Brightwells Department Store was started in the 19th century by John Rumbelow Brightwell in Southend-on-Sea High Street as a drapery.[1] This became a department store which was incorporated in 1909 as J.R. Brightwell Ltd.[2] Its direct competitors were Keddies, J F Dixons and Thomas Brothers.[3]

Former Brightwells Store in 2012

John Brightwell had been an alderman of the county borough of Southend-on-Sea and twice the Mayor of Southend.[2] The business was sold to Percy & Francis Barnes in 1925.[2][4] A year later John Brightwell died at the age of 78.[5]

The store closed in the late 1970s and the building, which had 12,200 square foot of space over four floors, was purchased for £250,000 by Ketts Electrical in 1979.[6] Ketts Electrical closed in the 1980s after it was purchased by Rumberlows. The Store remained empty in 1980s, however a Gym opened on the 2nd floor. The Store was home to the British Heart Foundation until 2015, when both the Gym and store were vacated to make way for a flats development called the Drapery in reference to Brightwells.[7]

References

  1. ↑ 1874 Post Office Directory of Essex
  2. 1 2 3 "Seax - Browse Catalogue D/DGS B268-286". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  3. ↑ Dee Gordon (2006). Southend Memories. ISBN 9780750953283.
  4. ↑ THE DIRECTORY OF DIRECTORS. 1927. p. 84.
  5. ↑ "Obituary". Justice of the Peace. Vol. 90. 1926. p. 9.
  6. ↑ "Purchases". The Estate Gazette. 251: 1194. 1979.
  7. ↑ "60 new flats above High Street shops - Evening Echo p.5/12/2015". Retrieved 12 September 2015.

51°32′05″N 0°42′49″E / 51.5346°N 0.7137°E / 51.5346; 0.7137


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