40-42, Western Road, Brighton

Image: © Simon Carey Taken: 25 Mar 2016

Number 40 is the two storey building on the left and is probably most famous for being the birthplace of inventor Magnus Volk in 1851, son go a German immigrant watchmaker of the same name. The Volk family resided and ran their business here for seventeen years before moving to another premises in Preston where the father passed away in 1869. The younger Volk’s legacy is the electric railway that still runs along the sea front. After the departure of the folks the shop had a large turnover of trades until 1917 when it became a ladies wear store, something it would remain until the mid 1980s. More businesses made a fleeting appearance until 1999 when Phones 4U moved in and stayed until they went into administration in 2014 and replaced by independent mobile phone dealers. Numbers 41 and 42 were merged in the mid 1970s with the former, the three storey building, home to a number of long running businesses from 1845 ; a grocers for 23 years, costumiers for 34, milliner for 26. In 1931 it became a shoe shop for the next 45 years under the Dr Scholl brand, this was continued in 1977 by Peter Lord, a chain operated by Clarks shoes whose name replaced it in the early 1990s. Clarks themselves moved into the newly refurbished Churchill Square in 1998 and were replaced by two factory outlets; The Works followed by the current incumbents, The Card Factory. Number 42 on the right also saw a large turnover of businesses throughout the 19th century until 1898 when a men’s outfitters, Horton Stephens Ltd took over. They would stay until 1960 and would be replaced by another, Cobley’s who also had a store in North Street, see Image When they vacated the premises it was merged with number 41. 40 1845-1846 - WATCH & CLOCK MAKER (Benjamin Steadman) 1848 - TAILOR (William Cowdray) 1850-1867 - WATCH & CLOCK MAKER (Magnus Volk) 1868-1871 - FANCY DRAPER (GH Snashall) 1873-1877 - TOBACCONIST (T Newton) 1879-1880 - MILLINER (Mrs Cosby) 1883-1887 - TEA DEALER (Lewarren & Co) 1888 - FRUITERER (G Kelley) 1907 - TOBACCONIST (Salmon & Gluckstein) 1910-1913 - IRONMONGERS (Cooper & Co) 1914-1916 - ANTIQUES (E Cohen) 1917-1985 - LADIESWEAR (Madame Lenze 1917-54, Bright Shops Ltd 1956-58, Ann Richard 1960-70, Squires 1971-82, Stefanel Ltd 1983-85) 1986 - SHOE SHOP (Tube Ltd) 1988 - JEWELLERY (Flashtrash Ltd) 1989 - PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSORS (Photo Shop PLC) 1990-1996 - SPORTS SHOP (Cobra) 1999-2016 - MOBILE PHONES (Phones 4U 1999-2014, Phones Xtra 2015, Mobile Xtra 2015-16) 41 1845-1868 - GROCERS (Wymark & Co) 1869-1903 - COSTUMIERS (Lucie Arnott) 1904-1930 - MILLINER (Madame Maguerite) 1931-1998 - SHOE SHOP (Dr Scholl's Foot Comfort Service 1931-76, Peter Lord 1977-91, Clarks 1993-98) 1999-2009 - BOOK SHOP (The Works) 2010-2016 - STATIONERY (The Card Factory) 42 1852-1854 - GROCER (George Wymark) 1856-1862 - UPHOLSTERER & BEDDING WAREHOUSE (Francis Mott) 1864 - DRAPER & HOSIER (H Holman) 1865-1871 - LACE WAREHOUSE (Henry Edwards) 1873-1883 - HAT, BONNET, FEATHER & FLOWER MANUFACTURER (JH Snashall) 1884-1886 - BOOTMAKER (A Bowman) 1887-1889 - JEWELLERS (Felton & Co) 1890-1894 - TOY DEALERS (E & SJ Hardman) 1895 - WATCHMAKER (Alexander Wixley) 1896-1897 - MILLINER (Madame Riviere 1896, Mary Yorke 1897) 1898-1976 - OUTFITTERS (Horton Stephens Ltd 1898-1960, Cobley’s 1962-76)

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