Tag Archives: 1925

Whitford Gardens

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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.

Lavender Walk

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Off of Commonside East, today a footpath that leads to corner of Baker Lane and Gaston Road.

In this 1974 photo from the Collage collection, the footpath is where the white van is parked. Click on the link to zoom in.

Image courtesy of Collage - The London Picture Library - http://collage.cityoflondon.gov.uk


1974 Image courtesy of Collage – The London Picture Library – http://collage.cityoflondon.gov.uk

From 1925 street directory:

from Commonside east to Eastfields.

East side

Mint cottages :

  1. Joseph Simmons
  2. Thomas Grace

Cox’s cottages :

  1. Sidney Huggett
  2. William Enever
  3. Bernard Mark Bicknell
  4. William Clarke
  5. Charles Stewart

Helena cottages :

  1. George W Spencer
  2. Thomas Frederick Wadsworth

News Articles

1885 theft of vegetables from Mr Slater

A Convenient Sister.

— On Monday, at the Croydon Petty Sessions, before Mr. Edridge and the Mayor, Fredk. Hazle, of Lavender-walk, Mitcham, was charged with stealing some brocoli and cabbages from East Fields, the property of Mr Slater.

– Prisoner admitted taking the greens, stating that he did so to sell them and get some bread with.- Mr. Edridge told him he knew full well that there was a relieving officer in Mitcham whom he could go if he was in want.

— P.-c. Stratton stated, in answer to the Bench, that he had known prisoner for ten years, and the police had received many complaints of his thieving habits.

— Prisoner was fined the value 3s., a fine of 2s. 6d., and the costs, 2s. 6d. His sister paid the money.

– In reply to the Bench, Mr. Slater, the prosecutor, said he didn’t want the money which the magistrates offered to return him as the value of the vegetables.

— Mr. Edridge: Shall we keep it for the poor box ?

– Prosecutor: Yes, sir.

— Mr. Edridge : That will make a beginning; there’s nothing in it at present. Thank you.

Source: Croydon Advertiser and East Surrey Reporter – Saturday 28 February 1885 from the British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)

1886 throwing stones at passing trains

CROYDON COUNTY BENCH.

Saturday.

— Before Mr. T. R. Edridge (in the chair), Dr. Alfred Carpenter, Dr. Hetley, Mr. J. Corry, Mr. J. Judd, and Mr. H. Heath.

A dangerous practice.

Henry Thomas Wadsworth, of Lavender-walk, Commonside, Mitcham, and John Hazel, of Mount Cottage, Mitcham, both lads, were charged on summonses taken out by Inspector Howland, of the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway, with throwing stones a train. A policeman deposed that he was on duty at the Beehive Bridge, Mitcham Common, when he saw the defendants throwing stones a passing train. One of the missiles struck the train, and another one fell short. Witness went up to the lads and asked them why they had thrown the stones, and they replied, ” Only for a game.” Upon that he took their names and addresses, and reported the matter to the railway authorities.

— In reply to the Bench, the defendants denied that either of the stones hit the train ; they fell on the bridge.

— Mr. Edridge, the chairman, said the charge was a most serious one, and, as a warning other lads, the defendants would be remanded in custody for a few days.

Wednesday.

— Before Mr. T. R. Edridge. To-day the defendants were brought up from the House of Detention, and the Chairman discharged them with a caution.

Source: Surrey Mirror – Saturday 23 January 1886 from the British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)

Note that ‘Mount Cottages’ should have been ‘Mint Cottages’.

World War 1 Connections
Captain William Allison White – VC

1959 map

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