Category Archives: Pubs

Pub Donations to the Explosion Relief Fund

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In 1933, nearly £100 was raised in pubs in the Mitcham area for the Explosion Relief Fund (equivalent to around £6,000 in 2016 values).

See also the Official Report of the Explosion.

Source: Mitcham News & Mercury
21st April, 1933

Licensee Pub Address Donation
A. V. Turner Skinners Arms Mitcham Junction £14 4s. 3d.
F. H. Morrison Horse and Groom Mitcham Common £ 7 4s. 6d.
J. Thomson Gorringe Park Hotel Tooting Junction £ 6 4s. 9d.
Mrs. Witherdon White Hart Hotel £ 5 18s. 9d.
H. O. Stinton Royal Six Bells Colliers Wood £ 5 13s. 11d.
W. A. Jones Kings Arms Hotel £ 5 4s. 7d.
Mrs. J. O’Neill Red Lion Hotel Colliers Wood £ 4 13s. 5d.
E. J. Callaghan Cricketers £ 4 5s. 6d.
Mrs. Witherick The Crown London Road £ 4 0s. 0d.
F. Crafford King’s Head Hotel £ 3 12s. 6d.
A. E. Crisp Prince of Wales Western Road £ 3 12s. 6d.
J. Higgs The Bull Church Road £ 3 3s. 6d.
Mrs. Collingridge Surrey Arms Morden Road £ 2 15s. 0d.
H. H. Dale Gardeners Arms London Road £ 2 10s. 3d.
A. F. Pays Beehive Commonside East £ 2 10s. 0d.
H. Deeprose Ravensbury Tavern Morden Road £ 2 0s. 9d.
Mrs. J. M. Ide Wheatsheaf Church Road £ 1 15s. 0d.
R. Dale Swan Inn London Road £ 1 14s. 6d.
S. Leney Queens Head Causeway £ 1 11s. 2d.
Mrs. J. Boxall Windmill Carshalton Road £ 1 6s. 0d.
W. Stapleton Old Queens Head Beddington Corner £ 1 1s. 0d.
J. Halls Victory High Street Colliers Wood 16s. 0d.
W. H. Poole Bucks Head 16s. 0d.
H. C. Tolliday Gladstone House Western Road 13s. 3d.
Mrs. Godfrey Old Nags Head Western Road 11s. 0d.
F. H. Brown The Fountain Western Road 10s. 6d.
R. W. Sutton The Goat Beddington Corner 4s. 0d.
F. Bentley Ravensbury Arms Mitcham Common 2s. 6d.

Sam Leney

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Licensee of the Queen’s Head pub, Cricket Green, for 28 years.

Full name Samuel George Leney. His wife Winifred Anne Leney died in in 1958, aged 72.

Their son Samuel Robert Leney was a pilot in the RAF, and was killed in 1942:

Plt. Off. S. R. Leney, who was reported missing last March now presumed killed in action. His father is licensee of the Queen’s Head, Lower Green East, Mitcham.

Plt. Off. Leney was one of the airgunners of a Halifax which set out for action against the enemy and did not return. He was 23.

Source: Western Morning News – Thursday 11 February 1943 from the British Newspaper Archive (subscription required).

A profile of RAF pilot officer Sam Leney can be found on the website Archie – A pilot in RAF Bomber Command. He was remembered as the Surrey Clark Gable by his younger sister, as told in this 2012 interview in the Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser.

See also the Commonwealth War Graves Commission entry.