Encyclopaedia of Brighton: sources and bibliography

The list of sources and bibliography below comes from Tim Carder’s Encyclopaedia of Brighton. The list provides an excellent general bibliography for the study of the history of Brighton. Most of the sources are available through East Sussex County Libraries, principally Brighton Reference Library or Lewes Lending Library.

General:
1. The Victoria History of the Counties of England – A History of Sussex: vol. vii Lewes Rape (1940). (The most scholarly work, particularly strong on early history, the principal source on outlying parishes, manors and churches.)
2. E.Gilbert Brighton, Old Ocean’s Bauble (1954). (Very thorough, tracing development of Brighton and health resorts in general.)
3. Clifford Musgrave Life in Brighton (1970 and 1980). (Covering all aspects, especially fashionable society.)

Histories:
(The early histories should not be taken as entirely accurate.)

3a. T.Horsfield The History, Antiquities and Topology of the County ofSussex Part One (1835). (A thorough work on each each parish.)
3b. J.R.Armstrong A History of Sussex (1961).
4. P.Dunvan Ancient and Modern History of Lewes and Brighthelmston (1795). (Commonly known as “Lee’s History”. Contains much on the medieval town which cannot now be substantiated.)
5. A.Relhan A Short History of Brighthelmston (1761). (The earliest history and guide.)
6. J.Erredge History of Brighthelmston (1862), and:
7. H.Martin The History of Brighton and Environs (1871). (Both useful but not entirely accurate.)
8. E.Underwood Brighton (1978), and:
9. R.Flower The Old Ship: A Prospect of Brighton (1986). (Strong on the town’s social life.)
10. J. and S.Farrant Aspects of Brighton 1650-1800 (1978), and:
11. J. and S.Farrant ‘Brighton 1580-1820: Tudor Town to Regency Resort’ Sussex Archaeological Collections. no.118, and:
12. J.Farrant ‘The Rise and Decline of a South Coast Seafaring Town: Brighton 1555-1750’ The Mariner’s Mirror vol. 71 no.1, and:
13. S.Farrant Brighton before Dr.Russell (1976), and:
14. S.Farrant Georgian Brighton 1740-1820 (1981). (Five works by the Farrants which provide a thorough insight into the seventeenth and eighteenth century town, its trade and economy, and its subsequent rise into a fashionable resort.)

‘Specific’ histories:
(The following books contain chapters and articles on specific aspects of the town’s history:)

15. J.G.Bishop A Peep into the Past: Brighton in the Olden Time (1880 and 1892).
16. G.Aitchison Unknown Brighton (1926).
17. F.Harrison The Story of Brighton, Hove and Neighbourhood (1931). (Reprinted from the Brighton Gazette.)
18. F.Harrison and J.North Old Brighton, Old Hove, Old Preston (1937).
19. The Argus 100: A Century of News presented with the Evening Argus 31 March 1980.
19a. James Walvin Beside the Seaside (1978). (A social history of seaside holidays.)

Guide Books
(Many guide books to Brighton have been published since the early nineteenth century. The following are particularly useful.)

20. R.Sicklemore An Epitome of Brighton (1815).
21. W.Saunders The Stranger’s Guide to Brighton (1838).
22. W.Fleet An Illustrated Handbook of Brighton and its Environs with someaccount of the Fishery (1847).
23. ‘A graduate of the University of London’ Brighton as it is… (1860). (Contains, in addition to the usual descriptions, details on the town’s ‘low-life’ and social deprivation.)
24. W.E.Nash’s Guide to Brighton (1886). (The best Victorian guide book, with detailed perambulations of the town.)
25. D.B.Friend’s (Brighton) Almanack (1884-1895).
26. Harold P.Clunn The Capital by the Sea (1953). (Much detail on the twentieth-century buildings and improvements; the best post-war guide.)
26a. Harold P.Clunn Famous South Coast Pleasure Resorts, Past and Present (1929). (The best 1920s guide.)
27. Brighton Corporation Guide Books. (Published from at least 1913, they contain information principally on the resort facilities.)
28. The Brighton Society Children’s Brighton: A Guide for all the Family (1977).

Acts of Parliament:
(The following important Acts have proved useful, but there have been many other local Acts.)
29. 1773 ‘Brighton Town’ Act.
30. 1810 ‘Brighton Town’ Act.
31. 1825 ‘Brighton Town’ Act.
32. 1855 Brighton Commissioners Transfer Act.
33. 1873 Brighton Borough Extension Act.
34. 1884 Brighton Improvement Act.
35. 1888 Local Government Act.
36. 1896 Brighton Corporation Act.
37. 1900 Brighton Corporation Act.
38. 1923 Ministry of Housing Provisional Order Confirmation (Brighton Extension) Act.
39. 1927 Brighton Corporation Act.
40. 1938 Brighton Corporation (Transport) Act.
41. 1951 Brighton Extension Act.
42. 1968 Brighton Marina Act.
43. 1972 Local Government Act.

