14 Beaconsfield Villas, Brighton

[John915]

Good evening,

I suspect that any surviving records are at either East Sussex records office, "The Keep" in Falmer. Or West Sussex records office in Chichester.

John915

[cupcake]

 
Had a look online  for the East Sussex records office,  but the digital images located in the reference room at the keep are currently out of order.

I was going to phone "The West Sussex" records office in Chichester but, they are closed at the moment. Will try again later.

I live in Scotland and, to far for me to travel. Will let you know how I get on.

Thank you.

[cupcake]

Good evening,

I suspect that any surviving records are at either East Sussex records office, "The Keep" in Falmer. Or West Sussex records office in Chichester.

John915

I have emailed the West Sussex Record Office to see if they can help.

Cupcake.

[cupcake]

 John915

I contacted the "The Keep" in  East Sussex  and their reply:

The Beacon Nursing Home was a private institution that never donated its records to us. There also don’t seem to be any coroners reports or burial records for anyone under the name of Titterington, nor for Mary Elizabeth Hill.

cupcake

[John915]

Good afternoon,

It was worth a try but as they say, not all donate their records. For autopsy reports it would depend on where they died. If in hospital there is usually no need for an autopsy to be carried out. The dr just signs the death certificate because the patient is under direct medical care. If burial took place elsewhere then those records would most likely be at that location.

John915

[cupcake]

Good afternoon John915,

I believe my baby brother is buried with deceased Mary Elizabeth Hill. They tell me they were buried on the 24th. February 1942 at the Downs Crematorium.

But, the odd thing is, they can't find any details of when the grave was actually purchased to confirm, if a headstone or, marker is at the location.

cupcake

[hjf160250]

Hello. I've just chanced upon this useful tool as I wondered about the nursing home at 14 Beaconsfield Villas. It is listed on my wife's birth certificate and the date was 11th September 1947. I wondered when it ceased to be a nursing home. My wife sadly passed away very suddenly last Monday (20th May 2024) and I'm trying to find out as much as possible about her early life and why her parents (they were far from wealthy) would opt for a birth in a nursing home. Thanks,

[maddys52]

Hello hjf160250 and welcome to RootsChat.

I'm very sorry for your loss, a difficult time for you.

I can't help exactly on when the Beacon Nursing Home/ Beacon Maternity Home, Brighton ceased to be a nursing home, however the latest birth announcement I can see in newspapers is on 24 December 1953.

I'm also not sure of the reasons someone may have attended a nursing home to give birth in 1947, I have read that they were becoming more popular post war, so maybe the family were simply part of this trend. Or maybe there was some potential complication. Others more knowledgable about midwifery at this time may have more insight.

[maddys52]

A few mentions here, says it was run by Mrs D PRESTON in 1948.
https://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/topic/beaconsfield-villas

On the 1939 register the matron is Edith CROWTHER.