Mighell Street, Brighton

[silicondale]

This is not so much a lookup request as a request for advice. My 2g-grandfather John Henley was a tailor. He married Esther Vine in 1838, and first lived with in-laws at 1 Vine Place (1841 census). He had a shop at 77 St James Street. In 1844 they were at 23 Edwin Place (from son John's birth certificate). In 1848 they were at 22 William Street (from next son Francis Charles birth certificate). in the 1851 census the family were living at 31 Guildford Street. They moved frequently!

From the British Newspaper Archive I found that a John Henley of Mighell Street was awarded a bronze medallion in 1848 by the Royal Humane Society for saving the life of a young man who was struggling out of his depth. I know there was another John Henley in Brighton as I have researched his family too - but he died in 1846. However, there could be more. I have three potential angles to approach this question.  (1) find all 1851 census entries for Mighell Street - is there a John Henley among them? If so, 'ours' is not the lifesaver. (2) check an old Brighton street map to see if Edwin Place is actually part of Mighell Street (both have long since disappeared). (3) find out if there is more information in Royal Humane Society records. But that would need a visit to the London Metropolitan Archives. I was there only yesterday, and cannot justify the train fare for a day trip from Derbyshire just yet. I would welcome any other ideas. Perhaps someone with 1841 census access could check Mighell Street, perhaps? That would be a very helpful start.

[CaroleW]

Mighell Street ran off Carlton Hill & Edward St according to this site

https://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/category/places/placestree/mighell-street

[silicondale]

Many thanks, Carole - I had the same idea, and found Edwin Place. Conveniently near St James's Street but appears to be not very close to Mighell Street.
https://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/places/placestree/eastern-road/eastern-road-4

Looks like I can't post an attachment - the newspaper article. Not that it's crucial.
 

[ShaunJ]

There are 4 John Henleys in Brighton in the 1851 census. Two are aged 6 so we can discount them. One is your tailor. The other is a 37 year old coal carter from Surrey, at 5 Air Street with wife Harriett and two children: George 4 and Annie 1.

[jonw65]

The incident in which John Henley saved John Moon from drowning was in early August 1847.

Mary was a daughter of John and Esther?

Birth
HENLEY, MARY       
Mother's Maiden Surname: VINE 
GRO Reference: 1847  S Quarter in BRIGHTHELMSTON  Volume 07  Page 278

Death
HENLEY, MARY       
Age at Death (in years): 0 
GRO Reference: 1847  S Quarter in BRIGHTHELMSTON  Volume 07  Page 202

Burial, 27 July 1847, Hanover Chapel General Burial Ground, Brighton
Mary Henley
Age 1 month
Corpse brought from Mighell Street

[silicondale]

Thanks, both Shaun and Jon -
I already know about the two John Henley children - unrelated as far as I know, but both became tailors and both eventually emigrated to New Zealand (which caused a lot of confusion in my research!). The coal carter is a new one I wasn't aware of. He is a definite candidate for the life-saver. Air Street isn't particularly close to Mighell Street, though.

Mary is a new child in our John Henley's family, not identified before as she obviously didn't show up in any of the census lists. Her mother was Esther Vine, daughter of William Vine the miller who built Vine Place on Clifton Hill. I thought I had found all the siblings. There was an elder brother William born in 1841, before the census, but died at 10 weeks old, just after the census. One reason that I haven't found baptism records of these children is that John and Esther were members of the Salem Chapel - "Particular Baptists" who practised adult baptism.

"Corpse brought from Mighell Street" clinches it though! Many thanks to you both. It saves me taking another day trip to London - though next time I go to the LMA I will definitely take a look at the Royal Humane Society case notes.

[ShaunJ]

Good sleuthing, jonw65 !

[silicondale]

Postscript .... additional confirmation and an explanation. Mighell Street was the address of John Henley's unmarried aunt Lettice White in the 1851 census and on her 1858 death certificate. With no evidence that John's parents had ever moved to Brighton, her home probably offered some extra space for his growing family to use, and in return they offered some company for an ageing maiden aunt.