Tag Archives: High Street

York Place

Terrace of 7 shops, on the north side of the Fair Green, west of the London Road. It became part of St Marks Road, until demolished to make way for Majestic Way in the late 1980s.

york-place

early 1900s

Eric Montague’s Mitcham Histories : 7 The Upper or Fair Green, Mitcham, page 108 said that in 1828 at number 4 lived William HILLS, a local builder who the last parish beadle. Montague suggested that York Place was built in the first two decades of the 19th century.

1921

1921

1964

1964

From the Dentists Registry entries from 1879 to 1893, William James Jones was in practice as a dentist with the pharmacy at 1, York Place before 22nd July 1878.

From the 1891 street directory:

from High Street to Killick’s Lane

NORTH SIDE

1 W.J. Jones, chemist & stationer
2 Post Office
3 William Saynes, beer retailer
4 Joseph Shepherd, corn dealer
5 G.B. Bennett, tobacconist

7 William Shepherd, machine agent

Number 3 was the Lord Napier pub, before becoming George York’s funeral business.

In the 1915 street directory, these retain the numbers as above, but are part of St. Marks Road:

NORTH SIDE

1 John K. Harvey, chemist
2 Mrs L.C. Williams, dining rooms
3 George York, undertaker
4 H. Tedder, hair dresser
5 William Whittington, tobacconist
6 William Augustus Martin, butcher
7 S. & E. Rimmel, grocers

In the 1925 street directory, the shops have been renumbered odd:

1 John K. Harvey M.P.S., chemist
3 William Scratchley, dining rooms
5 George York, undertaker
7 H. Tedder, hair dresser
9 William Whittington, tobacconist
11 A. Bacon, hosier
13 S. & E. Rimmel, grocers

From the 1954 telephone directory:

1 J.K. Harvey, chemist & druggist, MIT 0892
3 Thorpes Radio, MIT 3964
5 George York, undertaker, MIT 2926
7
9
11
13

(Scratchley’s Dining Rooms is in the 1954 phone book at 310 High Street, Sutton VIG 4125)

1891 James Mouland’s unlicensed cart

A Business, Not a Pleasure Cart.

— On Saturday morning, at the Croydon County Police Court, James Mouland, a watchmaker and furniture dealer, of High-street, Mitcham, was summoned for having kept a “carriage” without license.

— The defendant said he kept a cart, and always had done so, for use in his business. It was true he used it for private purposes sometimes. He was in the habit of riding in it to church—(laughter)—but then the people at Somerset House had sent him a paper stating that he might ride to church in an unlicensed carriage if he was unable to walk, and that was the case with him. He was on his way to church when the Revenue Officer saw him.

— Sir Thomas Edridge: But it was on Thursday, Mr. Mouland.

— Defendant: On that occasion I was going to Sutton on business. I was taking some clocks and watches home. I often take furniture home in the cart Ought I to have a license for that?

— Sir Thomas : You know as well as I do that you don’t need a license for that

— The Officer : It is only a light spring cart and there was no furniture in it when I saw it

— Defendant: No, but I had clocks and watches in the cart

— The Officer : Watches are not goods.

— Sir Thomas: Supposing a man dealt only in watches, and loaded his cart with them ?

— Defendant’s daughter went into the box and swore that on the day in question she had conveyed some clocks and watches to Clapham for her father.

— Eventually the magistrates came to the conclusion that the case against the defendant had not been made out, and the summons was dismissed.

Source: Croydon Advertiser and East Surrey Reporter – Saturday 01 August 1891 from the British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)