6. Other Descendents of James and Hannah Braby

a. John [1799-1881] & Maria Churchman John, a younger brother of James (4), was born in 1799, the second child of James (3) and Hannah, and the first to be born in Lambeth. He married Mary Ann Churchman’s sister, Maria, at Rudgwick, in 1829, coincidentally the same year Mary Ann died, and the same year as her sisters Elizabeth and Caroline married Henry Allberry and Thomas Child.. Thus, the Braby-Churchman connection can be seen to be a strong one. Multiple marriages between siblings of two families were not uncommon, and many involved three or even four couples! It created a bond which cemented business and financial affairs, among a class which was relatively thin on the ground in rural districts.

Children (all baptised Lambeth):Frederick 1830, born LambethAlfred 1832, born LambethFanny 1834, born LambethEmily 1837 born Mottingham, KentAlice 1843 born Mottingham Kent

John’s time in the family partnership of J J & J Braby, or Braby & Sons, has been referred to above. This phase of his working life lasted from 1820, when he was 21, to 1839. He and James (4) then set up in business without their retired father as Braby, Jas & Jno. This second phase lasted until c1850. The Post Office Directory lists the partnership to at least 1848. John is a wheelwright in the baptism entries of all the children.

1841 census, Mottingham, Kent. John and Maria have four children by 1841. The two older boys were at boarding school. Emily was born in Kent, but baptised in Lambeth.

John and Maria were at 23 Duke Street, Lambeth until after the birth of Fanny, but had obtained a house at Mottingham, Eltham, Kent by 1835 (Sun Insurance). John was listed among the gentry there in Pigot’s Directory

in 1840. In 1835, John Braby of Duke St, wheelwright, owned or occupied not only the house in Mottingham, but also 23 Upper Stamford St and 4-5 James St, Vauxhall. In 1841, at Mottingham, John is described as Independent, which usually signifies someone capable of living on his or her own means; perhaps he was not as involved in the wheelwright’s. Mary Luff (a Rudgwick surname) a servant girl of 25 years was living in, which reinforces the connections Maria and John had with Rudgwick. Frederick and Alfred were at a small boarding school, Dumpton Academy in Ramsgate.

Top left, this row of houses (still there today) is 63-91 Stamford Street photographed in 1950, on the south

side of the street. This row was formerly numbered 102-116 Upper Stamford Street. The nearest was a shop from Victorian times. The houses were converted into flats in 1912, and only a few are outwardly as built in 1829. In both photos, the photographer is pointing his camera south-west towards Waterloo.

Top right, this picture from 1937, before demolition in the war, is of 78-106, formerly 8-22 Upper Stamford Street, also built in 1829, opposite the ones in the left hand photo, on the north side of the street.. Both rows had fallen into disrepair by the 20th century. 23 Upper Stamford Street stood just beyond the extreme far end of the right hand row, on the north side of the street on the corner of Coin Street (then Prince’s Street) and is described in the next paragraph as No 108, comments in bold.

Nos. 108–138 (even) (formerly 23–38 Upper Stamford Street) “Of the long terrace Nos. 108–138, erected circa 1829, only Nos. 108–116 now remain [in 1950]. These are plain in detail with four storeys and basement below the parapets. They are in yellow stock brick and of two windows in width. There are gauged flat arches to all the windows; these are recessed and most possess glazing bars. Nos.110, 112, and 116 have original cast-iron balconies linking the first floor windows. Nos. 108 and 114 have parts of their balconies made into first floor window guards. All, excepting No. 108, have round headed entrances with reeded door surrounds. No. 108 has a porch entrance in Coin Street, with a lunette over the doorway which is flanked by wing lights.(English Heritage, Survey of London: Vol 23: Lambeth: South Bank and Vauxhall, Chapter 2, 1951)

23 Upper Stamford Street, now 108 Stamford Street, is today the address of Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre, in the modern block shown on the right, below. The Braby’s house was at this end.

