Tag Archives: police

W. J. Emson – insurance broker

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Insurance agent W.J Emson & Co. had a shop in Mitcham for about 50 years, from around 1937 to 1987.

According to the 1921 census, William John Mulready EMSON, age 39, born in 1883, was a police sergeant at the Mitcham Police Station, and lived at the police quarters in Lower Green West (where Vine Cottages is now), with his wife Lilian Rose Emson, aged 38.

This and from 1932 shows him using all of his initials “W.J.M.” and the address as 21 Langdale Avenue, which was his home address as shown in the 1939 registry, with his wife Lillian R. Emson.

Mitcham Advertiser – Thursday 21 January 1932

By 1937, his business was from a shop on the corner of Langdale Avenue and London Road at no. 251, as can be seen in this ad. Note that the third initial has been dropped.

1937 ad from Mitcham Cricket Club yearbook

He was listed as a subscriber to the cricket club’s yearbook in 1937, from which it is assumed he was a member of the club. These ads ran up to 1968.

The 1952 Chamber of Commerce guide lists W. J. Emson & Co., at 177 London Road, Mitcham, near the corner with Downe Road.

He passed away in September 1961, and his address on the probate record on Ancestry was 4 Glebe Court, Mitcham.

This ad from 1968 is from the Mitcham Cricket Club yearbook.

1968 ad

The business was listed in the 1971 phone book at 177 London Road, Mitcham, 01-648 9351.

Merton Memories has a c.1987 photo which shows the business at 35 Monarch Parade.

Police Call Boxes

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There were 3 police call boxes in Mitcham. On OS maps they are marked ‘PCB’ for Police Call Box.

Locations

Each division in the Metropolitan Police force had call boxes numbered from 1. The call boxes are listed below in the order of their reference number within division ‘W’. Dates of service from the website tardisbuilders.com

Manor Road, near Commonside East
Rowan Road, near Smiths Meters
London Road, opposite Lavender Avenue

Manor Road, near Commonside East

No. 25
Started service on 18th July 1932 and was removed 28th September 1970.

This call box was on Mitcham Common land, possibly because there wasn’t enough room on the pavement. Permission had to be sought from the Mitcham Common Conservators to site the box. The minutes of 3rd February 1932 read:

POLICE TELEPHONE BOX.

A letter dated the 26th January, 1932, was read from the Police Architect and Surveyor, New Scotland Yard, asking for permission to place a Police Telephone Box on the Common on the South East side of Manor Road at the position indicated on the accompanying map.

It was resolved that the application be granted.

At the bottom of the plan is the name G. Mackenzie Trench, Police Architect & Surveyor, who was the designer of the call boxes, see Wikipedia.

The minutes of the 2nd March confirmed that the box had been installed on the 23rd February 1932.

POLICE TELEPHONE BOX.

It was reported that on the 23rd ultimo the Police Telephone Box had been erected on the South-East side of Manor Road in accordance with permission granted by the Conservators at the last meeting.

This OS map of 1953 shows the position of the box.

1953 OS map reproduced by permission of the National Library of Scotland, reuse CC-BY (NLS)

Rowan Road, near Smith Meters

This call box was on the east side of Rowan Road, north of the junction with Long Thornton Road.

No. 26
Started service on 18th July 1932 and was removed in 1969.

1951 OS map, reproduced by permission of the National Library of Scotland, reuse CC-BY (NLS)

There is an aerial photo from Historic England which shows the box. Zoom in on the bottom right hand side of the photo.

London Road opposite Lavender Avenue

The call box was on the east side of London Road, near the south end of Figges Marsh.

No. 27
Started service on 18th July 1932 and was removed 24th September 1970.

OS map published 1969, reproduced by permission of the National Library of Scotland, reuse CC-BY (NLS)

There is an aerial photo from Historic England which shows the box. Zoom in at the bottom of the photo.

See also the website Ghost Monuments, which has street view photos with the police box added in to show what it would have looked like if they hadn’t been removed.