Residences

compiled by John Grimshaw 
 

 

One of the things that struck me on reading Kenneth Eastaugh’s book Havergal Brian: The Making of a Composer back in the seventies, when I was first getting into Brian, was the way that every few pages Brian seemed to be changing address, living in more properties than one could have thought possible, even in such a long life. Recently, with the intent of perhaps going to look at some of these, I set about making a concise list for my own use, generally plundering Eastaugh for information, but also making use of a few pointers in Nettel’s Havergal Brian - The Man and his Music.

The resulting list is fascinating, showing Brian to have been regularly on the move until the second world war, when things began to slow down. There are over thirty addresses on the list, although these represent a much lower number of areas in which Brian lived, since some are quite close together. I doubt that many people have in their lifetime lived in six different flats in the same block, as Brian did, first in 1914-5 and then again in the late 1920s.
29 Jan 1876 - ? 35 Ricardo Street, Dresden Birthplace. The Brians were still here for the birth of Martha on 11/8/1877. Demolished early 70s due to land subsidence
? - 1880 Lansdowne Street, Dresden At least 26/3/1879 - 16/12/1879, the lifetime of HB's brother James who was born and died there
1880 - c.1887 47 Ricardo Street, Dresden Moved here 'soon after' death of James. Demolished early 70s due to land subsidence
c. 1887 - ? 12 Alberta Street, Florence Moved here five and half years after HB's 5th birthday
Before Apr 1899 - 1900 39 Dunrobin Street, Longton Brian was living here with his parents when he married on 3/4/1899 and lived here for 'almost a year'
Early 1900 - Summer 1910 11 Gordon Street, Hartshill, Stoke-upon-Trent Renamed Dominic Street in 1954
Summer 1910 - Spring 1911 ? Earl's Street, Trentham Larger than 11 Gordon Street
Spring 1911 - Early 1913 9 Leyfield Road, Trentham Moved as Earl's Street prone to flooding from nearby canal. Move from here was because the landlord had sold the house
Early 1913 - Autumn 1913 Ivy Bank, 50 James Street
Dec 1913 - 13 Jan 1914 8 Lidlington Place, Euston Brian went to London 8/12/13. This was a boarding house recommended by a porter at Euston 15/- per week, plus food
13 Jan 1914 - Early Feb 1914 63 Stockwell Park Road, Brixton 15/- per week
Early Feb 1914 - 28 Feb 1914 13 Wykeham Mansions, Rosendale Road, West Dulwich Basement Flat, 17/6d per week. Not to HB's liking
28 Feb 1914 - Aug 1914 14 Wykeham Mansions, Rosendale Road, West Dulwich Top flat, £1 per week
Aug 1914 - Feb 1915 12a Wykeham Mansions, Rosendale Road, West Dulwich Smaller cheaper flat for Hilda and Olga as HB had joined up and was encamped at Finsbury, although he spent more nights here than in camp until he was posted further out of London on 12 Dec to Mount Felix, a large house at Walton-on-Thames
Feb 1915 - 62 Rosendale Road, West Dulwich Cheaper
Jun 1915 - Aug 1915 17 Wykeham Mansions, Rosendale Road, West Dulwich
Aug 1915 - Jan 1916 7 Raisbeck Mansions, West Dulwich Overlooking Dulwich common
Jan 1916 - 15 Mar 1916 15 Ellsesmere Road, Alum Rock, Birmingham Hilda continued to live at Purley, where she had taken a job as a companion to a wealthy lady, until 5 Feb 1916
15 Mar 1916 - 7 May 1918 97 Edwards Road, Erdington
7 May 1918 - Sep 1918 27 Beaufort Road, Edgbaston Rooms. According to Eastlaugh, Brian leaves Hilda for an affair with a 'Miss A' whose verses he also set. It lasts five months while Hilda remained at Edwards Road. He rejoined her in Sep 1918
Sep 1918 - Early May 1919 97 Edwards Road, Erdington
Early May 1919 - Late May/Early Jun 1919 Two hotels, London Neither specified in Eastaugh. Less than 3 weeks in total
Late May/Early Jun 1919 - 2nd week of Jun 1919 or earlier ? Hotel, Eastborne Recommended by porter at station
2nd week of Jun 1919 - ? 8 St Annes's Crescent, Lewes Flat
? - Oct 1920 Ernscote, Prince Edward's Roaad, Lewes Eastaugh p.239
Oct 1920 - Late Summer 1922 14a Marine Square, Brighton Holbrooke moved in two floors above on 27 Jun 1921
Late Summer 1922 - Jun 1927 130 Hillside, Moulsecoomb, Sussex
Jun 1927 - c. 1929 16 Wykeham Mansions, Rosendale Road, West Dulwich
c. 1929 - 23 Nov 1934 1 Jasper Road, Upper Norwood Reason for leaving was part of ceiling falling on Michael. Brian had lived here for five years
23 Nov 1934 - Feb 1937 10a Lunham Road, Upper Norwood
Feb 1937 - Oct 1940 Ravens Field or Ravensfield, 35 South Croxted Road, South Dulwich
Oct 1940 - Nov 1958 25 Southway, North Harrow Smaller, but further from bombing. Lease ended 1958, necessitating move
Nov 1958 - Jan 1968 1 The Marlinspike, Shoreham-by-Sea Bought for HB by Elfreda & George
Jan 1968 - 28 Nov 1972 Atlantic Court, Shoreham-by-Sea Rented, Elfreda & George had returned to UK and needed bungalow

NL128

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