Tag Archives: 1906

Prussia Place

Terrace of houses at end of Nursery Road. Demolished as part of a slum clearance scheme, that was announced in 1962. The actual date of demolition is not known. As is pointed out in a comment below, there are still entries in the 1965 electoral register for Prussia Place.

1937 Aerial photo

1937 Aerial photo – Prussia Place is the row of houses top left, with long gardens to the right

In 1925 the occupants were:

  1. Mrs DEVOY
  2. Ernest Arthur FINCH
  3. Arthur RANDS
  4. Arthur SKILLINGS
  5. Herbert C. MACKEY
  6. Percy GREEN
  7. George BOYCE
  8. Horace DEANE
  9. Henry RAYNER
  10. James MATTHEWS
  11. Arthur SHEPPARD
  12. Mrs PALMER
  13. Mrs WHITBREAD
  14. William WADE

In the Nursery Cottages:

  1. Albert FRENCH
  2. Mrs DAVIDSON

Newspaper Articles

Morning Chronicle – Tuesday 15 February 1820

Freeholds, Mitcham, Surrey, with Votes for the County.
– By Mr. BURRELL, at Garraway’s, on Tuesday, 23d instant, at twelve, in twelve Lots.

A valuable freehold estate, called Prussia-Place, situate at the back of the School of Industry, at Lower Mitcham; comprising a row of 12 neat substantial brick houses, containing four rooms each, with gardens in the front and back, now in the several occupations of Messrs. Franklin, Kitchen, Buckle, Hayward, Croucher, Foster, Savage, Dalton, Hughes, Willett, Mitcheson, and Hodges, at rents amounting to £120 per annum.

– May be viewed ten days preceding the sale, when particulars may be had at the Buck’s Head, Mitcham; the King’s Head and White Hart Inns, Lower Mitcham; at Garraway’s; and of Mr. Burrell, Throgmorton-street.

Croydon Guardian and Surrey County Gazette – Saturday 17 November 1906

4 and 5, PRUSSIA PLACE, MITCHAM, two freehold cottages, a turning off Nurseryroad, in the rear of the old Mitcham National Schools, let at 5s. per week each to good tenants. These properties are situate in excellent sites for letting, and form sound small investments. _ _ _ Particulars and conditions of sale may be obtained of Messrs. Potter and Crandwell, Solicitors, South-street, Farnham ; at the place of sale ; and of the Auctioneers, 4, Highstreet, Croydon. Telephone, 122 Croydon.

Croydon Chronicle and East Surrey Advertiser – Saturday 25 March 1911

Edward the Somnolent.
Mitcham Man Whose Fondness for Bed Got Him into Trouble.
TOO MUCH “REST CURE.”

While it might, perhaps, be unfair to compare Edward A. Parker, a middle-aged man, of 6, Prussia-place, Lower Mitcham, with the allegorical dog of Ludlam, which was so lazy that it leaned its head against the wall to bark, he, according to the story of his “better half,” has of late years grown tired and has been indulging in a “rest cure.” Such a fondness for bed has he developed that his wife alleged that he has neglected to maintain her, and she was, in consequence, an applicant to the magistrates at Croydon for a separation and maintenance order.

Croydon Times – Wednesday 04 October 1916

GIRL AND SOLDIER.
What Happened on a Holiday.
ORDER AGAINST A CANADIAN.

Before the Croydon County Bench of magistrates on Saturday Harry White, of the 10th Reserve Batt. Canadian Army Service Corps, was summoned by Bertha Annie Hobbs, of Prussia-place, Nursery-road, Mitcham, in respect to her male child born in May.

Mr. Cubison appeared for the complainant, who stated that her knowledge of defendant dated from August 20th, 1915, on which day she went to Hawkhurst, in Kent, for her holidays, to stay with a cousin. On the following day she went out and met defendant, and walked with him. The next day —a Sunday–she again met defendant and went for a walk with him. On Monday defendant asked her to keep company with him, and said that he was comfortably off, having a farm in Canada. She agreed to keep company with him; and intimacy took place. On returning to her cousin’s hone, defendant was invited in to tea, and in the evening she again went, out with him. On Tuesday witness was to return home, and before going she saw him in the afternoon and intimacy again took place. Defendant gave her a box of fruit, and she gave him a photograph of herself.

Eventually, defendant came to meet her at Epsom, and intimacy once more occurred. Defendant asked her to marry him either then or after the war, but she neither said yes nor no; she did not reject him, however.

Letters from defendant to applicant. couched in very affectionate terms, were read. Most of them concluded “Believe me, your sincere and affectionate sweetheart.”

Defendant alleged that complainant went out at Hawkhurst with a “red-headed boy,” a driver. This soldier had told him that he had had intimate relations with complainant.