The recent photographs, below, also show the row opposite John Braby’s house, and give some idea of this Georgian street as it was in its heyday. Nos 95–123 are now pairs of houses converted laterally into flats. There is a similar central feature with Corinthian pilasters through the upper two floors supporting an entablature and balustraded parapet. The parapet sets up a little above the skyline of the rest of the terrace, and has vases over the returns and over the end pilasters. Above all the first floor windows are triangular and segmental pediments except at Nos. 95 and 97, which have plain stucco keys and architrave surrounds. A continuous balcony links the terrace at first floor.

By 1842, part of his means was from owning 170 acres, Lynwick and Canfields Farms, Rudgwick (“Linnick & Canvill Lands”, late of James Butcher, deceased, tenanted by his eldest son Philip Butcher), according to the tithe map schedule, 1844. He had gained this property at the expense of some loss of face by the Butchers as James Butcher had died with considerable debts to the Tickner family, farmers of Milford, Surrey and Portchester, Southampton. John’s great grandfather had married a Butcher widow from this family as long ago as 1763. But John and Maria never lived at Linnick. The deeds (WSRO Add Mss 42429, 1842-1895, Deeds of Lynwick Farm and Wellgrove Farm in Rudgwick and Broomhall Farm in Cranleigh, Surrey) recite the change in ownership in detail. The land was sold to John Braby, in trust to Thomas Child (a mortgage from his brother in law). John paid £4200, of which £1000 went directly to the Tickners.

The Times, May 4 1841.

John and Maria may though have spent time at Maybanks, as in May 1841 “Mrs Braby” advertised in The Times for a cook there (though the Churchmans were in residence in the census). Furthermore, “John Braby, of Rudgwick, & 23 U Stamford St” supported the proposed (but never built) Brighton Junction Railway to Horsham & Guildford in 1845 (one interpretation might be that he played up his land ownership in Rudgwick as he hoped the railway would cross his land giving him (and Thomas Child) financial benefit; it was not to be). Maria was at the time the only Mrs Braby that the advert could apply to. In The Manor of Pollingfold Court Book, John Churchman alienates (sells) property in the manor of Gumshall Netley in Ewhurst to “Mr Braby” in 1842, but the part referring to Maybanks house is silent on this matter. It is not possible to be more precise, or to explain what is going on, or indeed which Mr Braby is named, but the evidence points to James as already explained. Further evidence John and Maria were at Maybanks at times is that he attended Vestry meetings in Rudgwick, in 1844 agreeing to write to the secretary of the Camden Society for them to send an architect to make plans and estimates for the improvement of Rudgwick church (with an endowment from Richard Burchatt), also in 1845 and 1847. His brother did not attend until 1855.

By 1851, Philip Butcher had moved on to Cranleigh; his mother however was still at Lynwick, with Alfred and Ann Allberry. Alfred (Rudgwick-born) was farming 290 acres with 10 men and 2 boys, a large operation; Ann Allberry nee Butcher was Philip’s sister. Sarah Butcher died in 1854, the Allberrys moving to farm near Reigate. John Braby evidently looked after the Butcher/Allberry family.

Lynwick was then farmed by Edward Clarke, mentioned in the Vestry minutes 1857, and listed in Melville’s Directory, 1858. In 1859 to 1861 Henry and Emily Baker farmed only 160 acres. They were from Billingshurst. In 1866 (WSRO, Add Mss 6291, 1880), according to the deeds of the sale of a little over an acre of land called Workhouse Lag, part of Linnick Farm, for Rudgwick School in Buck Green, it is revealed that John Braby of Wimblehurst Horsham, Sussex, Esq, still in trust to Thomas Child for life, by an indenture, agreed and declared “in front of two credible witnesses” to grant the land to the use of James Braby, his brother of Maybanks, Ewhurst, Surrey, Esq, and his assigns, during his life, without impeachment of waste (i.e., as tenant for life, not subject to the laws of waste - damage or destruction of the property). All the

land was stated to be still farmed by John King, but he died in 1864, probably the father of William, below. This all makes better sense of the situation pertaining, as James already farmed an extensive acreage in the locality, including Greathouse Farm, nearly adjoining. There is no evidence that John was an active farmer. It was whilst James was tenant that the lag was made available for the new school, for which he took the credit, not John.

