Bromleag The newsletter of the Bromley Borough Local History Society

December 2006

Capturing the changing face of Bromley

Richmal Crompton’s Discovering Bowie’s inspiring nephew Beckenham home Bromley Borough Local History Society

Registered Charity No 273963 About the Society Contents Bromley Borough Local History Society was formed in 1974 so that anyone with an interest in any part of the borough could December 2006 meet to exchange information and learn more about Bromley’s history. All copy for the March 2007 edition of Bromleag must History is continually being made and at the same time reach the editor by Monday destroyed, buildings are altered or demolished, memories fade 29 January and people pass away, records get destroyed or thrown in the bin. We aim, in co-operation with the local history library, P3 News museums and other relevant organisations, to make sure at least some of this history is preserved for future generations. Sir Cornthwaite We hold regular meetings and produce a journal and occasional Hector Rason publications where members can publish their research. Chairman and Membership Secretary P4-5 Society meeting — Dr Anthony Allnut Member’s interests Woodside, Old Perry Street, Chislehurst, BR7 6PP Local pictures on the 020 8467 3842 internet [email protected] Secretary P6-8 Finding David Bowie’s Mrs Patricia Knowlden Beckenham home 62 Harvest Bank Road, West Wickham, BR4 9DJ

020 8462 5002 P8 British history on- line Bromleag

P9 Bygone Kent offer This newsletter is published four times a year. The editor welcomes articles of between 100 and 1,000 words, along with illustrations and photographs. These can be in paper copy, disk P10 Beckenham High Street changes or e-mailed. Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope if you wish P11-12 material to be returned. Items remain the copyright of the Richmal Crompton’s authors and do not necessarily reflect Society views. Each William contributor is responsible for the content of their article. Articles are not always used immediately as we try to maintain a P11 Chelsfield balance between research, reminiscences and articles about excavations different subjects and parts of the borough. Editor Penge teacher obit Christine Hellicar

P12 Mystery Beckenham poem Subscription Rates P13 Anne Boleyn and Yearly subscription from 1 January West Wickham Individual £8.50; couple £10. Senior citizens pay a re-

duced rate of £6 per person or £8 for a couple. Thames tale Members joining after 30 June pay half rates. P14-15 Publications

2 Bromleag December 2006 News Did Aussie politician Hector Tripod screen for sale dabble in Beckenham One tripod screen, 1500 cm's square, condition commensurate with five years politics? use - slightly damaged but still functional. Beckenham has been home to and Cost £100, £40 ono and it's its fair share of politicians — financial yours. both national and local — but worries. Apply Brian Reynolds, Hon. it was surprising to find that In 1906 Treasurer, one of them was a Premier of he 020 8462 9526. Western Australia. appointed Sir Cornthwaite Hector Rason himself served not only as premier but Agent Ancestry free access also as treasurer and minister of General Sir Cornthwaite Bromley Local Studies justice for just nine months from for Hector Rason Library’s subcription to August 1905 until May 1906, Western 'Ancestry Library edition' is before resigning and returning to Australia now active giving free access London as Agent General for in London and resigned as to census, bmd & other useful Western Australia. premier to take up the post. He data free of charge to local Known as Hector Rason he was held that position until 1911 studies visitors. after which he pursued a born in Somerset and became a railway clerk. In 1880 he business career in Britain. emigrated to Australia and set up Hector’s well-documented Top award for NWKFHS business with his brother-in-law political career was drawn to Congratulations to the North in Toodyay and Guildford, my attention by our member West Kent Family History Western Australia. Paul Rason – no relation – but Society who have won the He seems to have turned his what about Sir Cornthwaite’s Federation of Family History hand to many things, time in Beckenham? Societies Best Website Award shopkeeping, gold mining, He pursued a business career 2006. The FFHS judges mining engineer, auctioneer and in Britain and was knighted in reported that there was great politics. 1909. He died at Beckenham on improvement in society From local mayor he worked his 15 March 1927. Do any of our websites across the board, but way up through the legislative members know if he spent all that the North West Kent FHS assembly to the leadership. But his time from 1906 in site was a hands-down winner he was not considered a firm Beckenham and did he get by unanimous decision. The leader and was dogged by family involved in local politics? Society was awarded £100.

