Road in Lonesome part of Mitcham, just south of boundary with Streatham.

In December 1899, Fortescue & co. had plans approved to build four houses in Marian road.

1910 OS map

Nearby the incandescent gas mantle factory of Robin Ltd. was a large employer during World War 1, when imports from Germany ceased.

From the 1930 Commercial Directory
Edmund W. Baker, shopkeeper, 24 Marian rd
William Charsley, coal & coke dealer, 1 Marian rd., telephone 1479
Mrs. Emily Dunbar, dairy, 8 Marian rd
George Grice, greengrocer, 68 Marian rd
John Hall, boot repairer, 37a Marian rd
Harry Marchant, grocer, 75 Marian rd

World War 1 Connections
Private Donald Gordon Gowar
1914 survivor of HMS Aboukir returns

News Articles

Croydon Advertiser and East Surrey Reporter – Saturday 04 February 1899

Artisan’s Dwellings at Mitcham. €”

On Saturday, at the Croydon County Police Court, before Mr. J Judd and Mr. T. Goodson, A. W. Jaggers, of Albert-villa, Rosebery Avenue, East Ham, was summoned by the Croydon Rural District Council for allowing No. 1, Marian road, Lonesome, Mitcham, to be occupied without having first obtained a certificate from the said District Council for the provision of sufficient available supply of wholesome water within reasonable distance.

– Defendant pleaded guilty, but said he was ignorant that a certificate was necessary, and asserted that the water was laid on at the house, Mr. J. Wilson prosecuted on behalf the District Council, and explained that the defendant had a number of houses at Lonesome, Mitcham, and the District Council’s Inspector had had to pay a considerable amount of attention the houses that defendant had built. The District Council, however, was not summoning him for infringing a number of bye-laws in that case. Defendant had allowed a number of houses inhabited without the water being supplied and not obtaining a certificate. They had a letter from the defendant, which stated that his only reason for acting in this way was that wished to sell the houses. There were three or four other houses at this point, some of which the defendant had allowed to be tenanted without proper water supply.

Mr. R. M. Chart, Surveyor to the District Council, said on the 23rd of December the Building Inspector had reported to him that a house at Lonesome had been tenanted without proper water supply, and witness caused a letter be written to the defendant the subject. About five days later reply was received stating that defendant was very sorry, and had given personal attention to the matter, and it should be done at once. On the 5th January he visited the house himself, and found no water was laid on. He also discovered that two other houses had been let, neither of which had any water. The drains were a disgusting condition. On the 13th January he again visited the houses, and a man was engaged putting water on, and a week later saw the man finishing the job.€

– The Chairman : Your object is to get it done?€”
– Mr Wilson: Yes€”
– The Chairman (to defendant); You ought to have known what the law was in reference to this. If in the future you are going to build other houses don’t let this happen again. You had no right to let before efficient water supply had been laid and you had obtained a certificate. Don’€™t let it occur again. You must pay 7s. costs.

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