Tag Archives: Western Road

Fountain Place

Terrace of houses at the Western Road end of what is now all called Portland Place. The terrace was on the west or right hand side as seen from Western Road, opposite Bond Road. Demolished as part of a slum clearance scheme, announced in 1962.

clip from 1962 photo of shop at 1 Fountain Place on Merton Memories, copyright London Borough of Merton

1952 OS map

Occupants from Street Directories

1915
From Western Road

1, Mrs Olive BISHOP, shopkeeper

… here is Lavender Cottages

1925
From Western Road to Portland Road

West side

1, Mrs F.J. RICHARDSON, general stores
2, Moses WILKES
3, Mrs SMITH
4, Frederick BENNETT
5, Henry BRAZIER
6, James CHAPMAN
7, Nelson SMITH
8, Mrs TOWERS
9, William PARROTT
10, Thomas CHAPMAN
11, Leonard POWELL
12, Frederick ROBINSON
13, William GARDNER
14, Albert CHAPMAN
15, Thomas Edward GRAHAM
16, Thomas CHAPMAN
17, Henry CRISP
18, George HALFORD
19, Richard JENKINS
20, Mrs BIGNELL

From the Mitcham Urban District Council minutes,
Volume 3, page 120, Finance and General Purposes Committee meeting of 11th September, 1917, Mr Rabbetts reported contraventions under the Shop Act of Mrs F. Richardson of 1, Fountain Place, for serving a customer sundry items at 6.40pm on Wednesday, August 15th.

The 1911 Shops Act dictated the half-day closing of Wednesdays, in order to give staff time off.


Maps are reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.

Private Walter Bowers

Born in Chichester, Sussex, he enlisted at Kingston-on-thames, Surrey.

From the Army Cyclist Corps he transferred to the Labour Corps, service number 662161

From CWGC

Rank: Private
Service No: 4
Date of Death: 08/11/1918
Regiment/Service: East Surrey Regiment 3rd Bn. transf. to (662161) Labour Corps
Grave Reference: Z. 323.
Cemetery: MITCHAM (CHURCH ROAD) BURIAL GROUND

Bowers W

He died in the Mitcham Military Hospital (the Holborn Union Workhouse on Western Road) and his name is on the memorial.

His name is on the south face of the Mitcham War Memorial

See list of WW1 graves in the Parish Church.