Andy Garth: Posh Wash

When researching local family stuff in the Street Directories of Brighton and Hove, in many of the 19th and early 20th century ones it more often than not also stated an occupation against your name. A regularly occurring profession was ‘laundress’, which it seems was a great way of earning money for predominantly ladies, as it could be easily achieved from their homes and was a popular cottage industry – but nevertheless all done by hand and pretty tough work.

There were also some large laundries set up in the city dating back to the mid 19th century, who started delivering and collecting from hotels and boarding houses and the wealthy within the town. They would be given their own suitcase-size boxes, which would be filled with the dirty stuff and returned washed and sometimes ironed on a regular basis.

This week in my shop window I have three great examples of these boxes, and although I can’t date them precisely they could be from anywhere between the 1930s and 1960s.

The smaller picture has a Gocher’s Laundry case, who started in 1864 and are very much still in business today – although not from Islingword Road.

Filled with the dirty stuff and returned washed and sometimes ironed on a regular basis

The box below it is from The Petersfield Laundry, who were founded in the 1880s and served the west side of town. Apparently in 1911 it was said to have had 100 ironers working from their premises.

The box in the main picture is from The Mayo Laundry in – obviously – Mayo Road Brighton, which is in the Roundhill area of the city and known as “Laundry Hill’ as well, for it had large drying areas laid out around Princes Road on the hill and far enough away from the grime and dirt and dust of the town so that the clean items would not get grubby again.

I have been very brief in my historical descriptions this week as there is far more info available about these laundries, but as usual it’s great to find old local stuff in great condition that also has an appeal for its condition as well as local interest.

Keep bringing the stuff in, the stranger, the better.

Brighton and Hove Stuff, 28 Western Road, Hove, BN3 1AF
Brightonandhovestuff@gmail.com