Future meetings January to March 2007 Meetings are held at 7.45 pm on the first Tuesday of the month, from September to July, in the Methodist Church Hall, North Street, Bromley. The hall has free off-street parking, good public transport links and facilities for the disabled. Non-members are welcome at the society’s meetings for a nominal charge of £1. 2 January Our neighbours, a look at some books concerning the local history of the districts bordering on the Borough of Bromley — Tony Allnutt 6 February Hayes changed, Why? - Trevor Woodman 6 March Maps and Plans: a brief history and an outline of their usefulness to the local historian - Tony Allnutt

December 2006 Bromleag 3 Society meeting Variety of interests revealed during members’ evening Poll books give a nce again the September Cliff’s article in Bromleag wealth of material meeting was opened up for September 2004] and David Before the secret Ballot Act of O our members to talk about Bowie. He told us that Bromley 1872 Poll Books provide a rich their particular local history Museum has recently acquired source of material for local interests. Bowie’s green striped velvet historians. John Barnes brought in local jacket. [See also article on During our members’ photographs from the early days David Bowie by Cliff on p8]. evening Michael Rawcliffe of World War Two. His album, Leslie Stephens spoke about discussed the Poll Books for dating to the end of 1939, pictures his wonderful collection of West Kent for 1847, 1857 people in Bromley getting ready Queen Victoria’s 1887 Golden and 1863. for the war. Pictures of the Jubilee and 1897 Diamond He outlined the process aftermath of the bombing are Jubilee material and Tony from the nomination quite common but it was Allnutt told us about some of meeting on Penenden interesting to see the preparations the material in his collection of Heath, where after a show with people sand-bagging their old letters. [see below] of hands a third candidate private houses, as well as Other contributors included could demand a ballot, to preparations outside some of the Max Batten who began the voting and the borough’s major buildings recording the changing face of declaration of results. including Bromley Police Station, Bromley in the late 20th West Kent had two which survived the war but is now century. members and the Poll disappearing from our local Books list not only the small On P5 Max writes about his landscape. number allowed to vote, but web based project that shows also their voting Cliff Watkins spoke about various just how quickly the urban preferences. Beckenham characters including landscape is being developed. Titanic survivor Harold Bride [see

Letters with a local interest Tony Allnutt spoke about several letters of local interest, which he had bought from a dealer many years ago. They included one from Sir Vicary Gibbs (Vinegar Gibbs), Attorney General in the late Eighteenth Century, concerning family matters. Vicary Gibbs lived at Hayes Common. Another letter was from Paul Creswick of Kings Hall Road, Beckenham who wrote many novels from 1894 until his death in 1947. At least one of these novels is still in print. A third letter, dated 6th July 1860, was to the members of the Cray Ladies Cricket Club, from the Rector of North Cray, Rev J Bateman, declining a challenge and signing himself: “A Challenged Parson and Frightened Friend.” Tony also described a book The Black Horse Nemo by Oskar Teichmann which at first glance appears to be mainly of interest to horse enthusiasts but which contains a good deal of interesting detail about Edwardian Chislehurst and the life of a wealthy local family. An entertaining read. Vanished: The HG Wells mural has also disappeared from the town centre 4 Bromleag December 2006 Society meeting Recording local history on the web

ike many people who have lived in the same by Max Batten district all their life, I took very few pictures of L my home town when I was younger. this is reflected on the site. I first became aware of this deficiency when the The other benefit of publishing these pictures Glades development was announced in Bromley has been a steady stream of e-mails from former and I took the opportunity to take a few snaps residents now in other parts of the country, or before many familiar sites were lost forever. more often in other parts of the world, telling Since then I have continued to take pictures their recollections of the town and asking for around the centre of town and, with the advent of more information about it today. the Internet, taken the opportunity to display over I would be delighted if members could help add 250 of them on the Web. to this collection. If you have any pictures of This has required a lot of walking around town, central Bromley taken since 1950, black and really looking at the roads and buildings and white or colour, which you would be happy to let learning a bit of local history on the way. Some of me include on the site, please call me on 020 8460 1284 or e-mail [email protected] Full attribution will be given and copyright would Below and opposite are some of Max’s remain with you. pictures. They are among the 250 that can be seen on his web site. www.thebattens.me.uk/bromley1.html