From 1866 (Kelly’s Directory) to 1871 William and Emma King from Alfold had 120 acres. By 1874, and to 1888, brothers Jasper, Thomas and William Chalcraft from Chiddingfold had 178 acres. All the above tenants described themselves as farmer in census and directory alike. The acreage fluctuated but 178 acres is very close to the acreage that James Braby sold in 1888 to Charles Anderson Timms for £4500, that is, Linnick and Canfield, or Kanfield Land, 170 acres (of which Canfield 26 acres, Cooks Lane and Cooks Furze otherwise Well Grove 14 acres, and the western portion of Broomhall Farm, Surrey, 10 acres). The house at Ash Gate, on the slopes above Linnick (the field where it stood now in Woodsomes) was also included. There was no house at Cooks, and the farmhouse at Broomhall was excluded. John had died in 1881, so James must have inherited the land, as it is his name that appears in the indenture of 1888.

From 1888 to 1895 the property was renamed first as Linnick House, then Lynwick House, strongly suggesting gentrification. The latter spelling has become current usage, including for Lynwick Street. The new owner was Charles Anderson Timms, a man of independent means with a New Zealand-born wife. He was educated at Cheltenham and Cambridge, commissioned into the army in 1879 and ended his days in Australia. In 1889, Timms mortgaged the same acreage to Edward Cooper of 147, Gloucester Road, London. He offered the property for rent in 1894, with a description of a house that had indeed been gentrified – carriage drive, billiard room, 3 reception and 8 bedrooms, not to mention domestic offices, a coach house and tennis court.

Top, The Times, 4 Aug 1894; Bottom, The Times, 24 Mar 1896.

Lynwick passed to the ownership of John Aungier, an Irish-born stockbroker and Argentine land owner and railway owner, probably in 1896 (Indenture of conveyance on sale, advertisement above) when Timms sold Lynwick, an estate of 157 acres, at auction. Aungier subsequently built up the very large Lynwick Estate of 1042 acres in Rudgwick by serial land acquisition, eventually sold off at his death in 1922.

“Linnick” Farm is at the centre of this 1880 O S map. “Canvill Lands” is the set of buildings west of the bend on “Linnick” Street to the south east. Greathouse Farm, owned later by his brother, James, is east of Lynwick Street (old-maps.co.uk).

Back to John Braby - in 1844 (Alice’s baptism), 1848 (directory) and 1851 (census), he and Maria are found in Lambeth, at 23 Upper Stamford Street, on the corner of Stamford St and Coin St. His house had previously been the home of John Franks, 1830, and Henry Laver, both surgeons (1841 census). A row of Georgian houses still stretch along the length of the north side of what was once Upper Stamford Street, built to house the reputable residents of the newly urbanised South Bank. By 1851, he is a “slate merchant and slater, slate worker employing 30 men”, and in business with his sons, Frederick (not for much longer), and Alfred (the partnership with Alfred was dissolved in 1859). Also living there in 1851 were Fanny, Emily and Alice, their three younger daughters, and two servant girls, interestingly, both from Rudgwick: Rhoda Dinnage, 27, and Maria Butcher, 19.

1851 census, John is now keen to say he is running his company, perhaps because he is living close by. All five children are at home, the boys in the slate business, the girls still at school.

An 1856 Post Office Directory describes his business as “slaters and slate slab works, Bangor Wharf, Belvedere Rd, Lambeth”, close to the businesses of his brothers, James, Charles and Edward, and to his son Frederick, already setting up his own business in the zinc trade (see below). Bangor Wharf was just south of Hungerford Bridge, and was the source of the Welsh slate brought in by ship, later by rail. Bangor may well have been the North Welsh port from which the slate was shipped. In a modern context, it was just north of the London Eye in Jubilee Gardens, the site of a car park for the South Bank, and opposite the Shell Centre. At the same time, John and Maria were still living in Upper Stamford Street. This is about the time he was buying land in Horsham for his new house. It seems likely he had moved from Mottingham soon after Alice’s birth. Alfred continued in the slate business after the partnership with his father was dissolved. In 1861, he and his wife, Mary Jane, née Bayley, were living at Bangor Wharf, also called by then, Slate Wharf. He too employed a Rudgwick girl, Rebecca Peryer, and also a Horsham girl, Ann Streeter, as house servants. Alfred, 1832-1891, Frederick’s slate merchant brother, died at the young age of 59, having fathered several boys. He had no known links with Sussex.

In 1856, John’s eldest son Frederick married Jane Child in Slinfold, a neighbouring village to Rudgwick. She was a daughter of Thomas Child, a successful timber merchant, who had land in both Slinfold and Rudgwick. Thomas Child had, in 1829, married Caroline, yet another daughter of John & Ann Churchman, a sister of Mary Ann & Maria. Moreover, Caroline and Maria had married their respective husbands in Rudgwick in the same year. They and Thomas and John would have known each other and their respective families very well indeed, and had done at least one land transaction together. Frederick’s marriage was to a cousin. He went on to become a wealthy industrialist.

John and Maria gave Holmbush in Slinfold as their address on the marriage of Frederick. John was able to purchase land from Mr Edward Tredcroft of Horsham’s Hewells Manor to build the house called Wimblehurst, near the farm of that name. This must have been after 1856, perhaps partly with money from the Child family. Frederick later wrote, “Mr. John Braby, for a long time a wheelwright at Duke St., Stamford St., and afterwards a slate merchant in Belvedere Rd Lambeth has now retired from business and is residing at Horsham in a large house built by himself upon an estate of which he purchased the freehold from Mr Tredcroft.” Frederick mentioned family gatherings there each Christmas. In the mid 1860s John was church warden of St Mark’s church in Horsham. In the 1861 Horsham census they were at Wimblehurst

The 1861 census entry is the only one in which the Brabys are in Horsham. It makes it clear that John is retired from the business. Unusually, the gardener is living in the servants’ wing. The surviving gardener’s cottage was built later, before 1879 as it appears on the OS map of that date. However, the coachman (see Will below) is ensconced in the lodge - as so often with the Brabys, a Rudgwick man.

House: John 61 retired merchant b. Lambeth, Maria wife 53 b. Ewhurst, Alice 18 daughter unmarried b. Mottingham Kent. Kelly’s P.O. Directory 1867 for Horsham gives: “about a mile out of town, on the London Rd., is Wimblehurst, the residence of John Braby Esq.; it is a handsome mansion, in the pure Italian style of architecture. Has a commanding view, and is surrounded by stately oak trees.” The drawing of 1885 (made when Henry Padwick was in residence) seems to bear this out, but careful comparison with the later aerial photo suggest the ecclesiastical style tower was made more Italianate, perhaps by the Allcards. One must suppose the house was roofed with Braby slate!

Sue Djabri, a Horsham historian, writes, “It was part of the Tredcroft estates and [the farm] was originally known as "Windmill Post" - it was originally owned by the Michells of North Heath and came into the Tredcroft family with the marriage of Mary Michell to Edward Tredcroft in 1735.  Their great-grandson, John Edward Tredcroft (generally known as Edward) borrowed a great deal of money from Henry Padwick, the lawyer and money-lender, and eventually had to put up most of his Sussex estates for sale to redeem his debts.” The sale particulars and a map were published in 1854 (SP384, Horsham Museum), but did not include Wimblehurst, but did include a field across the road called Windmill Post. The site

This pair of illustrations is from The Horsham Society Newsletter, of Wimblehurst was shown asNov 2006, an article by Brian Slyfield, entitled, “Edward Allcard belonging to Robert Henryand his family: generous town benefactors”. Hurst, a major landowner. He also owned the windmill whichgave the name. Frederick’s reference to Tredcroft however is unlikely to be wrong.

