Blog Archives - The Streatham Society

Thomas Moore- gardener and writer of horticulture

21/5/2021

Thomas Moore (1821–1887), gardener and writer on horticulture, was born at Stoke, near Guildford, Surrey.

He worked for several years at Dickinson's nursery in Guildford before being employed at Fraser's Lea Bridge nurseries in Leyton, Essex. In 1839.

He moved to Park Hill, Streatham, as an under-gardener, in 1842 and became clerk to Robert Marnock, who was laying out the Botanic Society gardens in Regent's Park.
In 1848, Moore was appointed curator of the Society of Apothecaries' botanic garden in Chelsea (the Chelsea Physic Garden).

Moore died at his home at the Chelsea Physic Garden on 1 January 1887, and was buried in the Brompton cemetery. He left a widow, Elizabeth. They had at least one child, a son.

Moore's collection of ferns was bought by the Kew herbarium.

Thomas is remembered for these wonderful quips like:
“The soul cannot thrive in the absence of a garden,” or “Garden as though you will live forever"
“As for rosemary, I let it run all over my garden walls...because it is the herb sacred to remembrance and to friendship.”

Source Anne Pimlott Baker and the Daily Gardener

Dracula at the Streatham Hill Theatre

21/5/2021

On This Day 21 May 1951 a week long production of Dracula started at the Streatham Hill Theatre starring Bela Lugosi

In 1931, Bela Lugosi became world-famous playing Count Dracula in the now classic film. He became forever linked to his great portrayal, and stereotyped as a movie monster and mad doctor. He would never escape the shadow of Dracula.

In 1951, with horror films out of fashion and 68 year-old Lugosi all but out of work, he and his wife Lillian went to England to star in a stage production of Dracula. Their hope was to bring Dracula to London’s West End, in a revival that would propel Lugosi back to stardom.

(The Bela Lugosi blog)

Garden Fete of the Streatham Depot- 1942

20/5/2021

Garden Fete of the Streatham Depot, Central Hospital Supplies Services, at 45 Leigham Court Road, Streatham. Canon Salmon, Rector of Streatham, seated at the rear table with the roses.on this day 20th May 1942

George Elliott Lowes Bowlby son of Rev. Alfred Bowlby of St. James' Streatham

20/5/2021

This appeared in the Graphic 20 May 1916 (Roll of honour Britsh Soldiers who have fallen)

George Elliott Lowes Bowlby, born in Meerut, India. Educated Colet Court and St Pauls School. After School worked at Lloyds and then Cox and Co. The son of the Reverend A Bowlby of St James' Streatham.

8th Batallion Lincolnshire Regiment killed by a German Sniper whist crawling along a spate to inspect a part which had been blown in

The colonel of the 9th Batallion wrote:
"I had the pleasure of serving with your son in the 8th Ballion and again in this and manfully appreciate what loss to you will mean

The Chaplain wrote:
Your son was always tremendously keen in his work and we all considered him one of the most zealous officers

Our #ThrowbackThursday for this week takes us back to 1985. The Horse and Groom in Streatham High Road

20/5/2021

Photo courtesy of Kevin Kelly

Christopher Chittell

19/5/2021

The actor Christopher Chittell was born On This Dy 19th May 1948. He lived in Glenister Park Road and attended school in Streatham.

The son of an Indian Army soldier his best known part was in the soap Emmerdale

David Jacobs

19/5/2021

On This day 19th May 1926 David Jacobs was born. He lived at 24 Telford Avenue

David Lewis Jacobs was born on May 19 1926 at Streatham Hill, the youngest of three sons of a Jewish fruit broker.

He was a reassuring presence whether introducing new pop records on BBC television's Juke Box Jury (1959-67) or keeping politicians and other pontificators politely but firmly in line on Radio 4's Any Questions? (1967-84).

John Ebeneezer Dunt- chandelier maker

18/5/2021

On This Day 18 May 1877 John Dunt died
John Ebeneezer Dunt lived at 8/9 the Paragon, Streatham Hill. He was a partner in Hancock, Rixon and Dunt of I Cockspur Street. They were glass and Chandelier manufacturers
The Chandelier at Apsley House is an example of one of their chandeliers. (Apsley House, the former home of The Duke of Wellington at Hyde Park Corner)

Robert Williams Buchanan- poet and novelist

18/5/2021

Delighted to see Lambeth Council have approved our naming of the new development, "Buchanon Lodge" between Lewin and Natal Roads in honour of the poet Robert Buchanan who lived in Lewin Road

The poet and novelist Robert Williams Buchanan lived at 90 Lewin Road where he died
Born at Caverswall, Staffordshire, on 18 August 1841, the only surviving child of Robert Buchanan (1813–1866) and his wife, Margaret Williams (d. 1894)

In about 1850 the family went to Glasgow, where Buchanan's father had moved to edit the Glasgow Sentinel, a socialist newspaper which he was eventually to own. Following the collapse of his father's newspaper business Buchanan went to London in 1860 with Gray to seek literary fame and fortune.

He managed to obtain employment on The Athenaeum and other periodicals. He also enjoyed some success writing for the stage, collaborating with Charles Gibbon on The Rathboys (1862) and having a verse-play entitled The Witch-Finder produced at Sadler's Wells two years later. His circle of literary acquaintances expanded to include G. H. Lewes, George Eliot, Robert Browning, and Charles Dickens, the last of whom accepted some contributions to All the Year Round.

From 1876 he wrote or collaborate in no fewer than forty-seven additional plays during the remaining twenty-seven years of his life—seven in 1890 alone—and to publish a further twenty-four novels. His plays include adaptations of his own novels The Shadow of the Sword and God and the Man, and a version of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment called The Sixth Commandment(1890). His plays and novels proved more popular than his poetry and the upturn in his fortunes enabled him to move back to London in 1877.

Buchanan suffered a stroke in October 1900 and died in comparative poverty at Streatham, London, on 10 June 1901.Source J P Phelan

Image ©National Portrait Gallery by Herbert Rose Barraud Creative Commons license

Colin Archibald Russell- A chemist and historian of science

17/5/2021

Colin Archibald Russell died on this day 17 May 2013

A chemist and historian of science born at 72 Pendennis Road, Streatham. On 1 September 1954 he married Shirley Pickering Sinclair (b. 1929), a schoolteacher, in the parish church of Immanuel, Streatham.

With his colleagues Russell produced three major interdisciplinary courses at the Open University, 'Science and the Rise of Technology', 'Science and Belief: From Copernicus to Darwin', both in 1973, and 'The Rise of Scientific Europe' in 1992.