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Authority record
Corporate body

Norbury Manor High School for Girls

  • CB035
  • Corporate body
  • 1932 -1983

Opened 31 March 1913 as Stanford Road Senior Mixed [Boys and Girls] School. The building was used as a military hospital between March 1915 and June 1919 and the pupils accommodated at Winterbourne Road School. Renamed Norbury Manor in December 1922. Reorganised as separate senior boys and senior girls schools from 4 April 1932. [See SCH75]. Renamed Norbury Manor Secondary Modern Girls School, April 1947. Moved to Kensington Avenue on 16 April 1958. Became an 11 - 14 comprehensive and assumed its present name in 1970. In April 1994, the school became grant maintained and so ceased to be the responsibility of the Local Education Authority.

Norbury Manor High School for Boys

  • CB037
  • Corporate body
  • 1913 - 1986

Opened 31 March 1913 as Stanford Road Senior Mixed [Boys and Girls] School. The building was used as a military hospital between March 1915 and June 1919 and the pupils accommodated at Winterbourne Road School. Renamed Norbury Manor in December 1922. Reorganised as separate senior boys and senior girls schools from 4 April 1932. [See SCH76]. Renamed Norbury Manor Secondary Modern Boys School, 1 April 1947. Two thirds of school transferred to premises in Winterbourne Road, 1 September 1954, in preparation for rebuilding programme. School reassembled at Stanford Road, 6 January 1964. Became an 11-14 comprehensive school in September 1970. Closed 31 August 1986 as a result of falling rolls.

Norbury Junior Imperial League Ramblers

  • CB136
  • Corporate body
  • 1924

The Junior Imperial League (or 'Imps') was an organisation for young conservatives and imperialists. The Norbury Branch was established in 1924. Its activities included debates, dances etc, and particularly rambling. The group went on rambles in rural Surrey (around Coulsdon, Warlingham, Caterham, Tatsfield, Limpsfield, Merstham, Epsom Downs, Box Hill, Headley, Oxted, etc). Walks were normally about 10-15 miles in distance. There were two joint rambles with the Surbiton Branch (May and August 1935). An Annual Outing to Eastbourne took place in June 1935.

Norbury Cricket Club

  • CB045
  • Corporate body
  • 1918 - 1947

Norbury Cricket Club was founded in 1918 by local young men including many ex servicemen who had returned from the 1914 - 1918 war. The club was first named Norbury Athletic. No club records exist for the first two years. Early minute books record that the club amalgamated with Sirens Sports Club on 25 Nov 1921 when it was unanimously agreed to name the combine club Norbury Sirens Cricket Club. An agreement already existed between Sirens Club and Elco Athletic Club for the use of a ground in Greyhound Lane, Streatham Park, at a fee of 16315 per year. This ground was used by Norbury Sirens. Membership was limited to 35 playing members and the annual subscription was one guinea.

The first officers elected were as follows:-

Chairman: Mr Lewis Milner

Secretary: Mr G. Toll

Treasurer: Mr R.W. Tillier

Captain: Mr E.J. Robbins

A committee meeting was called on 31st Mar 1940 to decide the policy of the club owing to the outbreak of war especially with regard to the coming season and the difficulties presented by the loss of membership due to various forms of National Service. It was decided that the club should cease its playing activities during the war.

On Wednesday 12 Feb 1947 a meeting was held, preceeded by a supper to commemorate the re-union of members after the war. Members stood in silent memory for three of their number who had been killed in action - C. Gardner, E. Jones and K. Hookway. It was regretfully agreed by all present that owing to reduced playing strength through various reasons, the club should be wound up and that the balance of the Club funds should be used to pay for the cost of the evening. The main problem was the difficulty in attracting new young players due to not having a home ground or headquarters.

Monks Orchard Primary School

  • CB038
  • Corporate body
  • 1936 - 1981

Monks Orchard Primary School was opened on 27 October 1936 for 5 to 11 year olds.