Brian Slyfield writes, “the house had an elaborate design and was of a substantial size. It had a grand conservatory and an equally grand ballroom, and boasted a stylish Italianate tower. But surrounded by many trees, it was one of Horsham’s less well known houses”. From examination of the photograph, it looks as though the conservatory is actually front right, behind are glasshouses for cultivation of hothouse specimens such as grape, peach etc. The glass slopes to the house to catch the sun; the cold frames are beyond in what would have been a walled kitchen garden. The assemblage gives also an enclosed pleasure garden in front of the house. The house is self-evidently three-storey, and with the addition of the tower, the views would have been delightful, probably taking in Slinfold as well as Horsham, and St Leonard’s Forest. Near the site of a windmill in past centuries, it was a slightly elevated site too, at

200 ft a.s.l.. The map below also shows a Summer House close to the main house and gardens. The glasshouses referred to above are not shown, but are present on a map of 1898-9.

By 1878 the house had been acquired by Henry Padwick jun. (a photographer and son of a wealthy barrister) who lived there until 1886, when Henry Allcard bought it. Henry Padwick was the son of the Padwick who had forced the sale of the Tredcroft estates! Wimblehurst has long since been demolished, only the lodge remaining on a corner of Wimblehurst Road, and another cottage, and houses built in Allcard Close on the house site, a few nondescript tall trees beyond a hangover from the former gardens.

1:10,560 scale map of Horsham, showing the location of Wimblehurst, between the railway lines, in 1879-80. The house is set in its own grounds, which are roughly square, between Wimblehurst Road and North Heath Lane. The area south of the property is now the site of Novartis pharmaceutical laboratories. Their playing field and car park occupies part of the Wimblehurst grounds, with

(old-maps.co.uk) houses built where the house stood. Inset: 1993.

In 1871, John, aged 71, landowner, with Maria, and the still unmarried Alice are at 32 Gower St., Finsbury. By 1881, John is terminally ill with two nurses and a housekeeper (the latter from Sussex of course). He died there later that year, aged 81; Maria had pre-deceased him (Kensington) in 1877. The date of sale of Wimblehurst in 1878 would seem to tie in with Maria’s death and John’s declining health. It may be that they spent less and less time in Horsham at the end of their lives. John Braby is not listed in the 1878 Post Office Directory for Sussex.. He had owned Wimblehurst for over 20 years. The Horsham connection was not quite over, as his daughter Emily had married widower John Stileman Bostock, a Horsham GP, in 1866, and lived at 9 North Street, Horsham, next to the Hurst Arms (Black Jug), with their two children in the 1881

census. However, she died in 1883. Fanny had married Banstead timber merchant John Wood in 1857. He later became a tool merchant in Islington, then Enfield.

John left a goodly sum in his Will, £90,234. in an early draft Will written in 1865 and kept in Horsham Museum (HM2432/3), he offers fascinating glimpses into both his family and his assets. The Will was drafted by Horsham solicitor John Dendy Sadler, but there is much amendment to the document, some doubtless in John’s own hand. This makes it difficult to be certain of his precise intentions, but that is secondary to the contents, as firstly it is superseded by events (such as Maria pre-deceasing him) which will have made his eventual Will very different, and secondly the contents give a snapshot of his assets in 1865 in the middle of his Wimblehurst residency. The most interesting facts to emerge are firstly that he retained an extensive portfolio of leasehold property in or near Lambeth and secondly that he was very strongly associated with railways, as was his brother James. The development of Waterloo Station and lines to it must have given investment opportunities and/or land sale opportunities, as would have the just completed Horsham to Guildford line through Slinfold and Rudgwick.

