School whose address is Cricket Green, Mitcham, CR4 4LA. Its entrance from that road is between the Mary Tate Almshouses and number 40.
1954 OS map
The road had previously been called Lower Green East until 1944, when it was renamed Cricket Green.
According to 1 The Cricket Green, page 113 :
The Roman Catholic primary school St Peter and St Paul was rebuilt in 1974, replacing the original chapel school building erected in 1861 on land given by William Simpson Jr.
This OS map from 1910 shows the outline of the school building, its entrance being between the Almshouses and the Britannia pub shown as P.H.
1910 OS map
Kelly and Post Office directories from the late 19th and early 20th centuries state that the school was probably built around 1867, for 80 children. It’s worth noting that the Catholic church was built later than the school, in 1889. The directory of 1912 said that the school was enlarged in 1897, for 148 children, and had an average attendance of 123. The 1912 directory said that the school was enlarged again in 1908 for 180 children. Also in that directory was a list of the six school managers, and their clerk:
James Douglas DREWETT, Ravensbury, Upper Green, Mitcham
Bernard HAYWARD, Post office, London Road, Mitcham
Rev. Bernard W. KELLY, St. Anthony’s Hospital, London Road, North Cheam
Berrill Henry MAGUIRE, The Beeches, London Road, Lower Mitcham
Rev. Joshua POOLEY, The Presbytery, Cranmer Road, Mitcham
William F. J. SIMPSON, Park place, Commonside West, MitchamClerk to Managers, William James DICKISSON, Trent House, 87 Melrose Avenue, Mitcham
The directories also gave the head mistress in charge of the school, as shown in this table, where the years are the directory entries.
| YEARS | Name |
|---|---|
| 1874 and 1878 | Miss Mary A. PARKS |
| 1880 | Miss Mary CONWAY |
| 1891 | Miss Mary Ann RIGBY |
| 1896 | Miss Elizabeth BRYCE |
| 1898, 1901 and 1902 | Miss DAWSON |
| 1911, 1912, 1913 and 1915 | Miss Annie DERHAM |
| 1918 | Miss Elizabeth DAVEY |
Miss Davey started teaching in 1887, according to this news article from 1933 which reported on her retiring from head mistress.
A WORTHY TEACHER
Miss Davey, the esteemed head mistress of Mitcham Catholic Day School, is retiring to well-merited leisure after 46 years of teaching. She has put the best years and the best efforts of her life into this school, and she has the consolation of knowing that she has not spent herself in vain. When she leaves at the end of February she will take with her the united good wishes of the priest, the parents, and the children for her devoted service.
From the Mitcham News & Mercury, 6th January, 1933, page 1.
The name of the school in the directories was either the Lower Mitcham Catholic School, or the Mitcham Catholic Day School as in the 1933 news item.
Listed in the 1971 phone book as S.S. Peter & Paul R.C. Primary, Cricket Green, telephone 01-648 1459.
Merton Memories Photos
Catholic chapel that was demolished when school was rebuilt in 1974
1970 school playground
undated colour photo of school from Cricket Green
Eric Montague Slides
A 1966 photo of the Sheila Shaw horse riding school, at number 40 next door to the Catholic school, shows part of the entrance and its notice board, that is headed ‘Ss Peter & Paul’s Catholic School’.
Maps are reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.
Mitcham History Notes 