Tag Archives: 1943

Framfield Road

Framfield Road is off the west side of Streatham Road opposite The Driftway. It leads into St James’s Road. The reason for the name is unknown, however next to it is Uckfield Grove, and the town of Uckfield in Sussex has a town of Framfield two miles to the east of it.

Possibly built around 1928 as in that year mortgages were provided by the Mitcham Urban District Council, under the Small Dwellings Acquisitions Act, for houses valued at £625 each.

As approached from the Streatham Road end, the houses on the left are arranged in blocks of six, numbered odd from 1 to 107. On the right side the houses are numbered even from 2 to 88. Extra houses were built on plots near the St James’s Road end that had garages. A number of houses have since been divided into flats.

The Royal Mail website says that there three postcodes in use in this road, namely CR4 2AL, 2AU and 2AW.


News Items

From the Manchester Evening News – Monday 11th January 1943, via the British Newspaper Archive

Home Guard Fell in River At Night

While two Home Guards were patrolling on the Thames quayside at Wandsworth, one of them, William Edward Field (41), of Framfield Road, Mitcham, fell into the river in the darkness and was drowned.

At the Battersea inquest to-day the Coroner (Mr. Hervey Wyatt) recorded a verdict of accidental death. He said that Field’s companion, Ernest William Horsman, who climbed down a wire and made two unsuccessful rescue attempts, had every reason to congratulate himself on his fine effort to help his friend.

According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission entry for W.E. FIELD, he was in the 52nd County of London (Wandsworth Gas Co.) Battalion of the Home Guard. He was the son of Edward and Daisy Field, of Mitcham and husband of Elsie Catherine Field, of Mitcham. Although his grave is in the London Road Cemetery, it is not in the ‘War Graves’ section that has the graves of the local Home Guard that died in 1941. It is in plot 9, which is near the Victoria Road entrance.

Edward Pullen gets MBE in 1961 but missed DCM in 1916

Bryant Carton Co. Ltd.

320 – 360 Church Road
Merton, SW19

1952 OS map

According to the 1963 Borough of Mitcham List of Factories, it made cardboard boxes and was trading as The Metal Box Co. Ltd.

However a relative of one of the staff at the company in the post-WW2 period said they made printed metal trays and containers, see comment below.

This clip from Merton Memories photo of the newly built Phipps Bridge Estate in the mid 1960s shows the carton factory on the east side of Church Road.

clip from Merton Memories photo, reference Mit_​Buildings_​57-19, copyright London Borough of Merton.

News Articles

Norwood News – Friday 26 April 1929

LADDER TRAGEDY
CARPENTER FOUND AT BOTTOM.
SAD INQUEST STORY

An accidental fall at his work led to the death of Alfred Frederick Herbert Payn (41), carpenter, of Lyveden road, Tooting Junction. At the inquest on Tuesday at Mitcham, the widow, Mrs. Lilian Payn said her husband was subject to epileptic fits. He had them occasionally but invariably had a few days’ warning before hand, and stayed at home until he was better. He left home on Saturday, apparently in good health to go to his work at the Bryant Carton Works, Church-road, Mitcham.

WORKMATE’S STORY.

William Henry Drewett, of Seaton-road, Mitcham, said he was at the works on Saturday morning. He saw Payn going up a step-ladder to do a job. About three-quarters of an hour later witness heard some groaning, and found Payn lying on the floor at the bottom of the steps. He had evidently fallen down the ladder, and was holding a mallet and chisel in his hands.

Wm. Batty, the foreman, said they were building an extension to the factory. Payn was doing a bit of carpentry, and had to use a pair of steps for the purpose. Witness saw him start work that morning, and he appeared in good health. Drewett called witness’s attention to him lying un conscious at the bottom of the steps. Witness sent for the ambulance, and he was taken to Wilson Hospital.

LACERATED BRAIN.

Dr. Edith Bowie, of Streatham-road. Mitcham, said she was also on the staff of Wilson Hospital. She was there when Payn was admitted on Saturday morning. He had a bruise on the right side of the head and laceration of the brain, which had set up hemorrhage. Evidently the man had fallen on his head, for there was no other injury.

The Coroner : You could not tell whether he had a fit or not before? Dr. Bowie : No, not from what I saw.

The Coroner recorded a verdict of “Accidental death.”

Norwood News – Friday 13 August 1943

Brooker – Lord

A bride and bridegroom who first met while serving on a gun site in Scotland, with the A.T.S. and Royal Artillery respectively, were married on Saturday at Mitcham Parish Church, the Rev. G. S. Lubbock officiating.

They were Miss Eileen Joyce Lord, youngest daughter of Mrs. Lord and the late Mr. E. F. Lord, Church-road, Mitcham, and Bdr. Brian Cecil Brooker, R.A., eldest son of Mrs. Laross and the late Mr. Brooker, Chartram-road, South Norwood.

The bride was given away by Mr. T. Burnell, and looked charming in a gown of crepe, in a pastel shade of blue, with a navy hat and accessories. She carried a bouquet of pink and white carnations.

Her sister, Mrs. G. E. Button, acted as matron or honour, wearing a blue floral dress of crepe and a black hat. The bridegroom’s brother, Sgt. Victor Brooker, R.A., was best man.

A reception was held at the bride’s home. Before joining the A.T.S. she was a popular member of the staff of the Bryant Carton Manufacturing Company, where she had worked for seven years. Her late father was well known as a bus driver.


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