Architecture and buildings:
44. Department of the Environment List of Buildings of SpecialArchitectural or Historic Interest: Brighton (August 1971, with numerous amendments). (Great architectural and usually brief historical detail of all listed buildings.)
45. I.Nairn and N.Pevsner The Buildings of England: Sussex (1965). (The ‘Bible’ for all interested in buildings, with architectural detail and information on all interesting examples, including modern.)
45a. Brighton Polytechnic A Guide to the Buildings of Brighton (1987). (A valuable introduction to the history and architecture of many public buildings in Brighton, Hove, Lewes and Shoreham. Chapters on the town’s development, A. and A.H.Wilds and Busby, and the Wagners.)
45b. Stewart Ullyott Brighton Rocks (1986 for the Booth Museum). (Geological details of the stonework on many Brighton buildings.)
46. A.Dale Fashionable Brighton 1820-1860 (1947). (The best book on the Regency buildings, architects and developers.)
47. A.Dale About Brighton (1951 and 1965). (Small but useful guide to the town’s architecture, including the outlying parishes.)
48. A.Dale The History and Architecture of Brighton (1950).
48a. Backyard Brighton Queenspark book no.20 (1988). (A description and recollections of the houses demolished in the slum clearances of the 1930s.)
48b. Back Street Brighton Queenspark book no.22 (1989).
49. Brighton Museum The Buildings of Brighton (1984-85). (Four cardboard brochures with details of the most interesting buildings.)

Buses:
50. A.Peasgood The Horse Buses of Brighton and Hove (1985).
51. J.Roberts British Bus and Trolley-Bus Systems: Brighton, Hove andDistrict (1984). (History of all services within the Brighton area.)
52. The Southdown Story (1965).
52a. C.Morris British Bus Systems: Southdown” (1985).
53. Brighton Corporation Corporation Passenger Transport 1901-51.
53a. Alan J.Piatt Commemorative Brochure celebrating 85 years of BoroughTransport Services to the Community of Brighton (1986).
54. R.Knight (ed.) Brighton Corporation Transport: Fleet History (1971). (Details of every tramcar, bus and route operated by the Corporation Transport Department.)
55. D.Kaye and M.Nimmo The Trolley Buses of Brighton and Hove (1968).

Churches and religion:
(The Victoria County History provides details on individual churches, particularly the ancient parish churches. Directories also give much information in their introductory sections. Most churches have published at least brochures, but those listed below have proved most useful.)

56. T.Pugh The Church of St.John the Baptist, Brighton 1835-1985. (Includes details on early Catholic missions.)
57. A.F.Day The Church of St.Nicolas of Myra, Dyke Road, Brighton: AHistory with some diversions. (Comprehensive guide to Brighton’s mother church and those who are buried there.)
58. S.Clarke ‘Restoration of St.Nicholas’s Church’ Sussex ArchaeologicalCollections no.32.
59. Brighton Parish Church (St.Peter’s) Guide.
60. M.Webb The History of the Chapel Royal, Brighton (1977).
61. A.Carson Union Church, Brighton: A Short History (1954). (History of the Union Street chapel and the Free Church in Queen Square.)
62. R.Elleray Victorian Churches of Sussex (1981). (A comprehensive book with a check-list of all churches from the eighteenth century to the First World War, a description of religious development in Sussex, particularly Anglo-Catholicism, and many photographs.)
62a. R.F.Chambers The Strict Baptist Chapels of England Vol.II: TheChapels of Sussex (c.1955).
63. F.Harrison ‘An Ecclesiastical History of Brighton’ SussexArchaeological Collections no.29. (Includes a list of variations of the name ‘Brighthelmston’.)
64. J.Sawyer The Churches of Brighton (three volumes).
64a. A.Dale Brighton Churches (1989).
65. Sir A.Wagner and A.Dale The Wagners of Brighton (1983). (Much information on the Wagnerian churches and institutions, and Anglo-Catholicism.)
66. D.SPector The Jews of Brighton 1700-1900.
67. ‘A Religious Census of Sussex, 1676’ Sussex Archaeological Collections no.45.

Cinemas:
68. J.Montgomery ‘The Lost Cinemas of Brighton’ (1980). (Manuscript in Brighton Reference Library.)
68a. D.Robert Elleray A Refuge from Reality – The Cinemas of Brighton andHove (1989).
68b. ‘Hove to Hollywood’, exhibition at Hove Museum (1989).

Climate:
(The Corporation has records from the town’s weather station, but no modern works have been published.)
71. A.Relhan A Short History of Brighthelmston, with remarks on its airand analysis of its waters (1761).
72. W.Kebbell The Climate of Brighton (1859).
73. F.Sawyer The Climate of Brighton (1877).

Coaching:
69. W.Blew Brighton and its Coaches: A History of the London and BrightonRoad (1894).
70. S.Farrant ‘The Development of Coaching Services from Brighton to London c.1750-1822’ The Sussex Genealogist and Local Historian March 1986.

Conservation:
70a. Brighton Borough Council Planning Dept. Conservation Facts (1989).

Co-operatives:
74. W.Brown Brighton’s Co-operative Advance 1828-98 with the JubileeHistory of the Brighton Equitable Co-operative Society (1938). (Information on early co-operatives.)
75. Sir William Richardson The People’s Business (1985). (History of Brighton Co-operative Society and earlier co-operatives.)

Development:
76. S.Farrant, A.Peasgood and K.Fossey The Growth of Brighton and Hove1840-1939 (1981). (Excellent content, especially on the Stanford Estate, public transport and slum housing.)
77. Lewis Cohen Urban Studies Unit How Brighton Grew. (Leaflet with map of development periods.)
78. Lewis Cohen Urban Studies Centre Development of the North Laine area1770-1820. (Leaflet.)

Devil’s Dyke:
79. E.Ryman The Devil’s Dyke – A Guide (1984).
80. The Legend of the Devil’s Dyke. (Cardboard souvenir.)
81. P.Clark Railways of the Devil’s Dyke” (1976).
82. East Sussex County Library On the Track of the Devil. (Leaflet on Dyke Railway footpath.)

