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The Bakery and associated buildings in the early 1800s. In "The Memories of John Grace" this is recorded as being the scene in 1800, but in fact Grace didn't build the chapel (on the left) until 1822. All of these buildings were demolished in 1892/93 to make way for the new steam bakery. The various properties, from left to right are;

Grace's chapel; built in 1822, disused from 1857 and became a storeroom.
Cottage; formerly a stable and loft.
Bakehouse;
23 Sea Houses; bakers shop (later became 52 Sea Side Road) with accommodation above and behind. Growing up the wall is a pear tree.
24 Sea Houses; grocers / drapers shop, formerly a sea-water bathing facility (later became 53 Sea Side Road).

Much of the information on this page was taken from highly detailed research conducted by Richard Gilbert (1894-1988).

Gilbert's Bakery in Eastbourne stood on the corner where Bourne Street meets Seaside - that is where Seaside Road becomes Seaside. In a nutshell, the bakery business dated back to the 1700s, was run in the early days by Thomas and John Grace (father and son), later by John Row, then from 1855 by David Gilbert (1825-1916), and eventually by his son (also David Gilbert 1861-1902). In 1892/93 the old bakery and all associated buildings were completely demolished and replaced by bigger and modernised bakery premises. After David's early death in 1902 the business was transferred to family relative Gilbert Benjamin Soddy. Business declined in the late 1930s and eventually closed down. Finally the redundant building was damaged beyond repair in 1943 by a German bomb.

Originally called Nos.21 to 24 Sea Houses, it is not possible to establish the exact age of the premises, but G.F.Chambers mentions a date of 1795 for the founding of the bakery business in his book 'Eastbourne Memories'. This is supported by the Land Tax returns for 1795 which show Thomas Grace (1766-1818) as tenant of a property in the Seaside area owned by William Webb, a sea-water baths proprietor. When Webb died, his widow continued to operate the business, which she described as 'wax baths', next door to Grace's bakehouse.
The Graces indeed can be traced back in these returns to 1761, when a John Grace owns a 'Seaside house'. In 1771 it is 'Mrs.Grace', in 1772 a John Grace's name reappears and in 1800 it is Thomas Grace. It seems quite likely, then, that the bakery was founded by Thomas Grace.

The family of Thomas and John Grace

Thomas's son John was born in the rooms above the bakery on 23 January 1800. It was then known as 23 Sea Houses, with Webb's bathing facility being No.24. Eastbourne's earliest rate book, 1802, shows the property (Nos.23 and 24) to have been the 'house, bakehouse and garden' of Thomas Grace. Thereafter, until the death of Thomas's son John in 1865, the premises were owned by the Graces, and the bakery continued there, conducted at first by them and, after 1826, by tenant occupiers. Originally Nos.23 and 24 Sea Houses possessed a front of glazed bricks, all set endwise.

Thomas Grace died in the autumn of 1818, so John Grace became joint owner (with his brother Thomas) of the business at the age of 19. He was released from his apprenticeship at Hanningtons, drapers of Brighton (where he had been since the age of 16) in 1818 and returned to Eastbourne to help his widowed mother Mary, who also died the following April. To add to his responsibilities, he was married to Mary Ades in May 1820, before he was 21. The business in those days still consisted of two parts - No.23 was the bakery department and No.24 (formerly the sea-water baths) was divided into two, with drapery on one side, and grocery and provisions on the other. At the time the premises were recorded as having 3 sitting rooms and 11 beds!

About 1821 John started holding chapel meetings, first at his home and then in the bakehouse for a Calvinistic and Independent congregation. He and his wife were baptised in a pond at Wadhurst in 1822, and he then built a chapel beyond the bakehouse in 1822-23 seating about 100. The former stable between the bakehouse and the chapel was converted into a cottage for the chapel keeper, with one room serving as a vestry.