Answering defendant, complainant admitted that she went out one evening with the young man referred to. She denied receiving a sum of £1 from defendant after she had written and told him of her condition.

Defendant declared that he told complainant that he was a married man with two children. Even had he been single he would certainly not have asked a girl to marry him on the strength of a few days’ acquaintanceship. He did not tell her he had a farm in Canada : he was a miner.

Asked how much he earned at mining before he joined the Army, defendant that on an average he got 12s. 6d. a day. At present his money in the Canadian Army was 20 cents a day.

He was partly disabled now, and was at a convalescent hospital. He was ordered to pay 5s. a week until the child reached the age of fourteen years and expenses amounting to £2.

Norwood News – Friday 05 November 1943

The wedding took place at the Mitcham Parish Church, on Saturday, between Miss Kathleen Palmer, youngest daughter of Mrs. Palmer, Prussia Place, Mitcham, and Mr. Reginald Cowing, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Cowling, Waldron-road, Earlsfield.

Given away by Mr. William Groombridge, the bride was attired in a white silk taffeta gown with a head-dress of orange blossom and white silk net veil, and carried a bouquet of carnations. She was attended by the Misses Phyllis, Mary and Betty Cowling (sisters of the bridegroom), Miss Beryl Groombridge (niece of the bride), and the Misses Joan Sullivan and Joyce Miles (cousins of the bride). Of the two senior bridesmaids one was in pink and the other in blue, with headdresses of crepe silver and veils, and they carried bouquets of carnations. Two of the younger bridesmaids wore pink, and the other two were in blue, with headdresses of silver leaves and muffs to match.

The Rev. G. S. Lubbock conducted the service and Mr. J. Cowling was best man. The hymns were “Lead Us, Heavenly Father.” and “Love Divine,” and among the special music was a wedding march. A reception was held at the Bull Hotel, Mitcham.


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

Whitford Gardens

Road off east side of London Road that extends south easterly to Cold Blows footpath. The name is a revival of the former name for Lower Mitcham. Whitford Lane had been the name for London Road between the lower and upper greens, according to Eric Montague in his Mitcham Histories book Church Street and Whitford Lane.

From a postcard, date unknown.

Houses are numbered odd from 1 to 63 on the east side of the road, and even from 2 to 58 on the west. Some addresses have been split into flats. According to the Royal Mail website, there are two postcodes used in this road. CR4 4AA for even numbers, and CR4 4AB for odd.

Visible on number 61 are the initials H.H. in its roof gable. This is likely to be for H. Harding, who got planning permission in 1906 to build 22 houses in this road.

The entrance to the site of the former Cumberland Hospital is at the southern end of the road across the route of the Cold Blows footpath. Currently, in 2018, this site has the Merton Dementia Hub and Cumberland Nursing Home which both have the address of 67 Whitford Gardens.

This map of 1953 shows the numbering of the houses.

1953 OS map


Sarah Ann Clothier outside her house, 11 Whitford Gardens, c1935. Photo kindly provided by Peter Hannah.

Newspaper Articles
Yorkshire Evening Post – Saturday 15 June 1912

ESTATE AGENTS SUICIDE.

Herbert William Cheesman, aged 42, an unmarried man, the agent of the Whitford Gardens Estate, Mitcham, was discovered dead by his mother early this morning in a shed at the back of his residence in Whitford Gardens, Mitcham. It believed that Cheesman, who was well known and respected, committed suicide by hanging himself.

Note that the 1911 census shows him as living at number 18.

In the Norwood News of Friday 17th July 1936, number 57 was offered to let at £1 8s. a week (£95 in 2018 values):

Mitcham.
Attractive villa, 57, Whitford-gardens: central position; 3 bedrooms, reception. bathroom (h. & c.); electric light: back entrance decorations to suit tenant: 28s. per week inclusive.

Apply Thompson, 26, Wandle-road. Morden.

In this 1910 map, houses on the west side of the road had not yet been built as far as Cold Blows.

1910 OS map

1910 OS map

World War 1 Connections
Private Harri Horsfall


From the Surrey Recruitment Registers:

T G BROWN of 19 Whitford Gardens, aged 27 Years 2 Months, Telegraphist. Conscripted on 10 December 1915 to the Royal Engineers.

W T GORE of 6 Whitford Gardens, aged 37 Years, Traveller. Volunteered with the Derby Scheme on 12 December 1915 to the Durham Light Infantry (6th Batn).

R MOORE of Lynghurst Whitford Gardens, aged 19 Years 10 Months, Metal Worker. Conscripted on 16 February 1917 to the Royal Garrison Artillery.


