Tag Archives: 1904

Lock’s Lane

Road that runs south-eastwards from junctions with Streatham Road and London Road, twoards Eastfields Road. It was named after Lock’s Farm, at the Figges Marsh end, according to J.D. Drewett, in his ‘Memories of Old Mitcham’.

In this OS map from 1893, the part now called Eastfields Road is shown as Tamworth Lane:

1893 OS map

These street directories describe the road from Figg’s Marsh:

1896

George DAVIS, greengrocer
2, Mrs Rhoda GILBERT, laundress

Grange Villas:

1, James NEW
4, John W. BEARDWELL

Primrose Cottage, James MIZEN

Note that what is today called Eastfields Road was once part of Tamworth Lane and hence the Primrose Cottage listed in Lock’s Lane is the same as the one in Eastfields Road.

1904-5

Henry WOODS, pig dealer

2, Mrs Emma SCHMIDT, laundress
James FLEMMING
Charles WELLER
Clement BELCHER
Richard TOOGOOD
Edward THUMWOOD, carman

1910-11

The Mitcham Steam Laundry Co.
Henry WOODS, pig dealer

2, Robert John BULL, laundry
Clement BELCHER
Thomas DAVIS, decorator
Richard TOOGOOD, confectioner
George William TURNER, carman

1915

This directory disagrees with the 1914 electoral register that has Toogood and Rosemary Villas in Eastfields Road.

John HARDING, laundry
The Mitcham Steam Laundry Co.

… here are Carew & Lansdell Roads

Mrs H. TOOGOOD, confectioner

Rosemary Villas:

10, Charles WILSON
9, John GODDEN
8, James SULLIVAN
7, George HEPWORTH
6, Henry WOODS
5, Edwin LUMB
4, John Frederick WADE
3, Andrew DUNNING
2, Samuel AULT
1, William BENSTEAD

George William TURNER, carman

The 1925 street directory describes the road as from Streatham Road to Eastfields Road:

John F. RENSHAW & Co. Ltd., almond specialists

Brookborough Cottages:
John Frederick SCOTT
William EDWARDS

Vine Cottages:
2, Walter MILLER
1, Mrs PENNIGER

Marsh Cottages:
2, Joseph BATES
1, Thomas Joseph WOODING, verger St Marks, Upper Mitcham
St. Mary’s (Balham) Social & Lawn Tennis Club (H.G. Brightwell, hon. treasurer)
Star Laundry (J.J. HARDING, proprietor)
Thomas TRICKER

The 1935 OS map shows that Marsh and Firtree Avenues have now been built off the south side of Locks Lane. The confectionaery factory shown is that of John F. Renshaw, which made marzipan and supplied almonds for cakes etc.

1935 OS map

References in Newspapers

West London Observer – Saturday 30 April 1887

WANTED, by a Respectable Young Man, regular employment of any kind ; not with horses.— Apply, W. B., 11, Lock’s Lane, Mitcham.

World War 1 Connections
Private William Henry Tricker

Crusoe Road

Road named possibly after the Robinson Crusoe story. Crusoe Dairy Farm was named by its owner on the possible residence of nearby Tooting Hall by Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe.

1911 OS map

1911 OS map

Builder Taylor & Kensett had building plans approved in 1903 for 12 houses, and in 1904 for 16 houses. They also had a woodyard in Crusoe Road, which caught fire in 1921:

EXCITING FIRE SCENES Whole Street in Danger. There were remarkable scenes at Mitcham yesterday — a portion of a street being in flames. Fire broke out at the timber yard of Messrs. Taylor and Kensett in Crusoe road, and burned fiercely that adjoining houses caught fire, and the whole street seemed in danger. Householders in considerable alarm carried their furniture and valuables out into the street, and there was scene of great confusion. The combined efforts of the brigades, however, succeeded in preventing the spread of the flames, but not before four houses adjacent to the timber yard had been considerably burned.

Source: Hartlepool Mail – Friday 02 September 1921 from the British Newspaper Archive

Number 52 was damaged by this fire. Minutes of the Urban District Council show that the tenant was Mr F. HAWTHORN, and the landlord was Osmasten Ltd of Barnes.

G. F. Hedges had building plans approved in 1904 for 13 villas.

World War 1 Connections
Sapper William Charles Crisp

Private Ernest Frank Hogg

Driver Horace Walter Hogg

Private George Francis Quin

Gunner Horace Concannon Richardson

Saddler Harry Stanley Wright


Maps are reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.