Tag Archives: 1953

Fountain Road

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Road that was demolished in mid 1970s to make way for the ‘Quadrant’ housing estate, Sadlers Close. It was off the Western Road and connected to the end of Sibthorp Road. At the corner of Fountain Road and Western Road was the Fountain pub.

Houses were numbered odd on the left side of the road, as seen from the Western Road end, and even on the right.

1953 OS map

clip from 1962 photo on Merton Memories, copyright London Borough of Merton. On the left is the Fountain pub on the corner with Western Road.

The road included Trotts Yard.

1910 OS Map

1910 OS Map

Occupants from street directories

1891

From Merton Lane to Sibthorpe Road

NORTH SIDE

Walter Lancaster, contractor
Mrs. C. Howe, wood dealer

SOUTH SIDE

Chas. Stevens, wardrobe dealer
Mrs. E. Ballard, shopkeeper

1915

From Western Road to Sibthorp Road

NORTH SIDE

23, Mrs. Mary Prestridge, shopkeeper

SOUTH SIDE

14, Mrs. A. Ellis, shopkeeper
36, James Elliott, marine store keeper
52, Mrs. Eliza Ballard, shopkeeper

1925

from Western Road to Sibthorpe Road

NORTH-WEST SIDE

9, Walter SMITH
11, John HOLMES
13, Walter HILLS
15, Harry COLE
17, Alfred LAVENDER
23, John BAXALL
25, William ELMER
27, James S BATES
29, Arthur WILDE
31, Mrs MOORE
33, William BAXALL
35, George Thomas YEATES
37, Mrs Anna SMITH
39, Alfred LAY
41, Frank CHAMBERS
43, George RUSSELL
45, William SALLIS
47, Mrs LAY
49, Mrs RICHINGS
51, Mrs HOLDFORD
53, Henry BLAKE
55, William BUTCHER

SOUTH-EAST SIDE

52, E. BALLARD, grocer
50, Mrs RONALD
48, Bert BALLARD
46, Robert William BALL
44, Harry GARDNER
42, Joseph GARDNER
40, David HUMMERSTONE
38, Edward GROOM
36, James ELLIOTT, marine store dealer
30, George Frederick SHEPHERD
28, William George SALLIS
26, Charles F. HUTTON
24, Henry FISHER
22, Mrs HILLS
20, William WILKES
18, George ELLIOTT
16, H.J. PARKER
14, Frederick MILES
12, Frank BROWN
12, James ELLIOTT
10, Josiah SMITH
8, Alfred FLETCHER
6, Mrs BARTLETT
4, Mrs WHEELER
2, Mrs KING

World War 1 Connections

Private Charles BONE
Driver William Thomas CHALLIS
Private David James ELLIOTT
Private John GARDNER
Lance Corporal Isaiah LEMON

World War 2 Connections
50 Fountain Road, J.W. ELLIOTT volunteered for the Home Guard, 29th December 1941

Street party in Fountain Road for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953. Photo kindly provided by Jason via the Mitcham History Facebook Group

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

The Parade

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Parade of shops on east side of London Road, south of the Upper or Fair Green, consisting of 12 shops to Langdale Avenue, then a further 6 shops south of there. Historic England defines a ‘parade’ as

‘planned developments incorporating rows of shops (facing onto an outdoor space), with a strong degree of architectural uniformity…. (which) includes at least three shops’.

aerial view of The Parade

aerial view of The Parade

Built around 1905 according to Montague, in his Mitcham Histories : 12 Church Street and Whitford Lane, page 107.

Could the builder have been J. Harding? This planning application was approved at the same time as another for 12 houses in Langdale Avenue:
From the minutes of the Croydon Rural District Council
Volume IX 1903 – 1904
7th May 1903
page 72

No. 2505, Harding, J., 12 houses and shops, London Road, Mitcham

From a Tuck postcard dated 1950

From a Tuck postcard dated 1950

1913 map (1:2500 scale):

1913 OS Map courtesy of Merton Heritage Service

1913 OS Map courtesy of Merton Heritage Service.

This 1953 map shows it with the shops renumbered. (The map has been rotated.)

Occupants from Commercial Directories

1911

 

Number Occupier Trade
1 Milton IRELAND grocer
2 Wm. Geo. EVANS customs & excise officer
2 Mrs. Annie Brooking MARTIN ladies’ tailor
3 Mitcham Liberal Association
3 The World’s Stores Limited provision dealers
4 Alfred Thomas JENKINS confectioner
5 Leonard Thomas DAVEY auctioneer
6 B. H. CRAIG & Co photographers
6 Gordon WILLIAMS artificial teeth maker
7 National Telephone Co. Limited
7 James WHITE oil and color dealer
8 John DOOLEY stationer
9 Charles BREESE chemist
10 Jean Baptiste ROMPEL watch maker
11 Clement CARLTON greengrocer
11 Cyril MARRIOTT printer
12 Frederick George PEARCE baker
13 Wraight, Dumbriil & Co. Ltd dairymen
15 Jas. NELSON & Sons Ltd. butchers

The Parade – Brookman, baker, at number 12 on the corner, is listed in the 1915 directory, but not the 1911

No. 13 The Parade, occupied by Wraight Dumbrill Ltd. dairymen.

From the London Gazette : “Wraight & Dumbrill Ltd. was registered in 1899, changed name to Curtis Brothers & Dumbrill Ltd. in 1917, which went into voluntary liquidation in 1931.”

1915

Number Occupier Trade
1 Milton IRELAND grocer
2 George OAKES tailor
3 The Worlds Stores provision dealers
3 Mitcham Liberal Association political
5 Leonard Thomas DAVEY estate agent
6 Miss Ethel DIXON milliner
7 James WHITE oil & color dealer
9 Charles BREESE chemist
10 Gregory WILLIAM boot repairer
10 Harry HARDING builder
12 A.W. BROOKMAN & Co. bakers
13 Wraight Dumbrill & Co. Ltd. dairymen
14 Hawkins & Desmond laundry
14 Herbert SPENCER upholsterer
17 Cyril MARRIOTT printer

After renumbering
1 -> 225
2 -> 227
3 -> 229
4 -> 231
5 -> 233
6 -> 235
7 -> 237
8 -> 239
9 -> 241
10 -> 243/5
11 -> 247
12 -> 249

13 -> 251
14 -> 253
15 -> 255
16 -> 257
17 -> 259
18 -> 261

From the 1930 commercial directory

Number Occupier Trade
225 James REYNOLDS grocer
227 George OAKES tailor
229 The Worlds Stores Ltd provision dealer
231 Percy MAYHEW confectioner
233 Pearks Dairies Ltd provision dealer
235 Walter HUNT greengrocer
237 James WHITE oil and colour dealer
239 Percy MAYHEW stationer
241 Edward WAVELL chemist
243 Harry HARDING builder
247 Russell and Son watch makers
249 Leonard T WELTEN confectioner
251 United Dairies dairy
253 Peckham Steam Laundry Ltd laundry
255 Stanley Philip BLOGG greengrocer
259 The Mitcham Printing Works printers engravers and account book makers

Shops in 1989

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.