Category Archives: WW1

Graham Road

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Road off east side of Streatham Road, north of Lock’s Lane and south of Graham Avenue.

Built in the late 19th century on land previously occupied by The Willows, described by Eric Montague in his book Mitcham Histories : 2 North Mitcham, page 74, as having extensive stabling, farmery, meadows and gardens. The roads Graham Avenue, Elmfield Avenue and Fernlea Road were also built in this land. The address “Graham Road, Willows Estate” was used in this ad from 1900:

Mitcham (best part). – Pretty and conveniently arranged 6 – roomed houses; bath (h. and c.); good garden; within 10 minutes’ walk of Tooting Junction Station; good service of trains to Ludgate-hill and London-bridge; rent £24 per annum, or price (freehold) £350; £300 could remain on mortgage, repayable by easy instalments, which would amount to the same thing as paying rent.

Apply to Nott, Cartwright, and Etches, 13, The Parade, Tooting; 1, Bank Buildings, Balham; or to 39, Graham-road, Willows Estate, Mitcham.

1894 OS Map

1894 OS Map

1911-os-map-graham-road

1911 OS Map

In 1902, the road was made up, and charges to owners was based on the length of the frontage of their properties. This list is from the minutes of the Croydon Rural District Council:

Volume 8
1902 to 1903
Mitcham Parochial
19th June 1902
page 200

The ‘number on plan’ isn’t a house number. The plan referred to isn’t available.

No. on plan Property Owner Frontage
1 House Sydney Moses 18 ft.
2 Three houses Charles Bell 54 ft.
3 Three houses Nott, Cartwright & Etches 54 ft.
4 Two houses Charles Bell 36 ft.
5 House Arthur Mansfield 18 ft.
6 House Charles Bell 18 ft.
7 House Charles Wheeler 18 ft.
8 House Alfred Edger 22 ft.
9 House Miss Annie Fawcett 18 ft.
10 House John Edwin Branch 18 ft.
11 Three houses Charles Bell 54 ft.
12 House Charles Remington 18 ft.
13 House Edward Duncan 18 ft.
14 Two houses Edward Charles 36 ft.
15 Eight houses Edward Cheeseman 134 ft. 6 ins.
16 Seven houses James Willers 121 ft. 6 ins.
17 House and land T.L. Laver 34 ft.
18 Land J. Mounter 24 ft.
19 Land Trustees of Lansbury 296 ft.
20 House and land F.L. Mizen 150 ft.
21 Land H.A. Chappell 188 ft.

The contract for making up the road went to tender, as listed in the council minutes of 18th September 1902, page 394:

Graham Road Tenders

The Council opened and considered the undermentioned tenders received for the making up, forming, kerbing, and metalling of Graham Road, Mitcham:-

Stockwell & Co., Bromley ……… £812 14s.
Adams, T., Wood Green, London …. £621
Free & Sons, Maidenhead ………. £540
Iles, E., Mitcham ……………. £495
Wheeler, W.H., Southwark, S.E. … £441 13s.

Resolved, That the tender of Mr. E. Iles, of Mitcham, be accepted, and that the necessary bond be entered into in accordance of conduct.

From the minutes of the Croydon Rural District Council
Volume IX 1903 – 1904
7th May 1903
page 71

No. 2481, Bennington, J.A., 3 houses, Graham Road, Mitcham

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

The street directories of 1891 and 1915 list the occupants in the order encountered when walking from Figgs Marsh to Fernlea Road. The house names are in brackets.

1915

SOUTH SIDE

from Figg’s marsh

2 William James Dickisson (Trent House)
William Frederick Laing, auctioneer & estate agent (Trezamble)
James Dalton (Rose Bank)
George R. Waters (Sydmouth)
Andrew George Jones (Jessima)
James Knight (1 Graham villas)
Philip Musk (Rothesay)
John Davey (3 Graham villas)
Alfred Charles Firth (Dulmeney)
Samuel Weldon Myles (The Cottage)
Arthur E. Cooper (Lyndhurst)
12 Rev. Sydney Jackson [chaplain to Holborn Union workhouse & schools] (White Heather)
James Glover (Selby lodge)
Rowland Macbeth (Homeleigh)
Charles Stratton (Mayfair)
James Alfred Bennington (Eversley)
Edward E. Kelly glove cleaner (Melrose)
Alfred Thomas Green (Brambletye)
Thomas Harper (Stalheim)
Harry Wilson (Merok)
Henry Keen (Sundial)
Thomas Brandon (Viva villa)

