In the 1901 and 1911 Censuses Alfred John Seabrook gives his place of birth as Paddington and Edgeware Rd, which coupled with inconsistent years
of birth was, at first sight, concerning; though there is no doubt the census records are for the same family.
Edgware Road is a major road in London which runs for 10 miles in an almost perfect straight line from central to suburban London, beginning at
Marble Arch in the City of Westminster and heading north to Edgware in the London Borough of Barnet. It originated as part of Roman Watling Street.
However, the name "Edgware Road" is also used to refer informally to an area of London immediately to the north of Marble Arch.
The birth locations and the newspaper cutting referring to the fire in 1856 on the premises of Mr John Seabrook, smith and ironmonger, in "Bell-street,
Edgeware-road, Paddington" provides evidence for a link, as yet unproven.
GREAT DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY BY FIRES
The
firemen
were
engaged
nearly
the
whole
of
Saturday
and
yesterday
morning
in
attending
fires
which had occurred in different parts of the metropolitan district.
One
fire
happened
in
the
premises
belonging
to
Mr.
J.
Simons,
general
merchant,
Regent-street,
Mile-end.
The
firemen,
by
dint
of
great
perseverance,
at
length
succeeded
in
getting
the
flames
subdued,
but
not
until
the
whole
of
Mr.
Simons'
premises,
the
stock
in
trade,
furniture,
and
wearing
apparel,
were
entirely
destroyed;
and
the
furniture
of
Mr.
Finlay,
next
door,
considerably
damaged
by removal and water.
Another
fire
took
place
in
the
extensive
range
of
premises
of
Mr.
J.
J.
Knowles,
a
working
cutler,
Bell-street,
Edgware-road,
Paddington.
In
spite
of
the
exertions
of
all
present
the
work
of
devastation
continued,
and
in
the
course
of
a
few
minutes
the
whole
of
the
shop
and
the
valuable
stock
were
on
fire.
The
flames
then
seized
upon
the
houses
of
Mr.
Pool,
furniture
broker,
and
Mr.
John
Seabrook
,
smith
and
ironmonger.
The
whole
of
the
costly
stock
in
trade
in
the
front
shop
and
warehouse
is
totally
destroyed,
and
the
rest
of
the
house
extensively
damaged
by
fire
and
water.
The
premises
of
Mr.
Wm.
Pool
and
Mr.
Seabrook
,
on
either
side,
are
also
severely
damaged
by
fire, water, &c.
A
third
fire
took
place
in
the
extensive
range
of
premises
belonging
to
Mr.
J.
Matthews,
cutler
and
saw
mill
proprietor,
whose
property
covers
an
immense
area
of
ground
in
Cubitt's-court,
Golden-
lane,
Barbican.
The
premises
were
sublet
to
various
persons,
including
timber
cutters,
scaleboard
manufacturers,
glass
grinders,
and
other
trades.
That
of
Mr.
Matthews
was
situate
on
the
ground
floor,
and
when
the
fire
was
first
perceived
it
was
raging
in
one
of
the
pits
amongst
the
machinery
and
fittings.
The
firemen
were
enabled
eventually
to
extinguish
the
conflagration,
but
not
until
that
part
of
the
premises
in
which
it
had
commenced
was
burned
out,
and
the
machinery,
together
with
the fittings and contents, partially destroyed by fire, &c.
Other
fires
also
took
place
in
Webber-street,
Lambeth;
in
Upper
Kennington-lane;
and
Beauchamp-
street, Loather lane, but the damage done at the three buildings was not very extensive.
London Evening Standard 16 June 1856
