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William Page was born on 24 December 1810, the son of Maurice Page, a fishmonger of Middle Row, Croydon. He worked with and eventually took over from his father, and moved the business to premises at 14 High Street. He was suceeded in turn by his own son, William Robert Page, before the business was sold in about 1883. William Page died on 15 February 1892, at the age of 82, leaving two sons and two daughters.

In later life, Page became a well-known member of local society, and chairman of the Old Croydon Tradesmens Society. He was particularly known for his longstanding memories of the town. In 1880, he wrote down some of his recollections in the present manuscript. When he died in 1892, it was suggested that he must have mislaid these [notes], for, to our knowledge, no one has ever seen them [Croydon Advertiser, 20 Feb 1892]. They were apparently rediscovered soon afterwards, however, and in July 1893 were bound as a vellum-covered volume, at the expense of the grateful recipient of his kindness (possibly John Ollis Pelton). In 1921, the manuscript was in the possession of Pages son, William Robert Page, who lent it to FW Moore (chairman of Croydon Public Libraries Committee) for copying. William Robert Page died in January 1938, and it may then have passed to his friend and executor, John Ollis Pelton, who, in turn, died in December. The manuscript was recieved by Croydon Library in February 1939.

Page was consulted by Jesse Ward when he was compiling Croydon in the Past (1883); and by John Ollis Pelton when writing Relics of Old Croydon (1891). This manuscript was transcribed by FW Moore in 1921: he incorporated the bulk of the text, in sections, into his collation of the antiquarian notebooks of CW Johnson ( now in Croydon Archives Service)

Certificates for shorthand qualifications issued to William Harry Hwakins ( born 1883)

William Charles Berwick Sayers was a member of a small but remarkable group of librarians who distinguished the British public library service during the early decades of the Twentieth century. Most of his career was spent with Croydon Public Libraries, first as deputy to L. Stanley Jast, and then as Chief Librarian. But his work as a practising librarian, though well above average, and in its day outstanding in the provision of library services for children, was eclipsed by his success as a writer and teacher of librarianship, particularly in the field of library classification.

At the time he wrote his history of Sanderstead, William C. Dendy was residing at Briarwood, Edgar Road, Sanderstead.

Walter Troake joined Croydon Tramway Company, and was aboard Croydons first electric tram in September 1901. He was also on board the last electric tram to run in April 1951. He retired in 1943, and was appointed to serve as NALGO retired members liaison officer in 1945. This volume dated 1957, is in tribute to the 12 intervening years working for NALGO. He died in 1963, aged 85.

Thomas Weller (c1810-1867) practised as a watch and clock maker, silversmith and jeweller, at 2 High Street, Croydon. He also carried out small-scale printing (mainly of stationery). He took over the business from his father, also Thomas Weller, who was active from at least 1810, and died c1833. They were presumably related to Richard Weller (c1762-1833), of Butchers Row, another watch and clock maker.

The proposal to establish a Unitarian place of worship in Croydon was first made at a meeting of six gentlemen held on 20 May 1870 at the house of Maurice Grant. As a result, a congregation was formed under the title of Croydon Free Christian Church: the word Unitarian was deliberately avoided in order to avoid any suggestion of doctrinal allegiance. RR Suffield was appointed as Minister, and gave his first address on 2 October: he continued to serve until his resignation through ill health in 1877. The government of the church was placed in the hands of a General Purposes Committee, soon known simply as the Committee. Other committees included a Trust Deed Committee, a Finance Committee, and a Music Committee.

The congregation bought the Iron Church (formerly a Baptist Church) in Wellesley Road. It was opened as the Free Christian Church on 11 December 1870. The freehold of the land was bought in 1875. Subsequently, a new, permanent, church was built on the same site: the memorial stone was laid on 20 April 1883, and it was formerly opened on 17 November 1883. The Iron Church had been moved to the rear of the new building: it was renamed the Social Room, and was put to regular use for soirees, dances, childrens parties, etc.

The Church attracted a relatively small, educated, middle class congregation, and its early ministers included several capable intellectuals. However, relations between minister and congregation were sometimes turbulent. EM Geldart, after some years as a popular minister, antagonised many of his congregation when he began to preach a doctrine of Social Democracy: the strain affected his health, and he died in mysterious circumstances soon afterwards. His successor, CJ Street, resigned over differences of opinion with the congregation; WM Weston was criticised for some of his views (notably an address advocating the abolition of the traditional home), and resigned to rejoin the Roman Catholic Church; and WW Chynoweth Pope was asked to resign following a difficult period of declining attendances. Only after the appointment of GC Sharpe in 1921 did relations become more consistently harmonious.

Among the prominent early members of the congregation were Henry Moore and his family. In 1906 his son, H Keatley Moore, paid an official visit during his term of office as Mayor

The Church was badly damaged during World War 2; and, as a result, a new Church and hall were built in Friends Road in 1958. In 1960 the Church was renamed the Unitarian and Free Christian Church.

