33 "A Walk Around Luton in 1804"

 If my research is correct (or even nearly) correct, there would be Brown family ancestors living in Luton in the late 1700s/early 1800s.  As noted in this record, there was only a few thousand people in that town on 1804 (though many thousand in around about).  It could be that some/many are related (brothers, parents, children, cousins) or not and it could be that some are connected to Frederick Brown born St Albans).  However Brown is and was a common name. Then again maltsters, brewers and bakers were all closely aligned occupations, I've copied some text that I found interesting as it mentions Brown(s) and occupations.  There are two more mentions of Brown in the text (J Brown involved in Methodist Chapel and Mr Brown. a Steward to Lord Bute).

The full text can be found by following the link (well done the Greg Harrison for putting all the information on line). The link has sketches and maps.

https://www.lutonheritageforum.org/exhibitions/buildings/a-walk-around-luton-in-1804

"In 1804, Luton contained just over 600 houses and slightly over 3000 people... Trade was confined mainly to malting, straw plaiting, straw hat manufacture and agriculture. The buildings were chiefly public houses, farm houses, maltings and old thatched cottages. The few shops had small low windows and the frontages of a few of the more respectable dwellings were paved with pebbles. Other parts were unpaved. Buildings projected far out into the roadway, which was further encroached upon by banks of earth, so that carts could pass each other only with some difficulty. Grass and weeds were much in evidence. The channels along both sides of the roadway were the receptacles of refuse, and planks were placed across these channels, opposite each front door, for the residents to get into the road. Sanitation was unheard of; the drainage and liquid refuse was conveyed down into the river Lea from the surface of the streets.

The directory that follows is taken from an article that appeared in the “Luton Times and Advertiser” in 1883. The origin was unquoted and its author unrecognised. The original text is in italics, to which I’ve attached my comments. The map below is not to scale and its only purpose is to assist with the location of the residents and their properties.

11. Hog Lane

“But keeping along George Street, next to Clark’s, is Stephen Taylor’s carpenter’s shop. Then Henry Cain’s the watchmaker; Thomas Foster, cooper; Mrs. Cain, whitesmith; Madame Barnet’s school; Edward Cain, tailor; Clarke, wood stainer; Olney, butcher; Mr. Richard Brown, maltster; Peregrine Nash, weaver; corner of Hog lane, up which are five cottages and Dame Henson’s school. There are also three cottages on the way to Farley Green”.

This little colony of trades-people speaks eloquently of life at this time. It was unusual to find a woman carrying on the business of a Whitesmith, a metalworker who does finishing work on iron and steel such as filing, lathing, burnishing or polishing, now called a silversmith. Mr Richard Brown’s malting was on the site of “The Old Bell” public house, not to be confused with the Bell Inn on the eastern side of George St (see no.28). Hog Lane would be re-named to Chapel Street in 1814, in consequence of a new Wesleyan chapel being built there. The schools mentioned above were probably Plait schools where young girls and boys would have to produce so many yards of plait as set by the parents. Conditions were deplorable and the rooms densely overcrowded.

17. The Crown Inn

“Then the Crown Inn, kept by Mr. Henry Taylor, who is the carrier to London. Next Mr. William Anstee, draper; Dr. John Chase; John Wesley, shoemaker; John Gardner, tailor; Mr. John Knowles, haberdasher; Mr. Robert Hill, auctioneer; Mr. Daniel Brown, the houses of the two latter being situated on Cross Pond. Mr. Daniel Brown, sen., is a baker and maltster, and next is Samuel Chase, surgeon”.

The Crown was yet another ancient hostelry, dating from the 16th century or before. The building still exists today and after a number of name changes is still The Crown. Cross Pond was the area now known as Park Square. The pond, which was of considerable size, lay at the corner of Church Street. It was enclosed with brick walls, except on the south-west side, which was left open for cattle, and freely used by children in summer for bathing, and for sliding when frozen over in winter.

At the south-east end of this pond stood the “Round House” and fire-engine house. The “Round House” was a lock-up for the temporary accommodation of malefactors pending their removal to Bedford prison. The pond was condemned at the Court Leet in 1836, and was filled up within two days therefrom, and the lock-up and fire-engine house taken down.

18. Park Street

“Then come the Hospital, the Workhouse, known as “the house with the three steps,” Workhouse Yard, the Tythe Barn and Tythe Barn Yard. These may now be said to be fronting Park Street, formerly called Sheep Street or South End. Down this street are Mr. Anthony Sherlock, painter and glazier; Mr. J. Woodward at the Cock; Mr. Richard Haselgrove, builder; Mr. Thomas Mead, grocer; Mr. Daniel Brown, Jnr., flour and pig dealer; Mr. John Wood, butcher; Thomas Battams, basket maker; Robert Whitting, Bland, Coleman, J. Sherlock, Jackson, Flitton, Richard Stone, Bull Inn, Horton, Wright, Glenister, Newman, and Prudden”.

View of Park St

The drawing  shows Park Street as it was in 1821 looking south from Park Square. Going from right to left, we see the workhouse, the Tithe Barn and the Cock inn further down. On the left we see the Cross Pond and the lock-up. As mentioned above, “Hospital” signified a place or building erected out of charity for the reception and support of the poor, aged, sick, and otherwise helpless.

Until 1766, part of a large house in Castle Street called Langleys was used for this purpose. In 1836, after the workhouse was transferred to Dunstable Road, this building was converted to a private dwelling, but later this became “The Brewery Tap“. The Cock Inn was trading till a few years ago but is now closed. The Bull later became “The Black Bull” in the 1940’s and was demolished in 1969 for road widening purposes.

19. Long Pond

“There are three houses in Old Yard. F. Newman lives at the corner of the street, opposite Long Pond. Next to him are three cottages (empty) and three more occupied by Mead, Buckthorpe, and Master Crawley, who sees after Burr’s farm-yard adjoining. Next to which is Mr. Samuel Ainsworth’s house with a cottage, and then a passage called Ainsworth’s passage, up which are three cottages and. a barn. There are three Church charity cottages between Mr. Ainsworth’s shop and The Chequers public-house, kept by Mr. Clarke, next to which lives Cookson, carpenter, and in the yard, Pates. Fronting the street there are four cottages, before the meadow which is in West Hyde hamlet. Carter and Jacob Chad live at the last two. Beyond is the Breache Mill, occupied by Mr. Brown”.

Long Pond was as insanitary as was Cross Pond. This can be guessed from the fact that today’s Lea Road bore the unsavory name of Blackwater Lane for the overflow from the pond ran through its ditches down to the river.

21. Towards St. Ann’s Lane

“Returning to Park Street by Mr. Bunn’s meadow, opposite the Baptist Meeting Burial Ground, live Nehemiah Munn, grave-digger, and pew-opener Dorrington, Whitley, Deamer, the watchman and lamp-lighter. Hunt, Harris, Crawley, and Godfrey, then Dr. Robert Kerby’s, “the Diel House”, Limbury the carrier, and next to him Quick and Pollie Knight. Next to her is Mr. Joseph Brown, and opposite to him is St. Ann’s Lane, down which dwelleth Walker, Brown, and Clark”.

No reference can be traced to Mr. Bunn and it is possible that it was a mistake for Mr. Burr. There remains the need for an explanation to “the Diel House”.