Timber merchants that was at 117 – 125 London Road, Mitcham.
clip of 1974 photo by Eric Montague, reproduced by kind permission of the Merton Historical Society
The company was started in 1863 by Charles Frederick Anderson in Islington. His ancestors had been farmers on the northern shore of St. Mary’s Loch, in the Scottish Border country. They had moved to London before the end of the 18th century and settled in Islington which, at that time, was a quiet countryside of dairy farms, supplying Londoners with milk. One of these, James Anderson, was a cheesemonger. It was his grandson, Charles Frederick, born in 1834, who went into the timber business. He started as an apprentice with a timber merchant who was so struck by his ability that he was offered a position in the firm. But Charles was eager to be his own master, and he started as a timber dealer in 1863, renting a piece of land at 13 Essex Road, Islington. He built his own shed as an office, and stored wood in the yard.
The business grew steadily and, in 1899 when he died, his son William Frederick took over. In 1902 he opened a branch in Southgate and in 1904 at no. 19 Essex Road, he opened a glass and ironmongery department. This was managed by a glazier named A.E. summers who had been looking for accommodation for his wife and himself. He took the rooms above the shop on condition he be its manager, and stayed employed by Andersons for the next 50 years.
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From the Mitcham News & Mercury, 22nd April 1977, page 1:
A MITCHAM firm devastated by fire last week was damaged to the tune of £100,000.
Eighty firemen fought for three hours to control the blaze at Andersons timber merchants in London Road.
It started, at 11.45 pm on Wednesday night and quickly spread through
offices and timber stores. Police closed off the road for a couple of hours and an ambulance stood by, but no one was injured.
How it started is a mystery and Mitcham CID are still making enquiries.Main article on page 3:
A HUGE MYSTERY fire gutted part of a Mitcham timber merchants last week. Damage is estimated in excess of £100,000, including
lost income, and about one-third of its storage capacity has been lost. And police are still uncertain about the cause of the blaze.
It happened at about 11.45 pm on Wednesday, at C. F. Anderson and Son Ltd, in London Road, and soon spread through offices and timber
stores.Eighty men from Mitcham, Wallington, Tooting, Wimbledon and Norbury fire stations were called, and 13 fire-fighting appliances were used,
including two emergency tenders. It took three hours to get under control, and police closed off the road for a short
time as a safety precaution. An ambulance stood by in case of injuries but wasn’t needed.How the fire started is a mystery. Det Sgt Andrew Boardley of Mitcham CID is leading enquiries. When asked if he thought it was started deliberately, he said: “No comment. We are still investigating the incidents.” Despite the extent of the damage, which devastated one single-storey building and a large amount of building materials, the firm is still operating. “It has seriously affected normal business, though,” commented a senior executive. “It is a tragic thing to happen to such a small place, but every effort will be made to maintain the yard. We hope to be back on our feet as soon as possible. “There’s no way the fire could have been caused by an electrical fault as the building has just been re-wired,” he added.
The firm, whose headquarters are in Islington, import and distribute timber and various other building materials.
Mitcham History Notes 