Croydon Foundry was established in 1920 in what was then Waddon Marsh Lane: its premises became 66 Purley Way in 1924. The company manufactured iron engineering castings, up to 6 tons in weight. It went into voluntary liquidation in December 1972.
Croydon Head Teachers Association
Souvenirs of annual dinners given to members of the Croydon Head Teachers Association (and others associated with education in Croydon) by Arther H. Harding (1885-1952; Mayor, 1939-42), and his daughter, Miss K. Maureen Harding. Mr Harding did not attend the dinner in October 1952 through illness, and he died in November. The location is the Cafe Royal, North End, Croydon.
The Croydon Industrial Chaplaincy was formed in 1950, on the initiative of Bishop Cuthbert Bardsley, to work for the 'advancement of the Christian Religion in industry'. It was originally known as the Bishop of Croydon's Industrial Chaplaincy; but from the late 1960s was more usually called simply Croydon Industrial Chaplaincy. Although established under the auspices of the Church of England, it was not attached to a particular parish, and was intended to be non-denominational in character (in 1978 it acquired a United Reformed Church chaplain). The Chaplaincy was initially supported entirely by subscriptions and donations from businesses and individuals (an arrangement apparently unique among industrial chaplaincies); but from 1964 it became increasingly dependent on Church of England funding.
There was one full-time chaplain 1950-1967; two 1967-1979; and one again for the last few months in 1979. From 1960, a number of other local clergy also assisted on a part-time basis. The number of companies belonging to the scheme varied, but there were normally around 25. The chaplains undertook a programme of regular visits to the factories and shops of member companies; some pastoral work (visits to the sick etc); and events such as the Industrial Harvest Festival, held regularly from 1952 onwards. The work of the Chaplaincy was overseen by a small Committee, with the Bishop of Croydon as President. In 1969 an advisory Council was also established, to which all member companies could send delegates, but this seems to have ceased to meet after 1971. The Chaplaincy was wound up as a semi-autonomous body in March 1979, mainly for financial reasons. Its work, funds, and remaining chaplain (Charles Price) were taken over by the Archdeaconry of Croydon Training and Service (ACTS) Centre.
Full-time Chaplains: Rev Rex Bavington 1950-1954
Rev EC Wearne 1954-1958
Rev A Kenneth Sims 1958-1960
Rev T Roy Parsons 1960-1962
Rev Denis L Claringbull 1962-1971
Rev David Curwen 1967-1977
Rev Michael H Atkinson 1971-1979
Rev Charles EL Price 1978-1979
All the chaplains were Church of England priests, except Charles Price, who was a minister of the United Reformed Church.
Chairmen of Committee: Basil Monk 1950-1959
WG Thomas 1959-1961
Alec R Grant 1961-1964
Jack R Swift 1964-1970
Frank D Mann 1970-1973
Alec R Grant 1973-1977
Anthony Newell 1977-1979
Croydon Literary and Scientific Institution
Under the Public Health Act of 1848, any area could form a Local Board of Health by a process involving a local petition, an enquiry and the election of a local board. Local Boards had to appoint a surveyor and an inspector of nuisances, and were given powers to deal with sewers, drains, water supply, street-cleansing, nuisances, slaughter houses, lodging houses and cellar dwellings.
The population of the parish of Croydon in 1841 was 16,712, rising by 1851 to over 20,000. Although a board of Improvement Commissioners had been appointed in 1829, charged with lighting, watching and improving the Town of Croydon, by 1848 the population still had no piped water supply, drainage or sewerage. A questionnaire on the sanitary state of Croydon in 1848 described it as the worst of any district in the country, exclusive of the Metropolitan Districts. Hundreds of privies overhung the tributary streams of the river Wandle, using them as open sewers, and the towns two large ponds, Lauds and Scarbrook, served as cesspools. As late as 1861, the ponds were found to be choked with black, evil-smelling mud to a depth of five feet.
Early in 1849 two local reformers, Dr. Edward Westall and Cuthbert William Johnson, secured a petition signed by ratepayers to have the Public Health Act applied to Croydon. A preliminary commission of inquiry was held in March 1849, which noted the relatively high level of mortality in Croydon. One in seven people died in infancy, compared to one in eight for the rest of Surrey; average life expectancy was only 30 years and one month, compared to 36 for the rest of Surrey. The inquiry also took place in the midst of a cholera epidemic, which killed 53 people in Croydon in 1849.
As a result of the enquiry, it was resolved to create a local board by Provisional Order of the General Board of Health. The Order was published on 14 July 1849, and Croydon Local Board of Health came into being on 1 August, one of the first to be created under the 1848 Act. Twelve members were declared elected on 29 August, and the first meeting of the Board was held on 3 September. Its responsibilities included providing a pure water supply, drainage and sewers, collecting rates, town planning and building regulations, roads, street lighting, law and order and the fire service. In 1861 it was constituted a Burial Board, and opened the Queens Road Cemetery. In 1883 the Boards activities were taken over by the newly incorporated Borough of Croydon.
