Tag Archives: 1913

Nursery Road

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Road off of Lower Green West by the side of the National School, which led to Prussia Place and Nursery Cottages. In 2022 it is a short access road. The houses were demolished as part of a slum clearance scheme, announced in 1962.

Photo taken 5th January 2023

1950 Nursery Road map

Eric Montague in his book Mitcham Histories : 5 Lower Green West, page 117, says the the Jubilee Cottages were erected in Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee year, 1887.

Occupants from street directories

1896
1904-1905
1912
1925

1896

from National Schools, Lower green

SOUTH SIDE

George BENTLEY, beer retailer
2, Mrs FRY
3, James BOYCE, builder

ALPHA TERRACE:

1, James BASSETT
2, James Herbert BRETT
3, Joseph COWLEY
4, Edward THOMPSON

JUBILEE COTTAGES:

William CHAMPION, plumber
Mrs M. CHILES

NORTH SIDE

Meggeson & Co., jujube manufacturers

In the 1898 street directory, all occupants the same except Charles MURCH instead of Mrs M. CHILES.

1904-1905

SOUTH SIDE

William LEACH, beer retailer
2, Mrs FRY
3, James BOYCE, builder

ALPHA TERRACE:

1, James BASSETT
2, James Herbert BRETT
3, William FRANKLIN
4, Edward THOMPSON

JUBILEE COTTAGES:

Charles Frederick PULLEN

NORTH SIDE

Meggeson & Co. Limited, jujube manufacturers

1912

SOUTH SIDE

1, James BOXALL, beer retailer
Hope & Carrol, motors, Mitcham Garage
George SCHENCK, art pottery manufacturer

1925

EAST SIDE

1, Thomas ROSE
2, Miss FRY
3, Percy Arthur NICHOLAS

ALPHA TERRACE:

1, James BASSETT
2, James Herbert BRETT
3, William FRANKLIN
4, Edward THOMPSON

JUBILEE COTTAGES:

1, Harry SPALDING
2, William Morgan DAVIS

WEST SIDE

Porto Motor Co. motor engineers

World War 1 Connections
Corporal William Herbert Brett DCM

Private William Whitbread

News Articles

6th June 1932 from the Mitcham News & Mercury:
Mr Ernest BURNELL, 52, of Prussia Place, Nursery Road, found hanging.

Auction from Wimbledon News – Saturday 02 May 1914

LOWER MITCHAM.

—Five minutes from the Railway Station, the electric tram’ to Croydon and Tooting and the motor ‘buses to London, and within a few yards of the beautiful old cricket green.

A SOUND FREEHOLD INVESTMENT of £68 . 0 . 0.

BLAKE, SON AND WILLIAMS Have been instructed to Sell by Auction at the Greyhound Hotel. Croydon. on Thursday, 14th May, at Six o’clock precisely, THREE FREEHOLD HOUSES, known as Nos. 1, 2 end 3, Nursery-road. Mitcham, adjoining the old national schools, let upon weekly tenancies, landlord paying rates and taxes. Good accommodation and large gardens. May be viewed by permission of the tenants. Particulars and conditions of sale of the Solicitors, Messrs. Edridge, Son and Marten, 4, High-street, Croydon, and of the Auctioneers, 45, High-street, Croydon.

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

Lonesome Chemical Works

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Late 19th, early 20th century chemical factory that was west of Rowan Road and south of Greyhound Terrace. It was part of the Mitcham Urban District although its address was Streatham.

Described in the Mitcham vestry minutes of 1853 as “the new factory lately erected at Lonesome Farm”

Source: Mitcham Histories: 3 Pollards Hill, Commonside East and Lonesome by E.N. Montague; pages 20 to 25.

Incorrectly listed in the 1855 Mitcham Directory as Thomas Foster instead of FORSTER, india rubber works, Lonesome.

This ad from 1883 states that the firm of Forster & Gregory was established in 1852.

ad from 1883 edition of The Druggist and Chemist

Text of ad:

FORSTER & GREGORY
MANUFACTURING CHEMISTS
LONESOME CHEMICAL WORKS, STREATHAM COMMON, S.W.,

Makers of all tho Hypophosphites; also of Valerianic Acid and all Valerianates, Bisulphide of Carbon, Chloride of Sulphur, Chlorate of Baryta, and Chemicals for Pyrotechnical
and all othor purposes.

All Coal Tar Products for the Manufacture of Aniline Dyes.

Refiners of Sulphur in Rock or Roll, Ground Sulphur, Washed Sulphur, Milk of
Sulphur, Precipitated Sulphur. Guaranteed Pure.

ESTABLISHED 1852.] SAMPLES AND QUOTATIONS ON APPLICATION. [ESTABLISHED 1852.

1870 OS map

Eric Montague suggested that the Gasometer shown on this map was where the coal tar was extracted in retorts for the production of naphtha, used in making the india rubber. Town gas is a result of this extraction and may well have been stored in the gasometer for local uses, such as lighting for the works.

1894 OS map

1913 OS Map Lonesome


Note that the Manor Road shown on this map north of Marian Road was later renamed Greyhound Terrace.

1933 OS Map

News Articles

Croydon Advertiser and East Surrey Reporter – Saturday 04 February 1899

The Chemical Factory and the District Council

At the Croydon County Bench Saturday, before Ald. Barrow the chair), Col, Cetto, Capt. T. Goodson, and Mr. S. Rostron, the adjourned case came of the Croydon Rural District Council v. William George Forster, managing director of Messrs. Forster & Gregory. Lonesome Chemical Works, Mitcham, respecting a nuisance in which the District Council asked for order against the defendant under the Public Health Act of to abate the nuisance.

– Mr. Wilson, representing the District Council, said that since the case first came before the Bench the experts the defendant met those of the District Council on the spot, and the result had been letter from the defendants’ solicitors, stating that they would agree to the order the Council asked for.€

– Mr. Dees said this was so. They consented to order accordance with the terms of the summons. The Council had agreed to give them a certain amount of time, 42 days, in which to carry out the terms the order. It would mean that the firm would have to do considerable work at considerable cost. The required order was made.

Croydon Advertiser and East Surrey Reporter – Saturday 04 January 1879

Gregory.
— Dec. 17th, suddenly, Edwin Gregory, of Thornton Heath and Lonesome Chemical Works, aged 43 years.