Road off of Lower Green West by the side of the National School, which led to Prussia Place and Nursery Cottages. In 2022 it is a short access road. The houses were demolished as part of a slum clearance scheme, announced in 1962.
Photo taken 5th January 2023
Eric Montague in his book Mitcham Histories : 5 Lower Green West, page 117, says the the Jubilee Cottages were erected in Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee year, 1887.
Occupants from street directories
1896
from National Schools, Lower green
SOUTH SIDE
George BENTLEY, beer retailer
2, Mrs FRY
3, James BOYCE, builder
ALPHA TERRACE:
1, James BASSETT
2, James Herbert BRETT
3, Joseph COWLEY
4, Edward THOMPSON
JUBILEE COTTAGES:
William CHAMPION, plumber
Mrs M. CHILES
NORTH SIDE
Meggeson & Co., jujube manufacturers
In the 1898 street directory, all occupants the same except Charles MURCH instead of Mrs M. CHILES.
1904-1905
SOUTH SIDE
William LEACH, beer retailer
2, Mrs FRY
3, James BOYCE, builder
ALPHA TERRACE:
1, James BASSETT
2, James Herbert BRETT
3, William FRANKLIN
4, Edward THOMPSON
JUBILEE COTTAGES:
Charles Frederick PULLEN
NORTH SIDE
Meggeson & Co. Limited, jujube manufacturers
1912
SOUTH SIDE
1, James BOXALL, beer retailer
Hope & Carrol, motors, Mitcham Garage
George SCHENCK, art pottery manufacturer
1925
EAST SIDE
1, Thomas ROSE
2, Miss FRY
3, Percy Arthur NICHOLAS
ALPHA TERRACE:
1, James BASSETT
2, James Herbert BRETT
3, William FRANKLIN
4, Edward THOMPSON
JUBILEE COTTAGES:
1, Harry SPALDING
2, William Morgan DAVIS
WEST SIDE
Porto Motor Co. motor engineers
World War 1 Connections
Corporal William Herbert Brett DCM
News Articles
6th June 1932 from the Mitcham News & Mercury:
Mr Ernest BURNELL, 52, of Prussia Place, Nursery Road, found hanging.
Auction from Wimbledon News – Saturday 02 May 1914
LOWER MITCHAM.
—Five minutes from the Railway Station, the electric tram’ to Croydon and Tooting and the motor ‘buses to London, and within a few yards of the beautiful old cricket green.
A SOUND FREEHOLD INVESTMENT of £68 . 0 . 0.
BLAKE, SON AND WILLIAMS Have been inetructed to Sell by Auction at the Greyhound Hotel. Croydon. on Thursday, 14th May, at Six o’clock precisely, THREE FREEHOLD HOUSES, known as Nos. 1, 2 end 3, Nursery-road. Mitcham, adjoining the old national schools, let upon weekly tenancies, landlord paying rates and taxes. Good accommodation and large gardens. May be viewed by permission of the tenants. Particulars and conditions of sale of the Solicitors, Messrs. Edridge, Son and Marten, 4, High-street, Croydon, and of the Auctioneers, 45, High-street, Croydon.
Maps are reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.
Mitcham History Notes 
Dear Wade Brice,
My name is Ben Angwin and I am a PhD researcher in art and design history at Kingston University, London. I am contacting you in the hope you might be able to assist me with some ongoing research I am pursuing about Mitcham. As part of my studies, I am curious to find out some details about a former Mitcham resident named George Schenck (c.1832-1919). Schenck was the local potter, and his home/workshop/studio was at No. 1 Nursery Road, Mitcham. A Post Office Trades Directory lists Schenck as a manufacturer of ‘art pottery’, as does another commercial directory from 1911 (seen on your website: https://mitchamhistorynotes.com/2016/09/16/1911-commercial-directory/).
I recently wrote to the Merton Historical Society who recommended I contact you. Please, do you know anything about George Schenck and might you know of any persons/collections which hold examples of his pottery? Apparently, his pottery was mostly unglazed and included things such as flowerpots and similar domestic pieces. It also appears that in 1914 Schenck expanded his business and took on additional premises at 56 High Street, Bloomsbury, London (but presumably this was impacted by WW1)? Again, not much is known.
The research that I currently have is all rather piecemeal, and I am hoping that knowledge local historians like you and the MHS may be able to shed some more light on this fascinating yet elusive local character.
I also welcome any suggestions for historical resources.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Kindest regards,
Ben Angwin
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Hi Ben,
Thanks for getting in touch.
I did a search in my Google Drive and only found references in the directories you mention, and a newspaper article from 1938 for a Miss Schenck competing with the Mitcham Women’s Athletic Club in 1938.
Perhaps a descendant of George? I can only suggest you do family tree research to see if any living descendants have any examples of pottery.
regards,
Wade
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