At the same time he ran a fishing boat, and he soon began to run short of money, borrowing from his uncle William in 1823 with the property as security. But by 1826 he was declared bankrupt. Hanningtons took him on again, as an employee, and the Graces departed for Brighton, fully resolved to return to Eastbourne again - but they never did. In 1827, pressure from creditors resulted in John's committal to jail for debt. # However he was released later that year and resumed working for Hanningtons.

In December 1826 the rate book showed Spencer Weston occupying 'house and bakehouse', 'new buildings' and 'lodging house'. In 1831 his tenancy included 'house, shop and buildings', 'new buildings, shop', 'lodging house, coach house, &c', 'No.24' and 'cottage, Mrs.Johns'. In June of 1831, Spencer Weston gave way to John Row. Row was granted, together with J Pennington Gorringe (Upperton Farm House), Thomas Barnard and Charles William Lewis, a repairing lease of the chapel at a rent of one shilling per annum.

Details of Grace's Chapel and Cavendish Place Chapel.

By 1856 the Independent congregation was strong enough to build their own chapel (in North Street, later renamed Cavendish Place) which was opened in 1857. The Strict Baptists then approached Grace for permission to use the old chapel, but the request was declined and the building remained as a storeroom until demolition in 1892-93. The pulpit of the old chapel was used in the Sunday School room of the new Cavendish Place Chapel as the superintendent's desk until at least 1930.

Business card for the bakery when operated by John Row, around 1845.

So from 1831 John Row was the tenant of both the bakery (No.23 Sea Houses) and the grocers / drapers shop (No.24 Sea Houses). He continued to trade until January 1850, when William Bridger appears as tenant of 'house' and 'bakehouse', while Row is only shown as occupier of 'house', possibly No.24. By July of that year Row's name had disappeared, Bridger was still tenant of 'house and bakehouse' and Thomas Fishenden was a house tenant. Fishenden was also apparently associated with the bakery if one can interpret a confusing entry in October 1850, but by 1853 Fishenden had gone, Jesse Gosling, a grocer, had taken over No.24 (where he continued for many years), and William Bridger remained at the bakery.

By 1855 the bakery at No.23 Sea Houses had been renumbered as 52 Seaside Road, and the grocers shop, No.24, had become 53 Seaside Road. Grace's total ownership now consisted of Nos.52 and 53 Seaside Road, and (round the corner) Nos. 2, 4 and 6 Seaside. In December 1855, recently-married David Gilbert (1825-1916) moved from his apprenticeship at Tickerage Mill, Framfield and "hired the business premises at 52 Seaside Road of Mr. John Grace, and there carried on a baking and confectioner's business". This is confirmed by the rate book for January 1856, which shows John Grace's tenants as D. Gilbert (from 1855) and Jesse Gosling (from 1853), Bridger having departed the previous year.

The family of David (senior) and Charlotte Gilbert

Tickerage Mill, Framfield, where David Gilbert was apprenticed.

According to Ellen Gilbert, daughter of David Gilbert snr (1825-1916) he told her on 25 November 1908 the following details;
"He was about 22 when he was at Tickeridge Mill. Wages rose from 2/- to 8/- per week after about 8 years' service, and he was perfectly satisfied. While there he became acquainted with Mrs. Reed and through hearing of her 'sister Charlotte' came to know Grandma. I gathered that she wrote to Charlotte Hassell and when (I suppose) she favoured his suit, he asked her father's permission to pay his addresses to her, to which he consented and when a shop (empty for 3 months) was heard of in Eastbourne, it was taken and they were married."
"He knew nothing of a baker's business and made some dreadful mistakes. At the end of the first week he was 30 shillings out of pocket and so it went on for some time and he thought he must give up, but Grandma said he must continue for a year, so they remained, and were £0 to the good at the end of that time. During that time Grandma let, and so kept them. He told me of one incident. One day he had made some Coventries and they both wanted to taste them, but felt they could not spare two, so one was divided between them! When he told me this, he turned and said,'YOU have never known anything like that, have you?'"

Business card for the bakery when operated by David Gilbert, around 1870.

