On This Day 1 September 1837 Inspector General Belgrave Ninnis was born. Resident of "Brockenhurst" Aldrington Road and "Elms" Leigham Lane Streatham

Inspector-General Belgrave Ninnis was born on the 1st September 1837 the fourth son of the late Mr Paul Ninnis of St.Austell, Cornwall. He joined the Royal Navy in 1861 as an Assistant Surgeon and on the 23rd August was appointed to the sloop HMS Pantaloon on the Cape of Good Hope Station.

​He served as a Naturalist in the Imperial and Colonial surveying Schooner, Beatrice, in the Northern Territory of South Australia from 1864-66. On the 26th January 1867 he was appointed to the Royal Hospital, Greenwich, and on the 1st June 1869 to HMS Caledonia, on the Mediterranean Station, where he served until the 2nd May 1872 on appointment to HMS Lord Warden, Flagship of the C in C Mediterranean Fleet, as Surgeon.

On This Day 31 August 1889 Bombadier Billy Wells was born

William Thomas Wells, better known as Bombardier Billy Wells (31 August 1889 – 12 June 1967)
Billy Wells lived at 99a Streatham Hill and Nimrod Road, Streatham and in 1911 a visitor at 36 Defoe Road Tooting where he is recorded as a Telegraph Clerk. His two sons attended Streatham Hill College
He is best known as the man hitting the gong at the start of Rank films

Billy was an English heavyweight boxer. Fighting under the name "Bombardier Billy Wells", he was British and British Empire Champion from 1911 until 1919, defending his title fourteen times. In 1911 he became the first Heavyweight to win the Lonsdale Belt, which had been introduced for British champions at all weights in 1909.
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Wells, who was 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) and was between 182 and 192 lb (83 and 87 kg), fought with an orthodox style.

​This picture was taken by Douglas Wayland, a photographer in Streatham On This Day 31 August 1912

VICTORIAN CABINET CARD -RICHARDSON FAMILY STREATHAM LONDON 1912 NAMED CHILDREN 1912 cabinet card - photographer is Waylands Studios Regina House Streatham and at Blackheath. Information on the back - Olive Lilian Elizabeth Richardson 7 8/12 years. Iris Aubrey .....? Richardson 6 4/12 years. Vera Aileen Nary Richardson 5 years. Dated 31st August 1912.

The Richardson's lived in Clapham Old town and the girls went to Stockwell School and settled in Coombe Lane Wimbledon/Kingston

On This Day 31 August 1917 Agnes de Selincourt died
Agnes de Selincourt (1872–1917), missionary and college administrator, was born at Alverstoke, Leigham Court Road, Streatham.

Educated at Notting Hill High School and Girton College Cambridge and Sommerville College Oxford.

Worked as a Missionary in Bombay and then first principal of the Lady Muir Memorial College, Allahabad.
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In September 1913, just turned forty-one, Agnes De Selincourt became principal of Westfield College, Hampstead, University of London.
'To maintain connection with the family' her brother Professor Ernest De Selincourt (1870–1943) was on her death immediately elected to the Westfield council and served until 1937.

On This Day 30th August 1843 Cyril Flower son of Philip Flower of Streatham was born

Cyril Flower, 1st Baron Battersea (30 August 1843 – 27 November 1907) was a British Liberal politician and patron of art.

Flower was the eldest of five sons of Philip William Flower, of Furze Down, Streatham

His wife Mary, daughter of Jonathan Flower. He was born at Tooting in the 18th century Hill House and later lived in Streatham In Furzedown House , both of which were rural environs at the time. He was educated at Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge, and was called to the Bar, Inner Temple, in 1870.

His father had earlier established a successful merchant house in Sydney, Australia. In 1838, Philip William Flower, and brother sailed to Australia in order to establish themselves as merchants in Sydney. In 1842 the partnership of Flower, Salting & Co was formed, shipping wool, tallow and gold to London. In 1842/3, Philip returned to London, the other end of the firm’s shipping routes, leaving his brother to oversee operations in Sydney. Upon his return to London, Philip, formed the firm of P.W. Flower and Co., and his property included Collier’s Quay and other London wharves. From 1867, and with other partners, Philip began developing part of the newly-laid-out Victoria Street in Westminster, St Philips Square was named by Philip Flower as was St Philip’s Church in its centre, which was consecrated in July 1870.

Like his father, Flower also became involved in property development, and took on the development of Battersea's Park Town after the death of his father in 1872 (James Knowles, Junior was architect and surveyor for this developmen).

He also developed the mansion blocks lining the south side Prince of Wales Drive
In 1877 Battersea married Constance, daughter of Sir Anthony de Rothschild, whom he met in 1864 through his friendship

In 1888 Flower and his wife acquired two cottages at Overstrand for the purposes of creating a holiday home. In 1897 their architect, Edwin Lutyens, rebuilt and joined them to form a large mansion in extensive gardens, 'The Pleasaunce'.
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Image The Illustrated London News 5th June 1880 © Illustrated London News Group

Richard Tauber conducting the London Symphony Orchestra On This Day 29 August 1943 at the Streatham Hill Theatre

© National Portrait Gallery, London

On This Day 28th August 2014 Glen Cornick died.

Glenn Cornick (23 April 1947 – 28 August 2014), founder member and bass guitarist of Jethro Tull and later Wild Turkey.



Glenn married Judy Wong. The reception was held at Glenn's parents' pub, The Crown & Sceptre, Streatham Hill. Guests included members of the band, Mick Fleetwood & Jenny Boyd, Peter Green and Chicken Shack's Andy Sylvester.

THE LOWER POND ON STREATHAM COMMON c1913
A simple post and rail fence surrounded the pond at the western end of Streatham Common in the early 1900s. Although relatively small in size, the pond was very deep and old records reveal that a number of people drowned here over the years.
In days past livestock grazing on the common would quench their thirst at the pond and young children would paddle and swim here in the summer months.
In the winter when the pond froze over, it was a popular site for skating. As can be seen in this view a number of large trees shaded the pond from the heat of the noon-day sun and it provided a picturesque attraction much enjoyed by local residents. In 1939 the pond was filled in by the London County Council and a concrete paddling pond was constructed on the site.
In October 2016 the paddling pond was removed and the site was landscaped to form part of a large children's playground.
(John Brown and photo courtesy Frances Partridge)