Last week the Echo revealed how a five-bedroom townhouse in Royal Terrace, Southend is up for sale – and could be yours if you have a spare £1.1 million.

It’s widely known that Caroline, Princess of Wales, once stayed in the yellow-bricked row of plush homes but there’s a lot more to the site – the only Georgian terrace left in Southend – than you know.

It was originally known as the “Grand Terrace” but the road got its Royal prefix in 1804 following a visit to Southend by Princess Caroline of Brunswick – the rather un regal-like wife of the Prince Regent, George IV

It wasn’t until the 1700s that Southend has started to become urbanised thanks to oyster cultivation in the area. As a result of the growing population, wealthy visitors and ‘health tourists’ began to descend on Southend to bathe in the sea and the resort of ‘New Southend’ became fashionable amongst the elite.

In 1791 the Grand Hotel and Terrace was built to provide accommodation for the new wave of visitors. A lavish grand ball marked the opening of the Royal Hotel in 1793 and private gardens, Royal Mews and stables were built.

In 1804, Princess Caroline visited Southend and stayed in numbers 7, 8 and 9 in Grand Terrace, next to the Grand Hotel. This royal patronage led to the terrace being renamed “Royal Terrace” and the Grand became the “Royal Hotel”.

The royal association helped to boost the popularity of Southend, despite some unladylike rumours about what Princess Caroline got up to at the hotel. The princess was famed for her outrageous behaviour and the prince had made no secret of the fact he disliked his wife with a passion and needed to be drunk on brandy in order to embrace her. He even banned her from his own coronation in 1821.

With its elegant iron balconies overlooking the sea, sash windows, stuccoed ground storeys and modillion cornices, Royal Terrace has everything you might expect from a Grade II listed row of buildings- and as such it has attracted a lot of wealthy residents over the years.

Electoral records show that in 1900 Bernard Wiltshire Tolhurst was living at number 20 Royal Terrace. He had been Southend mayor from 1896-1897 and was the son of solicitor, Alfred Tolhurst, who owned nearby Marine Park which opened in 1894.

The same records reveal that Frederick Morley Hill, a member of Southend and Essex county councils as well as the Orsett Board of Guardians (and a well known and well liked Freemason) lived at number 18 Royal Terrace.

The neighbours must have become friends because when Morley Hill died in 1912, aged 65, (just a year after his eldest son) Alfred and Bernard Tolhurst handled the legal affairs for his estate.

At the same time auctioneer Richard Cobb lived at number 9 Royal Terrace for some years. He had offices in Southend and in London. He loved yachting and in 1900 he stood as a local councillor, but only polled 74 votes. He died in 1902 aged just 39.

In 1911, a bank clerk named Arthur Chance was living in number 9 Royal Terrace. He was 55 years old and had been born in Lambeth. He lived there with his wife Mary Ann, 55, daughter Violet, 30 as well as a man named Percy Fox, who was an electrical engineer. Ada Poulton, a servant and cook, aged 27, from Heybridge was also registered as living at the home. She died in 1924 aged just 40.

Walter Butcher, who was the stationmaster at Tilbury Docks from 1891 to 1928 also lived in Royal Terrace at around this time. He had been a member of the St Clement’s Lodge Freemasons in Leigh and died in 1934.

Another tenant of the era was Dr Sydney Bridger. He died aged 60 in 1932. He had come to Southend in 1897 and for many years was a member of the honorary staff at Southend Victoria Hospital, later being appointed consulting surgeon. During the First World War he worked as a surgeon at the Queen Mary Royal Hospital. Dr Bridger was one of the oldest members of the Alexandra Yacht Club, and was a trustee of the Rochford Hundred Golf Club and a strong supporter of the Southend United Football Club.

In October 1926 records show that number 15 Royal Terrace was sold at auction for £5,500 following the death of its owner – Alderman John Rumbelow Brightwell. This was a huge amount.

The average cost for a house at this time in the UK was £600. For 35 years the home had been the residence of Alderman Brightwell, who held the Southend mayoral seat from 1894-1895. He established the big drapery firm of Brightwell Ltd. Like many mayors of his era, Brightwell was also a Justice of the Peace. When he died of heart failure at the age of 77 his obituary paid tribute to his cheerful wit. “He was a very popular man, a cheerful wit. Although a strong Sabbatarian, he admitted that his day never went by without his having a glass of whisky and a cigar.”

Another high profile resident was Sir Thomas Kirkpatrick, the 7th Baronet of Closeburn. He lived at number 6 Royal Terrace for a time and died in 1881.

Not all residents of the terrace were flush with money.

In 1912 John Falconer McQueen, an ophthalmic surgeon of medicine who lived at 12 Royal Terrace was hauled before the insolvency court for having debts of more than £1,000.

McQueen admitted he had come into money worries after trying start a practice in Southend without capital. He had been continually sued for over a year by several debtors. A few years earlier he had inherited £8,000 from his father’s will but the money had all gone.

As well as his Royal Terrace Southend abode, he’d also taken a home in Royal Terrace, Hyde Park and admitted his extravagances had led to his dire situation.

Another unsavoury episode came in 1884 when a death threat was posted to a resident of Royal Terrace.

It was sent to John Page, a local landowner and Justice of the Peace, and seemed to be from a disgruntled local trader.

The letter was printed in the local newspaper and read:

“Mr Page: Royal Terrace, Southend. You will die and be damned for crushing the poor shopkeepers you hoary headed old villain. Look out for yourself when you can cause your coachman to. drive to church.”

A case of slander dragged the terrace into the courts in a bizarre case in 1922.

Victoria Morris, a widow of Royal Terrace was brought to court by Thorpe Bay couple Daisy and Garfield Filby following a row in the Army and Navy pub where Mrs Morris was alleged to have accused the pair of being drunk all day.

They were each awarded £100 in damages.

Southend’s first ever town clerk also lived in Royal Terrace.

William Gregson had been instrumental in helping to build Southend from a lowly fishing village into a bustling town.

In 1866 he was made town clerk with a wage of £40 per year.

He relinquished the role in 1898.

He was the first governor of Southend Boys and Girls School and also became the first freeman of the borough in 1921. He was a keen churchgoer and to celebrate his 70th birthday he gave St Erkenwald ‘s Church (now demolished) its handsome oak pulpit.

He died in 1926 aged 84.