Directories and registers:
83. (Classified street directories are a valuable source of information although they should not be taken as absolutely accurate, especially with regard to dates. The introductory sections are also useful. The following have been used:)
Cobby: 1799.
Button: 1805.
Wright: 1818.
Baxter: 1822.
Swayland and Gill: 1832.
Leppard: 1839; 1843; 1845.
Folthorp: 1848; 1850; 1852; 1854; 1856; 1859; 1861; 1862; 1864.
Taylor: 1854.
Page: 1865; 1866; 1867; 1869-95.
Pike: 1887-1939.
Kelly: 1893-1906; 1913-20; 1922-40; 1947; 1951; 1954; 1956; 1958; 1960; 1962; 1964; 1966; 1968-74.

(Sussex directories are listed in J.Farrant Sussex Directories 1784 to 1940 (1975).)

83a. Electoral registers of the Borough of Brighton.

Falmer:
84. D.Williams Falmer Parish Reflections (1985).

Mrs Fitzherbert:
85. W.Wilkins Mrs Fitzherbert and George IV (1905).
86. A.Leslie Mrs Fitzherbert (1960).
87. G.Sampson The Uncrowned Queen: The Story of Maria Fitzherbert (1971).
88. R.Bogan Three Wedding Rings for Mrs Fitzherbert of Brighton (1980).

Ghosts, legends and folklore:
89. R.Moore Sussex Ghosts (1976), and:
90. J.Moore Sussex Legend and Folklore (1976). (Both in the ViewingSussex series.)
91. ‘The Haunting Tale of Old Strike-a-Light’ The Sussex Genealogist andLocal Historian March 1986.
92. The Spectre of the (Preston) Manor (1984).

Hollingdean:
93. R.Carter A History of Hollingdean (1987).

Hospitals and dispensaries:
94. L.Lauste ‘The Development of the Hospitals in Brighton and Hove’  Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine vol.65 February 1972. (Principally the dispensaries, the Royal Sussex, and the New Sussex/Lady Chichester.)
95. J.Gooch A History of Brighton General Hospital (1980).
96. The New Sussex Hospital for Women and Children (1938).
97. The New Borough Isolation Hospital (1898 souvenir brochure).
98. The Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children 1868-1964: A ShortHistory.
99. J.Wright ‘Hospital for the Indian War Wounded at Brighton’ SussexLife November 1968.

Hove:
100. J.Middleton The History of Hove” by J.Middleton (1979).
100a. H.C.Porter The History of Hove, Ancient and Modern (1897).
101. K.Hamer Hove’s Architectural Heritage (1987). (Description of conservation areas.)
101a. Hove Borough Council Hove: The Official Guide (1990).
102. Hove Civic Society Walking about Hove: Brunswick Town. (Cardboard brochure.)
103. Hove Planning Dept. Brunswick Town Trail (1982). (Cardboard brochure.)

Labour movement:
104. M.Carritt Brighton, Hove and District Trades Council 1890-1950.
105. A.Durr A History of Brighton Trades Council and Labour Movement1890-1970 (1974).

Maps and terriers:
(The oldest known sketch of the town is in the Cotton MSS in the British Museum, depicting the town in 1514 although drawn in 1545. Seereferences 2,3,8 and 18.)

106. Budgen’s Terrier (1792). (Shows the landholdings in Brighton, the laines and furlongs. See reference 18.)
107. (Tithe maps showing landholdings are held at Lewes by East Sussex County Record Office, and are the most detailed early maps of the outlying parishes:)
Brighton: 1851 (incomplete).
Falmer: 1838.
Hove: 1839.
Ovingdean: 1839.
Preston: 1838.
Patcham: 1841.
Rottingdean: 1838.
Stanmer: 1840.
West Blatchington: 1829.

108. (The following early maps and street plans have proved useful.)
1665: modern sketch by Farrant (see reference 10).
1779: Yeakell and Gardner – street plan of Brighton (2,3,14).
– survey of Sussex
1788: Budgen (14).
1799: Cobby (14,15,18,141).
1808: Marchant (2,14).
1822: Baxter (14).
1824: Sicklemore (213).
1824-25: Pigott-Smith.
1827: Bruce (2).
1830: Saunders.
1835: Lewis (2).
1841: Wallis.
1852: Saunders.
1854: Taylor.
1856: Saunders.
1867: Pike and Ivimy.

109. Ordnance Survey plans are usually highly accurate, and are held at Brighton Reference Library and the County Record Office. The first edition of the 1-inch map dates from 1811 while 6-inch and 25-inch surveys have been made in c.1875 (also 1:500), c.1900, c.1930 and c.1963.

109a. Map of wards in the Borough of Brighton, in Brighton Reference Library.

Moulsecoomb:
110. Moulsecoomb Diamond Jubilee Souvenir (1981).
110a. Ruby Dunn Moulsecoomb Days Queenspark book no.23 (1990).
111. F.Harrison ‘Moulsecoomb Place: Historical Notes’. (Typescript in Brighton Reference Library.)

Municipal activities:
112. A.Dale Brighton Town and Brighton People (1976). (Activities of the Vestry and Town Commissioners, taken directly from minute books.)
113. F.May The Development of Brighton (1899).
114. W.Attwick Jubilee of the Brighton Corporation: Review of Fifty Years’Municipal Work (1904).
115. W.Attwick Brighton Since the Grant of the Charter, 1854-1929. (Valuable information on all aspects of municipal enterprise.)
116. R.Baxter and D.Howe ‘Municipal activities in Brighton during the past twelve years’ Proceedings of the Institute of Municipal and CorporateEngineers vol.63 pp.31-76 (1936). (Details on many important municipal projects.)

