There have been a number of wealthy, philanthropic Jews, who, in the last century, contributed greatly to the development of Brighton and Hove, and had a wide impact on the general life of the area in local Government and trade.

Sir Isaac Lyon Goldsmid (1778-1859) was an English financier and the first Jewish baronet. His title, Baron de Palmeira, was bestowed on him in 1848 by the Queen of Portugal.

On 25 March 1830 Goldsmid purchased the Wick Estate comprising 200 acres in Hove and 50 acres in Preston for £60,000.

Goldsmid offered to donate the site where St. John’s church was later to be built. His formal offer was made in a letter dated 20 January 1848 written from St. John’s Lodge in which he stated, “Understanding that the erection of a church near Adelaide Crescent would be likely to be convenient to the inhabitants of the houses there and to those who reside in the neighbourhood, I beg to repeat it, in a more formal shape, an offer I made some time ago.”

St John’s Church was erected in 1852-4. Goldsmid developed Palmeira Square and Adelaide Crescent  and many street names in Hove are a reminder of his generosity.

From the church, turn eastwards in the direction of the town centre and stop in Palmeira Square.

 

The grand designs of Kemptown and Brunswick were conceived to be elegant and appealing to the affluent classes.

Brunswick Town, now simply called Brunswick, was founded by the Rev. Thomas Scutt and designed by Charles Busby following his involvement in the development of Kemptown.

His scheme, largely completed between 1824 and 1830, was for four terraces of first-class housing facing the sea and set around three sides of a long square running inland, with second-class houses running in streets to either side. He chose a name that patrons would have associated with the royal family, intrinsically linking his building scheme with upper-class fashionable life.

Although it started as just Brunswick Square and Brunswick Terrace, the project soon became a town in its own right, with its own Town Hall, chapel, Market Hall, and later, for a while, its own station.

My father had been driving a very high-class lady, who had a summer flat in Brunswick Terrace. She was a middle-aged, very nice looking lady, with a lovely smile and such a pleasant way of speaking to you that it made you feel that the aristocrats were such delightful people: that it was all lies that they looked down their noses at the working-classes and only tolerated them because somebody had to work and keep their properties, or whatever it was they owned, clean and in order.

By the mid-twentieth century most of the large houses of Brunswick Town had been divided into flats, many lacking basic amenities, and the area has become one of the most deprived in the south-east despite the grandeur of the architecture. Hove Council discussed the demolition of the whole area in 1945, a proposal that led to a massive public outcry, and also to the formation of the Regency Society which is dedicated to the preservation of Brighton. The Brunswick area remains a fascinating, contrasting area of magnificent architecture, interesting mews, and small side streets.

Continue to walk East along Brunswick Terrace and turn left into Waterloo Street.

 

The ambitious developments of Brunswick and Kemptown became surrounded by typical two-up two-down terrace designs, so characteristic of many industrial Victorian towns. This housing was built to provide high-density accommodation for the working-class, the plan being to pack as many dwellings into the space as was possible. In some areas of central Brighton and Hanover, these terraces became so dilapidated they were declared slum dwellings and were ultimately demolished.

In 1958, the centre of Brighton changed dramatically. Narrow streets, full of tightly-packed terraces, were demolished as part of a slum clearance scheme. The Churchill Centre was built where these communities once thrived. Whist conditions were not always easy, there was camaraderie between neighbours and a deep-rooted sense of identity and community. Lost to the clearance scheme were Russell Street and Artillery Street, both destroyed.

The houses were strange in Artillery Street, tall, dim and smelly, all slums. My Mum used to get welfare because my Dad didn’t work much. On Mondays it used to be, “Here’s your Father’s suit, go up the pawnshop.” Or, “Take the sheets off the bed, wash them and take them along to uncle’s, get a few bob till the end of the week,” – which I did quite often.

It was scrimp and scrape, and we were always on the move from one slummy house to another. It wasn’t a case of ’phoning up for a removal van, we had to hire a barrow and I used to love piling everything on the barrow and helping to push it through the streets.

We had bugs and had to be fumigated which left a terrible smell that took ages to go. When we came back all these bugs were lying on the floor; I thought they were ladybirds.”

It is a shame really they are not there anymore. Nearly every street I lived in Brighton has gone. Although they were slum areas they were happy areas. You hear lots of people say in those days you could go out and leave your front and back door open, and nobody would go in. If anyone did call in it was to say “Hello.” Or, “Can I help you?” Or, “I’ve got the kettle on!” 

Continue East along the front of the Churchill Square shopping centre and walk down the steps into Cranbourne Street.

 

There were Jewish residents in Brighton from the second half of the 1700’s.

Jew Street itself is named from Brighton’s first synagogue which was probably sited at the southern end, from about 1792, and is said to have also had a school. It was a place where people would gather for gossip, trade and worship, and remained there until around 1800. A sealed arched doorway in the twitten off the street is thought to be linked to this building.

As the community developed, the synagogue moved to Pounes Court (now demolished) off West Street then, in 1823, to Devonshire Place, where it is reported to have held 50 people.

On the corner of Jew Street was a chemist, and Ted’s the greengrocer; Phil West sold winkles and shell fish, and I believe that it is still a shell fish shop today. There was also a Kosher butcher in this area.

Go back to Church Street and turn right. Walk down Church Street and cross over just before you get to Brighton Dome, stopping outside the Black Horse Pub.