Occupants from street directories

1910 – 1911
from London Road

WEST SIDE

2, John Doney HAYWOOD
4, George F. BROWN
6, Gordon ROBERTSON
8, Thomas FRANCIS, junior
10, Robert WOODWARD
12, James HAWKER
14, Mrs DENNIS
16, Thomas HILLIARD
22, John M. TURNER
24, Charles Archibald PEARCE
28, Harold Charles AINSWORTH
30, Frank LEE
32, Mrs BASKERVILLE
34, Edward R. JOHNSON
36, William F. HUGHES
38, Mrs WILSON
40, Harold A. PACKER
42, Gerald HENNIKER

EAST SIDE

… here is Elmwood Road …

1, Harry Frank JOYNES (decorator)
7, William Herbert BEE
11, James Henry SCURR
13, Miss HILL
15, Henry STEPHENSON
17, Mrs FINNES
19, Miss FAWCETT
21, Mrs BULL
25, Charles Frederick SHAW
27, Frank St. Clair WEBLEY
31, Mrs MONTAGUE
33, A. E. COLBY (film director)
37, Wilfred SISSONS
39, John Harvey GEORGE
41, William Parker JACKSON
43, John MILLS
45, James Murray BUSBY
47, Walter Augustus MARTIN
49, Burnett BULLOCK
53, Frederick BLANDFORD
55, James SPINK
57, George THOMPSON
59, Arthur Henry SIMPSON
61, George A. MELLIARD
63, Howard Buckley Pryce OWEN

1915
from London Road

WEST SIDE

2, John Doney HAYWOOD
4, William Henry SANDERS
6, William GORE
8, David ELLIOT
10, Robert WOODWARD
12, James HAWKER
14, James VENABLES
16, Henry PATTISON
18, Alfred C. MELHUISH (estate agent)
22, Percy HELPS
24, Robert CLARK
26, David Emmerson REID
28, Ernest WHITTLESAY
30, Frank LEE
32, Arthur AUSTIN
34, Arthur Ernest HENTALL
36, Leopold WELLS
38, Leslie P.D. COOPER
40, Harold A. PACKER
42, Gerald HENNIKER

EAST SIDE

… here is Elmwood Road …

1, Frederick G. ASHWELL (gardener)
3, William Gardiner JACKSON
5, Mrs RYATT
7, Sydney RANDALL
9, John TEAGUE
11, James Henry SCURR
13, Ernest TONKES
15, Mrs M. BEWLLEW
17, George D. THOMPSON
19, George Thomas BROWN
21, Miss BEDDOE
25, Mrs H. PULLINGER
27, Harry SMITH
29, Dennis SULLIVAN
31, William HUMPHREY
33, Albert George RUSSELL
35, Mrs WILSON
37, Charles GREGORY
39, Arthur Henry STAINFORTH
41, Frederick JACKSON
43, Mrs MILLS
45, Mrs J.M. BUSBY
47, John William HORSFALL
49, Burnett BULLOCK P.A.S.I.
51, Wilfred PARKER
53, William SMOKER
55, Alfred J.S. ALLEN
57, George THOMPSON
59, Clifford MOULD
61, George A. MELLIARD
63, William SLEATH

from the 1925 street directory:

from Elmwood Road

SOUTH SIDE

1, Frederick G. ASHWELL
3, Charles LATHAM
5, Thomas RYATT
7, Sydney RANDALL
9, John TEAGUE
11, Joseph Edwin CLOTHIER
13, Ernest Arthur TONKES
15, John Arthur INGLE
17, George THOMPSON
19, George Thomas BROWN
21, Claude THOMPSON
23, Thomas Frederick WATSON
25, William HASTINGS
27, Henry SMITH
31, William HUMPHRIES
33, Walter Fell PALMER
35, Chalres WILSON
37, Edward FIELD
39, Arthur Henry STAINFORTH
41, Harold JARMAN
43, George WATSON
45, James Harold ELLIS
47, Frank Conrad LOHMAN
49, Mrs FOORD
51, George H. MALTHOUSE
53, William SMOKER
55, Mrs ARMITAGE
57, Albert THOMPSON
59, Bert ANSLOW
61, Richard HALE
63, Thomas J. FENN

NORTH SIDE

2, John Doney HAYWOOD
4, William Henry SANDERS
6, William Thomas GORE
8, David ELLIOT
10, Robert WOODWARD
14, James VENABLES
16, George CAIN
18, Archelaus TREGONING
20, William Bertram TYLEE
22, Percy HELPS
24, George William HENTILL
26, Ernest Henry BOWRA
28, Albert HUGH PATON
30, Mrs SHAPLAND
32, Lawrence E. THURLEY
34, Arthur Ernest HENDAL
36, Leopold W. WELLS
38, Arthur James WEEKS
40, Harold Arthur PACKER
42, Herbert RIVERS


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.

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