Museums and art galleries:
117. Illustrated Guide and Introduction to the Collections in the ArtGallery and Museum, Brighton (1975).
118. Booth Museum of Natural History Information Sheet No.1.
119. E.J.Bedford ‘The Booth Museum of British Birds’ Sussex CountyMagazine vol.2 pp.32-35.
120. A.Griffith ‘The Booth Collection of British Birds’ Sussex CountyMagazine vol.7 pp.730-733 & 802-806.
121. ‘E.T.Booth and his Birds’ Sussex County Magazine vol.8 pp.167-170.
122. ‘Booth’s Bird Museum at Brighton’ The Lady 18 August 1968.
122a. English Life Publications Ltd The Booth Museum of Natural History,Brighton (1990).

Newspapers:
(Much information has been taken from contemporary articles in the following newspapers:)
123. Evening Argus published 1880 to date.
124. Sussex Daily News published 1868-1956.
124a. Brighton Line the official newspaper of Brighton Borough Council.

Ovingdean:
125. M.Walker Ovingdean and its Church (1977).

Parks:
126. ‘Parks and Gardens Department 1975’. (Typescript in Brighton Reference Library with history of all parks and open spaces.)

Patcham:
127. S.Farrant Changes in Brighton and Hove’s Suburbs: Preston and Patcham1841-1871 (1985).
127a. J.E.G.Geddes Patcham Past and Present.
128. South Patcham Parish Magazine June-August 1986. (Miscellaneous information.)

Photographs and prints:
128a. Brighton Library collection.

(Many books have been published including the following:)
129. J.Betjeman and J.Gray Victorian and Edwardian Brighton from oldphotographs (1972).
130. J.Gray Brighton between the Wars (1976).
131. East Sussex County Library Brighton in Retrospect (1974).
132. A.Dale and J.Gray Brighton Old and New (1976).
133. J.Montgomery Brighton Past and Present (1986).
134. M.John Bygone Brighton Volume One: Places (1980).
135. M.John Bygone Brighton Volume Two: Events (1980).
135a. D.Robert Elleray Brighton: A Pictorial History (1987).
136. A.Elliott A Portrait of Brighton circa 1911 and Today (1980).
137. A.Elliott A Second Portrait of Portslade and Brighton (1981).
138. A.Elliott An Early Portrait of the Villages and Hamlets of Brightonand Hove (1984).
139. E.Scott and A.Payne Rottingdean in Old Picture Postcards (1985).
140. J. and J.Ford Images of Brighton (1981). (1,217 prints reproduced in miniature with explanatory text.)
141. E.Hollingdale Old Brighton (1979). (Prints.)

Piers:
142. S.Adamson Seaside Piers (1977). (The definitive work on British piers.)
142a. C.Bainbridge Pavilions on the Sea (1986).
143. T.Mickleburgh Guide to British Piers (1979).
144. S.Simes Description of the Brighthelmston Chain Pier (1830).
145. J.Bishop The Brighton Chain Pier: In Memoriam (1896).
146. West Pier Trust. (Leaflet.)

Preston:
147. J. and S.Farrant Preston in the 17th and 18th Centuries (1975).
148. S.Farrant Changes in Brighton and Hove’s Suburbs: Preston and Patcham1841-1871 (1985).
149. Preston Manor Guidebook (1985).
150. The Spectre of the Manor (1984).
151. ‘A Roman Villa at Preston’ Brighton and Hove Archaeologist 1926.

Prince Regent:
152. R.Fulford George IV (1949).
152a. Joanna Richardson George IV: A Portrait (1966).

Public services and utilities:
153. R.Hennessey ‘Brighton: The Electrical Pioneer’ Sussex Life no.10.
154. W.Clinch Brighton’s Electricity Supply Municipal Review vol.3 pp.101-103 1932.
155. C.E.G.B. South-East Region Brighton ‘A’ Power Station 1904-76: ASouvenir.
156. E.Hollingdale and J.Thomas ‘Brighton Fire-Brigade: A History’ (1974). (Typescript in Brighton Reference Library.)
157. Brighton Fire-Brigade A History and Handbook (1969).
157a. Preston Circus Fire Station Open Day leaflet (1989).
158. Brighton, Hove and Worthing Gas Company Portslade Works (1936).
159. Brighton, Hove and Worthing Gas Company Co-Partnership Magazine 1923-49 (quarterly).
160. J.Middleton Lifeboats and Shipwrecks at Victorian Brighton (1982).
160a. Jeff Morris An Illustrated Guide to our Lifeboat Stations part 3: Sheerness to Poole (1988).
161. ‘Brighton Lifeboats’ Sussex Life June 1974.
162. F.Harrison ‘Constables and Headboroughs’ Brighton and Hove Archaeologist 1926.
163. Brighton Police Centenary 1838-1938.
164. G.Baines History of the Brighton Police (1967).
164a. N.Poulsom, M.Rumble and K.Smith Sussex Police Forces: A PictorialHistory 1836-1986 (c.1987).
165. E.Trory A Postal History of Brighton 1673-1783 (1953).
165a. ‘Brighton Postal History’ Sussex County Magazine vol.27 pg.466.
166. J.Greenwood The Posts of Sussex: The Chichester Branch 1250-1840 (1973).
167. J.Carter History of the Brighton Intercepting and Outfall SewersBoard (1935).
168. Sir J.Bazalgette ‘Report on Brighton Sewerage’ (1882).
169. Southern Water Authority Portobello Long Sea Outfall and PumpingStation. (Publicity leaflet.)
169a. Southern Water Brighton Sewers. (Information brochure provided on sewer visits)
170. J.Middleton The Lights of Brighton and Hove (1982).
171. ‘Brighton Telephone Service: The First 90 Years’ (1972). (Article in Brighton Reference Library.)
172. J.Minns The Engineerium: A History and Guide (1980).
173. F.N.Green The Development of Brighton’s Water Supply (1950).
174. Brighton Corporation Water Dept. Your Water Supply (1964).
175. Brighton Corporation Water Dept. Brighton Water 1872-1972 (1972).

