Tag Archives: 1905

Lyxhayr

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Manufactured at Grove Mills, on the Wandle in Mitcham.

First manufactured in 1903 by a company called ‘The Patent Horse Hair Co. Ltd.’, ‘lyxhayr’ was a curled fibre of vegetable origin for many upholstery filling applications. Developed by a chemist called Mr Holmes, the process was patented.

As well as hair from horses, wool or cotton fibre, called ‘flock’, was used in filling mattresses and furniture. Sometimes, hog hair was mixed in with the horse hair to reduce cost. Animal hair however was not hygienic, and the company’s advertisement in 1907 said that the Public Analyst for Hackney, Dr Leo Taylor, had found that the hair contained almost the same amount of bacteria as London sewage.

Being made from vegetable, this artificial horse hair was free of bacteria.

In 1905 the company changed its name to Lyxhayr Ltd. and Mr W. A. Dickinson was its Managing Director. Mattresses made with lyxhayr were popular with hospitals but cheaper, less hygienic ones were still being sold.

Mr Dickinson was one of those who lobbied parliament leading to the Rag Flock Act of 1911, which was the first attempt to regulate the abuses.

1907 ad

1907 ad

Listed in the 1938 commercial directory as

Mitcham Fibre Mills Ltd., horse hair substitute manufacturers, Grove Mills, London Road. Trading As “Lyxhayr, Mitcham;” Telephone Number 0807.

News Articles
These are from the British Newspaper Archive.

Western Chronicle – Friday 5 February 1909
1909 fire

At one o’clock on Saturday morning a fire broke out the Grove Mills, Mitcham, an artificial horsehair manufactory. The fire brigades from Croydon, Sutton, and Mitcham attended, but the four-storey brick building was completely gutted. The damage is estimated at from £5,000 to £6,000.

Pearson’s Weekly – Thursday 4 January 1906

A VALUABLE addition has been made to the list of hygienic articles by the introduction of Lyxhayr. A substitute for horsehair, Lyxhayr is a natural, vegetable, woody fibre, which has been chemically and mechanically treated. As a stuffing for beds and chairs, where the maximum of health and cleanliness is desired, it is gaining great appreciation. Full particulars of Lyxhayr can be obtained from the selling agents, Messrs. Dollery and Palmer, 110 Cannon Street, London, E.C.

Allen Terrace

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Allen Terrace was the row of 39 houses on the west side of Church Road between Batsworth Road and the footpath opposite Lewis Road.

In the street directory of 1911 it was listed sequentially from 1 from on the corner with Batsworth Road, to 39.

Church Road was renumbered between 1912 and 1915, and so no. 1 Allen Terrace became 165 Church Road and no. 39 became 241 Church Road.

1952 OS map reproduced by permission of the National Library of Scotland, reuse CC-BY.

Occupants in 1905

No. or name Terrace Resident
2 William FORD
3 Michael ROUT
4 Arthur William CAREY
5 Alfred BIRCH
7 William GILBERT
8 James BRYAN
9 George BIRCH
10 Ely STOPHER
11 Charles WARMAN
12 Arthur CARTWRIGHT
13 John HOWE
16 William THURSTING
17 Joseph PROCTOR
18 William OVER
19 William ROSS
20 Charles TIMMS
21 James GIBBS
23 John TAYLOR
24 James OXLEY
25 Benjamin PARSONS
26 Edward ROGERS
27 Richard TICKNER
28 John CURTIS
29 Cecil Octavius PURDEY
30 John PINEGAR
31 James LANGLEY
32 Charles Henry GARNER
33 Thomas STRUDWICK
34 Frederick LANGRIDGE
35 Matthew Henry BATEMAN
36 Joseph Henry MANCE
38 George FRASIER
39 Walter STRUDWICK

Occupants listed in street directories

1912
Houses numbered as Allen Terrace.

1, Joseph SIMMONDS, greengrocer
(no other entries)

1915-1916
Houses now renumbered.

165, Joseph SIMMONDS, greengrocer
(no other entries)
241, George BIRCH

1925

165, Mrs Caroline JENNER, grocer
167, Septimus Thomas INGHAM
169, Michael ROUT
171, Charles GARDNER
173, Charles COLE
175, Alec MOUNT
177, Charles Frederick CHALLIS
179, William GIBSON
181, Alfred Henry SHELLEY
183, Mrs Mary KILLICK
185, William SAYERS
187, Thomas THORNTON
189, Arthur Edward PETTIT
191, Walter JACKSON
193, John FRY
195, George THURGOOD
197, (no entry)
199, Harry STRUDWICK
201, Edward ROGERS
203, Edward GIBBS
205, James GIBBS
207, Mrs GREENAWAY
209, James STEVENS
211, James OXLEY
213, Mrs ASPLAND
215, Mrs HUNTINGFORD
217, Frederick PARSONS
219, John CURTIS
221, Harry CRADDOCK
223, Henry James PENEGER
225, Joseph SIMMONDS
227, Mrs GARNER
229, Douglas BISHOP
231, Mark WHEELER
233, Mathew BATEMAN
235, Arthur PARSONS
237, Thomas William SALES
239, Seymour FRASER
241, George BIRCH

The London Picture Archive has a photo of part of the terrace, from no.s 173 to 233, taken in 1977.

A photo Eric Montague took from the flats on the Phipps Bridge Estate in 1967 show the rear of houses from 241Church Road, as highlighted below:

Clip of photo taken by Eric Montague in 1967. Reproduced by kind permission of the Merton Historical Society. Image reference mhs-em-pb-11

Newspaper articles

Croydon Times – Saturday 20 May 1911

HAY ASTRAY.
MITCHAM MAN CHARGED.

Joseph Simmonds, 45, of Allen’s terrace, Mitcham, and George William Taylor, 36, of Ivy Lodge, Sutton-road, Mitcham, were charged with stealing and receiving two trusses of hay from a barn at Hill Farm, Mitcham, the property of Mr. Neighill, value 4s.

— A bailiff, in the employ of the prosecutor, said he was taken by a detective to Simmonds’s house and saw the two trusses of hay. He recognised them as being like those in the barn. The hay was of the same quality, and they were tied up with bands that be had made himself.

Taylor had been employed at the farm for eight years, and had always given satisfaction. He told witness on Saturday morning that he had taken two trusses of hay to Mr. Simmonds as a sample, and he thought it would help him a bit.

— Detective McMullen said that from information received on Saturday, he went to Simmonds’s house. He there saw the hay, and after telling witness that he was making enquiries about the hay, defendant said “That’s right; last Thursday morning a man came to my house and said ‘ I have two trusses of hay for you.’ I said ‘I don’t want them.’ He said ‘You must have them,’ and left them there.” Defendant said he gave nothing for them. On Saturday witness saw Taylor at his home, and told him he would be arrested. He said “Quite right, sir, I took the hay and gave it to Mr. Simmonds. I thought it would do him a bit of good.”

— Simmonds, on oath, said he was a greengrocer, and had been in Mitcham for about 40 years. He knew Taylor, having met him at the P.B.A. Brotherhood at Mitcham. About seven o’clock on Thursday morning Mr. Taylor brought the hay in a van, and said “There are two trusses of hay for you.” Witness replied that he did not want them. He said he must have them and took them out of the cart. After putting them in his stable, witness went on his round. On Friday morning he told his wife he would not touch the hay until he had seen Mr. Taylor. On Saturday the detective came.

— Taylor now pleaded guilty, saying he was very sorry.—The Bench discharged Simmonds. It was stated that Taylor had been in the army, and bore a good character. He was, therefore, also discharged with a caution, the Bench expressing a hope that his employer would take him back.