Brighton and Beyond

A History of the Cowley Family

Early in my family history research I discovered that my  great, great grandfather, Francis Cowley (b abt 1806), was a baker in Brighton.  In the 1841 and 1851 censuses he was trading at 9, Prince Albert Street.  Paul Jordan at Brighton History Centre has also found a listing in an 1845 Brighton street directory with this same address.  In the same directory a ‘Sarah Streeter’ was listed as a ‘bread & biscuit maker' at 9 Pool Lane (later Pool Valley).

The first record that I have found of Francis running a bakery business at 9, Pool Valley is an advertisement (see left) in Melville’s Directory and Gazetteer of Sussex, 1858.  This also confirms that the business was formerly run by ‘Streeter & Son’. One of the booklets below shows that the bakery was founded in 1794, I assume by the Streeter family.  Francis Cowley is listed at 9/10 Pool Valley in the 1861, 1871 and 1881 censuses.  The business was evidently thriving as in 1861 and 1871 Francis was employing some 26 people. Francis Cowley died in 1881 and left estate valued at £4350 2s 9d - around £210,000 at 2011 value.

By 1881 Francis’s daughter, Caroline, was working in the bakery and in the 1891, 1901, and 1911 censuses, following the death of her father, she is listed as ‘head’ of the household and has taken over the business.  Her fortunes may not have been as great as her father’s as, when she died in 1934, her estate was valued at just £182 12s 11d.

The pictures below provide a fascinating pictorial history of “Ye Olde Bunn Shoppe” during the course of the last 100 years.  The first five photographs and the images of the Cowley ‘booklet’ are from the collections at The Royal Pavilion and Museums, Brighton & Hove and are reproduced here with their kind permission.   

Click on the images to enlarge them

Douglas d’Enno found this card for sale on an internet auction site.  I bought it for the princely sum of 75p! The card is postmarked 5 July 1956 and was sent to an address in Forest Hill, London.

The final sentence reads, rather strangely - “This picture is not to be confused with the Labour Exchange”.

This detail is from an article published in the Brighton newspaper, ‘The Argus’, and shows the sad state of the building despite it being listed as Grade II* by English Heritage for its architectural and historical importance.  Click on the image to read the full article.  (This is split in to 3 parts to aid display and reading.)

This photograph was taken during my visit to Brighton in 2012 and thankfully shows the ‘Bunn Shoppe’ in course of restoration to its former glory.  The brick tiles had yet to be replaced.  

The building has now been re-let for commercial use.

© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

I found this watercolour very recently on the V&A Images web site.  It was painted by Charles Knight (1901-1990), in 1940.  

Click on the link above to read the full details from the V&A web site.  

The Royal Warrant

Several of the photographs of 9/10, Pool Valley show a Royal Crest above the Cowley name.  

The Royal Warrant Holders   

Association has confirmed that Miss Caroline Cowley held a Royal Warrant of Appointment from HM King Edward VII.  It is thought that the Warrant dates from 1908 as Caroline joined the Association on 10th October of that year.  According to the 1912 Register, the ‘Board of Green Cloth’ (supervising Warrants) gave Caroline permission to continue using the Royal Arms after the death of King Edward VII in 1910.  It is not clear why this dispensation was granted.  Caroline eventually resigned her membership on 5th October 1921 when the dispensation came to an end.

From the Melville’s Directory advertisement above it would seem possible that Francis Cowley may also have held a Royal Warrant but this will need further research to confirm.

Booklets

Click on the link to read the full story and enjoy the rest of Kristen’s blog.