History of 28 Westgate

This is a narrow house with a third storey, so the roof line is higher than its neighbours. It is an infill property, built at some time after 1642 in the gap between nos. 26 and 30. Not much else is known about the building at the moment.

According to research by my colleague, Richard Brownfield, residents of this house have been:

in 1851 Charles Wright, a bookseller 

1861 Caroline Gates, who had a financial interest in the property (termed interest of money at the time) 

By 1871 Louise Pierce was the proprietor

1881 Thomas Scrivens was there, a gardener 

Then in 1891: Frederick Vick, a builders clerk 

1901 Harry Harris, coal merchant 

1911 Harry Harris, a jobmaster 

In 1921 Ada Sarah Hewett is recorded there as a Boarding-House Keeper but it is not clear if her business was operating from that house as such  

A more recent documentary history shows that:

In 1965 Bertha and Basil Edwin Copeman lived there, with his brother Frederick James Copeman arriving later.

By 1977 Margaret B Cohen and Margaret R Bailward are resident.

By 1979 it looks like Margaret Cohen has died and Margaret Bailward has taken in Brian and Betty Florence Ainley-Smith as lodgers.

In 2009, Betty Florence dies in the property so perhaps the Ainley-Smiths were the owners and Margaret Bailward the lodger. Or did Margaret Bailward leave Betty her house when she died?

More research is called for!

By Colin Hicks

Site Admin - Westgate street history, Chichester

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