Lownds Avenue, looking towards the back of Marks & Above: The car park before being covered by Looking down Palace View Spencer, in March Glades and Pavilion Leisure Centre. from beside the Bank of 1988, with the Below: Two years later and space is being America building. Kentish small Queens made for the Glades. Way now cuts across the Gardens car park pictue on the left

Max’s web directs you to other sites with Bromley photographs. “Frith Collection - a particularly good site; Suburbia in focus and Photolondon. Another source, albeit limited so far as Bromley is concerned, is the English Heritage photographic collection.”

December 2006 Bromleag 5 Feature Bowie’s baronial Beckenham

his story starts in 2001 when I was By Cliff Watkins researching David Bowie’s years in T Beckenham for press releases and a draft My grey cells were stimulated. Another photo in speech for the Mayor of Bromley. He was coming the article showed a baronial staircase, which to Beckenham in December that year to attend looked similar to an iconic photo showing Bowie the fixing of a Bowie Plaque on the pub in the sitting at the top of a staircase with a huge High Street where he established the famous stained glass window behind him. Arts Lab. (See Bromleage, July 2002 ). Also in Angie Bowie’s memoir of her years with Since that article the pub got its famous old Bowie, Backstage Passes, she describes the then name back but has since been converted into a current owner of Haddon Hall as: "a Mr Hoy, Zizzi restaurant, but with The Three Tuns sign on originally the mansion’s gardener, who got lucky the building. when the last candle patriarch willed him the In 2001, I knew Bowie had lived at 42 property to spite a generation of errant Southend Road in what Bowie’s first wife, Angie, offspring." had described as a Victorian building, called After failing to find any link between the Haddon Hall, now demolished. I went to Bromley Sherley-Price family and Prices candles, I Local Studies searching for a picture but their contacted Phyllis Teare, maiden name Crease, photo archive revealed a 1930s style detached the granddaughter of Beckenham’s first Freeman house. of the Borough, Alderman James Crease. She Fast forward now to the December 2004 edition worked in Beckenham Library where she was of Bromleag which had a cover photo of an famous for her puppet shows. In 1953, age 21; Edwardian house with the strap-line, she married David Munro 28, a most amusing "Beckenham’s lost suburban grandeur". Stuart man and also a librarian - probably known to Dandridge’s article about the times of his several BBLHS members. With his love of music, godmother’s family in Beckenham in the 1930’s, literature and the arts David formed the described the house as being: "Built on a Beckenham Salon, and, with Phyllis, was considerable slope up the hill with the garden involved with the Beckenham Children’s Theatre. backing onto what is now a golf course ... the Their first married home was on the top floor of property belonged to the Sherley-Price family Haddon Hall and Phyllis recalls the removal men and was called Pettistice." struggling with David’s piano up a steep winding staircase. However the flat offered the couple part of the large garden which had a gate into Beckenham Place Park; and from the flat there was a superb view over the golf course and the ancient woodlands. I showed her the set of Pettistice photos, which Stuart Dandridge had given to Bromley Local Studies Library, and she confirmed that they were of Haddon Hall and that their landlord was Mr Hoy. The Munros vacated their Haddon hall flat in 1960 and thus missed the arrival in 1969 of Angie and David Bowie. This is how Angie described what happened: "I went house-hunting, and oh my, did I ever do well. Haddon Hall was its name, and Mystery solved: This picture of Pettistice on the it was spectacular. front of Bromleag in December 2004 has been identified as David Bowie’s Haddon Hall.

