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Topic: Parents of Thomas & Henry Brett, Hastings please (Read 2205 times)
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elaine.s
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 79
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Hello Alonso
Do you have any connection with Louisa F.J. Brett who married Henry W. Avery, September 1912, Hastings? If so, do you have any information that you can share re either of the above?
Thanks.
Elaine
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Slingsby- Ashford, Kent
Bevis - Hastings, Sussex
Avery - Hastings, Sussex
Harding - Hampshire, Surrey
Breakspear - Oxfordshire
Rigden - Whitstable, Kent
French - Hastings and Rye, Sussex
Bond - Oxfordshire and Berkshire
Butcher - Whitstable, Kent
Kemp - Whitstable, Kent
Josey - Berkshire
Marshall - Ashford, Kent
Papps - Berkshire
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Chris in 1066Land
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Posts: 6097
"Forever Searching, Forever Learning"
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Hi there Alonso
Congratulations on being an ancestor of Thomas B Brett - it is from him and his Newspaper that we know so much about the life of early Hastings.
There are many manuscript volumes on local history now in the Public Reference Library written by Thomas B Brett (mostly in his own handwriting) that contain a mass of local lore and personal reminiscence, garnished wherever possible with genealogical information - an absolute treasure trove for Family and Local Historians.
Thomas was born in George Street in 1816, his father being a smith who was found dead in a fishing boat ten years later. As a result of this, from a very tender age he had to act as the support for his widowed mother and help in the house and the care of his brothers and sisters. When his mother married again in in 1828 he was sent to school at Mr Neves in Bourne Street.
He had only a year and a half at school before leaving to assist his stepfather, a builder.
In 1831 he became an errand boy in a Drapers Shop near the Fishmarket for 3 and a half years at 4/- (4 shillings) a week, the hours of business being from 7am to 9pm and often later. In his dinner hour he would run home to help the men in the smithy. He learnt to mend and make his own clothes. During the cold winter of 183 he began to write poetry and started the study of Music.
From 1837 to 1839 he was in the Post Office in George Street and in 1839 he set out for America, but the weather was bad, he had an accident and damaged his spine and so returned to Hastings. In the Autumn of that year he started a small school on his own near St Leonards Archway in Market Terrace and was eventually requested to take charge of the National School.
He married in 1844 and then established the first Brass Band to play on the Parade at Hastings. In 1848 with Philip Hook he helped establish the St Leonards Mechanics Institute being elected treasurer in 1853, a position which with that of President from 1888 he held for very many years.
He had a great reverence for the power of the press and acted as correspondent for the Sussex Advertizer from 1839. In 1854 he bought his own printing press and started the Penny Press as a monthly.. In 1855 he commenced the St Leonards & Hastings Gazette, managed entirely by himself. He also took part in the actual printing and finally helped to deliver copies to his subscribers.
He died on the 4th April 1906 in his 90th year.
If this is really your ancestor, then you have much more of his life written down in his memoirs of Hastings which is I think is about 24 large volumes of typeset and hand written material.
I really envy you
Chris in 1066
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Chris in 1066Land
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Hi again
Baptisms
St Clements, 5th July 1816, Thomas, son of Thomas & Sarah, Blacksmith
2nd January 1818, Matilda, dau of Thomas & Sarah, Blacksmith
15th September 1820, Henry, son of Thomas & Sarah, Blacksmith
23rd September 1825, William, son of Thomas & Sarah, Blacksmith
There are other children born to Thomas & Sarah, Labourer - but have not included them.
Chris in 1066
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Chris in 1066Land
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Hi again Alonso
If you go on my web site
www.rootschat.com/history/hastings
and click on Hastings, then Items of Local Interest you will see I have included lots of snippets from Bretts Memoirs, written in his own hand writing and include such things as this
"many a contest took place between the occupiers of no mans land, arising from the desire in some to possess themselves of what others had laid claim to, and when only six or seven years of age I was witness to a painful scene between a blacksmith and a sweep over a disputed claim, and on the 10th March 1823 there was another desperate struggle on the Priory Ground (see also Page 226) over disputed rights to certain building sites. Ultimately the original assailants were beaten off and a blue flag was hoisted by the defendants as a token of victory. On the 26th June 1823 hostilities were resumed near to the Rock Fair ground in consequence of two persons claiming the same piece. The battle was long and desperate in which wounds and bruises were inflicted, and on the following night the windows were broken at the private residence of Mark Boykett and James Breeds. Several cases ended in Law suits as that of Mark Boykett Breeds versus Sol Bevill, when at the home of E Millward -  ?"
