Yearly Archives: 2015

Smith’s Buildings

Leave a reply

A terrace of 30 houses between Lavender Walk and the Beehive pub. The houses were numbered sequentially, from 1 to 15 on the west side and from 16 to 30 on the east side. Demolished in 1936.

According to the 1910 Ownership Electors, numbers 1 to 15 were owned by Edward Smith of Muswell Hill, London, and numbers 16 to 30 by Richard Christopher Smith of Newlands, Manor Road, West Worthing.

In the 1927 electoral register the houses are still numbered 1 to 30 but in the next year’s register, i.e. for 1928, the houses have been renumbered from 85 to 143 as all odd numbers, replacing 1 to 30 consecutive.

Referred to in 1934 Health Report as a Clearance Area under the 1930 Housing Act:

CLEARANCE AREA No. 8. A row of back-to-back cottages known as 85 – 143 (odd numbers) Smiths Buildings, Commonside East. An objection having been made to this Order a local inquiry was held on April 24, 1934. The Order was confirmed.

Source: Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Mitcham, Wellcome Trust (PDF), page 33

1910 OS map

1934 aerial views from Historic England

c. 1935 clip from Merton Memories photo reference Mit_Work_Industry_43-1

Occupants from the 1925 street directory:

West Side

Number Title Forenames Surname
1 Mrs Brown
2 Mr Harry Purkiss
3 Mr William Bowling
4 Mrs Gilbert
5 Mr John Bowling
6 Mr Frederick Wallace
7 Mr Arthur Blake
8 Mr Albert George Beadle
9 Mr Frederick Chas Harrison
10 Mr John Sparrowhawke
11 Mrs Tegg
12 Mr James Smith
13 Mr Charles Henry Wilkes
14 Mrs Green
15 Mr Thomas Miles

East Side

Number Title Forenames Surname
16 Mrs Miles
17 Mr George Mountain
18 Mrs S Brown
19 Mr Thomas William Dolby
20 Mrs Towers
21 Mr Frank Haywood
22 Mrs Fletcher
23 Mr Alfred Kilby
24 Mr Alfred William Green
25 Mr Frederick Laight
26 Mr John Richard Steers
27 Mrs Hussey
28 Mrs Dawson
29 Mrs Elliott
30 Mr Frederick Chas Redmayne

World War 1 Connections
Private David James Elliott

Mr George Mountain is mentioned in a news article of 1929 about two Lonesome school teachers crashing a car.

Maps are reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.

Mrs G.E. Armfield

Leave a reply

From the Mitcham Advertiser, 28th November, 1947

Lavender Days Recalled

DEATH OF MRS. G. E. ARMFIELD

The funeral took place at Mitcham of Mrs. Gertrude Elizabeth Armfield, aged 82, formerly a prominent resident of Mitcham, who died at Dartford.

She was a daughter of one of the best known Lords of the Manor of Mitcham, Mr. James Bridger, celebrated in Victorian times as a lavender grower and the owner of one of the “physic gardens” by which the village of Mitcham aided the medical faculty of those days. His farm spread from behind the “Swan” public house in London Road to Tooting Junction.

Lavender Avenue and Lavender Grove on the Borough Council housing estate keep the public in mind of the rural glories and industries of the past.

The late County Councillor J. D. Drewett wrote in “Old Mitcham”: “Mitcham lavender and peppermint oils had a world-wide reputation. The largest was at Messrs. Bridger’s, next to the Swan Inn, which remained in operation till the revolution in cultivation occurred in Mitcham. Smaller distilleries were at Tamworth Farm, at Beddington Corner and Sutton . . . The Manor House (near the ‘Swan’) occupied by Mr. Bridger stood well back from the road, and was always redolent of peppermint and lavender essences emanating from the still-rooms actually inside the house. It was the stopping place for coaches to Epsom races and horses were changed there.”

LOVE AND LAVENDER

Opposite the Manor House was “The Chestnuts”, the residence of the Armfield family, one of the many well-to-do families that found pleasure in living in the Mitcham of half a century and more ago. “The Chestnuts,” now a block of flats at the corner of Locks Lane, was then a mansion of Georgian type completely isolated in its own extensive grounds, and Locks Lane, a real lane, bounded the southern side of the grounds. Graham Road and all about there was a part of the estate.

Miss Bridger and Mr. Frederick Armfield fell in love and soon after their marriage they left this district. In June, 1908. Mr. Armfield died at the age of 47. He was buried in Mitcham Parish churchyard.

GIFT TO PARISH CHURCH

In 1937 Mrs. Armfield visited Mitcham to present to the vicar (then the Rev. C. Aubrey Finch) a silver communion cup and paten for use in the church. It was inscribed, “In memory of the Bridger and Armfield families, June, 1937.” Both families were ardent supporters of the Parish Church. Mr. Bridger was one of the wardens for many years. The funeral service for Mrs. Armfield was conducted by the Rev. G. Lubbock, Vicar of Mitcham.

The Chestnuts is at what became known as Renshaws Corner.

In the Index of Wills and Administrations of 26th March 1947, she left £1,905 9s. 2d. to Dorothy Kathleen Atlee, spinster. In 2015 values, this amount is around £75,000.

Source: Ancestry