Blog Archives - The Streatham Society

Gin Distillers of Hill House

30/10/2020

On This Day 31 October 1837 Stanley Vickers was born. He was an MP and a Distiller. His father John Vickers, co-owner of a Vickers Gin and the family lived at Hill House Streatham Common North

Stanley Vickers (31 October 1837 – 24 February 1872) was an English distiller and Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons

Vickers was the son of John Vickers of Hill House, Streatham Common, and Southwark. He was educated at King's College School. and became a distiller and merchant. He was managing partner and half proprietor of J. and J. Vickers and Co. distillery. He was captain commanding the 5th Kent Artillery Volunteers and was a member of the committee in favour of the Reduction of the Duty on Fire Insurance.
At the 1868 general election Vickers was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wallingford. He held the seat until his death aged 34 in 1872.

Vickers married Mary Ianthe Dunbar, daughter of William Dunbar, merchant of Aberdeen and London.
There is an interesting article in the press about his brother Austen in a Breach of Promise case to which Stanley was called to give evidence

Ian Michael "Chico" Hamilton

30/10/2020

On This Day 31 October 1950 Ian Michael "Chico" Hamilton was born.

A midfield footballer who played for Chelsea, Southend United, Aston Villa and Sheffield United before playing in the North American Soccer League
Hamilton was born in Streatham

This advert appeared in the Streatham Hill Theatre programme On This Day 31 October 1938

30/10/2020

'Manor Court' in Leigham Avenue, 'Leigham Hall' and 'Streatham Court' in Streatham High Road, Streatham Central. Advertisement for luxury flats from a Streatham Hill Theatre Programme, 31st October 1938.

June Duprez

30/10/2020

On This Day 30 October 1984 June Duprez died

June Ada Rose Duprez (14 May 1918 – 30 October 1984) was an film actress. She died after a long period of illness at the age 66 and was buried at Streatham Park Cemetery.

The daughter of American vaudeville performer Fred Duprez and Australian Florence Isabelle Matthews, she was born in Teddington, Middlesex, England, during an air raid in the final months of World War I.

Elizabeth Brightwen of Sparrow Hall

30/10/2020

Eliza Brightwen [née Elder], (1830–1906), naturalist and writer, was born On This Day 30 October 1830 at Banff, Scotland, the fourth child of George and Margaret Elder. Following the death of her mother in 1837 she was adopted by her uncle, Alexander Elder, one of the founders of the publishing house of Smith, Elder & Co. He had no children, and Eliza Elder was brought up in his country houses, Sparrow Hall, Streatham, and Thornbury Park, near Stamford Hill. On 5 June 1855 she married George Brightwen (1820–1883), a businessman. They settled in Stanmore, Middlesex, where Eliza Brightwen lived for the remainder of her life.

From childhood on Elder had a deep interest in natural history, a pursuit that she was well able to exercise during her childhood, roaming the grounds of her uncle's estates and reading from among the thousands of books in his library. As she said of herself, 'the early lessons of Natural History kept me constantly wondering and asking “the reason why”'
Eliza Brightwen believed in educating the public about animal preservation. She opposed falconry, she wrote pamphlets and essays deploring the use of feathers for the trimming of human clothing, she rescued animals, and she lectured in local schools about bird trapping and the destruction of nestlings.

Many of the photographs used to illustrate Eliza Brightwen's books were taken by her coachman James Leversuch, James and his family lived over the coach house/stables
(Barbara T Gates)

Guildersfield

29/10/2020

Our ThrowbackThursday for this week (late 1860s) "Guildersfield" The Murley Family playing croquet in the rear Garden. Photo courtesy Marion Gower from her book available to buy https://streathamsociety.org.uk/places.html

On This Day 29th October 1740 and 280 years ago Streatham Worthy James Boswell was born

28/10/2020

James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck 29 October 1740 – 19 May 1795), was a Scottish biographer and diarist, born in Edinburgh. He is best known for the biography he wrote of his friend and contemporary, the English literary figure Samuel Johnson, which is commonly said to be the greatest biography written in the English language.

Both Johnson and Boswell were "Streatham Worthies" (collective description for the circle of literary and cultural figures around the wealthy brewer Henry Thrale and his wife Hester )
Johnson lived at "Streatham 'Park" in his own apartment with the Thrale's almost as part of their family from 1765.

He wrote about his visit to Streatham and the Thrale's home at Streatham Park/Place on 6th Oct 1769
"I found, at an elegant villa, six miles from town, every circumstances that can make society pleasing. Johnson, though quite at home, was yet looked upon with awe tempered by affection, and seemed to be equally the care of his host and hostess. I rejoiced at seeing him so happy."
Images James Boswell by Sir Joshua Reynolds and Streatham Park by W H Brooke
(Source David Thrale)

Mud played at the Silver Blades Streatham On This Day 28 October 1967

28/10/2020

American Composer and next door neighbour to Cynthia Payne

28/10/2020

On This Day 28 October 1936 Carl Davis (@CarlDavisMusic) was born in New York. An American conductor and Composer and married to actress, Bread star, Jean Boht.( both in b/w picture)

Credited with writing music for over a 100 TV programmes and numerous film scores also collaborating with Paul McCartney in the Liverpool Oratorio

Carl and Jean lived in Ambelside Avenue, Streatham, next door to Cynthia Payne.

"A Fiddle at the Wedding"

26/10/2020

On This Day 27 October 1952 "A Fiddle at the Wedding" was performed at the Streatham Hill Theatre" starring Olga Lindo

Olga Lindo ©National Portrait Gallery- photo by Streatham resident Madam Yevonda of Leigham Court Road