On 4 September 1939 the school was evacuated to Kemptown, Brighton but the Head Teacher was recalled on 19 February 1940 and on 1 April 1940 the few children remaining there were absorbed by Cypress School.

From 24 June to 6 September 1940 the majority of the school was again evacuated, the Acting Head Teacher remaining on the Croydon site being Miss M.E. Pedgrift of St Lukes Partially Sighted School.

On the night of 14 - 15 September 1940 the house-holders of Chaffinch Avenue had to shelter in the school and on 6 October 1940 the building was damaged by bombs falling in the Glade and Mardell Road.

On the night of 16 - 17 April, a pupil - Yvonne Kingman - and her parents, living at 9 Fairhaven Avenue, were all killed by a bomb. Later, on the night of 24 - 25 March 1944, several classrooms were damaged by incendiary bombs.

Metal Propellers Ltd

  • CB170
  • Corporate body
  • 1925

Metal Propellers Ltd was established by Henry Leitner and Dr Henry Watts, two engineers who had collaborated in designing a hollow steel aircraft propeller (an improvement on the wooden propellers which were then standard). They established a syndicate called the Metal Airscrew Co Ltd during the First World War, to carry out experimental research work; and this resulted in the production of the 'Leitner-Watts' propeller, which successfully passed official tests in 1917 and 1918, and flew successfully in 1920. The firm was subsequently established as a manufacturing company under the name of Metal Propellers Ltd, and opened its general offices and works at 74 Purley Way, Croydon, in 1925. The Directors included Viscount Elibank, Captain HH Balfour (later Under Secretary of State for Air, and eventually Lord Balfour) and Air Vice Marshal Sir Godfrey Paine. Major General Sir Sefton Brancker (Director of Civil Aviation at the Air Ministry) also had an interest.

The company supplied propellers for the R101 airship. These were apparently not the propellers fitted when the R101 crashed tragically in October 1930; but the disaster was nonetheless a severe setback for the company, as the dead included both Sir Godfrey Paine and Sir Sefton Brancker.

As well as propellers, the company manufactured other items in stainless steel, for a range of domestic and industrial uses; and it eventually evolved into a general engineering company, specialising in stainless steel. It later became associated with Saunders-Roe Ltd, flying-boat builders. In 1960, it acquired the neighbouring company in the Purley Way, the Standard Steel Co (1929) Ltd, structural engineers; and in 1962 it merged with LA Mitchell Ltd, chemical and industrial drying engineers of Manchester. It closed down in 1973.

Phyllis Devereux (b 1914) joined the firm in 1930 as a trainee technical assistant to Dr Watts, having been recruited from Lady Edridge School. She left the firm in 1934.

Mayday Road Hospital

  • CB052
  • Corporate body
  • 1923

Mayday Hospital was originally the Croydon Union Infirmary, run by Croydon Board of Guardians. The first Infirmary was situated in the old Workhouse at Duppas Hill, where it remained after the Workhouse itself moved to new buildings in 1865. The new Infirmary was renamed Mayday Road Hospital in 1923, but soon afterwards became known as Mayday Hospital. After the dissolution of Croydon Board of Guardians in 1930, it was administered by Croydon Corporation (under the Local Government Act 1929). In 1948 it was taken over by the National Health Service. St Marys Maternity Hospital, in St James Road, originally opened in 1918. It became closely associated with Mayday Hospital. It closed in October 1985.

Manor of Croydon

  • CB156
  • Corporate body
  • 1832

The Archbishop of Canterbury was lord of the manor throughout this period. The steward of the manor is named as Christopher Hodgson from 1842 to 1855. The volume bears on the cover the name of Frederick Markby, Bailiff: inside the volume, however, the only bailiff named is James Andrews, who signs the records of court proceedings from 1832 to 1847.

Lanfranc School

  • CB160
  • Corporate body
  • 1950

23 boys and two teachers (Messrs Harman and Firth) from Lanfranc Secondary Modern Boys School visited Plougasnou near Morlaix in Brittany, France during the Whitsun holiday 1950. The party stayed at the Hotel d Amerique with M. and Mme. Jegon. The school log book records that the party was away from 30 May until 09 June. It was the first time that the school had visited a foreign country and the first school trip abroad by a Croydon school since the Second World War.