Railways:
176. B.Cooper Rail Centres: Brighton (1981). (Information on stations, branches and the engineering works.)
177. V.Mitchell and K.Smith Southern Main Lines: Three Bridges toBrighton (1986), and:
178. V.Mitchell and K.Smith South Coast Railways: Brighton to Worthing (1983), and:
179. V.Mitchell and K.Smith South Coast Railways: Brighton to Eastbourne (1985). (Principally photographic but with accompanying text and plans.)
180. J.Turner London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (1977-79 three volumes).
181. C.Marshall and P.Kidner A History of the Southern Railway (1963).
182. A.Gray The London to Brighton Line 1841-1977.
182a. Michael Baker London to Brighton (1989).
183. M.Searle Down the Line to Brighton (1986).
183a. Sussex History Vol.1 no.3 Spring 1977.
184. N.Owen The Brighton Belle (1972).
185. J.Gairns ‘Brighton Locomotive Works’ Railway Magazine vol.32 (1913).
186. P.Clark Railways of the Devil’s Dyke (1976).
187. East Sussex County Library On the Track of the Devil. (Leaflet about former railway.)
187a. Leslie Oppitz Sussex Railways Remembered (1987).
188. A.Jackson Volk’s Railway, Brighton (1968).
188a. Volk’s Railway, Brighton – 1883-1983 centenary brochure.
189. C.Volk Magnus Volk of Brighton (1971).

Rottingdean and Balsdean:
190. S.Moens Rottingdean: The Story of a Village (1952).
190a. Lewis Cohen Urban Studies Centre Rottingdean. (1988 leaflet.)
191. H.Blyth Smugglers’ Village: The Story of Rottingdean.
192. E.Scott and A.Payne Rottingdean in Old Picture Postcards (1985).
193. N.Norris and E.Hockings ‘Balsdean Chapel’ Sussex ArchaeologicalCollections no.91.

Royal Pavilion:
194. H.Roberts The History of the Royal Pavilion, Brighton (1939). (The definitive work.)
195. C.Musgrave The Royal Pavilion, Brighton: An Episode in the Romantic (1959).
196. C.Musgrave The Royal Pavilion (1954).
196a. J.Dinkel The Royal Pavilion, Brighton (1983).
197. Royal Pavilion Guidebook.
198. J.Bishop Brighton Pavilion and its Royal Associations (1884).
199. S.Farrant ‘Physical Development of the Pavilion Estate and its Influence on the Town 1785-1823’ Sussex Archaeological Collections no.120.
200. J.Wright ‘Hospital for the Indian War Wounded at Brighton’ SussexLife November 1968.

Saltdean:
201. D.d’Enno The Saltdean Story (1985). (A major work.)
202. K.White Saltdean (1984).

Schools:
(Many schools have produced brochures: the following have proved useful.)
203. East Sussex Education Authority Handbooks
203a. Independent Schools Yearbooks.
204. G.Burstow and M.Whittaker A History of Brighton College (1957).
204a. Martin Jones A Short History of Brighton College (1986).
205. Brighton and Hove High School 1876-1952.
206. G.Haffenden The Middle Street School, Brighton 1805-1905
207. D.de Zouche Roedean School 1885-1955.
208. 1885-1985 History of Roedean School.
209. N.Caplan ‘Swan Downer’s School’ Sussex Notes and Queries no.17.
210. J.Miller The York Place – Varndean Story 1884-1984.
211. J.Farrant ‘The Brighton Free School’ Sussex ArchaeologicalCollections no.122.

Social life in Brighton:
(The following books deal mainly with the fashionable social life of the town.)
212. L.Melville Brighton (1909).
213. O.Sitwell and M.Barton Brighton (1935).

Sport:
214. J.Vinicombe Albion (1978).
215. Brighton and Hove Albion Club Handbooks, numerous editions.
216. P.Willis A Sussex Non-League Football Annual 1983-84.
217. Whitehawk Football Club programmes.
218. R.Browning Golf in Sussex.
219. P.Smartt Sussex Golf: The Nineteenth-Century Clubs (1977).
220. ‘East Brighton Golf Club’ Sussex County Magazine vol.28 pg.71.
221. The AA Golf Course Guide (1986).
222. ‘Brighton Rugby Club’ Sussex County Magazine vol.5 pg.106.
223. Sir Home Gordon Sussex Cricket Club (1948).
224. G.Washer A Complete Record of Sussex Cricket Club 1728-1957.
225. J.Marshall Sussex Cricket: A History (1959).
226. Sussex County Cricket Club, Hove 1872-1972.
226a. Christopher Lee From the Sea End: The Official History of SussexCounty Cricket Club (1989).
227. Sussex County Cricket Club handbooks.

Stanmer:
228. Stanmer Preservation Society Stanmer (1981).
229. C.Yeates Hovel in the Wood (1986).
230. ‘Stanmer House’ Country Life vol.71 pp.14-20 2 January 1932.
231. ‘Stanmer House’ Sussex County Magazine vol.4 pg.349.
232. S.Farrant ‘The Building of Stanmer House …’ Sussex ArchaeologicalCollections no.117.

Telscombe:
233. D.Hardman Telscombe: A Village in Sussex.

Theatres:
234. H.Porter The History of the Theatre in Brighton from 1774-1885 (1886).
235. A.Dale The Theatre Royal, Brighton (1980).
236. R.Gunnell ‘The Brighton Gaiety Theatre’ Sussex County Magazine September 1954.

Tramways:
237. R.Warmer ‘The Brighton Corporation Tramways’ Tramway Review vol.6 nos.44-47.
238. A.Elliott A Portrait of the Brighton Trams 1901-39 (1979).
239. Corporation Passenger Transport 1901-51.
240. R.Knight (ed.) Brighton Corporation Transport: Fleet History (1971). (Details of every tram-car and route.)
240a. Leslie Oppitz Tramways Remembered – South and South-East England (1988).

University:
241. University of Sussex Annual Reports.

Wars:
242. Brighton and Hove Herald Brighton and Hove in Battledress (1945). (Includes a map showing the locations of bombs which fell on Brighton and Hove.)
242a. A.Saunders and P.Burgess Battle over Sussex 1940 (1990).
243. L.Cluett Brighton and Hove under Fire 1940-44 (1945), and:
244. Brighton and Hove Gazette Brighton and Hove at War (1945). (Mainly pictorial.)

Wellesbourne:
245. E.Martin ‘Brighton’s Lost River’ South-Eastern Naturalist (1915).
246. H.Toms ‘The Welesmere Quest’ Sussex County Magazine no.9 pp.366-368.

Whitehawk:
247. E.C.Curwen ‘Whitehawk Camp’ Sussex Archaeological Collections no.71.
248. N.Norris and E.Hoskings ‘Whitehwak Camp’ Sussex ArchaeologicalCollections no.77.

Windmills:
249. F.Bramwell ‘The Windmills of Brighton’ Brighton Herald 6-13 August 1938. (Details of former windmills.)
249a. H.Simmons ‘Sussex Windmills’ (c.1934 typescript in five volumes in Brighton Reference Library). (Much detail on individual mills with sources.)
249b. H.T.Dawes ‘The Windmills and Millers of Brighton’ Sussex IndustrialHistory no.18 (1989).
250. P.Hemming Windmills in Sussex.
251. M.Brunnarius The Windmills of Sussex (1979).
252. B.Austen Windmills of Sussex (1968).
253. R. and R.McDermott The Standing Windmills of East Sussex (1978).

Withdean:
254. S.Farrant Changes in Brighton and Hove’s Suburbs: Preston and Patcham1841-1871 (1985).
255. S.Farrant ‘William Roe of Withdean’ Sussex Archaeological Collections no.119. (The owner of the Withdean estate from the late eighteenth century.)

Miscellaneous Brighton locations:
255a. K.Eastaugh Havergal Brian: The Making of a Composer (1976).
256. J.Garratt Brighton Aquarium 1872-1972.
257. J.Bishop Strolls in the Extra-Mural Cemetery (c.1880 several editions).
258. ‘The Story of Hanningtons’ Brighton and Hove Gazette 29 October 1965.
259. D.Ranger ‘Hanover Crescent’ (1977 typescript in Brighton Reference Library.)
260. Brighton Museum Hollingbury Camp (1983).
261. A.Dale History of the Kemp Town Gardens (1964).
261a. Lewis Cohen Urban Studies Centre Madeira Lift 1890-1990 (1990).
262. L.Robinson The Lanes of Brighton (1966).
262a. S.Farrant The Development of the North Laine. (One of many useful leaflets published by the Lewis Cohen Urban Studies Centre, 68 Grand Parade.)
262b. G.Mead Trades of the Black Lands – Norfolk Square, Brighton. (1989 leaflet from Lewis Cohen Urban Studies Centre.)
263. A Short Social History of the North Road Slipper Baths (1985).
263a. Alan F.Hill Barclays Bank, North Street, Brighton – An InformalHistory (1988).
264. C.Musgrave The Crown, the Ship and the Queen of Watering Places (1953). (The royal escape, the Old Ship and Nicholas Tettersell.)
265. R.Cooke The Park Crescent Story (1983).
266. ‘Historical Notes on Brighton Race-Course’ (typescript in Brighton Reference Library).
267. B.Pointon The Royal German Spa at Brighton (1978).
268. R.Thornburgh Mahomed’s Royal Gymnasium (1980).
269. H.Walbrook One Hundred Years of the Royal York (1919).
270. ‘St.Bartholomew’s Priory’ Brighton and Hove Archaeologist 1926.
271. Lord Fraser of Lonsdale My Story of St.Dunstans.
271a. Lewis Cohen Urban Studies Centre Building on Brighton’s West Lainec.1779-c.1830. (Leaflet.)

