Greys, Southover Street

Notes and queries- formerly Hanover Arms

Query: From John Billings
Posted on our messageboard on 23-05-04

Can anyone provide information on the Hanover Arms hotel, Brighton, especially around 1844? I would also like to know if there are any modern-day photographs of the hotel.

Response 1

I think the Hanover Arms was what is now the Greys in Southover Street on the corner of Newhaven Street. There's a photos of it in around 1910 on the back cover of the book "Hilly Laine to Hanover".
From Jan Hill
Posted on our messageboard on 23-05-04

Response 2

There is a circa 1910 photo on this website under Southover Street. Rebecca WORMALD was the proprietor in both the 1881 and 1891 Census, she is on a distant branch of my family tree. I have a few more detials on her and her family if this is of interest.
From Melissa Zimmerman
Posted on our messageboard on 24-05-04

Response 3

I am fairly sure the pub you mention was not in the same location before the mid 1850's. To the best of my knowledge, this is a potted history of the pub.
Sometime around 1822 James IRELAND purchased from Thomas KEMP 10 acres of "The Level" between Union Road and Trinity Street. This was opened in 1823 as a public garden, but was best known as a Cricket Ground. The Hanover Arms stood in the South Eastern corner of the grounds, in Lewes Road. James IRELAND appears to have had an interest in a number of local public houses at that time and his interest in the Hanover Arms can be seen in Pigot's directory as the following entry shows:- Ireland James Tavern (Hanover Arms & Royal Cricket Grounds) Lewes Road 696 Pigot 1828

However, the venture was not a financial success and IRELAND sold them on to a Mr. Pierpoint. Shortly after this time the pub was taken over by George BROWN as follows:-

Brown Geo. Tavern (Hanover Arms) Lewes Road 1020 Pigot 1832 Brown George Tavern (Hanover Arms) Lewes Road 674 Pigot 1840

It is said that these were the first county cricket grounds in England. Sussex County Cricket club played their first matches on the grounds, which were then known as "Hanover Grounds" or "Box's Ground" from the late 1830's onwards. The following listing indicates why:-

Box Thomas Tavern (Hanover Arms) Lewes Road 631 Kelly 1845

Mssrs. Harvey and Box had no better financial success and last cricket match was played in September 1847. The area was sold off and developed with small terraced houses from the 1850's to the turn of the century.

From the mid 1850's another public house with the name "Hanover Arms" appears as a result of the development of Southover Street. The following directory entries indicate the occupancy:- (Note: the change in number is consistent with a renumbering of the properties in Southover Street.

Clayton George Henry Tavern (Hanover Arms) 71 Southover Street 229 Taylor 1854
Bowles George Tavern (Hanover Arms Inn) 71 Southover Street 25 Melville 1858
Bowles George Tavern (Hanover Arms) 71 Southover Street 1463 Kelly 1859
Webb Richard Tavern (Hanover Arms Inn) 115 Southover Street 1992 Kelly 1867

There are three engravings of "Ireland's Royal Brighton Gardens" by George Hunt (c.1827), R.W.Silvester (c. 1828) and G.H.Phillips (1849). The Hanover Arms is shown on both of the latter prints, albeit not in any great detail.

From Andy Grant