Deeds of 20 Bates Road Preston, 1854 - 1914

The land on which Bates Road was laid out was bequeathed by George Harrington of Brighton esq. in his will of 2 December 1854 to his nephew Charles George Taylor and brother-in-law George Philcox Hill as trustees for sale, subject to the life estate of his wife. Harrington died 18 February 1857, the will was proved in PCC 25 Apr 1857, Taylor died 10 September 1869, Hill died 26 Dec 1875 and by his will (proved 18 Jan 1876) appointed his brother Thomas Hill and friend Arthur James Fitzhugh executors. An action was commenced in chancery against the executors and as a result of an order of 29 July 1876 a schedule of the extent of the estate at Harrington's death was prepared (reproduced here) with references to the Preston tithe map and notes of the dates of sale of each piece. Harrington's wife, Lucy Catherine, died 28 Oct 1886 and the court ordered sale of the remaining real estate on 21 Oct 1887. On 24 June 1891 plots of 71a 1r (plan attached) and 72a 3r 31p (Bear Farm) were sold to John George Blaker of Brighton gent for £30,000. On 18 Mar 1899 a small plot N of what was to be called Bates Road (plan attached) was sold by Blaker and The Sussex Property Investment Company of Burgess Hill to George Payne of 12 Florence Road Brighton gent for £720 (1)

On 14 May 1900 plot numbers 16-34 Bates Road with houses in the course of erection (plan attached) were sold to Frederick Percy Taylor of Eastbourne gent for £600. Memoranda of sales of numbers 26, 32 and 30 to Joanna Smith of 12 Blaker Street, Brighton widow, Henry Boneter and David Turner the occupiers, 28 Aug 1900, 20 Nov 1900 and 15 July 1901 are endorsed on the deed (2)

The remaining houses (16-24, 28 and 34) were conveyed to John Osborn Baker of 49 Beaconsfield Villas Preston gent for £2030 on 3 Oct 1901 who sold 16 & 20 to Catharine Nash of 12 Seafield Hove spinster for £680 on 9 Oct. Memoranda of sales of 22 & 24 to James William Connor 15 Oct, of 34 to Horace Henry Stone 16 Oct and of 18 & 28 to Henry William Sanders 21 Oct 1901 by J O B are endorsed on the deed (3,4)

Miss Nash mortgaged her houses to James Towner of D'Aubigny Road Brighton for £400 on 10 Oct 1901 and on 13 Apr 1912 Towner's personal representatives re-conveyed enabling Miss Nash (now of 57 Church Road Hove) to convey both houses to John Gosden of 177 Ditchling Road Brighton commercial traveller for £490 on 15 Apr (5-7). A memorandum of the sale of 16 by Gosden to Ernest James Scarce, 3 Apr 1914, is endorsed on the deed

Documents deposited by Messrs Trethowan, New Street Salisbury per Wiltshire Record Office, 25 January 1982 (A2792)