Thakerays

I knew we had a fine dining establishment in Tunbridge Wells called Thakerays but today I walked past and realised it got its name from the author of Vanity Fair.
The plaque says he "stayed here".  Internet research of his life makes no mention of Tunbridge Wells other than an entry in Wikipedia which lacks a citiation, saying it was his former home. This is at odds with other biographies which state that his home in 1860 was London where he was trying to become an MP.   This suggests this old building was not his home  - it could have been a hotel or a brothel I suppose. 

You can see more of the building in the extra photo. The building  has been painted white to match the other houses in the road but the close up shows there are red tiles under the paint.