Showing 270 results

Croydon Book Society dated its history from 1788 or earlier (at which date it seems to have met every fortnight or so in the winter months). It is described in Garrows History of Croydon (1818), pp206 - 7.

The Book Society. This like many others in different parts of the country, is an association for the desirable purpose of affording to many resepctable and well- informed persons, who may not have the means of procuring the numerous publications of the present day, the opportunity of perusing instructive and entertaining books. According to the rules of the society, every member pays 16322 per annum, as a contribution, for the purchase of such books as the society may approve; which of course every subscriber is entitled to read, but necessarily for a limited time. At the expiration of every year, there is a meeting of the society, at the Kings Arms, when the books are disposed of amongst the members, to each highest bidder.

It was essentially a private circulating library: it functioned by buying books and magazines from its subscription income, circulating them among its membership, and then selling them to raise some additional income. In the early twentieth century, an Annual Dinner to raise some additional income. In the early twentieth century, an Annual Dinner incorporating a business meeting was held in December or January (normally with the Vicar of Croydon in the Chair): from 1940, this became a simpler Annual Meeting. The Society was wound up in December 1953, when its membership had dropped to 11, and no new Secretary could be found [Croydon Advertiser, 30/10/1953 pp1;6].

The drawings relate to new school buildings (or additional building work) for which grants from central government were being sought. All eight schools were elementary schools (generally with separate sections for Boys, Girls and Infants) established by the voluntary educational societies. Seven were National Schools (Church of England schools run by the National Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church), and the eighth a British School (run by the British and Foreign School Society, along more nonconformist lines).

Breidenbach Co were wholesale perfumers occupying premises in Church Road (rear of the Gun Tavern) between 1900 and 1929. The firm was established in London in 1793. A 1930 trade directory lists Breidenbach Co Ltd, wholesale and export manufacturing perfumers, toilet soap makers, head office and factory at Tower Works, Church Road, Croydon. In November 1922 Reginald Blackwell Breidenbach (59) died at his home at Aberfoyle, Addiscombe Grove, East Croydon . The executors of R.B Breidenbach sold the firm to Eugene Rimmel Ltd in 1930.

This collection spans the years c1869 - c1890 and would therefore indicate that this is representative of a much earlier period in the history of the company and may not necessarily have any bearing on its business activity in Croydon.

It would appear that the volumes are not written in the same hand and although some are marked Mr Mortlock it is uncertain if they are all his work. Although, Mr Mortlock was in all probability an employee of the company at one time, the volumes are not necessarily representative of the official company records.

The following extract which is taken from the first News Sheet produced by the Croydon Adult Students Association dated January 1954 describes the aims and intentions of the association:

The purpose of this news sheet is to bring to the attention of members, and of prospective members attending adult evening classes in Croydon, information concerning the activities of the Croydon Adult Students Association. It will also, as far as possible, give news of public events such as concerts and exhibitions which may be of interest to readers.

Membership of the Association is open to those who are attending, or have attended, classes or Saturday schools in Croydon, and the annual subscription is one shilling. The aim of the association is to promote cultural and social activities of various kinds and some particulars of these are given below. The affairs of the Association are managed by a committee which consists partly of members elected at the annual general meeting, together with representatives of sections. The latter include a countryside club, a drama section and a badminton club, and in addition associated with appropriate classes, are the Croydon Cecilia Choir, the East Surrey Symphony Orchestra, and the East Surrey branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society. Other sections may be formed as the demand rises. Members of classes are invited to join the Association and , for convenience, subscriptions may be paid through the Adult Education Office, 13 Katharine Street, Croydon.

There are no other known surviving records of the Croydon Adult Students Association and therefore the date it ceased is not known.

The church was consecrated on 30 January 1829 as a Chapel of Ease to the parish of Croydon and became a parish on the 11 March 1853 with the right of soleminisation of marriages. Soon after opening, the church became associated with the East India Company College at Addiscombe and their services were held here; the south aisle was reserved for their use, many were buried and their were several memorials in both the interior and exterior of the church.

A declining congregation from the 1960s onwards eventually led to closure and the final service was held on 27 January 1980. The parish was dissolved and the area merged with St Michael and All Angels. Following a long period of disuse, during which time it was subject to vandalism, the building was acquired in 1985 for sheltered accommodation and, following conversion, opened for that purpose in the early 1990s. It is now known as Speakers Court and consists of 27 flats.

The 64th Croydon Scout Troop was formed on 01 April 1935 at South Croydon Methodist Church Hall, Bartlett Street. The General Scout Master was Eric C. Cleaver of 77 St Peters Road.