The Inaugural Meeting of Croydon Microscopical Club was held in the Public Hall on 6 April 1870. The clubs name was changed to the Croydon Microscopical and Natural History Club in 1877; and to the Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society in 1902. Henry Long was Hon. Secretary of the Club from its foundation until 1874. Thomas Cushing was one of the founder members.
Croydon Mothers and Infants Welfare Association
The Croydon Mothers and Infants Welfare Association had five main goals: to give ante-natal advice; to provide care during and after pregnancy; to help mothers during the first weeks of their childs life; to provide care during childs first year of life[including medical, close observation and treatment]; and to continue medical supervision of child to school age.
It was previously known as the Mothers Dinner Committee. The Association established a number of localised Welfare Centres to help mothers with children throughout the borough. In 1918 they acquired 49 St James Road West Croydon where they opened St Marys Maternity Hospital maintaining 17 beds. These beds were on a means-tested basis.
Built about 1869 no.49 St James Road West Croydon was originally named Argyll House. Later it became no. 135 and by 1890 had been renumbered to no.49. It remained a private residence until 1900 when the St Agnes Home for Crippled Girls moved there from 97, Sydenham Road. By 1901 they had moved to 7, Wellesley Road. After being unoccupied for a while, the house once again, became a private residence until 1918 with the opening of St Marys Maternity Hospital.
An extension was opened on 27 September 1930 with the original building becoming the administration block. The number of beds was then increased to 32.
The Association also provided convalescent care to any mothers, children and expectant mothers needing it. It further helped unmarried mothers with grants for the support of babies up to school age, and gave some financial help in the home during confinement [late stages of pregnancy]. It aimed to help provide support for children born into diminished circumstances, reduce infant mortality and educate mothers in child-rearing. The local Welfare Centres each had a medical officer, a nurse or a health visitor to advise and assess users health needs.
Baby Welcomes were established in January 1916. These were local committees responsible for ensuring there was a nurse at each Welfare Centre to weigh babies and teach mothercraft. Mothers were charged a penny a time. These sessions were followed up by a personal visit, where necessary. The Association aimed to promote the good health of mothers and children via conferences and other public events. An AGM was held every year, during which the principal officers were elected. The first AGM was 10 May 1916.
On 01 April 1937 the Association handed over the administration of St. Marys Maternity Hospital on St Jamess Road to Croydon Corporation [County Borough of Croydon Minutes vol. LV part 1, November 1936 - October 1937; Public Health Committee 13 April 1937 p.885] The Corporation having already taken over the assessment and collection of payments by mothers.
Under the National Health Service Act of 1946, most of the work carried out by the Association [with the exception of Family Planning Clinics] would be carried out by the Corporation. Therefore the Association was wound up and handed its assets to the Corporation. In 1948 St. Marys Maternity Hospital was transferred to the newly created National Health Service. The hospital closed in October 1985. It is currently the Westways Adult Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit.
There are a number of Annual Reports for the Croydon Mothers and Infants Welfare Association held in the Local Studies Library at S70(362)CRO covering the period 1929-1946. A quote taken from the report of 1937 [June 1937 p.6 ] conveys how successful the association was as a fore-runner to modern day mother and baby clinics;
It has always been the aim of Organisers to make mothers very welcome at the Centres and so successful have they been that many mothers attend every week for the sake of having a friendly chat with the helpers and one another, whether their children really need skilled supervision or not
Croydon Oxted and East Grinstead Railway
Croydon Philharmonic Society was founded in 1914 (initially as Croydon Sacred Harmonic Society) by Alan J. Kirby (1889-1959) who remained its conductor until 1957. In 1937 it was at its peak, with 160 members.
Croydon Recorded Music Society
The manor of Croydon Rectory gained its name from the fact that it was attached to the rectory of Croydon. The rectory was held by Bermondsey Abbey from 1390/1 until 1538, and so the manor also became known as Bermondsey, Barmondsey, or Barnsby Hold. After the dissolution of Bermondsey Abbey in 1538, Croydon rectory and its manor came into the Kings hands; and in 1550 were granted by Edward VI to Thomas Walsingham (son and heir of Sir Edmund Walsingham of Chislehurst). The Walsingham family retained them until the mid-eighteenth century, and therefore for the period of both of these rolls. Sir Thomas (as he became) died in 1584, and was succeeded first by his elder son, Edward Walsingham (d1589); and then by a younger son, Sir Thomas Walsingham (d1630). The manor then passed to Sir Thomass son Thomas (d1669); to Thomass son Francis; to Francis younger brother Thomas (d1691); and to Thomass son James (d1728). It was subsequently divided into three portions, but the three were eventually reunited in the hands of the Viscounts Montagu. In 1793, the Montagus sold the manor to Robert Harris (d1807); whose trustees sold it to Alexander Caldcleugh, in whose family it remained until the second half of the nineteenth century.
The lands of the manor lay in the area bounded by North End, London Road, Handcroft Road, Pitlake and Church Street: they therefore included Parsons Mead (the glebe land of the Rectory) and Broad Green common. For the later development of the estate, see RCW Cox, Urban Development and Redevelopment in Croydon 1835-1940 (Doctoral Thesis, University of Leicester, 1970),pp 22-93.
