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John Whitgift was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1583 until his death in 1604.

John Kenneth Hill was born in 1918 and lived in Craigan Avenue, Addiscombe, until the Hill family moved to Shirley Road in 1934. Around the age of 4 or 5, he developed polio, though within a few years was able to walk without the use of an iron splint. Both John and his brother Colin Hill attended Hadley House preparatory school and then went on to Whitgift. In 1934 John left school and became a junior Insurance Clerk for the North British and Mercantile Insurance Company.

John soon applied to join the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR), but due to his impaired health from the polio was refused on his first application, but was then accepted on his second attempt in 1938.

Pilot Officer John Kenneth Hill was killed on 17 April 1941 when the bomber he was piloting came down in County Wicklow, Ireland, on return from a raid on Berlin. All four crew on board died in the crash.

Ledgers of John Hook, Undertaker and Monumental Mason, of 28 Selhurst Road, South Norwood SE25.

John Blake lived at 65, Park Lane, Croydon. He appears on the 1851 census as an auctioneer, aged 69 alongside three servants named as Rebecca Standing aged 40 years, Sarah Standing aged 19years and Amelia Skinner aged 38years. His birthplace is given as Surrey, Croydon. He died at his residence in Park Lane on the 23rd February 1852 aged 72 years.

A tribute was published in The Surrey Standard of 28 February 1852 and was subsequently printed for private circulation. The Local Studies Library holds a copy. The following excerts from that publication sum up the character of the man and read Not only was he a great labourer in the business of life, but even his recreations would have been labours to many; for with the exception of the hours spent in social discourse with his numerous friends, whom he delighted to make happy around him, the pauses in his professional labours were chiefly devoted to important works for the benefit of others. His guardianship of the poor, the management of public charities, the duties of trustee for families not related to him, and the dispensation, with discrimination mixed with warm hearted benevolence, of his numerous private charities, were his mode of unbending or refreshing his mind after the labours of business

He had a strong natural common sense and sound judgement ...a natural simplicity of character...a straightforward plainess of manner and intention , and a candour and openness of heart, which enabled every one who knew him to see, as it were, beneath the surface of his character , and to percieve and feel the integrity and the benevolence that formed its basis. These qualities it was that gained him the warm esteem, and the most implicit confidence of all who knew him

It seems that in the absence of wife or children a large portion of Mr Blakes extensive possessions will devolve, we presume, on his nephew, and partner in business, whose amiable disposition, good business habits, and well known integrity, render him a worthy object to recieve the falling mantle of his lamented relative, and a fit successor to follow in his good uncles steps of charity and utility.

Jean Baptiste Say (1767-1832) became eminent in France as a political economist, in the tradition of Adam Smith. He spent part of his youth in England, and was sent again by the French government in 1814 to study the economics of England.

Mrs Roper seems to have been born around the 1830s, perhaps in North Walsham, Norfolk. [Both surmised from AR82/2, where she claims to have joined Gurneys Bank at North Walsham in c1859.] She was married to Captain Alfred Roper, who appears to have died in about 1886. She and her husband lived for a time in China. They moved to Brigstock Road in about 1884, and Mrs Roper remained in the house until about 1913.

JR Bex, Builders and undertakers, was established by James R Bex in about 1889. It was based at Wyche Grove, South Croydon. The premises were initially unnumbered, but from about 1928 were assigned the number 25: after World War II, the firm extended its business into no 23 - previously a private house occupied by Walter J Bex - and used 23 Wyche Grove as its address. From the turn of the century until about 1916 it also had a timber yard situated on the opposite side of the road.

In about 1873 the firm was taken over by W Cullen and Sons Ltd and it subsequently operated under that name.

The firm appears to have run the two sides of its business in tandem. Some of its account books relate specifically either to building work or to funeral direction, but many relate to both.

Jack Jones took up his appointment as Headmaster of Davidson School on 4 September 1956. He studied at Southampton University and began his teaching career in 1929 at Rectory Manor School Waddon . He went on to teach at Kingsley, John Ruskin, Stanley Technical College and Heath Clark where he was Geography master until he took up his final appointment at Davidson School. After a teaching career spent entirely in Croydon he retired from teaching on 31 August 1972. In August 1950 he visited Poland and the collection includes material from the visit. Throughout his career he was a very active member of the NUT, serving thirty years as secretary of the Croydon Teachers Association until 1968. During which time he was re-elected to the executive of the NUT in the extra-metroplitan area 1963. In 1970 he went on to be elected National Vice President and later won the Presidential elections in 1971. He died in September 1995.

Mr J W Jones (1897-1968) of Nottinghamshire was a professional footballer with Notts County, Brighton and Hove, Crystal Palace and Macclesfield.

J H C Mackmin was the Chief Quantity Surveyor for Croydon c.1930s - 1974.

Henry Horace Pereira (1845 - 1926) was vicar and rural dean of Croydon from 1895 to 1904. On 24th of January 1904 he became the first bishop of Croydon and his consecration took place at Westminster Abbey. Before obtaining a position at Croydon, Pereira had also been a rector to Chilbolton in Hampshire and rural dean of Stockbridge. Pereira was a devoted supporter to the Church of Englands Temperance Society. His work in this society affected the public of Croydon. He resigned as Bishop on 6 May 1924. His commitment to the Temperance Society remained strong. Pereira was happily married to Adela de Courcy Stretton who was the eldest daughter of Col. and the Hon. Mrs Stretton. They had two children, the daughter Miss Violet Inez Pereira married a local vicar Rev. A. Reeve. Pereira died on the 1 January 1926 aged 80.

Henry Grantham was employed as a Gamekeeper on the Ballards Estate, owned by Charles Hermann Goschen. He was born in 1861 in Ewhurst, Surrey

Harold Frederick Bing (of Rostherne, Alton road, Waddon) entered Croydon British Boys School, Tamworth Road, in 1905. He started at Standard I, and progressed through to Standard V, before entering secondary school by scholarship in 1910. He therefore missed out on Standards VI and VII.

Harry Guy Simmons (1909-1964) worked as a service mechanic for Croydon Corporation Electricity Department. During World War II he served in No. 9 platoon, G Company, of the 32nd County of London Battalion of the Home Guard, which was made up of Electricity Department staff. He was initially a volunteer, but was promoted to Lance Corporal in about August 1942.

Contemporary directories list George Richardson, builder and undertaker, at Southbridge Place 1874-1888.

Records are presumed to be a study aid; Mr Wright worked for Croydon County Borough.

Frederick Alfred (Alf) Dunn lived at 5 Downsview Gardens, Upper Norwood with his wife Rose Alice Dunn. They had two sons, Fred and Reg, and a dog (?), Chum. In November 1939, Alf Dunn became a gunner in the Royal Artillery, based at the North Raglan Barracks, Devonport, Devon: he was training until 13 December 1939, and then joined B Battery. He remained in Devonport until 2 April 1940, when his unit left for France.

Alfs army number was 1516659. His unit was described as No.2 Battery 23rd M H Training Regiment, Royal Artillery until 13 December 1939; and thereafter No.9 B Battery 23rd M H Regiment Royal Artillery.

At the beginning of the correspondence, Fred and Reg were away from home (evacuated?). Reg came home in December, but Fred was ill, went into hospital in Brighton, and did not return home until March 1940.