One of the boys in the party was Derek Edward Croissant (05 Oct 1935 - 07 Jan 1999) who was a pupil at Lanfranc Boys School from 02 September 1947 to 19 December 1950, having formerly been a pupil at West Thornton Boys School. His address at the time was 286 Mitcham Road.

Lady Edridge Girls High School

  • CB039
  • Corporate body
  • 1920 - 1986

Founded 5 January 1920, as a selective central school in Selhurst Road. It was a grammar school (1951 - 1971) and a 14 - 18 comprehensive, 1971 - 1986. An annexe existed (1958 - 1963) in the former Thornton Heath Polytechnic, in High Street, Thornton Heath.

L. H. Turtle Ltd.

  • CB268
  • Corporate body
  • 1894-2008

L. H. Turtle Ltd. (Turtles or Turtle's) was established in 1894 by Louis Henry Turtle upon the purchase of a tool shop in Crown Hill (Lindsley and Co.). The shop initially sold cutlery and tools before expanding into garden tools and arts and crafts. In 1913 the site had expanded to include the garden and an old malt house at the end of the garden. This extra space was used to accommodate workshops for grinding, sharpening and repairs. In 1964, the shop became subject to a compulsory purchase order and new premises on Park Street were found. As part of this move, it became one of the first hardware stores to offer self-service shopping. At the same time, offices and storage facilites were obtained in Whitehorse Lane before moving to purpose built premises on Tait Road in 1974. The business continued to operate until 2008 when the shop became subject to another compulsory order and the business was closed. Although there were times when the shop was managed by non-family, both Louis Henry’s children, Marion and Clifford, helped in the shop as did Marion’s son, Rupert. When the move to Park Street was necessary, Jeremy, Louis Henry’s great-grandson took over the business until its closure. Company number: 00836538

Kingsley Infant School

  • CB023
  • Corporate body
  • 1877 - 1992

Tamworth Road Temporary School for girls and infants opened on 8 January 1877. Boys were transferred to Church Road Boys School when old enough. On 1 January 1880 Church Road Boys School closed and staff and pupils were transferred to new buildings in Mitcham Road. Tamworth Road Temporary School probably closed at the same time when a similar move was made. The school was thereafter exclusively for infants and was known as Mitcham Road (until 1921), Rectory Manor, and then Kingsley from 1 June 1931, following a move to new premises.

Keston Junior School

  • CB028
  • Corporate body
  • 1937 - 1993

Founded 11 January 1937. From 1937 to 1959, the school was for infants as well as juniors. A separate but adjacent infant school was opened on 1 September 1959.

Keston Infant School

  • CB029
  • Corporate body
  • 1937 - 1959

Keston Primary School was opened on 11 January 1937 for children aged 5 to 11.

In 1959 the school was reorganised with separate Infant and Junior Departments.

On 1 September 2003 the Infant and Junior Schools were combined once more.

Kensington Avenue Junior School

  • CB036
  • Corporate body
  • 1932 - 1998

Opened 4 April 1932. Existed as a combined infant and junior school until April 1957, when a separate infant school was opened on the same site. The school federated, as Kensington Avenue Primary School, in 2005.

Kensington Avenue Infant School

  • CB041
  • Corporate body
  • 1955 - 1997

The School was a combined Infant and Junior School which opened on 4 April 1932. In April 1957 a separate Infant School was opened on the same site. The school federated, as Kensington Avenue Primary School, in 2005.

Pupils were evacuated to Hove on 4 Sept 1939, attending East Hove Junior School, Ellen Avenue. The school re-opened full-time in Croydon on 25 May 1940. On 17 June 1940 a party was evacuated to Holsworthy (Devon) and by 12 August the Hove party had been moved to the greater safety of Holmsbury St Mary (Surrey).

