From the minutes of the Mitcham Parish Council
Volume 12 April 1914 to March 1915
Page 28

SAXON RELICS

The Clerk reported the receipt of the following letter from the General Manager of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway.

               LONDON, BRIGHTON & SOUTH COAST RAILWAY

                             General Manager's Office
                                     London Bridge Station, S.E.,
                                            26th May, 1914.

Dear Sir,

I enclose herewith two bronze tin-plated brooches, a bronze pin and iron knife supposed surrounded by a wooden sheath, which were recently discovered during excavations on this Company’s property near Mitcham Station, together with a photograph of same, and as the articles are no doubt of antiquarian interest, I am authorised by my Directors to forward them to you to be placed in the Vestry Hall at Mitcham, where I understand other similar relics found in the neighbourhood are on view.

I also enclose photographs of three skeletons which were unearthed at the same place recently.

I shall be obliged if you will kindly acknowledge receipt.

                         Yours faithfully, 
                                 WILLIAM FORBES.

From the minutes of the Mitcham Parish Council
Volume 12 April 1914 to March 1915
Page 102

The following letter was read from the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Co.

               LONDON, BRIGHTON & SOUTH COAST RAILWAY

                             General Manager's Office
                                     London Bridge Station, S.E.,
                                            23rd October, 1914.

Dear Sir,

With reference to my letter of the 26th May last, and your reply of the 27th idem, another ornament has been found in excavating gravel near Mitcham Station. Captain Bidder informs me that it is a gold-plated bronze brooch, a beautiful piece of work and important, as its design (purely geometrical without any trace of “animal” motive) points to a very early Saxon period, probably the sixth or seventh century.

I am authorised by my Directors to forward this brooch to you to be placed in the Vestry Hall at Mitcham with the other similar relics found in the neighbourhood.

I also have the pleasure of inclosing a photograph of the brooch.

     Kindly acknowledge receipt.
                         Yours faithfully, 
                                 WILLIAM FORBES.

These finds were near the Anglo Saxon cemetery that was discovered in the Morden Road area, which were excavated over a period from 1888 to 1922. This is Monument No. 400549 on Historic England’s PastView website.

Minutes of meetings held by the Mitcham Parish Council are available on request from the Merton Heritage and Local Studies Centre at Morden Library.