Uncategorized | Mitcham History Notes

Holborn Journal – Saturday 26 November 1870

MITCHAM SCHOOL. A report was presented from the committee of this school stating that the present number of inmates was follows: Boys, 303; girls, 186; officers and servants, 29; total 518. In the infirmary there were 50 boys and 37 girls; of these about 50 were ophthalmic cases, and nearly all the remainder were bad heads. The boys and girls were mustered in their respective playgrounds, and drilled in the presence of the committee the drillmaster and schoolmistress. They went through their exercises in a very creditable manner. The committee unanimously resolved “That Mr. George Brooke be the chairman, and Mr. John Hayes the vicechairman of the committee.” — Agreed to.

W. T. Bigsby and Sons was a varnish manufacturer based in Morden Road, Mitcham. The ‘W.T.’ was William Thomas.

This photo is from Newspapers.com :

1911 entry in Kelly’s commercial directory

It is believed that he was descended from a family of brewers in Deptford. In a 1794 directory of Kent there is a Bigsby & Ritchie, jun. Brewers, Mill lane, Deptford

In 1871 he identified himself as a varnish manufacturer in Deptford at a fraud trial at the Old Bailey. His son William also appeared in this trial.

See this 20th January, 1891 article in The Manufacturer and Inventor.

In 1911 he lived at Grove Lodge, London Road. It is shown as ‘The Lodge’ on this 1910 map, just south of Mitcham Grove House. Today this is the junction of Rawnsley Avenue and London Road.