The 1861 Census shows David, aged 35, living at the bakery in Seaside Road, Eastbourne with his wife Charlotte (aged 43), daughter Mary (aged 3), son David (aged 1 month), Charlotte Noakes (niece of Charlotte Gilbert, aged 17 bakery employee), Elizabeth Novis? (nurse, aged 67), Mary James (aged 24, servant) and Edwin Barker (aged 24, baker journeyman).
The 1871 Census shows David living at 52 Seaside Road (aged 45, baker and confectioner) with Charlotte, his wife (aged 53), his son David (aged 10, scholar), Charlotte Noakes (niece, aged 27, assistant in shop), Alice Griffiths (aged 26, assistant), Frances Harmer (aged 42, servant) and James Battcock (aged 61, baker).

On 26 April 1880 Nos.52 and 53 Seaside Road, and (round the corner) Nos. 2, 4 and 6 Seaside was put up for auction by Mr Samuel Ridley of The Auction Mart, North Street, Brighton on behalf of the executors of the late Rev John Grace. The auction (in one lot) was held at Diplock's Assembly Rooms, Eastbourne. The particulars are shown as follow;

No.52 Sea Side Road; Old established confectioner's and baker's business with double-fronted shop, bakehouse with two ovens, large warehouses and yards. The accommodation of the dwelling house included; on the top floor - three attics, on the first floor - sitting room, three bedrooms, storeroom and wc, on the ground floor - sitting room kitchen, private entrance and hall. Let to Mr Gilbert at £75 per year.
No.53 Sea Side Road (corner position); Spacious double-fronted grocer's shop with large yard and warehouses at rear. The accommodation of the dwelling house included; on the top floor - two rooms, on the first floor - spacious drawing room, two bedrooms, storeroom and wc, on the ground floor - private entrance from Sea Side. Let to Mr Gosling at £57 per year.
No.2 Sea Side; Convenient shop and dwelling house. Let to Mr Gosling (but partly in the occupation of Mr Coomber) at £16 per year.
No.4 Sea Side; The accommodation included; on the top floor - two attics, on the first floor - two rooms, on the ground floor - shop and kitchen. Let to Mrs Cox at £16 per year.
No.6 Sea Side; The same accommodation as No.4. Let to Mr Coomber (but in the occupation of Mrs Cox) at £16 per year.

From the Eastbourne Chronicle, April 1880;
"SALE OF PROPERTY - On Monday at Diplock's Assembly Room, Terminus Road, Mr S Ridley of Brighton, offered for sale by public competition the Copyhold Property consisting of Nos.52 and 53 Seaside Road and Nos.2, 4 and 6 Seaside. The sale was well attended and after a spirited competition the lot was knocked down to Mr D Gilbert, the tenant of a portion of the property, for £4,010."
However it seems that the transaction was not completed until February 1881.

The location of the Bakery around 1875. From a map by Thomas Letts, 2 Crown Buildings, London.

On 3 June 1880 James Shoesmith (landlord of the property) wrote to Jesse Gosling at No.52 giving him notice to quit by 25 March 1881 at the latest. H R Gilbert has a copy of this letter. This move was probably in connection with the change of ownership that was taking place at the time.

In February 1881 David Gilbert senior completed the acquisition the freehold of the block comprising 52/53 Seaside Road (as 23 and 24 Sea Houses were now known), and 2, 4 and 6 Seaside, from James Sears Shoesmith, surviving trustee of the estate of John Grace, for £4,010. David also borrowed £2,600 as a mortgage against the property from John Gorringe of Beddingham and Joseph Gorringe of Meads, Eastbourne in March 1881. The original mortgage agreement (a vast handwritten document) is held in H R Gilbert's records. The loan was paid off in 1883.

The 1881 Census shows David Gilbert as Head of Household at 51 & 52 Seaside Road, aged 55 (confectioner), with his wife Charlotte aged 63, son David aged 20 (assistant), Charlotte Noakes aged 37 (assistant), along with Anna Osborn (29), Sarah Clark (30), John Read (38), William Simmons (63), Catherine Simmons (60), William Hart (10), mostly servants, labourers etc.

