Latest Brentford & Chiswick Local History Journal Published
Articles include a look at 40 years of the Tabard Theatre and Brentford's gasworks
Detail from the front cover of journal number 34 showing the Tabard pub on the left. Picture: BCLHS
September 1, 2025
The Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society has released Journal 34, now available for purchase at £10 plus postage and packing via the society's web sitel.
Entirely compiled and managed by volunteers, the journal continues to showcase the Society’s commitment to preserving and sharing the rich heritage of West London through carefully researched and engaging articles.
This edition opens with a piece by Wesley Henderson-Roe, commissioned to mark the 40th anniversary of the Tabard Theatre in Bedford Park. Drawing on his own theatrical career and previous award-winning contributions to the journal, Henderson-Roe offers a vivid account of the venue’s history and cultural significance.
Steph Hagan contributes a distinctive exploration of the women associated with Boston Manor from the 17th to the 20th centuries. Her research, rooted in the Lottery-funded restoration of the mansion, brings to light lesser-known stories that deepen our understanding of the estate’s social fabric.
James Wisdom and Val Bott revisit a remarkable discovery made in Chiswick’s Local Studies Library: a glass negative depicting Turnham Green, dated 1863. Their analysis reconstructs the scene and proposes a likely identity for the photographer, offering a rare visual insight into mid-Victorian Chiswick.
Sarah Barber’s article traces the global legacy of the Hawley family of Brentford, whose success in the local market laid the foundation for far-reaching influence. Her detective work reveals surprising international connections and the enduring impact of this local dynasty.
John Dent, writing from Australia, investigates the life of Thomas Neill of Arlington House, Turnham Green. His research uncovers Neill’s personal and business ties, including links to Alexander Copland of Gunnersbury, shedding light on 19th-century networks of commerce and migration.
Finally, David Shailes examines the history of Brentford’s vast gasworks, a defining feature of the town’s economy and landscape throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. His article charts the rise, operation, and eventual decline of this industrial powerhouse.
Many of the contributors are Society members, while others were drawn in through their research in Hounslow’s Local Studies & Archives Department or through requests for help via the Society’s website.
Membership of the Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society ensures that you receive details of the Society’s programme of talks and outings and entitles you to a copy of the annual Journal. From time to time there are opportunities to join a small research group or assist with a local history project.
Meetings, usually on the third Monday of the month, take place at Chiswick Memorial Club, Bourne Place, off Dukes Avenue opposite Chiswick Library. The membership year runs from January to December and the annual subscription costs £15 or £20 for two people at the same address .
If you wish to join, either come along to one of the meetings, or print off, complete and send the membership form with your details and cheque for payment, or if you wish to use your credit or debit card through PayPal, click here but also send an email to membership@brentfordandchiswicklhs.org.uk giving your name, address, phone number, and confirmation that the society may contact you by email in the future.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |