Tag Archives: Singlegate

1846 death of physic gardener William Newman

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FATAL ACCIDENT AT MERTON

A painful sensation has been occasioned in the village of Mitcham, Tooting, and Merton, by the death of Mr William Newman, of Mitcham, the well-known medical herb-grower.

On Tuesday morning, about 8 o’clock, some men in the employ of Mr B. Drewett, of Lower Tooting, were at work in a field near the single gate, at Merton, when they heard the smothered report of a gun. About 11 o’clock, business calling them to the farther end of the field, they perceived the body of a respectably dressed man lying across a ditch, with a recently discharged fowling-piece lying by his side.

The roof of the right side of his skull was blown completely off just above the ear, and the brains lay in the ditch a few inches apart from his head.

The men immediately procured assistance, and conveyed the deceased, who was recognized as Mr Newman, to the Victory Inn, Merton-lane.

It appeared that the deceased had left home early in the morning to shoot over his fields, and from the position in which the body was found, there is no doubt that whilst he was in the act of leaping the ditch, which is six feet wide, his foot slipped, and as he fell the trigger caught the hedge, and in a moment the deceased was hurried into eternity.

The deceased was 62 years of age, and has left a numerous family well provided for.

An inquest was held yesterday upon the body by Mr Carter, and a verdict of ‘Accidental Death’ returned.

An inquest was held on 3rd December 1846: cause of death Accidental Death

Source: Morning Advertiser – Thursday 03 December 1846 from the British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)

150 year old Cottage

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7th May 1956

The 150 year old stone cottage from which Singlegate, Colliers Wood, acquired its name, is still standing. It is on the site of Walter Mays Ltd., the cork specialists in Byegrove Road. The cottage was built in 1803, when the Surrey Iron Railway was started. The railway ran from Ram Field, in Wandsworth, to Croydon. It ran through Summerstown, and crossed Colliers Wood High Street diagonally at Cavendish Road, and a single gate was put across the railway at the junction with the street.

The gate-keeper lived in the single-storey cottage, which is believed to be built with grey flint-stones from the ruins of Merton Priory. The roof of the building collapsed after the railway ceased to be used in 1838, but it was repaired in 1900. This roof lasted until three years ago. The cottage was originally called the stone cottage, and the whole of Colliers Wood was known to local inhabitants as Singlegate, even until the turn of the century.

Although the line was described at the time of building as a “ vast and important concern ” it was not successful. The wagons, which carried goods only, were drawn by horse or mule; the introduction of the steam engine, however, rendered it obsolete. The London and South Western Railway Company bought it in 1844 and later sold it to the London and Brighton Railway Co. In 1846 the railway was finally abandoned.

Source: Mitcham Advertiser, Thursday, 7th May 1956