Blog Archives - The Streatham Society

Consulting the Oracle

31/5/2022

This article appeared in the Illustrated London News On This Day 31 May 1884.

"Consulting the Oracle" by JW Waterhouse purchased by Sir Henry Tate and presented by Sir Henry Tate to the Tate Gallery 1894

Article Image © Illustrated London News Group and Image of painting image released under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported)

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/waterhouse-consulting-the-oracle-n01541

William Hickey

31/5/2022

William Hickey died On This Day 31 May 1830. He was a pupil at the Streatham Academy

William Hickey , lawyer in India and memoirist, was born in St Alban's Street, Pall Mall, Westminster, 30 June 1749. The eighth child of Joseph Hickey (c.1712–1794), an Irishman, a successful London attorney, and his wife, Sarah Boulton (1720–1768), whose family were landed property owners in Yorkshire

He began his education at Westminster School, but was removed "in high disgrace" in December 1763 after neglecting his studies, frequenting public houses and leading, in his own words, a life of "idleness and dissipation". Instead he was sent to a private school at Streatham where he was able to study Arithmetic, Writing, French, Drawing and Dancing in addition to the Classical Studies which had failed to engage him at Westminster. In January 1766 he left school and began his legal training, but he continued to lead an extremely debauched existence.

For some thirty years Hickey practised as an attorney at the supreme court established in 1774 in the capital of the new British empire in India to administer English law to the inhabitants of Calcutta and to British subjects in Bengal generally.

In addition Hickey served for some years as deputy to the sheriff of Calcutta and became clerk to Sir Henry Russell, ultimately chief justice of the supreme court. Although in his style of living he remained for many years something of a rake, his career in Calcutta appears to have been a success. He built up a large practice, relying especially on ‘native’ clients, and earned enough money to enable him to live in a very opulent way, even if he did not save any considerable fortune. He prided himself on being a very well-esteemed member of the British community. He was known as the Gentleman Attorney and the company he kept 'always was the best' (Memoirs, ed. Quennell, 234). Fearing for his health, he reluctantly left India in 1808. Little is known of his retirement in Britain. He settled at first in Beaconsfield, moving to London in 1817.
(Extracts PJ Marshall)

Images William Munnew (or Munnoo); William Hickey by William Thomas ©National Portrait Gallery- Creative Commons License and death record register 31 May 1830

Harriet Sydney Montagu (née Dobbs), Duchess of Manchester

30/5/2022

Harriet Sydney Montagu (née Dobbs), Duchess of Manchester(1834-1907) died On This Day 30th May 1907

Former wife of 6th Duke of Manchester, and later wife of Sir Stevenson Arthur Blackwood; daughter of Conway Richard Dobbs

Her second husband Sir Stevenson Arthur Blackwood was Secretary to the Post Office from 1880 to 1893 and nicknamed ‘Beauty’ because of his good looks. Blackwood is quoted stating the following about Wood Lodge:

"From Wimbledon, on 29th June, 1859, we moved to Wood Lodge, Streatham, an old square red-brick house, looking over Tooting Common towards the setting sun, and surrounded by about seven or eight acres of old-fashioned garden and paddock."

Until February, 1868, Wood Lodge continued to be his home; and perhaps in the whole of his life, there were no happier years than these. " Ah, there can never be another Streatham," he would sometimes say.

In 1874 Sir Arthur founded the Trinity Presbyterian Church and the hall (Wellfield Centre formerly the mission hall), built by Blackwood in 1867 was handed over to them for their use as a Mission hall. (extraxts Brian Bloice)
Image ©National Portrait Gallery

Crowning of the May Queen at Streatham Girls' Club

30/5/2022

May Queen On This Day 30th May 1930 at Streatham Girls' Club

Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Evelyn Hamilton

29/5/2022

Evelyn Hamilton died On This Day 29 May 2005 aged 99

Born on 3rd April 1906 as Eveline Alice Alexandra Bayliss in Page Street, Westminster to John (a policeman) and Alice.

