William Hills, the last beadle of Mitcham, was the father of builder Mr G. Hills, according to this newspaper article in 1949.

Mitcham Advertiser – Thursday 20 January 1949

Golden wedding in Canada

MR. AND MRS. GEORGE EADY, of 41st Street, Long Branch, Toronto, Canada. who recently celebrated their golden wedding there, have very old and intimate associations with Mitcham. Mrs. Eady will be remembered by old residents as Miss Eva Hills, a daughter of Mr. G. Hills, a Mitcham builder, who lived in the Elizabethan house on the Lower Green, opposite The Hall Place, the seat of the Worsfold family. The house, of which a water colour painting by the late Mrs. Moberly hangs in the Town Hall, was demolished many years ago. Mr. Hills was the builder of Glebe Villas in the London Road., mentioned at the borough council’s last meeting.

He also built the church in London at which his daughter was married to Mr. Eady. In the picture painted by Mrs. Moberly, “Beadle Billy Hills,” is a conspicuous figure. He was the parish beadle of that day and the father of Mr. G. Hills the builder, who later lived on the Cricket Green. A Toronto paper, reporting the golden wedding, says a congratulatory message was received from the Hon. Dana Porter, provincial secretary. A hundred guests were at the dinner at the Eastwood Park Hotel. Among them were Mr. Rodney Adamson, M.P. Mr. and Mrs. Eady left Mitcham for Canada in 1902. In 1927 they established their home at Long Branch. They have 17 grandchildren. Last Spring they spent six weeks in England, including Mitcham. Miss M. Harwood, of 11, The Cricket Green, is Mrs, Eady’s cousin. She reminded “The Advertiser ” representative that “Hills’s Pond,” which used to be part of the village scene in front of what is now Preshaw Crescent, on the Lower Green, was named after the family that had lived by it for generations.

A photo of William Hills, the last beadle, us on Merton Memories of William Hills is dated c. 1875.

1866 OS map showing “Hill’s Pond”:

The social housing “Beadle Court” is named after the post of beadle, and “Vine Cottages” are named after Vine House, the ‘Elizabethan’ house referred to in the newspaper article.

1972 OS map

Since 1991, 28 Harwood Avenue, Flats 1 to 12 Beadle Court and 1, 2, 3A, 4 and 5 Vine Cottages, are owned by the Wandle Housing association.

Ordnance Survey maps are reproduced by permission of the National Library of Scotland, reuse CC-BY.