J A Trythall Auctioneers

  • CB157
  • Corporate body
  • 1890

Trythalls is first listed in the 1890 Croydon Directory, at 73 Selhurst Road. By 1900, they also had a property at Station Road South Norwood and by 1920, another property at Station Road, West Croydon.

As well as being an auctioneer and estate agent, J. Anthony Trythall (d.1927) served on the Croydon Board of Guardians from 1895 to 1927 and on Croydon Council from 1901 to 1927. He was made a Justice of the Peace in 1912 and an Alderman in 1917.

Ingram High School for Boys

  • CB042
  • Corporate body
  • 1905 - 2007

In May 1905 separate Boys, Girls and Infant Schools were opened. They bore the name Ingram Road. On 27 March 1915 the buildings became a military hospital and the schools moved to (Boys) Beulah Road Boys School and Thornton Heath Baths and (Girls) All Saints Hall and the hall of Beulah Crescent Baptist Church.

On 4 January 1932 the Schools were organised for Senior Boys, Senior Girls and Infants.

In or about 1958 the Girls School was moved into new premises and became known as Westwood School.

In April 1961 Juniors began to be admitted to the Infant School which moved into new premises in September 1961 and two months later was renamed David Livingstone School. .

Ingram Boys School remained on its original site until 1996 when it moved to The Crescent and the premises occupied, until 1988, by Selhurst High School for Boys. From 1997 the school changed its name from Ingram Boys High School to Selhurst High School for Boys, although it was entirely separate from the original school to bear that name. It closed in July 2008.

Howard Primary School

  • CB050
  • Corporate body
  • 1924

Two Board schools, named Dering Place, were opened on 25 April 1898. One was for Infants and the other for children above Infant age.

On 2 May 1924 the Infant and Seniors were amalgamated to form one school

On 1 Sept 1930 the school was reorganised for Juniors and Infants only.

The School was evacuated to Plumpton, Sussex, between September 1939 and March 1940.

Horne Brothers Ltd

  • CB129
  • Corporate body
  • 1938

Horne Brothers Ltd was a national chain of gentlemens outfitters, with about 15 branches at the date of this album. The Croydon branch opened in November 1938, at 38-40 North End, in premises ('Whitgift House') formerly occupied by Charles Baker, tailors and outfitters. It closed in February 1991.

Home Guard

  • CB162
  • Corporate body
  • 1940

The Home Guard, also known as the citizen army developed as a response to Prime Minister Anthony Edens appeal for volunteers on 14 May 1940, to defend Britain who was on the brink of invasion. Thousands of men volunteered and it remained a voluntary organization until 1942, when service was made compulsory and was brought up to the same level as the Field Army. However it remained unpaid and equipment including weapons, uniforms, meeting places and administration had to be pulled from all resources as it received limited funding from the government.

By the end of 1942 it had over 1.8 million members and had helped develop the Womens Home Defence, which by 1943 had merged in to the Home Guard, and the Youth Forces which was seen as a pre-service body.

After the D Day landings, the Home Guard was stood down in November 1944 but was not officially disbanded until 31st December 1945.

The Croydon Area had eight Surrey Battalions of the Home Guard, serving the areas of Croydon, Norwood, Norbury, Purley, Addington and Wallington. The organization of the Z zone was the responsibility of Major Norman Gillett who spent May 1940 drawing up boundaries, organizing the volunteers, the equipment and weapons. The zones Head Quarters was first at 5 Friends Road and then moved later to 4 Fell Road.

Major Gillett saw the prime direction from which the threat of attack would come from was the rural end of Croydon so Purley, Addington and Wallington battalions were the top priority. The 61st Surrey (Norwood) Battalion was seen as one of the back areas, though was still important. It was lead by Sector Commander Lt Col F.L. Walker and was made an official unit on 21st April 1942. It was a part of the Queens Royal Regiment (West Surrey) and known within the Z zone as Z5.

When the Home Guard was stood down a parade was held on November 26 1944, and the members of the Home Guard marched past the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey and other associated guests at the Town Hall. The following week the individual battalions held their own parades to thank their family, friends and supporters.

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