She credited her interest in competitive cycling to ‘a cousin who won the Tour de France'
In 1931 Evelyn won the first women’s half-mile sprint handicap and the Sporting Life trophy at the old Stamford Bridge cinder track. Perhaps the fame that went with this win secured her a job two years later as a ‘double’ for Gracie Fields riding a bike in the latter’s film Sing As We Go

Evelyn and Jack Hamilton opened a cycle shop at 416a Streatham High Road
(Michael Townsend)

Nanette Newman

29/5/2022

On This day in 1934:
Nanette Newman (born 29 May 1934) is an English actress and author.
She appeared in nine films directed by her husband Bryan Forbes, including Séance on a Wet Afternoon (1964), The Whisperers (1967), Deadfall (1968), The Stepford Wives (1975) and International Velvet (1978) for which she won the Evening Standard Film Award for Best Actress. She was also nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for another Forbes directed film, The Raging Moon (1971).

In the 1940s, she lived in Pullman Court, Streatham Hill. She was educated at Sternhold College, the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts stage school and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Charles Voysey

28/5/2022

On This Day 28 May 1857 the architect Charles Voysey was born. He is recorded living at "Staurmoor" 45 Tierney Road and he briefly attended Dulwich College.

Charles Francis Annesley Voysey (1857–1941), architect and designer, was born in Hessle, near Hull, on 28 May 1857, the third child and eldest son of the six daughters and four sons of the Revd Charles Voysey (1828–1912) and his wife, Frances Maria, née Edlin.

Voysey came into contact with Richard Essex through his wallpaper company and was commissioned to design a house for him which was built 8 North Drive, Streatham , overlooking Tooting Bec Common which is called "Dixcot"- Richard's Cottage

The house is a private residence and has 11 bedrooms and 5 reception rooms
(Sources M. S. Briggs/ Wendy Hitchmough Photo ©National Portrait Gallery- Creative Commons License)

**We are delighted to announce that we will have a talk on Charles Voysey his Life and Work on 7th March 2023**

Streatham bowls

27/5/2022

Bowls players from Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand versus Streatham Constitutional Club On This Day 27 May 1906.

The Constitution club moved to Leigham Court Road
(Photo by Wayland of Streatham)

Streatham Depot staff, Central Hospital Supply Service

27/5/2022

Group photograph of the Streatham Depot staff, Central Hospital Supply Service, taken On This Day 27th May 1940.
(Collection:Streatham Antiquarian Society)

On This Day 26 May 1958 the Carl Rosa Opera Company performed at the Streatham Hill Theatre

26/5/2022

On This Day 26 May 1958 the Carl Rosa Opera Company performed at the Streatham Hill Theatre.
(Mark David Damazer, CBE. A Streatham Hill resident and a former Master of St Peter's College, Oxford, former controller of BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 7 director was a Director of the Carl Rosa Opera Company until 2002)

Brief history of Carl Rosa:
The union between the soprano Euphrosyne Parepa and the violinist Carl Rosa generated the Carl Rosa Opera Company. They travelled to American in 1865 as members of a concert troupe promoted by the Baltimore impresario Hezekiah Linthicum Bateman. They were successful, remained in America, and eventually married in New York on 26 February 1867.

The outbreak of war two years later curtailed touring but there were London seasons with Joan Hammond, Gwen Catley, Heddle Nash, Norman Allin, Dennis Noble, Parry Jones and Tudor Davies. The end of the war restored the traditional provincial tour but in a climate of post-war austerity.

Mrs Phillips took over the management in 1948, as her husband was unable to continue through ill health. A financial crisis in 1951 prompted the Arts Council subsidy to support further tours in an uneasy alliance with the Carl Rosa Trust. Happily, the company remained adventurous and the 1956 London season included Berlioz's Benvenuto Cellini with Charles Craig in the title role.

Two years later another financial crisis involving both the Carl Rosa and Sadler's Wells companies led to further friction with the Trust. The Arts Council controversially withdrew its subsidy and most of the Carl Rosa artists toured for the last time under the guise of 'Touring Opera 1958'. This was an unhappy ending for a cherished organisation that had been on the road for almost ninety years. The Carl Rosa tradition lived on by merging with Sadlers' Wells Opera.

(Carl Rosa Opera Company)
Images Carl Rosa, Streatham Hill Theatre and Mark Damazer