The 15th Southern Croydon, St Peters Scouts was formed in November 1927 under Scoutmaster Rev. Peter Thornton. By the time of their first concert in November 1928 the membership was over 100 Rovers (17 to 25 years), Scouts (11 to 16 years) and Cubs (7 to 11 years). The Troop met in their headquarters on Selsdon Road. Reports of their activities appear in the St Peters parish magazine.

In 1935, the Rovers leave the 15th and set up a new Troop (St Peters parish magazine, May 1935, p.7).

Croydon Foreign Language Club was founded in October 1920 on the initiative of John Marshall Silver (c1888-1961), a teacher. It was modelled on the Foreign Circle at Bradford, with which he was familiar.

The aim of the Club was always to provide an environment in which foreign languages could be heard and practised. (Tuition was never offered, on the grounds that this was better provided by other types of organisation.) The central activity was always a programme of lectures in foreign languages, normally engaging native speakers. There were also, at different periods, plays, excursions, and social events. The Club always took pride in the fact that (unlike other language clubs) it was not tied to a single language, but catered for several. These included French and German invariably; Italian and Spanish less regularly; and Russian sporadically from the mid-1960s onwards. It usually met in Croydon Library. The Clubs activities were suspended from 1940 to 1945 but resumed after the war. The Club was wound up in 1997.

Addington National (later Addington Village and then later still St Marys, Addington) School which stood at the foot of Spout Hill on the east side, was open by 1868, and may have commenced in 1844. On 30 January 1950 it was closed (and demolished) and the staff and children were transferred to the new Gilbert Scott Infant School, and to Wolsey Infant School, and the recently opened Gilbert Scott Junior School. The Headmistress of the Village School became the first Head of Gilbert Scott Infants. The Infant and Junior Schools were combined in September 2007.

There had also, between 1874 and 1908, been an Addington Hills Infant School (the building, converted to private residence, still stands just south of the Sandrock Public House). This school had only one Headmistress throughout its existence; her log books, despite (or on account of) her illiteracy, are a joy to read.

For further details of these two Addington schools see under ST MARYS ADDINGTON (CE) SCHOOL.

Membership of the First Croydon Old Boys Association was open to all ex- Scouts or Rovers of the First Croydon Scout Group who had served for 12 months or more.

The First Croydon Scout Group formed in 1907, making it one of the oldest groups in the Scout Movement. The inaugural meeting was held on 02 June 1908. It moved to its own premises at Beverley Hall, Grant Road, Addiscombe in 1927 and continues to serve the Addiscombe and Park Hill districts.

Although the postal address of the 1st Sanderstead Scout Troop HQ was on Sanderstead Road, the Troop actually met in a hut next to the allotments north of Sanderstead Road. The entrance to the path was next to Broomhall Road and the path ran alongside the railway. The hut was situated at the point that the path diverged. It is shown on the 1988 aerial survey but has gone by the 2001 Ordnance Survey map.

The Croydon Repertory Theatre was a professional repertory theatre company situated at 23 Wellesley Road (just south of the junction with Poplar Walk) and was administered by Croydon Community Theatres Limited. The Managing Director throughout its life was J.Baxter Sommerville. It grew out of the Greyhound Theatre Players which performed at The Greyhound before the premises on Wellesley Road, with a capacity of 390, was obtained. The opening ceremony on September 13 1932 was performed by actor, poet and playwright John Drinkwater (1882 - 1937) who had been heavily involved in setting up Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Between 1932 and 1940 the Rep staged a different play most weeks with a period over the summer when the theatre was dark although it appears to have been regularly used by visiting companies at these times. The outbreak of WWII meant that it never reopened after the 1939/40 season and the building was subsequently badly damaged by enemy bombs while being used for furniture storage. 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. Among the subsequently famous actors to appear at Croydon Rep were John Le Mesurier, Denis Price, Richard Wattis, Leonard Sachs and Joan Hickson.

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.

The Croydon Occupational Centre for Unemployed Men opened in 1932 was one of the first occupational centres in the country to open, and did so temporarily in the old Whitgift Middle School building in Church Road. For a short period in 1934 the centre was housed in the British Legion Hall on the London Road, until their new premises at Robin House, 6 Morland Road were ready in December 1934. These premises had formerly been an Industrial School and Detention Home. Within the second year of operation, it was decided to omit the word Occupational from the centres title, making it the Croydon Centre for Unemployed Men.

Soon after opening, the centre was seeing almost 300 men a day. Activities within the centre developed the mens skills in carpentry, cooking, gardening, cleaning, gardening and maintenance. The centre also had a library and reading room, guest lectures, and sports and games facilities available to the men. The centre operated with the help of volunteers and helpers. It was funded mainly by annual subscriptions.

