Tag Archives: 1934

Smith’s Buildings

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A terrace of 30 houses between Lavender Walk and the Beehive pub. The houses were numbered sequentially, from 1 to 15 on the west side and from 16 to 30 on the east side. Demolished in 1936.

According to the 1910 Ownership Electors, numbers 1 to 15 were owned by Edward Smith of Muswell Hill, London, and numbers 16 to 30 by Richard Christopher Smith of Newlands, Manor Road, West Worthing.

In the 1927 electoral register the houses are still numbered 1 to 30 but in the next year’s register, i.e. for 1928, the houses have been renumbered from 85 to 143 as all odd numbers, replacing 1 to 30 consecutive.

Referred to in 1934 Health Report as a Clearance Area under the 1930 Housing Act:

CLEARANCE AREA No. 8. A row of back-to-back cottages known as 85 – 143 (odd numbers) Smiths Buildings, Commonside East. An objection having been made to this Order a local inquiry was held on April 24, 1934. The Order was confirmed.

Source: Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Mitcham, Wellcome Trust (PDF), page 33

1910 OS map

1934 aerial views from Historic England

c. 1935 clip from Merton Memories photo reference Mit_Work_Industry_43-1

Occupants from the 1925 street directory:

West Side

Number Title Forenames Surname
1 Mrs Brown
2 Mr Harry Purkiss
3 Mr William Bowling
4 Mrs Gilbert
5 Mr John Bowling
6 Mr Frederick Wallace
7 Mr Arthur Blake
8 Mr Albert George Beadle
9 Mr Frederick Chas Harrison
10 Mr John Sparrowhawke
11 Mrs Tegg
12 Mr James Smith
13 Mr Charles Henry Wilkes
14 Mrs Green
15 Mr Thomas Miles

East Side

Number Title Forenames Surname
16 Mrs Miles
17 Mr George Mountain
18 Mrs S Brown
19 Mr Thomas William Dolby
20 Mrs Towers
21 Mr Frank Haywood
22 Mrs Fletcher
23 Mr Alfred Kilby
24 Mr Alfred William Green
25 Mr Frederick Laight
26 Mr John Richard Steers
27 Mrs Hussey
28 Mrs Dawson
29 Mrs Elliott
30 Mr Frederick Chas Redmayne

World War 1 Connections
Private David James Elliott

Mr George Mountain is mentioned in a news article of 1929 about two Lonesome school teachers crashing a car.

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

Laing’s Corner

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A three story block of seven shops and offices with flats above, on the corner of London Road and Locks Lane, postcode CR4 2JA.

Eric Montague, on page 5 of Mitcham Histories: 14 Upper Mitcham and Western Road, said it was named after William Frederick Laing, who founded the estate agents Seymour Laing and Co.

Mitcham Borough Council minutes, page 131, of 7th December, 1938, said that the block was given a name as there were only four numbers available in London Road, which wasn’t enough for all twelve flats.

Norwood News – Friday 18 February 1938
Image © Trinity Mirror. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. Via the British Newspaper Archive.

Text of ad:

LAINGS CORNER
London Road, Mitcham
For Particulars of the SHOPS and OFFICES
now being erected on
MITCHAMS MOST IMPORTANT SITE

Apply Sole Agent –
Seymour E. Laing, A.V.I., F.N.A.A.
87 London Road, Mitcham

(Opposite Swan Hotel)

Telephone : MITcham 0826

1951 OS map

A clock was on the wall above number 5 until around 2009. It can be seen using the history option on Google Street View, for July 2008.

July 2008

Adverts

1952

Norwood News – Friday 19 February 1960
Image © Trinity Mirror. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Minutes of meetings held by the Mitcham Borough 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.