6 Bromleag December 2006 Feature mansion discovered

"Picture this: You're on the slow uphill rent comprised all gradient of the main road south from these rooms and Beckenham, which, as I've said before, is one also a minstrel of the leafier, gentler south London suburbs - gallery accessed by plenty of greenery and muted graciousness, a the grand quiet and substantial civilisation - and you're staircase]. facing a structure, at 42 Southend Road, that "The current is as distinct from the usual run of rental owner is a Mr. Hoy, property as you can imagine. originally the "It was a candle manufacturer's mansion originally, a bastion of the great lost British industrial empire, built in concert with one of the dominion's last great spectaculars, the Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1851. As you might expect, Haddon Hall is a thoroughly Victorian edifice: solid red brick, ornately embellished with solemn white fasciae, and of course righteously, haughtily church like in basic aspect, so much so that the dominant feature of the rear face (which looks out over a long, lush garden toward a lovely green expanse of a full-sized golf course) is a huge stained-glass window. "The front is almost as imposing. The door opens, and the first thing you see is that magnificent stained-glass window rising above a short staircase at the far end of a Light on the mystery: the staircase and window central hallway fully forty feet wide by sixty in this iconic picture of Bowie are the same as those in Stuart Dandridge’s picture feet long. "You enter the hallway, a wonderfully high, mansion's gardener, who got lucky when the imposing space, and move toward the last candle patriarch willed him the property window. On the right you pass a bathroom, to spite a generation of errant offspring. Mr. then a dining room twenty-five feet square, Hoy is a nice gentleman, but a difficult then a music room twenty-five by thirty; on project. It has taken me several months, the left are a tiny kitchen, then a massive ever since I first saw Haddon Hall during my living room, forty-seven by twenty-five feet. stay at Mary Finnegan's, [in Foxgrove Road] [The ground to convince him that David and I can afford floor flat the fourteen pounds per week in rent, meet available to the expense of curtaining the towering windows, cope with the minimal kitchen facilities, and so on ad infinitum. John Jones's death, [he was David's father] however, has delayed the cohabitation schedule for David and me so that by the time we're finally ready, Mr. Hoy is too. We move in." A special place: Angie Bowie describes Haddon Hall in her book Backstage Passes. Continued on p8

December 2006 Bromleag 7 News Major British histories now on-line

he Victoria County History, the Survey of and some projects still have years to run before London and Ordnance Survey maps are just completion, so more material on Kent will be T some of the documents being put onto the included. web, with free access, on the British History Online In the meantime much of the material is just a site – www.british-history.ac.uk delight to dip into. There are verbatim accounts of British History Online describes itself as: “A digital House of Commons debates, 1660-1739, in 10 library containing some of the core printed primary volumes. and secondary sources for the medieval and Assize records for London in the 14th-16th modern history of the British Isles.” centuries dealing with neighbourly disputes over Created by the Institute of Historical Research buildings, boundaries and obstruction of ways and and the History of Parliament Trust it aims to The London Eyre of the 13th century, where more support academic and personal users in learning, tragic matters such as workmen’s accidents teaching and research. drowning or walls falling on people are recorded, as There is also a whole range of material for all well as murder. areas of the UK. For some counties there is an Some are quite long reports others as simple as enormous amount of material, particularly in 1244 “ William of Haverhill being chamberlain, Middlesex and London, but at present I could not and John de Coudres and John de Wylehal sheriffs, find a great deal for Kent, or Bromley in particular. a woman named Felicia was found murdered in her The 1871 Ordnance Survey map for Bromley and house. John, son of Roger of Spain killed her and The Victoria History of the County of Kent, volume fled.”All the documents can be searched by a 2 produced the only local material. The latter is: keyword and the earlier documents are shown both “part-volume detailing the religious houses of the in Latin and English translation, extremely useful county. It includes accounts of the early history of for anyone searching their family history. Canterbury and Rochester cathedrals, and of A recent addition to the site is one of the earliest several sites now within the conurbation of histories on the database, A New History of London.” It includes material relating to colleges, London by John Noorthouck (1773). This includes hospitals and friaries in Dartford and Maidstone and “accounts of the present state of the City the hospital of Sevenoaks. (organised by ward), and of much of Westminster, However, new material is going up every month, Southwark and Lambeth.”