Thomas Bainbridge, active 1778-1818, was a well-known land surveyor and cartographer of estate and enclosure maps. He was based in London in Grays Inn, but worked in all parts of the country.

Sir Thomas Edridge (1814 - 1892) was a notable businessman of Croydon and was a director of the Hudson Bay Company. Edridge also performed philanthropic work within Croydon. At his own expense he built a new wing of the Croydon General Hospital and was actively involved in many institutions and legal boards. Edridge was Chairman of the County Bench, Chairman of Croydon General Hospital, Representative of the County Magistrate for the Whitgift Foundation and an official of the Croydon Board of Guardians. Edridge married Miss Martha Godbold and had four sons and two daughters. He died on 18 August 1892.

Dr Sidney Joseph Madge D.Sc.,F.S.A., a local historian and Purley resident began work on the history of the district in 1890. He was Assistant Keeper of the books at the British Museum for many years and was also a co-opted member of Coulsdon and Purley UDC Library Committee 1944 - 48. In October 1952 he was presented with an illuminated address at the meeting of Coulsdon and Purley Council on Monday, as a token of the councils thanks for the long and fine work done by him in connection with the historical records of the district which he has given to the library. Dr Madge , in return, presented the chairman, Coun. A G V Page with an early history of the Manor of Coulsdon from Cuthred to the Crusades [SJM/2, Coulsdon and Purley Advertiser 31 October 1952 p.1 col.2]

At the time of his death on 3rd February 1961 he lived at 23 Russell Hill Road, Purley. There is a short obituary to be found in the Coulsdon and Purley Council minutes for 1960 - 61 vol. XLV1 p.959 which is held in the Local Studies Library.

There were two Samuel Waghorn(e)s, perhaps father and son. The two sections of this book (written in different hands) appear to represent the work of the two individuals. Samuel Waghorn I seems to have been based in the Limpsfield or Titsey area of Surrey. His regular customers included the Biscoe family (of Hookwood, Limpsfield) and Sir John Gresham (of Titsey). His business was firmly rooted in the rural community, largely comprising work on agricultural equipment (wagons, ploughs, harrows, wheelbarrows, etc). He also received an income from the rent on two houses, one at Farley Common. Samuel Waghome II (c1789-1858) may have moved to Croydon in about 1819, when he first appears in rate books, occupying a cottage in a yard off the High Street (near Mint Walk). He stayed there until 1822, and then moved to a cottage in Old Town (Duppas Lane), where he remained until 1828. From 1826, however, Samuel also appears as the joint occupier with Richard Jones (an established coachbuilder) of what had been Jones house and shop on the west side of the High Street. After 1834, Waghorn was the sole occupier, and he subsequently expanded into the adjoining property as well. These premises (numbered 83 High Street by 1851, renumbered 146 High Street in 1886, and renumbered 252 High Street in 0 931) were to remain the firms headquarters for some eighty years.

Samuel IIs regular customers in the 1820s, as recorded in this book, included well-known Croydon names such as Robert Corney (his neighbour), John Dingwall, John Battersbee, etc; as well as customers further afield in Battersea, Vauxhall, Sussex, etc. He did occasional jobs for the Brighton Coach. Samuel IIs business had become slightly more urban and perhaps higher class than Samuel Is: there are more references to work for tradesmen and on drays etc, and also on chaises and carriages. To judge from his writing and accounting methods, Samuel II was also probably better educated than Samuel I.

Samuel II died in October 1858, aged 69, but the business continued to be known as Samuel Waghorne, presumably run by his widow, Harriet (c1789-1867), and their son, Thomas (c1822-1868). In Warrens Directory for 1865-6, the firm is named Waghorne and Son.

After the deaths in close succession of Harriet and Thomas, the business was taken over in 1868 by James T Miles, and renamed Waghorne and Miles. The firm prospered in the latter part of the nineteenth century as a builder of superior carriages of various types, and, from about 1902, of motor car bodies. In about 1906 it was bought up by Marchant and Sons, a firm of coachbuilders established at 34 Tamworth Road in about 1873. Marchant and Sons took over the High Street premises, and continued to operate from that address until the 1950s.

Ronald Murthwaite was born in Wealdstone, Harrow in 1920. He married Joyce Baldock at Croydon Parish Church in December 1944 and they subsequently lived at 10 Tamworth Road, Croydon. During the 1950s he served with Croydon Division of the Civil Defence Corps.

Ronald Murthwaite died in 2004.

Ronald Arthur Huitson (1916-1986) and his wife Muriel Huitson (1915 - 1987) were active members of the Industrial Studies and Local History sections of the Croydon Natural History Society and also of GLIAS. They organised numerous visits to then still functioning industrial concerns, both within Croydon and elsewhere. They also did a considerable amount of recording work and photography at industrial premises, and historical research.