Charlotte Gilbert's niece Charlotte Noakes (born in 1844 and mentioned in all the Census entries above) - commonly referred to as "Lottie" - was the shop girl / assistant for many years at the bakery. She was certainly working there on 27 December 1882, when she and David Gilbert witnessed the will there of Benjamin Soddy (1855-1895), and she was still there in 1906. The executors of the 1906 will of David Gilbert senior (1825-1916) were Gilbert Benjamin Soddy (his grandson), Oliver Mitchell (friend and architect), and Charlotte Noakes. The will mentioned 52/54/56/62/64/68 Ceylon Place, 91/93/95/97/99/101 Pevensey Road, and Ceylon Nurseries (all in Eastbourne) as being properties owned by him. They were to be left under management by his trustees / executors, and all rents to be paid to Charlotte Noakes, niece of his late wife and one of the trustees, until her death when it was to become part of his residual estate. In fact, Charlotte died before David and, in a 1915 codicil to the will, he substituted his friend John Hillman of 14 Mayfield Place, Eastbourne for Charlotte Noakes. This indicates not only that Charlotte Noakes was a highly trusted family friend, but also that she died between 1906 and 1915.

The Bakery (52 Seaside Road) as painted by Eastbourne artist James "Jack" Owen. Jesse Gosling's grocery shop (53 Seaside Road) is on the right, with the Anchor Inn in Seaside across the road on the extreme right. Jack claimed this was the scene in 1884, but he was notorious for painting elements from different ages into the same view. Accuracy was not his speciality - in fact an extra window had been added on the bakery first floor in 1883 and the bricks had been plastered over. However this does give a good impression of the original glazed brickwork, looking rather similar to the Lewes "mathematical tiles".

In 1883 No.52 Seaside Road was modified. A third window was inserted between the other two on the first floor, all were modernised and the whole of the front was plastered (over the original glazed bricks). In addition, the doorway between the shopfront and No.24 was absorbed in the wider shop window.

Meanwhile, David Gilbert senior granted the lease of the bakery to David Gilbert junior (1861-1902) on 6 November 1884. This coincided with the marriage of David junior to Ellen I Morris, while David senior retired and moved (with his wife Charlotte) to 47 Terminus Road, Eastbourne, then called "Herstmonceux Lodge" and which ultimately enjoyed the distinction of being the last residential house in Terminus Road.

47 Terminus Road, Eastbourne, the retirement house of David (senior).

Business card for the bakery when operated by David Gilbert, around 1890. Unusually it is named "51 & 52 Sea Side Road", where 51 probably refers to the living accommodation above and behind the shop. By this time a central window had been added on the first floor and the entire front of the building had been plastered over the bricks. Also the original doorway on the right had been removed so that the shop window could be widened.

Richard Gilbert, son of David Gilbert junior, wrote "...In 1884 my father was married...and the opportunity was taken to insert another window on the first floor, and to replace the doorway on the extreme right of the groundfloor by an extension of the shop window." He also said that all his five brothers and sisters were born in No.52, whereas he (as the youngest) was the only child born in the 'new' bakery constructed in 1892-93.

The family of David (junior) and Ellen Gilbert

This picture (photographer A J Isard, 46 Seaside Road, Eastbourne), probably taken in 1891 or 1892 shows all the buildings that were demolished in the 1892-93 rebuild. Starting from the left the properties are; Gilbert's bakery (52 Seaside Road), Dicker's grocers (53 Seaside Road, centre, still showing the original 'glazed bricks' on the upper floors); round the corner are William Grant greengrocer (2 Seaside), Mrs Gardner tobacconist (4 Seaside), and Robert Moore, hairdresser (6 Seaside - his barber's pole is just visible.).
Some people in the picture can be identified; on the extreme left are 'unknown', then David Gilbert senior and David Gilbert junior. The chap between the shops with a helmet is in fact the postman. On the corner with a walking stick is Crispin, an army pensioner, and the policeman is Harry Plumb. PC Plumb was born in Battle and was in charge of Eastbourne Police Force from 1893 until he retired from ill health in 1900 as Chief Constable of Eastbourne.
There is a wealth of interesting detail in this picture, so I recommend clicking the enlargement button.