NORTH SIDE

Alex. Cordier (Rosenheath)
Charles Jordan (Linacre)
Mrs Bishop (Bellefontaine)
Alexander Notman (Essen)
George H. Day (Aldwark)
Jesse Ray (Kimberley)
James Arthur Martin (Ivydeane)
Arthur Lewis Peake (Belmont)
Herbert Geogre Littleton (Claremont)
Joseph Geaney (Inisfail)
Frederick V. Whicher (Sherwood)
John Howard Feesey (Elmwood villa)
Walter Hudson Douglas (Roselea)
John Lewis Rooke (Thorstone)
Mrs Scales (St. Arvans)
William Luker (The Glen)
26 Richard James Glyde (Glenmore)
27 William Vickers (Crohamhurst)
28 William Driver (The Nest)
Edward Gurr (Sunnymeade)
Arthur Edward Hayne (St. Cross)
Mitcham Conservative & Unionist Association (Arthur Edward Hayne sec.) (St. Cross)
Henry Ailes Chappell (Oxwycke)

…. here is Fernlea Road ….

1891

NORTH SIDE

Miss Wilson (Montrose)
E. Hitchings (Trezamble)
H.S. Coldicott (The Cottage)
William Baker (Lyndhurst)
W.H. Wood (Oakleigh)
V. Roberts (Selby lodge)
Philip Marshal (Homeleigh)
John Forge (Brambletye)

SOUTH SIDE

50 Joseph Harbord
Dr. W.V. Kemshead (Avondale)
26 Hamilton Lawrence

First World War combatants 2nd Lt. Arthur Gordon Jackson, and his brother Lt Henry Stewart Jackson lived at White Heather, in Graham Road.

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

1962 Cleaning of the Mitcham War Memorial

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The Mitcham War Memorial on Lower Green West was cleaned in 1962.

The contract for the cleaning was awarded to Neonore Stone Cleaning Co. Two extra inscription panels were added during this work.

On the fifth plinth step:

AND
TO THE MEMORY
OF THE MEN, WOMEN
AND CHILDREN OF MITCHAM
WHO LOST THEIR LIVES
IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR
1939 – 1945

and between the fourth and fifth plinth steps

AND THOSE KILLED
IN OTHER CONFLICTS

From the Mitcham News & Mercury

10th August 1962 : Face-lift for war memorial

MITCHAM’S 40-year-old First World War Memorial is to have a face lift.

In their 1962 estimates Mitcham Council have put aside ” a certain amount of money ” for the restoration of the memorial, which has been affected by the weather.

According to the borough engineers’ department the face-lift is expected to take place some time during October.

Since the memorial was built in the early 1920’s many of the names and inscriptions have faded—some have been worn completely away—and now the local council feel it is time for a restoration.

A spokesman for the borough engineers’ department said this week: ” The memorial is quite weather-beaten and we are planning to re-cut the names and inscriptions.”

17th August 1962 : Weather erases names

MITCHAM COUNCIL have had quite a job deciphering the names on the First World War Memorial at Lower Green West, near the fire station.

During the 40 years the memorial has been standing it has taken quite a beating from the weather so that now most names can hardly be read. A spokesman for the borough engineer’s department said that it was the initials causing the most bother. Same of them had worn off completely. A list of the names has been taken off the memorial which will be cleaned and smoothed so that the names can be recut. The council hope to have the work completed before Armistice Day on November 11.

10th October 1962 : £118 bill for memorial work

The restoration of the war memorial, Lower Green, Mitcham, is to cost Mitcham Council £118 plus 1s. 2d. for the re-cutting of each letter.

It has also been decided by the council to incorporate suitable wordings with the restoration work so that the memorial shall also serve for those who died in World War II.

Until now the memorial has been solely for the First World War.

Adjusted for inflation, £118 in 1962 is around £2,400 in 2016 values. The number of letters re-cut is not known as no records were kept of this work. Adjusted for inflation, each letter at one shilling and twopence is around £1.20 in 2016.

From the minutes of the Corporation of Mitcham Volume 22 1962 to 1963

Finance Report 25th September 1962 page 295

Resolved –
War Memorial, Lower Green –

(i) That the quotation of the Neonore Stone Cleaning Co., in the sum of £118, plus 1s. 2d. for the re-cutting of each letter, be accepted; and

(ii) That, while the restoration of the War Memorial is in progress, the Borough Engineer be authorised, in consultation with the Chairman and Town Clerk, to incorporate suitable additional writing to those that died in World War II.

Finance Report 15th January 1963, page 634

War Memorial, Lower Green – The Borough Engineer submitted the following report:-

11th January, 1963

To the Chairman and Members of the Finance, Rating and Valuation Committee
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen,

War Memorial, Lower Green

I have to report that the cost of providing an additional tablet referring to the dead of the second world war is £28.

Yours obediently,
J. W. Turner,
Borough Engineer and Surveyor.
Resolved, That the report be received.

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