Bowie’s baronial Beckenham mansion discovered

Continued from P7 Exhibition opening in December this year majoring on David Bowie, there will be an I have not contacted Angie Bowie for more acknowledgement of how BBLHS revealed his information about the candle connection, but I was interested in discovering if the building was Victorian as she suggests. The Street Directories in Bromley Local Studies, indicate that the house was not built until 1908 when Henry Sherley- Price appears at a property called Pettistice which is also shown on a map of similar vintage in exactly the location of Haddon Hall in a 1953 map. Henry left in about 1932 when the property became vacant. By 1939 Mr Walter William Hoy appears, with people living in another three flats, at number 42. I am satisfied the picture on the front of the December 2004 Bromleag is indeed Bowie’s Haddon Hall. I hope that in the Bromley Museum The back garden of Pettistice/Haddon Hall

8 Bromleag December 2006 News

Bygone Kent subscription offer ygone Kent, the county’s only local history magazine, is making a special subscription B offer to society members. Any four or more people who would like to take an annual subscription can sign up together for £15 each instead of the usual £20 for an individual subscription. The Copies of each issue will be despatched to one magazine’s nominated address and will begin with the January/ holding February 2007 edition. organisation Bygone Publishing has just published Bygone Kent was rescued from closure earlier this a new local history book entitled Kentish year by Nick Evans, who had just been appointed Innsignia. Produced in association with Kent editor by the previous publisher who went into Shepherd Neame, it tells the stories behind the administration in March. names and signs of more than 80 of its pubs in Since then Nick has published the magazine the county. himself at bimonthly intervals, giving it a much The book can be purchased in shops for £5 or needed fresh new look. mail order for £6.50 inc p&p from Bygone Plans are also in hand to resurrect Bygone Kent’s Publishing at PO Box 201, Whitstable, Kent CT5 website at www.bygonekent.com and it is hoped 1WT. something will be online during the course of Contributions relating to Kent’s local history are November and December. always appreciated and these can be emailed to It is intended that readers will be able to log in to [email protected]. Alternatively, you the full index, which stretches back 26 years, can call Nick Evans on 01227 275157 to discuss subscribe, contribute an article or request back further. numbers. If any members are interested in taking out the

Familiar landmarks missing from High Street

Pat Manning has a mystery postcard that readers may like to puzzle over. It is a view of Beckenham High Street before the days of the memorial and cinema, postmarked 1905. The church hall like building on the right in the photo was the Lea Wilson Mission Room at number 112. The shops down the bottom on the same side were drapers and milliners, a grocer and upholsterer and undertaker with a baker, harnessmaker, tobacconist and ironmaker opposite between Burrell cottages and the Beckenham Motor Garage. The Beckenham Rugby Club ground was at the end of Burrell Row, on the land which is now part of Croydon Road Recreation ground known today as the Hospital Meadow.

December 2006 Bromleag 9 Feature Richmal Crompton — Bromley Common’s much loved author

