroline? is listed as a schoolmistress. She was 41 in 1841. Mary (6) and Richard (5), James' older brother and sister, lived with them. My ancestors remained in Brighton at least into the 20th century. James married and moved to 15 Frederick Street, which is now a very ugly block, where he was a tailor. Mary became a shopkeeper at 11 Lowender Street. My great-grandfather John Thomas Buddle (James' youngest son) married and lived at 53 Ellen Street North in 1901. My grandfather John Thomas' oldest son moved to Battersea in London, where my father was born in 1915. I would love to know if anyone has information about the Buddle family in Brighton.

By Claire Buddle (05/04/2010)