Born at 55 Buckingham Road in the summer of 1852, Frederick Ernest Sawyer is now an almost forgotten Brighton resident; but during his life he contributed numerous articles about the history and folklore of Brighton and Sussex.

Fred was the son of George Sawyer who, according to the 1851 census, was a Timber Merchant and had a yard in Upper North Street. At the 1871 census, George was still a Timber Merchant and employed 10 men. Fred had 3 brothers, Walter, Frank, who became a Professor of Music in Leipzig, and Charles, who died in 1884 at the age of 21. Fred was educated at the Brighton Grammar School, which was then located in Buckingham Road before being moved to the Dyke Road/Old Shoreham Road site. On leaving he was articled with the firm of Brighton solicitors, Messers David Black, Freeman, and Freeman Gell, where he remained (for some time as managing clerk) until 1888, when he started a practice of his own in Ship Street.
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