Expansion of the business (under David Gilbert junior) as well as of his family, led eventually to a large scale scheme in 1892-3, by which the entire corner of Seaside Road and Seaside was pulled down and rebuilt as a new steam machine bakery. Thus the old Sea Houses, together with all their associated buildings, disappeared and were succeeded by a new block, "Seaside Buildings", consisting 51 and 52 Seaside Road (the new bakery) and No.53 which was a separate shop. Incidentally, during the excavations a smugglers store was discovered, about 8 feet square and 6 feet deep, with stone walls and arched over.

By July 1892 No.51 Seaside was complete (52 and 53 were still under construction) and David Gilbert junior had opened the shop for business, with a bakehouse at the rear, although he and his family had not yet taken up residence there. The Eastbourne Gazette was invited to inspect the premises and they published a favourable report of the visit in their edition of 3 August 1892.

This company letterhead from the mid 1890s shows how the 'new' bakery building (51 and 52 Seaside) looked after its complete rebuild.

The Gazette article says that David Gilbert senior (by now retired) had researched the industry at length, noting down the best points from many leading establishments around the country in order to find the latest and finest processes and items of equipment to be incorporated into the premises, which had been designed by architect Oliver Mitchell and built by James Peerless and his manager Mr Riley. The Gazette noted that the 3-storey bakehouse at the rear of No.51 was made of yellow brick, contrasting with the red brick and terracotta of the front of the building. It consisted of two parts - the bread bakery and the confectionery bakery.

Cleanliness was apparent everwhere, with walls of cream glazed bricks and floors of concrete or stone. This also had the advantage of minimising the ingress of rats or mice. A coke furnace produced steam to heat the two ovens which each held over 200 loaves. The oven doors had peep holes so that cooking progresss could be observed by the staff (who all wore white caps and clothing) without affecting the oven temperature. A two-blade kneading machine was powered by a 6 horse-power Otto gas engine in a separate engine house by means of the usual bands and driving wheels. This was also used to hoist flour bags to the top floor, and to blend the flour mix at a rate of one bag per minute. The yeast came from Dutch distilleries.

This print comes from a paper bag used by the bakery in the 1890s. It's really worth clicking on the enlargement button to see the detail in this picture, particularly of the interior of the building - even a unique view of the rear (at the top).

In the confectionery department there was a very efficient machine for the manufacture of sponge cakes and similar items, installed by Mr W Jago of Brighton. The blender was his own invention. Crossley's supplied the gas engine and Messrs Harding & Hunt built the ovens. The premises had already been inspected by a leading local doctor and the Building Surveyor, who expressed their entire approval and admiration.

Note from page 249 of the account ledger of David Gilbert junior; "Seaside Buildings property 1897; The whole of the above property (including Mr.Soddy's 2 houses) were painted in the Spring of 1897 at a total cost of £51 (see details separate) out of which I paid £36-5-0, i.e. for 51, bakery, 52 (this I specially conceded not to form a precedent, as it is their duty as leaseholders). Nos. 4 & 6 Seaside - two coats of good oil colour." David had six children, five born in the old bakery building and the youngest (Richard, born in 1894) being the only one born in the 'new' bakery - 'Fifty One'.

On the death of David Gilbert junior in 1902 his wife Ellen Isabel Gilbert (1857-1951) and the six children, moved to 15 The Avenue, Eastbourne on 7 January 1903.

