Blog Archives - The Streatham Society

Our #ThrowbackThursday for this week is a picture of "Beclands" Tooting Bec Gardens, Streatham

25/11/2021

(Photo courtesy Kevin Kelly)

Robert Measures who lived next door at "Woodlands" was an Iron Merchant. A world expert in Orchids and he built 31 greenhouses and employed 14 gardeners.

Robert Measures gifted "Beclands" to his son Herbert James Thomas Measures. He also donated the land on which the Roman Catholic Church of the English Martyrs was erected and a substantial sum towards the building cost (John W Brown)

Maurice William Holt Miles and Wayland of Streatham

25/11/2021

Maurice William Holt Miles died On This Day 25th November 1918 and is buried at West Norwood Cemetery. He lived at 15 Hopton Road and 11 Pinfold Road and was baptised at St Leonard's 18 March 1893

An interesting article on Maurice Miles by John Brown in the Streatham Society Newsletter https://www.streathamsociety.org.uk/.../summer_2017.pdf . https://www.streathamsociety.org.uk/newsletters.html Summer 2017

He was photographed by Victorian Photographers Wayland

MAURICE WH MILES
The recent discovery of a late Victorian photograph of a young boy apparently sitting amid ships rigging, creating the impression the picture was taken in the crow’s nest of a ship, has helped to reveal the fascinating story of his life. The legend under the photograph shows that it was taken by one of Streatham’s early photographers, David Wayland, who was born in 1851 and set up his studio in Streatham at 71 Streatham High Road in 1893.

Around 1905 David’s brother, Henry Robert Douglas Wayland, took over the business and relocated it to Regina House at 186 Streatham High Road, where it occupied an imposing corner premises at the southern junction of Becmead Avenue in a building now occupied by Lloyds Bank. Wayland was one of the first photographers in Streatham to have electric light installed in his studio and this caused some sensation in 1908 when it was considered a most innovative means of lighting.

The Wayland brothers were often commissioned to take photographs of the most eminent of Streatham’s inhabitants, including local VIPs such as the Mayor of Wandsworth. There were three brothers and, in addition to their Streatham studio, they operated studios at Sutton and Blackheath.

The photograph of the young boy in the rigging shows the skill with which Wayland would compose his subjects and he promoted his studio as one which specialised in taking photographs of children. As normal, the reverse of the card on which the photograph is mounted shows details of the Wayland Studio where it was taken, in addition to which someone has helpfully recorded the name of the boy featured in the picture together with his age and the year the picture was taken.

From these inscriptions we know the boy was Maurice WH Miles, who was 4 years and three months old when the picture was published in 1897. By a strange twist of fate we know quite a bit of information about Maurice as copies of his military records during the First World War are contained in the collection of Streatham military material held by Streatham Society member Colin Crocker and Andrew Hadden.

For many decades Colin and Andrew have been collecting material relating to the local history of Streatham, especially that relating to members of the armed forces. Some years ago they acquired a badge known as a World War One Silver War Badge, sometimes referred to as a Silver Wound Badge. This badge was awarded to injured members of the armed forces who were discharged due to their injuries. By wearing the badge the public would recognise the holder as an injured member of the armed forces who had served King and Country and would not challenge them for not having done their duty in joining the army or navy. The badge shows King George V’s cypher plus the words ‘For King and Empire - Services Rendered’. By a strange coincidence the badge had been awarded to Maurice Miles and when Andrew and Colin acquired it they also obtained copies of some of his war records from which we are able to piece together information about his life.

Maurice William Holt Miles was born in Streatham on 27th December 1892. He was the son of William Miles, a publican, later to become a newspaper manager, who lived at 15 Hopton Road, Streatham, with his wife Gertrude, his sister Clara, his daughter and two servants, a cook and nursery maid. Maurice was baptised at St. Anselm’s Church, Coventry Park, on 18th March 1893. He at tended Merchant Taylors School and at the time of the First World War he was training to be a surgeon at St. Thomas’s Hospital in London.

At the commencement of the war in 1914 he volunteered for service and went to France as a dresser in the Royal Army Medical Corps (R.A.M.C.). He later saw service with the Indian Medical Service, serving aboard the Hospital Ships Glengorm Castle, Guildford Castle and Sicilia. He also served in India, Egypt and the Dardanelles. It was while serving in the East that he contracted malaria and dysentery. He was subsequently invalided out of the army and resigned from the Indian Medical Service in March 1916 so that he could return to the UK to finish his medical studies.

While serving on the Indian Hospital Ship, the Guildford Castle, during an incident in which the ship sank, Maurice had received an injury to his foot and when he was at Blackpool training as a Lieutenant in the R.A.M.C., septic poisoning infected his big toe. He was sent to Manchester Hospital for treatment and was later admitted to St. Thomas’s Hospital in London where part of his toe was amputated. Maurice continued his medical training and qualified as a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons in January 1917. The following month he was appointed to the Royal Army Medical Corps Special Reserve.

In May 1917, whilst serving at Blackpool, he reported sick with pyrexia and possible tuberculosis. Sadly his weakened condition led him to resign his com- mission on 17th August 1918 through ill health and he returned to his family home then at 11 Pinfold Road, Streatham. It was there, a few months later, where he died on 25th November 1918, after having succumbed to an attack of influenza and pneumonia which his weakened condition did not enable him to withstand.

Because Maurice did not die on active service he is not commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. However, his name is recorded on the Streatham Roll of Honour and on St. Leonard’s Church War Memorial.

