46 
half of the nineteenth century that cost so much in improvements 
and widenings to the latter half and to the twentieth century. A 
picture was shown of North Street when its rateable value was 
#26! For every sovereign it produced then, it yields a thousand 
to-day. 
Dealing with the history of West Street, Mr. Harrison threw 
the weight of his authority in favour of the tradition that Charles IT. 
did stop at the King’s Arms, on the site of the existing building. 
In regard to the official history of Brighton, a picture was 
shown of the first ‘“‘ town house” mentioned in 1558,—the year 
of the acession of Queen Elizabeth. It was built adjoining the 
block house, and was a circular building with a “dungeon” 
underneath. ‘ Dungeon,” by the way, is possibly a picturesque 
term for a cell; one can hardly imagine Brighton with medizval 
dungeons. A picture of the Town Hall of 1727, on the site a 
little to the north-west of the present building, revealed a gabled 
structure, unpretentious, but rather picturesque, with the poor 
house a little to the north. The poor house has had many 
migrations before it crystalised in the huge barracks ‘‘on the 
hill.” Bartholomews seems in these early days to have been 
common land. One wonders how it got into private hands. 
Concerning the name of the town, Mr. Harrison found it as 
“ Brithampton” in early Tudor days. It remained Brighthelm- 
stone to a comparatively late date. In the charter of incorporation 
of 1854, it is described as the “ Parish of Brighton, otherwise 
Brighthelmstone.” The older name, remarkable to relate, is still 
in official use. How many people know of the fact which Mr. 
Harrison learned from the Town Clerk, that to this day in the 
County Voters’ Lists the parish is described as ‘“ Bright- 
helmstone”’ ? 
Among other subjects that Mr. Harrison dealt with was the 
coaching industry. He had a picture of the first ‘‘ coach ” that 
was used in Brighton. This was practically a sedan chair on 
wheels, being pushed and pulled along by men. This elementary 
equipage was contrasted with the present day electric tram. The 
first record of a coach between London and Brighton he had 
found was in 1780. In 1822 there was no less than 68 coaches 
running between London and Brighton, and 1,200 horses were 
employed. The ‘‘Item ” four-horse coach did the journey in the 
respectable time of three hours forty minutes. 
Among the numerous items of curious information was this : 
that the present Church of St. Stephen was at one time the ball 
room of the Castle Hotel. Before being a ball room it was used 
for the Royal Chapel. The Wagner family rescued it from its 
secular use and had it transferred to its present site and re- 
consecrated. 
The lecture also included pictures of the various schemes for 