He had his own way of describing things
Chris in 1066
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Chris in 1066Land
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Hi
In reply to your personal message, the 1891 census shows the following
RG12/ 761/ Folio 132/ Page 15 - 74 St Georges Road, Hastings
Henry Brett, Haed, Marr, 72, Carpet Planner, born Hastings
Harriett Brett, Wife, Marr, 46, born Wadhurst
Helen Brett, Dau, Unm, 17, born Hastings
Alonzo Brett, Son, Unm, 13, Scholar, Hastings
Arthur Brett, Son, Unm, 11, Scholar, Hastings
Ernest Brett, Son, Unm, 2, Hastings
Hope it helps
Chris in 1066
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Chris in 1066Land
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and in 1881
RG11/ 1025/ Folio 65/ Page 53 - No 5 Frances Terrace, Hastings
Henry Brett, Head, Marr, 60, Tailor, born Hastings
J. Harriet Brett, Wife, Marr, 36, born Wadhurst
Charity F. Brett, Son, Unm, 14, Hastings
Faith Brett, Dau, Unm, 12, Hastings
Geo. Hope Brett, Son, Unm, 9, Hastings
Elanor Brett, Dau, Unm, 7, Hastings
Alonzo Brett, Son, Unm, 3, Hastings
Arthur Brett, Son, Unm, 1, Hastings
Elizabeth May Pike, Widow, Lodger, 42, born Kent
Chris in 1066
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Chris in 1066Land
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Hi Alonso
Have followed Henry back through the various census returns (Occupation always seems to be Tailor) for Hastings back to 1841 where he is living with his brother Thomas in Norman Road.
So you do have that connection if you can connect the Alonzo in 1901 with your present day family. You will have to go backwards getting birth and marriage certificates to prove the connection, but that should not be hard as you only have 3 generations to follow back though.
Chris in 1066
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Chris in 1066Land
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Hi again
Glad you found my web site usefull
When you consider that Brett wrote these memoirs when he was in his 80's at the end of a very long life, it might be expected that some of his accounts are confused and many are inaccurate.
But when one considers Bretts personal history, it is remarkable that it was ever written at all.
Incidentally, I was unable to find his wifes second marriage in the Sussex Marriage Index
Chris in 1066
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Chris in 1066Land
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Hi
You already have the 1841 census where Henry is with his brother in Norman Road aged 20
Here is the 1851 after he has married for the first time
HO107/ 1635/ Folio 569/ Page 22 - 4 Market Terrace
Henry Brett, 30, Tailor born in Hastings
Mary A Brett, 31, born Leighton Buzzard, Beds
Hannah M Brett, 10, born St Leonards
Henry Brett, 8, St Leonards
Mary A Brett, 5, St Mary Magdalen
Angelino Brett, 3, St Mary Magdalen
Frederic Brett, 11months, St Mary Magdalen
plus 4 lodgers
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Chris in 1066Land
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1861 Census
RG9/ 562/ Folio 175/ Page 31 - 4 Albion Terrace, Hastings.
Henry Brett, Head, Marr, 40, Tailor, Hastings
Mary A Brett, Wife Marr, 41, Bedfordshire
Mary A Brett, Dau, Unm, 15, Hastings
Frederick Brett, Son, Unm, 10, Hastings
William Brett, Son, Unm, 6, Hastings
Chris in 1066
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Chris in 1066Land
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and finally the 1871 with his new young wife
RG10/ 1029/ Folio 21/ Page 34 - Behind 23 Mill House in St Clements, Hastings
Henry Brett, Head, Marr, 50, Tailor & Carpet Fitter, Hastings
Harriet Brett, Wife, Marr, 26, Tailors Wife, Wadhurst
William Brett, Son, Unm, 6, Hastings
Faith Brett, Dau, Unm, 2, Hastings
Hope that has been of help to you
Chris in 1066
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