Other miscellaneous publications:
272. The Allen West Story (1960).
273. C.Webb and A.Wilson Elizabethan Brighton: The Ancient Customs ofBrighthelmston 1580 (1952).
274. B.Austen Athina B, Brighton (1980).
275. H.Simmons ‘Brighton Breweries’ (typescript in Brighton Reference Library).
275a. B.Bannier Into the Streets and Lanes – A History of the Brighton andHove Town Mission 1849-1989 (1989).
276. Brighton and Hove Gazette Yearbooks, 1940s and 1950s.
277. Brighton Borough Planning Dept. Brighton Towards 2000: Draft BoroughPlan (1987). (Miscellaneous information.)
278. L.Laughton ‘The Burning of Brighton by the French’ Transactions ofthe Royal Historical Society 1916.
279. Census Returns for Sussex 1801-1981.
280. ‘The Escape of Charles II’ Sussex Archaeological Collections no.32.
281. Who was Harry Cowley? Queenspark book no.13 (1984).
282. J.Morris (ed.) Domesday Book: Sussex (1976).
282a. A Description of England and Wales (1770).
283. E.Trory Brighton and the General Strike (1975).
283a. British Geological Survey Geology of the country around Brighton andWorthing (1988).
284. E.Cresy ‘Report to the General Board of Health …’ (1849).
285. ‘Report on the Sanitary Condition of the Borough of Brighton’ TheLancet no.4 pp.747-763 1882.
285a. Sussex History no.26 Autumn 1988.
285b. Sussex History no.21 May 1986.
286. Sussex Industrial Archaeology: A Field Guide (1985).
287. J.Montgomery ‘Mods v. Rockers: The Battle of Brighton Beach’ (typescript in Brighton Reference Library).
288. Charles Hindley The Brighton Murder (1885).
288a. Lord Montagu of Beaulieu The Brighton Run (1990).
289. A.Mawer and F.Stenton The Place Names of Sussex part 2 (1929).
290. H.Preston Memories (1928).
291. N.Griffiths Shops Book, Brighton 1900-30 Queenspark book no.6 (1978). (Personal recollections with information on street markets.)
292. R.Almond ‘Shoreham Airport’ Sussex Industrial History no.14.
293. I.Margary ‘The Development of Turnpike Roads in Sussex’ Sussex Notesand Queries no.13.
294. L.Whistler Laughter and the Urn: The Life of Rex Whistler (1985).
294a. F.Harrison Historical and Literary Associations of Brighton andHove.

Reference books:
294b. Brian Mitchell British Historical Statistics (1988).
295. Brigadier P.Young A Dictionary of Battles 1816-1976.
296. The Dictionary of National Biography.
296a. Revd W.D.Parish A Dictionary of the Sussex Dialect (1875 and 1957).
296a. R.Cootes and L.Snellgrove Britain Since 1700 Longman Secondary History Series (1968).
297. C.Martin-Jenkins Wisden’s Book of County Cricket (1981).
298. F.H.S.Craig British Parliamentary Election Results (1977 five volumes).
299. The Guinness Book of Records (several editions).
299a. The Guinness Book of Answers (1990 edition).
300. J.Richardson The Local Historian’s Encyclopaedia (1974).
301. British Library Catalogue of the Newspaper Library, Colindale (1975).
301a. Eilert Ekwall Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names (1936 and 1960).
302. C.Harvey (ed.) The Encyclopaedia of Sport (1959).
303. Whittaker’s Almanack (numerous editions).
303a. Various national gazetteers and atlases.

Unpublished and other sources:
304. Ex-inf. Department of Transport.
305. Ex-inf. Brighton Borough Estates Surveyor Department.
306. Ex-inf. Brighton Borough Planning Department and Plan Registry.
307. Ex-inf. Brighton Borough Secretary Department.
308. Ex-inf. Brighton Borough Tourism and Resort Services Department.
309. Ex-inf. British Broadcasting Corporation.
310. Placard in Brighton Town Hall Council Chamber.
311. Foundation stones, memorial tablets, plaques and other visual evidence.
312. Author’s personal records.
313. Ex-inf. Brighton Borough Technical Services Department.
314. Ex-inf. Diocese of Chichester.
315. Minutes of Brighton Borough Council.
316. Exhibits at Bluebell Railway Museum, Sheffield Park Station.

Comments about this page

  • Where can I obtain the above books for reference? Are they all in the main library or the local history centre? How do I go about getting to see some of them?

    By Mary Funnell (25/11/2006)
  • Virtually all the resources listed above are available at the History Centre (for reference use only) Jubilee Library has only a very small collection of general books on the history of Brighton.
    Please see our webpages for access details HERE

    By Sally Blann, Brighton History Centre (23/12/2006)
  • I am trying to gather and conserve inforamtion about my family who were newsagents at North Street, Portslade and then 81 Boundary Road, Hove from before 1900 to c 1949. In particular I am interested in one of the sons in that business, my father Philip Arthur Andrews, who voluntered for the Sportsmans Battalion Royal Fusiliers in 1914 having been playing amateur football in the local Southdown League. We hold a medal awarded to winners of Divsion 1 of that league in 1913. He died in 1978 and, too late, we are tring to collect scraps of information about his early life.Any suggestions will be welcomed. Jork Andrews, son.

    By Jork Andrews (05/04/2007)
  • I have just read Unknown Brighton by George Aitchison and am fascinated by the chapter “A Mystery” in which the author describes a building in Meeting House Lane. Does anyone know if the building still exists or what it was? Apparently, the building was used by a bank in the last quarter of the 18th century. Is it still there, or was it a victim of redevelopment? I would love to know!

    By Jane McIlwraith (09/07/2007)
  • I have recently obtained a copy of ‘Life in Brighton’ by Clifford Musgrave (revised edition 1981) This is a comrehensive history of Brighton from the 18th century through to the early 1970’s and is a wonderful work of reference. Highly recommended if you can obtain a copy.

    By Brian Roote (04/01/2008)
  • I am seeking information about William and William Henry Hallett. Both were mayors of Brighton and implemented important work such as sewers, railways and building social housing. Unfortunately I have not been able to find written works on these gents. Can you help? Thank you.

    By Colin Batts (16/07/2008)
  • I have just come across a copy of ‘Unknown Brighton’ by George Aitchison and wonder if any of the libraries in Brighton would be interested?