15 The Avenue, Eastbourne

Ellen decided not to take over the business herself and, as a temporary measure, David Gilbert senior came out of retirement to run the firm until a permanent solution could be found. In 1903 Gilbert Benjamin Soddy (nephew of David Gilbert junior, and who had been assisting him in the business) bought the goodwill of the firm from Ellen (with £4,200 that he apparently borrowed from his mother, Mary Soddy, nee Gilbert, Ellen's sister in law) and leased the bakery from her.

The interior of Gilbert's bakery shop at 51/52 Seaside, probably sometime around 1900.

Gilbert B Soddy also opened branches at 2 Grove Road, and at 1 Brassey Avenue, Hampden Park. All three shops were still shown in the 1933-34 Eastbourne guide. 51/52 Seaside Road had, by this time, been renumbered to 134 Seaside Road. One of their most popular products around this time was Vi-Brown, "Gilbert's own Brown Bread, nutricious and palatable. The perfect brown loaf". It was selling at 2 1/2 pence per loaf in 1933.

Ellen still owned the freehold of the property, with everything left in trust for the children. The executors were Ellen herself, her brother James Morris (1854-1921), and Oliver Mitchell, architect (Oliver Mitchell had been the architect of the new Bakery. He was born in Uckfield in 1840, was a member of the first Eastbourne Town Council in 1883 and lived at 11 Pevensey Road.) The freehold was eventually transferred to Gilbert Benjamin Soddy.

However the undertaking failed just before the second world war after about 150 years, and the building remained empty for a few years. The final demise of the property was as a result of bomb damage during the very last of the 'hit and run' (or 'tip and run') raids on 6 June 1943. Fourteen Focke Wulf 190 fighter-bombers of unit I/SKG10 attacked the town, as described by one of the pilots Lt. Helmut Wenk;
"As we neared Eastbourne we shifted from our cruising formation (line abreast) into our attack formation - line astern. At the same time we opened to full throttle and flying about 30 feet above the sea. Just before we crossed the coast we climbed to 900 feet and turned in to attack. Plunging down through the flak we released our bombs in a 'turnip lob' shallow dive attack, then got down to low level and curved round to port to escape round the back of Beachy Head and out to sea."

This photo was taken on 6 June 1943 showing damage after the air raid earlier in the day. We are looking along Bourne Street towards the sea with Gilbert's bakery on the left and Seaside in the background. The bomb landed on Caffyn's Garage on the right. The picture (part of a panoramic image that stretched round to the right) was published in the Daily Mail on the 7th and the Eastbourne Chronicle on the 12th.

This picture, with Gilbert's bakery on the right, clearly shows serious damage to the neighbouring buildings on the left after the bombing of June 1943. It wasn't long before all those buildings collapsed.

Eastbourne was used to an approach from the west, so this group of aircraft coming in from the south-east over the fishing station caught everyone by surprise. Eight of them departed via Birling Gap while the remainder attacked the Royal Observer Corps post on Beachy Head before racing for home. Bombs were dropped all over the town, from Princes Park to Meads, and one fell on Caffyns Garage (opposite the Bakery) which had largely been put over to war work. The whole of the eastern portion of the building was destroyed and a considerable fire ensued. The shell of the showroom remained standing. (Caffyns had a small Bren gun position on its roof manned by Canadian soldiers. On 26 August 1942 a Focke Wulf 190 was brought down in a ditch near Lottbridge Drove, and the Canadian Bren-gunner claimed it. The matter could not be proved!) The front of the bakery took some of the force of this explosion and remained unoccupied until demolished in 1948.

Photo taken by Gilbert Benjamin Soddy in September 1944 showing bomb damage to Seaside Buildings. Nos.51 and 52 Seaside (the bakery buildings) are in the center, and No.53 (a separate shop) is on the right. The damaged buildings shown in the previous picture had, by this time collapsed.

Another 1944 photo of 'Seaside Buildings' after the bomb damage. It was all demolished a few years later.

The site at the junction of Bourne Street and Seaside is now occupied by a block of flats, Bourneside Court.

Bourneside Court that now stands on the site of the bakery. Photo by H R Gilbert, January 1991.