Tag Archives: London Road

James Chuter Ede, Mitcham MP in 1923

James Chuter EDE was Labour M.P. for Mitcham in 1923.

He lived at Tamworth House, London Road between 1924 and 1937. He moved after the house had been burgled six times, according to this article in the Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail – Monday 25 January 1937

Mr. James Chuter Ede, M P. for South Shields, has lived at Tamworth Farm House, London Road, Mitcham, for 13 years, and during that period his house has been burgled six times. “We are leaving Mitcham,” he said last night, “but where we are going is not yet settled.” Mr. Ede chairman of Surrey County Council.

photo taken by Eric Montague in 1975. Reproduced by kind permission of the Merton Historical Society. Image reference mhs-em-nm-10
The photo appears in Eric Montague’s book Mitcham Histories : 2 North Mitcham, on page 41.

10th March, 1923. Image © Illustrated London News Group. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Timeline of Main Events
1882: 11 September: James Chuter Ede is born in Epsom, Surrey.
1905-1914: Ede works as an assistant master at council elementary schools in Surrey.
1908: Ede is elected as a member of Epsom Urban District Council (UDC).
1914: Ede is elected to Surrey County Council. World War I begins.
1914-1918: Ede serves in the East Surrey Regiment and Royal Engineers during World War I, reaching the rank of Acting Regimental Sergeant Major.
1918: Ede joins the Labour Party.
Ede stands as a Labour candidate for Epsom but is defeated.
1920: Ede chairs Epsom UDC.
1923: March: Ede is elected as MP for Mitcham in a by-election.
December: Ede loses the Mitcham seat in the general election.
1924: Ede is defeated again in the Mitcham general election.
1927: Ede leaves Epsom UDC.
1929: Ede is elected as MP for South Shields.
1929-31: Ede serves in the short-lived Labour government.
1930: Ede is appointed to chair a government committee on educational standards in private schools.
1931: Ede loses his parliamentary seat in the general election.
1932: The committee on educational standards in private schools, chaired by Ede, delivers its report.
1933: Ede rejoins Epsom UDC.
Ede becomes chairman of Surrey CC.
1934: Ede becomes chairman of the London and Home Counties Joint Electricity Authority.
1935: Ede is re-elected to Parliament for South Shields.
1937: Epsom and Ewell are granted borough status, with Ede serving as the first “Charter Mayor”.
Ede becomes chairman of the British Electrical Development Association.
1938: Ede votes in favour of a motion to abolish the death penalty for murder.
1940: May: Ede is appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education in the wartime coalition government.
1942: February: Ede declines a request to move to the Ministry of War Transport.
March: Ede authors the “White Memorandum” on education reform, proposing compulsory transfer of Anglican schools in “single school areas” to local authority control.
1943: July: Ede and R.A. Butler publish a formal white paper on planned education reform.
1944: March: The Education Act 1944, steered through Parliament by Ede and Butler, receives its Second Reading.
August: Ede becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education.
1945: Labour wins the general election.
August: Ede is appointed Home Secretary in Clement Attlee’s government.
1946: The Police Act is passed.
1947: The Fire Services Act is passed.
Ede addresses the General Assembly of the Unitarian Church.
The school-leaving age is raised to 15.
1948: The Civil Defence Act, Children Act, British Nationality Act, Representation of the People Act, and Criminal Justice Act are passed.
Lilian Mary Ede, James Chuter Ede’s wife, passes away.
The Lynskey tribunal, established by Ede, investigates allegations of corruption among government ministers and civil servants.
Timothy Evans is convicted of murdering his daughter, and Ede approves his death sentence.
1949: The Justices of the Peace Act is passed.
1950: Ede begins commuting all death sentences to life imprisonment, but the House of Lords rejects this policy.
1951: Labour loses the general election.
March: Ede briefly serves as Leader of the House of Commons.
October: Ede leaves his government posts.
1953: John Christie is convicted and hanged for murder, revealing that Timothy Evans, hanged in 1950, was likely innocent. Ede becomes involved in the campaign to pardon Evans.
1955: Ede is elected President of the International Association for Liberal Christianity and Religious Freedom (IARF).
1957-58: Ede serves as President of the Unitarian General Assembly.
1964: Ede retires from the House of Commons.
1965: January: Ede is created a life peer as Baron Chuter-Ede of Epsom.
November: The Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act is passed, abolishing capital punishment for murder in the UK.
November: James Chuter Ede passes away in Ewell, Surrey.

See also wikipedia.

Ernie Chambers cycle shop

Cycle shop that was at 105 London Road, north of and next to the Gardeners Arms pub. Owned and run by Ernie Chambers.

Clip of 1975 photo by Bill Rudd, reproduced with kind permission of the Merton Historical Society

Opened in 1936 or 1937, as described in the Mitcham Town Guide of 1937:

… a newly established business, but old in experience. Ernie Chambers, whom you can regard as your friend and adviser, has been in the cycle trade for many years, and can back this up with a wealth of cycle racing experience, vouched for by the fact that he has ridden for England in three Olympiads, in 1928, 1932 and 1935, a record unequalled by any other cyclist. Here then is a real cyclist that understands a cyclist’s needs. All the leading makes of cycles are stocked. Everything for the cyclist who uses his machine for business, touring, racing or pleasure.

All repairs are promptly and skilfully executed on the premises no job too large or too small.


Adverts

1937 ad

1937 ad

1952 ad

1952 ad

Text of ad:

ERNIE CHAMBERS for ..
Cycle and Cycle-Motors

Power Pak
Hand Built 49 c.c. bicycle motor

Cash or Easy Terms

25 Guineas (terms available)
12 Months Guarantee

105 London Road, Mitcham

MITcham 2021


A former Mitcham resident, now living in Thailand, said:

Took my first ever pushbike there in 1959. My pedal had broken and I had lost the small ball bearings inside. The lazy sods took more than 1 week to get my bike done! Went back time after time asking politely. I guess they didn’t care about a small job like that? However as a very young lad I did miss my bike big time! I never thought I’d ever remember that shop till I saw this post! Well done! Greetings from a very hot Thailand!