Tag Archives: 1910

Fire Hydrants

Croydon Guardian and Surrey County Gazette – Saturday 19 March 1910

FIRE HYDRANTS FOR MITCHAM.

A letter was read the Clerk from the Mitcham Parish Council asking the Rural District Council to raise the necessary money for the supply and fixing 100 fire hydrants in the parish of Mitcham. The Clerk stated that the last time the Council pur chased such hydrants, 86 of them cost £690. It resolved to accede to the request, the Clerk adding that the money would be raised by loan and charged on the revenue of Mitcham.

From the minutes of the Mitcham Parish Council
Volume 11 April 1913 to March 1914
Report of the No. 1 Fire Brigade Committee
24th June, 1913

Page 37

The Superintendent’s Reports were read:

June 11th … Hydrant Inspection … 7s. 0d.

Page 38

The Superintendent submitted the following statement as to the result of testing of the pressure and flow at various hydrants.

TEST OF WATER MAINS ON June 16th, 1913

Position of Hydrant Static pressure in lbs. per. sq. inch. Quantity in gals. per minute
Woodite Towers 48 90
Tamworth Park 50 180
Fair Green 60 240
Graham Road (Figgs Marsh end) 60 330
Pascalls 64 360
Park Avenue 20 150
Vestry Hall 28 460
Hancock and Corfields 32 105
Canons Gates 60 80
Tramway Path 58 55
Frinton Road Links Estate 32 315
Tooting Bridge 30 300
Bonds Road
Western Road 34 240
Western Road Schools 34 340
The above tests were taken between 6 o'clock and 9 o'clock in the evening.

             Yours obediently,
                   A. L. JENNER, Superintendent.

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

Ravensbury Villas

The 1925 street directory describes the properties on the south side of Morden Road, heading west, away from the London Road.

Ravensbury terrace :
1, Mrs HIGGINS
2, Ernest NICHOLAS
3, Mrs. Annie OAKES, shopkeeper
4, Ernest TAMPLIN

Ravensbury tavern, George Thomas DEEPROSE

..here is Ravensbury grove

Ravensbury villas
1, George EDWARDS
2, William WOODCOCK & Son, decorators
3, John George ATKINSON
4, Thomas GREEN, cycle repairer

here is bridge over River Wandle ….

This 1910 OS map shows a terrace of 4 houses just past Ravensbury Grove.

1910 OS map

This terrace can be seen in this clip from a Merton Memories photo, which looks east along the Morden Road. On the left is the Ravensbury Tavern pub.

clip from Merton Memories, photo reference Mit_​TomFrancis_​A13, copyright London Borough of Merton.

Although the Merton Memories webpage says the photo is around 1900, the name of the licensee of the pub can be seen as John Dent, who was licensee to 1876.


News Articles
From the Surrey Advertiser, Saturday 11th April 1874, via the British Newspaper Archives

At Nominal Reserves.— Mitcham, Surrey.

—Nineteen Villa Residences and Cottages, in the road, Mitcham, a most healthy locality, five minutes’ walk from the railway station.

MR. S. WALKER will Sell by Auction, at the Mart, on MONDAY, April 13, twelve for one, Nineteen Leasehold Villas and Cottages, known as Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4, Ravensbury villas, term 91 years, ground rent £4 year each, estimated value £25 a year each ; eight Cottages, Nos. 2 to 16 (even numbers). Ravensbury grove, term 90 years, ground rent £20, producing £125 16s. per annum; and seven Cottages in Ravensbury-road, estimated to produce £80 a year, together with an improved ground rent of £3 10s. per annum, secured in seven adjoining cottages.

May be viewed, and particulars and conditions of sale obtained of R. Miller, Esq., Solicitor. 6, Copthall-court, E.C ; of Mr. John Wade, House Agent, Lower-green, Mitcham ; and the Auctioneer’s Offices, 61, Coleman-street, Bank, E.C.

Croydon Advertiser and East Surrey Reporter – Saturday 15 April 1876

MITCHAM.
A Troublesome Fellow.

— At the Croydon Police Court, Monday, George Jones, of Ravensbury Villas, Mitcham, was charged with being drunk and creating a disturbance on Sunday morning.—P.c. 183 stated that at half past 12 o’clock on Sunday morning he was on duty in Merton-lane, when he heard a great noise, apparently that of lot of females screaming. As he was proceeding towards the spot, he was met by woman about forty years of age, who begged of him for God’s sake to come. When he got near the spot, he found the prisoner running away. He asked him what was the matter, and the prisoner replied, “Nothing.” Witness took him back, and found a man who was bleeding from a wound under the right eye. The man charged the prisoner with having assaulted him. Prisoner said, “All right, old pal! I shall square it with a sovereign in the morning.” Prisoner was very violent, and witness apprehended him to prevent further breach of the peace, which he thought was imminent. —Prisoner, in answer to the charge, alleged that the man referred to challenged him to fight, and struck him. The man afterwards came to him, and said he was sorry for having done so.The constable said the man referred to did not formally charge the prisoner with having assaulted him, he said he was unwilling to lose a day’s work. The prisoner, witness added, was a great source of trouble to the police at Mitcham.—The prisoner was bound over in the sum of £5 to keep the peace for three months, and was then discharged.


1911 Census for Private Albert Morgan.


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