In addition to having all this information about Maurice there is another fascinating twist to the tale to reveal. As well as the original photograph of Maurice already referred to, in the collection of old cabinet photographs and cartes de viste (CDVs) held by myself, Kevin Kelly, Colin Crocker and Andrew Hadden, and from copies obtained from the internet by Dave Clark, there is another picture of Maurice taken at the Wayland Studios in Streatham in 1894 when he was one year old. We know this to be so for these details are recorded on the reverse of the second picture in the same handwriting as that used on the first picture.

But the surprises do not end there; for also in our collections are copies of three other photographs of a young boy taken at the Wayland Studio who has an uncanny likeness to Maurice and appear to have been taken at some time between the two other photographs, possibly when he was around 3 years of age. Al- though none of these photographs have any inscription on the reverse, the likeness of the young boy featured on them is so similar to that of Maurice as to leave little doubt it could possibly be the same boy.
John W Brown.
https://www.streathamsociety.org.uk/.../summer_2017.pdf

Freedom of the City of London papers and University of London OTC record below

Alfred Gosheron on "Normancroft"

25/11/2021

This appeared in the papers On This Day 25 November 1938 detailing the estate of Alfred Gosheron. He left £59,922 and lived at Normancroft, Garrad's Road which today is Broomwood School.

Alfred and Elsie May Gosheron lived at "Normancroft" in Garrad's Road built in the block between Woodbourne Avenue and Mount Ephraim Lane.

The House was built in 1920 and Alfred was a builder born in London in 1873. Elsie was born in 1869 in Southwark. In 1901 the family including a daughter, Muriel, were living at 6 Princess Road, South Norwood

*The Architect of "Normancroft" was Ernest Allen and at the time the house was built the Gosheron family lived at 51 Drewstead Road, Streatham. *
Alfred was granted Freedom of the City of London 20 May 1924. His father Robert was a Licensed Victualler
Alfred died (aged 66) 20 September 1938 in Angmering where he spent the summer, survived by Elsie with an estate of £59,922 18s 7d. The chief mourners at the funeral were Derek Gosheron (son) and Mr and Mrs Quinton (son in law and Daughter)

Plan courtesy Sarah Wilden and Lambeth Archives

Alfred Pickard

24/11/2021

Alfred Barnes Pickard died On This Day 24th November 1928 leaving an estate of £39k
An engineer involved in the construction of the Earl's Court Exhibition Centre built on surplus railway land

With fellow associates at Earl's Court became a director of Aerated Bread Company's Concessions
Pickard lived at a number of Streatham locations including 49 Kempshott, 5 Madeira Road, 18 Streatham Common South and 42 Rycroft Road where he died

John Sangster

24/11/2021

John Sangster was born On This Day 24th November 1811

The Sangster family were umbrella makers and lived at the "Paragon" in Streatham Hill. Samuel founded the company in 1777 and as early as 1786 was trading from Fleet Street. His sons William and John took over the business from their father.

The brothers called one their umbrellas 'The Paragon"

The company supplied umbrellas to the Royal Family and operated from 4 West End locations

Paragon advertisement in C. Dickens, Bleak House, 1852

John Massingberd

23/11/2021

John Massingberd a wealthy merchant died On This Day 23 November 1653. Lived in "Broadwaters" an ancient moated site, the Manor House of Tooting Bec. (John W Brown St Leonard's Streatham)
Massingberd Monument in St Leonard's Church

Here lyeth the body of John Massingbird Esquire who departed this life the XXIII of November MDCLIII leaving Caecilia his wife with two daughters Elizabeth and Mary the elder married some yeeres before to George Berkeley onely son of the Lord Berkeley the younger since to Robert Lord Willvghby eldest son of the Earle of Lyndsey.

Thames Water boring machine abandoned on Tooting Bec Common

23/11/2021

On This Day 23rd November 1988, the Thames Water tunnel (Capital water main) was being driven deep beneath Tooting Bec Common, through an incline of saturated fine Thanet Sand, 1.4km south of the Streatham geological fault.

This resulted in the boring machine getting stuck and reported to being abandoned under Streatham Woods.

My approximation of the location marked on the attached map - courtesy Friends of Tooting Common.
The initial ring was constructed by Thames Water between 1988 and 1993. Two extensions have been constructed, and there are plans for further extensions through to 2025

(Engineering Timelines http://engineering-timelines.com/.../engineeringItem.asp...)

Stenton Covington

22/11/2021

On This Day 22 November 1935, Stenton Covington died. Commemorated by a plaque at the Rookery, a fountain at Norwood Grove and a road in the area

He played a vital part in the formation of Norwood Grove and its 32 Acres of Beautiful grounds which are today maintained by Croydon Council.

Jeff Smith winner of the Streatham Trophy

22/11/2021

This appeared in the papers On This Day 22 November 1957
Jeff Smith winning the National Streatham Trophy

Peterborough Advertiser Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

2nd Lieutenant Rowland Edward Moorhouse

21/11/2021

2nd Lieutenant Rowland Edward Moorhouse was born On This Day 21 November 1898. A resident of 59 Palace Road

Rowland was the eldest of three sons of solicitor Edward Moorhouse and his wife, Edith. He spent five years at the Prep before coming to the College at the start of 1912. He would go on to be a pupil for the next four years, leaving at Christmas 1915 whilst a member of the Classical Remove. After leaving he joined his father’s firm, Wilkinson, Howlett & Wilkinson, for a time, as well as holding a position in the London University O.T.C.

In September 1917 Rowland was gazetted to a commission in the Middlesex Regiment and proceeded to France that December. By the end of the year the unit was in Italy, and they served there for two months before returning to the Western Front in February 1918. He saw ten days of heavy fighting around St. Quentin not long afterwards, coming through practically unscathed. On April 19th however, on a hill at Wieltje, near Ypres, he was killed whilst leading his men in a counter-attack.

(Dulwich College)