I summarise (concentrating on that which is relevant):

John Braby of Wimblehurst, gentleman - a. Appoints Frederick Braby and Alfred Braby, sons, as executors, and later as

trustees.b. Requests to be buried alongside Maria in Horsham cemetery in a plain tomb, if

he/they should die in such locality (which they of course did not, being buried in Norwood Cemetery).

c. To Maria – Part of my household furniture, books, pictures, household effects and

household stock to the value of £500, or the sum of £500. Money in the dwelling house. Residence in Wimbehurst rent free with use of all household furniture etc, and

all horses and carriages for one year from my demise. A legacy of £500, in addition to the above. An annuity of £500, for life, or until marriage.

d. To each domestic servant – If in post for one year, a suit of mourning

e. To Frederick – £9000

f. To Alfred – £9000

g. To son in law John Wood – £1000

h. To Alice – £1000

i. To my brother Henry - £100

j. To my niece Harriet – £100

k. To my servant Benjamin Buck – In esteem and regard for long and faithful service, £50

l. To my servant Jane Randall £20

m. To my Trustees, to pay the annuity to Maria -

All leasehold estates in Upper Stamford St, Duke St and the Commercial Rd being lately part of Lett’s Estate.

[Thomas Lett was a timber merchant, with houses where Lambeth Palace now stands, Stamford Street and Lett's Wharf by the river.]

Leasehold estate in Howley Place, Belvedere Rd, Lambeth and the Police Station, Hunter St, Brunswick Sq, Middlesex, trustees to pay ground rents and other costs, and to receive rents on all leasehold properties.

Stocks and shares and property in East Indian Loan @ 5%, Turkish Loan guaranteed @ 4%, South Eastern Railway (SER) property stocks and shares, London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) property stocks and shares, surplus to residuary and personal estate.

On Maria’s death or marriage, trustees to sell and divide among all my children living or their children at age 21, equally between brothers and sisters.

n. To my Trustees, to give to my daughter Fanny, wife of John Wood – All my leasehold estate in Waterloo Rd, the ‘Waterloo Estate’, formerly

bounded on the west by Waterloo Rd, on the north by Church St, on the east by Cornwall Rd, but a large portion of which was a short time since sold by me to Charing Cross Railway Co (forerunner of SER), trustees to pay ground rents and other costs, and to receive rents on all leasehold properties.

£1150 4 ½ % preference stock in SER now belonging to me (proceeds of sale above?)

For her separate use and benefit free from debts, control or engagement of her present husband or any future husband, and then to such persons as she may direct in her Will, or if not, to her children equally at age 21.

o. To my Trustees, to pay annuities to Fanny, £50, Emily, the wife of John Stileman Bostock, £300, Alice £300 – Tithes, rent charges in lieu of tithes arising from or accruing out of lands sited

in the County of Sussex (other than lands belonging to me). Does this refer to Rudgwick lay Rectory? If so, it suggest that not only James, but also John, were Rectors jointly.

£2300 6% preference stock in LB&SCR. £200 7% preference stock in LB&SCR. £3350 4 ½% preference stock, part of my stocks, shares and land property.

p. To my Trustees, to give to Emily – £2300 6% preference stock in LB&SCR £200 7% preference stock in LB&SCR £3350 4 ½% preference stock in SERThe terms, as for Fanny. The repetition of these numbers, and the apparently separate annuities in (o) is confusing in the text, with much alteration.

q. To my Trustees to give to Alice – £1200 7% preference stock in LB&SCR £1500 4 ½ % preference stock in LB&SCR £3350 4 ½% preference stock in SER

r. To my Trustees – The rest, residue and remainders of my leasehold, personal estate property and

effects to convert into money to pay my debts, funeral expenses etc, legacies, government duties, and otherwise divided among all my children or their children equally.

Dated 13 May 1865 Signed John Braby

Witnessed by

John Dendy Sadler, sol, HorshamJohn Wm Smith, clerk