    By Marian Cotter (22/07/2008)
  • I am a Cowley triplet born in Brighton November 17th 1954, please could you tell me where I could get any information on us as we were in the papers in 1956. Also, please could anyone tell me where I could find any information on central school, it was opposite the museum in Brighton, and I went there in 1963. Thank you; if you could help I would be very grateful.

    By Carol Cowley (02/08/2008)
  • I vaguely recall a Mr. Cowley (I think that was how the name was spelt) who was prominent. He had a system of squatting in empty houses in Brighton after WWII when housing in the town was so short and people with properties would not let them without exhorbitant rent. Maybe it will help further exploration.

    By Ron Spicer (06/10/2008)
  • Re Colin Bates comment above (16/07/2008) I am also a descendant of William Hallett (1794 – 1862) second Mayor of Brighton and would be interested to hear what he has found out on the two Halletts who were Mayors. Were they related ?

    By Neil Russell (23/03/2009)
  • I am researching William Gibson, jeweller and goldsmith who died 1st  November 1913 at the Princes Hotel, Hove. Anyone with any information or photographs please contact me.

    By Raymond Kelly (15/04/2009)
  • I am also a decendant of William Hallett (1794-1862) and have been researching the family for some time now. He was my three times great-grandfather. I would love to find someone else who was connected to the Hallett family and swap info. Regards Sheila Jackson

    By Sheila Jackson (05/08/2009)
  • I have a photograph of my mother who was born in Brighton (Lucy Turner, c1930) and my grandmother Bessie Marshall if anyone is interested (from Steyning). Also I would like to write to any long lost relatives.

    By Jane Glanville (10/08/2009)
  • I am researching the COX family of Weymouth. My great-grandmother’s brother, Benjamin Hartnell COX, married Fanny CURTIS, daughter of Frederick Curtis and proprietor of the Brighton Gazette in St Paul’s 1884. Any information about the family or paper around 1865-1900 please. Frederick Curtis Jnr was a reporter for the paper in 1881

    By M Millen (19/11/2009)
  • Just seen message from M Millen, posted 19/11/2009. Frederick Curtis Jnr was my great grandfather. His father, also Frederick, owned and published the Brighton Gazette in the 19th century. I have some information about the family but am seeking any photographs of Frederick Curtis Snr or Jnr.

    By Steve Greaves (28/11/2009)
  • Mayor William Button of Brighton, England (Mayor in 1962) was a cousin of my father’s. If anyone has any information regarding Mayor Button is would be very helpful to add to my family tree.

    By Rosalie King (nee Button) (20/03/2010)
  • I have a William Button in my family tree. The one I have was born in 1904 in Brighton. He married Mabel Lucas and had brothers Ernest and Albert who was known as Bertram. If this is any help please mail me at browneyedgal43@hotmail.com

    By Sarah (05/05/2010)
  • Wondering if there are any records of solicitors in Brighton in the 1850s. According to the death certificate of my paternal Great Grandmother Mary Ellen RUSSELL, she was born in Brighton (c1850) and her parents were James RUSSELL (Solicitor) and Mary McDONALD.

    By Glenys McInerney (10/07/2010)
  • Sorry I have just realised / deciphered that the first strange word on the reverse of the seal is ‘Cereales’.

    By Stuart Elton (07/09/2010)
  • As my first comment seems to be lost and the second does not make much sense without it I will rehash. The following inscription was found on a lead bag seal, probably of seed corn. Can anyone tell me about the company that produced it please? ‘Frederick F. Hallett * Brighton’ (and on the other side) ‘Trade Pedigree Mark Genealogiouse * Cereales’

    By Stuart Elton (08/09/2010)
  • Dear Browneyedgal43, Thank you for responding to my question on Brighton and Hove. The William Button you have on your family tree matches mine. William Hurbert G Button was born 1904 married Mabel E Lucas in 1929 and had two sons Raymond born 1930 and Duley born 1939. They also adopted a daughter, Jennifer. William Button was Mayor of Brighton in 1962. He died 1966. I have my family tree on Ancestry.com.au If you are interested in any further information on the Button line please let me know, as I may have information of interest to you.

    By Rosalie King (nee Button), Western Australia (06/11/2010)
  • I am seeking information about The Brighton Cruising Club of Brighton and Hove. I have a photo of my father aged 14 with a support boat which I believe relates to the cross channel swimmer Jabez Wolfe. Possible date 1905 /1906

    By Christopher Parker (25/02/2011)
  • My maternal family line with surnames Standen and Markham lived in Brighton in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Family folklore has it that Sarah Jane Standen operated a boarding house in Atlingworth St. I’m going to be visiting Brighton on 14th October and would like to know where I should go to search historical records when I’m in town ?

    By Stephen Cummings (03/08/2011)
  • Hi, Rosalie and Sarah. I have already been in touch with Sarah, but Rosalie – there’s more Button family info on http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=silicondale. 

    By Stephen Henley (22/08/2011)
  • My mother was a Hallett. Her great-great-grandfather was the second mayor, Frederick Hallett, who I believe got his start as a carpenter on the Pavilion. His son traded in French goods, including corn, and my grandfather was born in Paris, and was known at school as ‘Froggy’.

    By John Hosken (06/04/2012)
  • Does anybody remember the entrance from Sillwood Street from the carriageway to Kings Road, which lead past the Union Club and the Arts Club in the 50s and 60s until 1966 when Cavendish House was built over?

    By Peter (04/06/2016)
  • Does anyone have any knowledge about the union club situated on Kings Road over which Cavendish House is now built?

    By Gamesmanship (21/02/2017)

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