Croydon Repertory Theatre was administered by Croydon Community Theatres Limited. The theatre was situated at 23 Wellesley Road at the junction with Poplar Walk and opened on September 13 1932. It closed in 1940 and was badly damaged by enemy bombs while being used for furniture storage. It never reopened. It was described by one local historian in 1949 as a small, convenient theatre....very popular and had a satisfactory record, producing really good plays with young players, many of whom are now famous.
The Croydon Repertory Association was the Theatres supporters club and was active c.1946-1950 in trying to have the theatre reopened.
The Croydon Rifle Club was established in c.1945 possibly by former Home Guard members. It was based in an old wooden railway building on the Fairfield site which had previously been used by the A.R.P. and which served as the Headquarters of the Croydon and District Small Bore Rifle League. In 1955 plans were proposed for the re-development of central Croydon and the club was advised that it would have to move. After discussions with Croydon Council, a suitable site was found on part of the Beddington Lane Sewage Farm. The move began in June 1958 and materials from the old range were used in the new one. The range was finally opened in 1966, by which time it was known as the Croydon Rifle and Pistol Club. The berms were made by excavated earth from the flyover in the town centre and the Full-Bore Pistol range was completed in 1985. The Croydon Rifle and Pistol Club remains open at Jessops Way, off Beddington Lane.
By agreement with the London Borough of Croydon the Croydon Sailing Club sails on South Norwood Lake a six-acre former canal feeder reservoir. The lake is situated between Crystal Palace and Norwood.
The following extract is taken from an unknown newspaper cutting dated 8 September 1978, which can be found within the collection, and offers a brief account of how the Croydon Sailing Club started;
The first person to realise the potential of the lake for sailing was Mr Roger Self who gained permission from Croydon Council to sail his dingy there in 1956. Mr Godfrey Symons and his wife Pauline of Wrights Road South Norwood , heard about the lake and started to build their own dingy. When Mr Self left the district they were left with a half-built boat. It was no good to them without somewhere to sail they decided to form Croydon Sailing Club and took over its running. Club members in 1957, when the club first ventured into the water ,owned a motley selection of craft - everything from the canvas boat to the clinker-built Queen Mary, picked up by someone on the coast. At the first Annual General Meeting the club decided to adopt Herons Dinghies and the single sail Gremlins as the official class of boat which Croydon Council agreed were suitable to sail on the lake. Only six boats were allowed on the lake at one time although the number permitted was soon doubled to 12 when the club realised it was manoeuverably possible... the club has gone from strength to strength since the beginning in 1957.
The club is still running and sails all year round. Racing takes place on Sundays and in the summer months there is organised sailing most Wednesday evenings. There are also a number of trophy races throughout the year. The club celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2005.
Croydon School Board was first elected on 1 March 1871, following Forsters Elementary Education Act of 1870, which instituted school boards to provide schools. Prior to this Act, education had been the responsibility of the parish council. The boards first meeting was held on 16 March 1871 and elections to the Board were subsequently usually held triennially.
The schools in existence in Croydon at the date of the foundation of the board were endowed schools, a ragged school, industrial schools, parochial schools, National Schools (Church of England), British Schools (Nonconformist), private schools and dame schools. It was the responsibility of the board to supervise the running of all schools, bringing existing schools up to the standard set by the Board of Education and building new schools as required.
By the Education Act of 1902, the School Board was abolished and an Education Committee was set up in its place.
The primary object of this society is the consideration and discussion of Social and Religious Questions in the light of the best thought of the day, with a view to the furtherance of the principle of Brotherhood in all the relations of life. For this purpose, meetings open to all, were held weekly with invited speakers. Walks, a reading circle and social gatherings were also held.
In addition, the society took up active social work, in various directions.
Appeal were made in the local press for assistance in providing treats for the poorest children of the borough. These included outings such as a trip by special tramcar to Gardners pleasure resort , Riddlesdown, free admittance to the matinees at the Theatre Royal Christmas Pantomime and a new year treat for children in Croydon Workhouse.
Meetings were held at Tamworth Hall, Tamworth Road on Sundays at 7pm and later at the Gymnasium Hall, 117b, High Street, Croydon. Members contributed a minimum of sixpence a year towards the necessary expenses. Its affairs were managed by a committee which was democratically elected and subject to retirement annually. The society had a motto; Every Social Question is at bottom a Religious Question.
The society was founded in 1904.
Croydon War Supplies Clearing House
The Croydon War Supplies Clearing House was formed in October 1914. Its aim was to act during the period of the war as a publicity, collecting, distributing agency, and general information bureau, in respect of all appeals for the Army and Navy, Red Cross Society, St. John Ambulance, and other duly accredited bodies, and to prevent the overlapping of gifts in kind that are being made in answer to the various appeals.
By the time it closed on 17 April 1919, it had collected and despatched 2,373 cases containing 260,170 separate items to the forces as well as 786 other cases on behalf of The Croydon Association of Voluntary Organisations. These items included tea, coffee, chocolate, tobacco and clothing.
The Croydon Wireless Society was founded in 1913 and was affiliated to the Radio Society of Great Britain. Meetings were held weekly on Mondays at 5 Altyre Road, East Croydon.