My Legacy...lost

One of my great-grandfathers was Thomas DAWES (1840-1925) whom I call "The Builder" because he built more than 100 houses in Brighton during the first part of the twentieth century. I do this to differentiate him from his predecesors Thomas (1809-1851) "The Bricklayer" and Thomas (1769-1943) "The Labourer."

In his will dated 22 Sep 1924 and probated 21 Apr 1925 Thomas left sixteen of his houses to his children and grandchildren among other things. Here is a transcript of that portion of the will

"I give and devise my freehold houses as follows: (a) No 25 Belton Road and No 66 Beaconsfield Road to the said Walter Dawes in fee simple (b) Nos. 44 and 46 Belton Road and No. 114 Chester Terrace to Ernest Dawes in fee simple (c) No. 92 Chester Terrace to my Grand-Daughter Gladys Dawes of 11 Havelock Road, Brighton in fee simple (d) No. 27 Belton Road and No. 112 Chester Terrace to Minnie Barnes in fee simple (e) Nos. 40 and 48 Belton Road and No. 94 Chester Terrace to Tom Dawes in fee simple (f) Nos. 29 and 31 Belton Road and No. 2 Sandgate Road to Albert Henry Dawes in fee simple (h) No. 20 Lowther Road and No. 16 Dyke Road Drive to the said George Dawes in fee simple"

What is interesting here is he left out some children. His daughter, Bertha Tampkin, died in 1921 but he omitted her widower and his two grandsons Charles and Sydney Tampkin. Also excluded was his daughter, Alice Goldsmith, who had emigrated to New Zealand. He included his daughter, Minnie Barnes, but excluded the others, why?

These terrace houses are worth about £300,000, or more, in today's market making their total value C$1,530,000. If my father only knew!

My grandfather, Tom Dawes, died in 1933 shortly after inheriting the houses. His widow, my grandmother Carrie, had to sell the houses to survive after he died. Unfortunately, that was just before WWII and they weren't worth much. Family lore has it that his half-brother, George, either looked after the sale or bought the houses himself.

The top photo is No. 48 Belton Road, the middle is No. 40 Belton Road and the bottom is No. 94 Chester Terrace.

The BARNES Line "Going Back"

I am going to try something new for my cousins who don't have the DAWES surname.

I will include charts of their ancestors as far back as I've been able to trace them.

Here is the BARNES line going back to Robert BARNES born probably about 1769 in Cambridgeshire, England. He married Charlotte SPENCER on 25 December 1789 in Cheveley, Cambridge.

The Minnie (DAWES) BARNES Line Updated

Minnie DAWES (1874-1945) married William Henry BARNES (1880-1962) and had two children Reginald Thomas Fromant (1905-1983) and Alfred Stanley (1908-2000).



Thanks to cousin Rosina we now have a photo of Minnie and her children



(L-R) Reg, Minnie, Stanley.

See original post dated 13 Aug 2009

The Minnie (DAWES) BARNES Line

Minnie was born in Brighton 18 Sept. 1874 as the fourth in a string of five daughters born to Thomas DAWES and Sarah BOXALL. In 1904 she married William Henry BARNES (1880-1962) and they had two sons, Reginald b. 3 March 1905 and Stanley b. 4 March 1908.

While Stanley married Gwen HEASEMAN (1910-1984) in 1936 they didn't have any children. Reg married Ethel Gladys Emma TILLET (1906-1990 in London on 28 October 1936 and I am in touch with their descendants today.

Minnie died 28 Jan. 1945 and William Henry BARNES re-married to Kitty ACKHURST in 1950.

Reg Barnes wrote a memoir of his early life with many references to the Dawes family which have been placed with the Sussex FHG library in Lewes and the Brighton Museum Local History Room.

The photo below is from the wedding of Alfred Stanley Barnes and Gwen Heaseman. Unfortunately, the labels don't display well. William Henry Barnes is on the left at the back and Reg Barnes is on the right at the back. Obviously, Stanley and Gwen are in front.

Updated 18 October 2009 (see post)