Two rows of four houses that were between Belgrave Walk and Church Road.

1952 OS Map

1973 photo by Eric Montague

Occupants in the 1925 directory

North side

1, Walter BEADLE
2, Albert Edward MULLIS
3, William Henry WILKS
4, Thomas James WILKES

South side

5, Horace Victor CLARK
6, Albert Edward TAPPING
7, Mrs E.H. HILL
8, William John POWELL

Newspaper Articles

Mitcham Advertiser – Thursday 25 December 1930

MITCHAM WEDDING. Miss B. Powell — Mr. L. J. Tapping. Gold was the principal colour in a pretty Christmas wedding at Mitcham parish Church on Saturday. The bride was Miss Blanche Powell, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs W. Powell, of Hawthorn Cottages Church- road, and the bridegroom was Mr. Leonard Joseph Tapping. younger son of Sub-Officer A. Tapping, Fire Brigade, and Mrs. Tapping, of Hawthorn Cottages. The service was conducted by the Rev. C. Aubrey Finch, Vicar of Mitcham. Miss Powell, who was given away by her father, wore a white crepe-de-Chine dress with veil and coronet of orange blossom. Her bouquet was a “shower” of pink roses. The four bridesmaids were the Misses Ivy, and Lilian Powell (sisters of the bride), Miss Winifred Tapping (sister of the bridegroom) and four years old Gwendoline Penegar (niece of the bridegroom), a dainty little figure. All four were dressed alike in green silk trimmed with old, gold shoes and stockings and gold head dresses, Each carried a shower bouquet of gold chrysanthemums. The best man was Mr. Archie Tapping (brother of the bridegroom). About forty guests attended the reception at the bride’s home, where the numerous wedding presents were on view. These included a Westminster chiming clock from the bridegroom’s fellow workers at Messrs, McPherson’s “Cock Chimney” Varnish Factory, a cut-glass crystal fruit bowl from Mr. Donald McPherson (a director of the firm), and a canteen of cutlery from the bride’s fellow workers at Messrs. Mullard’s Works, Hackbridge.

Mitcham Advertiser – Thursday 21 April 1938

MITCHAM FIRES BRIGADE OFFICER GIVES ALARM

A few minutes past nine on Tuesday morning, Second Officer A. Tilley, of Mitcham Fire Brigade, was cycling in Church-road when he ran into a thick fog of smoke which blotted out that part of the road near Miles-road. Stopping to investigate the circumstance, he found a chimney on fire at No. 5, Hawthorne Cottages, Belgrave-walk, occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Horace Clark and family. The Fire Brigade were called by telephone. Working on the roof. the firemen found that flames had penetrated through the brickwork to the top of the house next door, occupied by Mr. Albert Tapping, formerly a sub-officer of Mitcham Fire Brigade. He was working on the road close by as an employee of the Borough Council and went to assist in putting out the blaze. Damage was done to the furniture by smoke and soot.

Albert Edward MULLIS

A.E. Mullis was the Labour Party candidate in the South Ward elections in 1920, as reported in the Mitcham Advertiser. He was a nominee of the General Workers’ Union, employed as a blacksmith at the Gas Works. He was defeated by Dr. Henry Love, Independent, who had 376 votes to his 241.

He was also part of the Gas Company Ambulance Brigade, and was a groundsman on the Wandgas playing fields.

Mitcham Advertiser – Thursday 12 January 1939

POPULAR GROUNDSMAN Funeral of Mr. Albert Mullis The funeral took place at Church-road Cemetery on Wednesday of last week of Mr, Albert E. Mullis, whose sudden death occurred at his home on December 30th. In his position as sports groundsman to the Wandgas Athletic Club he was very popular, This was testified to by the presence at the graveside of Dr. Mosley, Mr. Shepherd Mr. A. Rayner, Mr. W. Roberts, Mr. Wright and Mr. Ross, officials of the Wandsworth, Wimbledon and Epsom District Gas Company. Members of the Gas Company Ambulance Brigade attended, Mr, Mullis was a member of the brigade. During his fifteen years at Benedict-road sports ground, Mr. Mullis made many friends, especially among school children, who frequently used this ground for their sport. Among the floral tributes was a beautiful wreath from the Lower Mitcham Junior Schools bearing the words “The children loved him.” The family mourners present were the widow, Mr, and Mrs, E. A, Mullis (brother and sister-in-law). Mrs, C. Hudson (sister), Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Wilks (sister and brother-in-law), Mrs, R. Andrews (sister). Owing to impaired health, his aged mother was unable to be present. The Rev. C, A, Finch, Vicar of Mitcham, officiated. Floral tributes were sent by the Pastor and members of Mitcham Baptist Church, Mitcham Free Church, Wandgas Athletic Club (Mitcham Station), Empioyees of Mitcham Gas Works, Members of Wandgas Athletic Club, Bodman-street ground staff, Benedict-road ground staff (Mr. Miles) Lower Mitcham Junior Schoals, St Christopher’s School, Officers and Members of No. 128 (Wandsworth Gas Company) Division St. John Ambulance Brigade, Members Mitcham Gas Company Section St, John Ambulance Brigade, Edward Ash Ltd. (workmen). Mrs. Middleton Powell (Brighton), Mr, F. Powell (Shrewsbury), and others.

Mitcham Advertiser – Thursday 21 September 1939

MITCHAM SIGNALMAN COLLAPSE AT VICTORIA STATION An Expert Chrysanthemum Grower

Mr. William Henry Wilks, aged forty-eight, of 3, Hawthorne-cottages, Church Road, Mitcham, collapsed in a signal box at Victoria Station about two o’clock on Tuesday morning. At Westminster Hospital he was found to be dead.

He had been attended by a doctor at intervals for some time. and as death was found to be due to natural causes no inquest was necessary.

Mr Wilks, a native of Mitcham and a very popular personality, been a railway man for thirty-four years. For twenty he had been employed at Victoria Station. He was in charge of the signal box that night with a boy assistant. He was one of the first men to do duty in that box, a new all-electric power cabin in which no levers are pulled. One of his greatest friends, Mr. A, of Carshalton, shared the duty with him, and they had been associated as fellow workers and fellow members of the National Union of Rallwaymen for twenty years.

In his early days Mr. Wilks was employed at London House by the late Mr. Francis. He was an enthusiastic member of the Mitcham and Tooting Horticultural Society, and was winner for the first three years of the silver cup for chrysanthemums. His garden at the rear of the home he had occupied most of his life is a grand display of colour at the present time.

Mr. Wilks was also an enthusiastic member of St. John Ambulance. He was a keen supporter of the old Mitcham Wanderers Football Club, and acted as honorary ambulance attendant to it.

Mrs, Wilks, two sons and one daughter mourn the loss of a devoted husband and father.

The funeral will take place at Mitcham Parish Church on Saturday morning. The mourners will include Mr. A. Burton and Mr, T. Pocock, of Victoria Station staff. who will represent the staff and the National Union of Railwaymen, who are also sending wreaths.