In November 1936 a Womens Section of the centre started up in the Methodist Church Hall in Parchmore Road, providing a meeting place for the wives of the unemployed men. They organized drives and fund raising for the Centre, and by the outbreak of the Second World War had moved to Robin House.

The Centre received two royal visits in June 1933, from Edward, Prince of Wales and Prince George. Edwards visit was an informal one but George included the centre in his tour of the borough, which was a part of the celebrations for the Jubilee of Croydons Incorporation. During the visit he toured the building and its facilities, and also chatted with the men at the centre. (Croydon Times 10th June 1933).

The 1943 Annual Report mentions that funds were low, and it probably closed soon afterwards. By 1955 the building was in use as a Corporation Day Nursery.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Woodford School was a superior private day-school for girls. A few boarders were also taken. Boys were taught in the preparatory classes. The school originated in 1867, established by Miss Annie Waters, who was joined shortly afterwards by her sister, Jennie Waters. It was originally located in the family home at 9 George Street, Croydon; but in 1878 the family and school moved into a new house at 8 Dingwall Road. This was named Woodford House after the village of Woodford, Wilts, where the family originated. The school subsequently expanded into the two neighbouring houses, 7 and 9 Dingwall Road. The Misses Waters retired in 1900, and Miss AHB Walford became headmistress; she was succeeded in 1927 by Miss Mary Horsley, an old girl of the school, who had taught there since 1919. The name changed in 1916 from Woodford House School to Woodford School. The school went into decline during World War 2, and closed in 1945, after the death of Mary Horsley.

The Venturas Club was a youth club started by the Thornton Heath Ratepayers and Residents Association in c.1946. It continued until c.1958. Jeanne Joy (n233e Bamford) was a member and her late husband, Monty Joy, was Secretary and later Chairman. His brother Vic was also a member in the early days. Jeanne has written a detailed history of the Club which is included in the collection (see accession file).

The pressure on the Fire Brigades during the heavy bombing on the London area in the winter of 1940/1 led to the formation of Street Fire Parties.

Because at any time there might b/e too many fires for the fire services to deal with; members of the general public were therefore formed into fire fighting parties, under the control of the Fire Brigade and known at first as Supplementary Street Fire Parties. This is reflected in the date of commencement of this log book.

Later in 1941 an Order was made compelling all men between the ages of eighteen and sixty to register for Civil Defence duties, and fire watching duties, to secure that not only homes but business premises as well were guarded at all times. These were under the Warden Service.

A Street Leader was appointed and the men in the street formed rotas to watch night and day. They were trained to use stirrup pumps in quenching small fires directly they occurred and the normal incendiary bomb, and later they learned to deal with the heavy explosive incendiary. Each wore a steel helmet and brassard and, after a simple examination, was given a card indicating that he was trained.

A second Order, in 1942, brought women between the ages of twenty and forty five into the scheme as fire guards and also compelled certain men who had been exempted from fire duties at their places of employment now to undertake them and the women filled the gaps in street fire parties. By this Order owners of business premises and factories were required to produce a fire guard scheme, in conjunction with adjacent premises where that would be more effective. Altogether about fifty thousand men and women did fire duties.

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.

Mr Albert Riddle, late husband of the donor, was formerly a fireman posted from training school to Woodside in 1961.

At the time Woodside was one of the four fire stations that made up the Croydon Fire Brigade. They were

No 1 station, Old Town, Croydon (HQ)

No 2 station, Long Lane, Woodside

No 3 station, Brigstock Road, Thornton Heath

No 4 station, Lodge Lane, New Addington

Plus No 5 station which was the Auxiliary fire station attached to No 1 station at Old Town.

Croydon Fire Brigade was merged into the London Fire Brigade in 1965.

The Public Assistance Office, a department of the Borough Council, was in existence from 1930 (when the responsibilities of the Board of Guardians were transferred to the local authority) until 1948 (when the work passed to the new Welfare Services Committee of the Council, the Ministry of National Insurance, and the National Health service). It was responsible for a range of welfare activities, including poor relief, medical services, and the care of children and old people. Its offices were in Mayday Road. During World War 2, many of the staff volunteered or were called up into the services. The Mayday Monthly News Letter (edited by Mr JS Cashel) was begun in April 1942 as a means of keeping them in touch with their friends and colleagues. It continued publication until the end of the war.

Norwood Cottage Hospital was opened on 21 October 1882 at Hermitage Road, Upper Norwood and the first patient admitted on 01 November 1882. By the middle of 1883, it was treating a wide variety of cases with an average of just over eight patients a day. It was extended in 1932.

The hospital was run on a charitable basis until 1948 when it was transferred to the National Health Service. It changed itas name to Norwood and District Cottage Hospital in 1953.

Norwood and District Cottage Hospital closed in September 1984 and the buildings were converted to become the Canterbury Centre.