Deeds of 70 St Georges Road, Brighton (ESX 29408)

By his will of 29 October 1851, Thomas Penny bequeathed seven freehold houses in Grosvenor Place, St Georges Road, for the benefit of his two daughters Georgiana Middleton (d 13 December 1891) and Eliza Lydia Lamacraft (d 8 January 1858), wife of John Lamacraft. He died on 8 February 1853, and his will was proved in PCC on 26 February 1853. On 20 September 1922 the 19 persons entitled to shares in Penny's estate, members of the Middleton, Robey, Lamacraft, Watson, Mann, Vink and Ordish families, sold 70 St George's Road to the occupier William Cox for £450; the conveyance includes a schedule of 17 settlements and other deeds (1).

William Cox, formerly of 89 Freshfield Road, Brighton, died at 9 Woodland Avenue, Hove, on 5 September 1940; his wife Ellen Martha Cox and daughters Olive Mabel Dibben and Gladys Eva Cox, who had proved his will of 30 October 1930 on 13 November 1940, assented to the vesting of his property in themselves on 17 February 1941. As well as 70 St George's Road, Mr Cox had owned 9 Woodland Avenue Hove (sold to Gordon John Costello on 17 July 1959), 89 Freshfield Road (sold to F J Yeomans on on 25 November 1957), 14 Bristol Road and 28 College Gardens (sold to W W Christie on 25 January 1956), Brighton (1).

Gladys Eva Cox, 48, a shorthand typist, married Frank Clifford Henman, 48, a clerk, at West Blatchington on 28 July 1956 (1).

On 6 December 1971 the house was leased for 14 years at £300 for seven years and £400 thereafter to Claude Francis Geary and his wife Lucy Mary Geary, the occupiers, who assigned the lease for £1800 to Vincent Edmond Melfi of 14 Rugby Court, Bristol Gardens, Brighton, on 15 September 1972 (2-3). Mr Melfi died on 1 January 1975 and possession was recovered against his widow at Brighton County Court on 1 December 1976 (1-4).

On 6 January 1978 Ellen Martha Cox of 45 Dale Avenue, Hassocks, Olive Mabel Dibben of 33 Glen Rise, Brighton, and Gladys Eva Henman of 28 Church Mead, Keymer, sold 70 St Georges Road for £9000 to Antony Albert Hayler and Raymond Arthur Sawyer of 72D Church Road, Hove (5).

Documents deposited by Weeks, Legg and Dean, solicitors, 4-5 Pavilion Buildings, Brighton, BN1 1FE, 28 April 1978 (ACC 2244)