William Ernest Horsman’s iron foundry that was at 34 Eveline Road, possibly between 1924 and 1938.

Photo taken 20th August 2019.

Listed in the 1924 commercial directory as W.E. Horsman & Co., general engineers.

In the 1930 commercial directory it is listed W.E. Horsman & Co., general engineers, Eveline Road, trading as “ Horseman, Ironfounders ; ” Telephone number MIT 1586. Note the spelling of Horseman with an ‘e’.

The foundry is listed in the 1938 directory as May’s Mitcham Foundry.

The use of ‘Son’ on the manhole cover shown above suggests that it was made between 1930 and 1938. The 1932 robbery refers to the offices of Messrs. W. E. Horsman, Son and Co., whereas the 1930 directory doesn’t mention ‘Son’.

From Ancestry.com, Stanley Bertram Horsman, foundry manager, was married on 9th February 1932 in Sutton. His father was named as William Ernest Horsman, occupation Ironfounder. Electoral registers show W.E. Horsman as living at 1 Greenhill, Sutton.

From the London Gazette, the company was bankrupt by 1937:

News Articles and Ads
Norwood News – Friday 12 February 1932

MITCHAM ROBBERY DAMAGE AND LOSS AT OFFICES

A daring robbery was successfully carried out early on Tuesday morning at the offices of Messrs. W. E. Horsman, Son and Co., iron founders and sanitary engineers, Eveline-roud. Mitcham. The front office door was forced with a jemmy, and evidently the thieves spent several hours ransacking the whole place. They attacked three safes, ripping the back out of one. Papers and documents were ruthlessly thrown all over the floors, and considerable damage done to the property. The contents of all three safes were emptied, and all the loose money and stamps taken away. All the workmen’s Health and Insurance cards are missing, also all the money in the hospital collection boxes.

Mr. Horsman told one of our reporters: “I don’t know whether my son’s wedding had anything to do with the robbery, but it was well known that my son, who is works manager, was being married on Tuesday. Possibly the thieves thought there might be more here, and we should not be so particular in removing things on such an occasion. We have proof that there were at least two men on the job. They must have spent hours about it. What a mess they left! It troubles me more, the damage and mess, than all the money they took. I should estimate the loss and damage at quite a hundred pounds. The collection boxes for the hospital and blind were broken open and the money taken. They found the key for the big safe, but the other two they broke open. It must have taken them hours to do that. From the appearance of the floor in my office, they attacked the safes in one corner, where a light would not be so easily seen from outside. What puzzles me is what good the workmen’s Insurance and Health cards will do them, unless they are negotiable. I understand the police have obtained some finger-prints.”

Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer – Monday 14 October 1929

WANTED at once Iron Moulders, for jobbing shop: permanency for good men.—Write Horsman’s Foundry, Eveline Road, Mitcham.

The Sanitary Inspectors Report of June 4th, 1928, included complaints by local residents:

Several complaints have recently been made by residents in Eveline Crescent and Eveline Road of the nuisance from smoke and fumes from Messrs. Horsman’s Iron Foundry. I have kept observation on the works, and I find the fumes from the cupolas in which metals are heated are very strong. I have not seen much smoke, but, according to my reading of the new Smoke Act, these works are exempt from the operation of the Act.

Source: page 99, Mitcham Urban District Council minutes, volume XIV 1928-29.