blue plaque on a house in Oakley Road records that Richmal Crompton; the much- By Leonard Smith A loved writer of the Just William stories lived there, and elsewhere in the Bromley Common area, seriously ill with polio and was recovering in for many years. hospital. It left a problem with her right leg and Richmal Crompton Lamburn was born in 1890, she walked with the aid of a stick for the rest of the second child of the Rev. Edward John Sewell her life. Lamburn, a teacher, and his wife Clara [nee She had to relinquish her teaching post at Crompton]. Bromley High School and from her bedroom on the ground floor at 9 Cherry Orchard Road concentrated on writing short stories – under the The Lamburn name of Richmal Crompton - including the first family nine of Just William. This produced an income for originally came her mother and herself. from Lancashire Bromley Common provided the background for where Richmal, many of the William episodes, Plough Pond, the one of three Harris family at Oakley farm, the old Vicarage in children, was Oakley Road, Coolings Nursery site at Knowle educated at a Road opposite the Plough Inn and the small shops girls’ school in then in Oakley Road, though not mentioned by Bury, name are the localities for the William escapades. Derbyshire. In 1927 Richmal and her mother moved into a She won a new house built for them in Oakley Road, named scholarship to Just William: everyone’s favorite The Glebe, it having been originally Church Land. study at Royal Thomas and his sister continued to make frequent Holloway visits to their aunt, making expeditions to the College in London and received a BA Honours countryside. The rail distance from Bromley degree in Classics. She then returned to her old station corresponds with that for Mr Brown – school where she became a teacher and began father of William – in his daily trips to the city. writing short stories and novels. William’s adventures in a fantasy world of In 1915 the Lamburn family, three generations complicated plots with Ginger and friends, plus a including Richmal’s sister and her son, moved dog, various animals and insects, reflect on the south to a large house in Denmark Hill, south area of Bromley Common. Local characters are, London. Richmal obtaining a teaching post at though, well disguised. But of course nephew Bromley High School for girls and in 1917 she and Thomas is the prototype William, a part that he her mother moved to Cherry Orchard Road, did not really enjoy. Bromley Common, leaving her mother’s sister and Later in life Thomas served in the army and saw her children, including Thomas, aged four, at active service in North Africa in WWII, followed by Denmark Hill. a career in banking. It is his youthful activities Thomas Disher, the nephew of Richmal Lamburn, that are recalled as the theme for the Just William was the inspiration for the Just William stories, adventures. having spent much time with his aunt Richmal at Following the move to The Glebe, Richmal Bromley Common. Thomas’s character was partly purchased a car fitted with hand controls. inherited from his father, a man of many varied Following her mother’s death in 1939 she lived occupations and business interests, who travelled alone with just a daily help coming in. The Harris all over the world. family from nearby Oakley Farm were frequent The Disher family, including Thomas, spent a year visitors. Later in September 1939 Mrs Disher on the island of Tahiti in 1922. On their return to came to stay for the war years. Thomas also England they found that Richmal had been came to join them when on leave.

10 Bromleag December 2006 News

Richmal Lamburn was by temperament somewhat of a loner, not surprising as a Uncovering the past at writer. She decided in 1954, for health reasons, to leave The Glebe for a smaller home – a St Martin’s Chelsfield bungalow in Chislehurst. In 1960 she suffered a coronary Archaeological excavations at St Martin of Tours in Chelsfield and was taken to Farnborough uncovered not only graves but also the broken remains of a Hospital, recovered and font. returned home, where she Compass Archaeology carried out the work prior to the building of continued, aged 78, writing the an extension to the church, parts of which date back to the 12th th 39 Just William story, when century. Orpington and District Archaeological Society were also she had a second coronary and involved. died on 11 January 1969. Reporting in ODAS’s magazine Archives, society secretary Brenda So passed away the author of Rogers says: “The job of the archaeologists was to uncover and the Just William books remove any burials, which were going to be disturbed by the published in their millions, in foundations. No burials had been recorded in that part of the over twelve different languages graveyard since around 1750.” Over a hundred burials were found. and turned into a TV series and Many of the bones were charnel, which had been reburied in pits or a film, all based on the subsequent reburial. “The area, on the north of the church, was not a adventures of her schoolboy popular place for burials and was believed to have been used mainly nephew. by the poorer members of the congregations. The majority of burials appeared to have had no coffins.” There were some coffin burials - although all that was left of the coffins were nails and handles - which had not previously been disturbed but virtually no grave goods such as jewellery. “The bones, both disarticulated and complete skeletons, will be reburied with due respect elsewhere in the graveyard,” said Brenda. Also in a corner of the site was the 1857 font. “The story is that in 1857, Miss Baugh, the sister of the Rector, arranged for a replacement font, which she felt was an improvement on the existing one.” Most of the old font has been found and there is also a drawing of it, made by Frank Brind in 1890, on display in the church. There have been two fonts since the buried one but now St Martin’s has a font in keeping with its antiquity. When St Paulinus became a Richmal Crompton Lamburn redundant church their medieval font came to Chelsfield. Our thanks to ODAS for permission to reprint these extracts from their much more detailed archaeological report.

Penge teacher’s wartime exploits remembered

The wartime exploits of conscientious objector he joined south-eastern France in the former Penge Grammar the Special Operations summer of 1944. School teacher, Francis Executive in 1942 following the He set up his own network, Cammaerts, were recalled in death of his brother, an RAF formed reception committees, co obituaries this summer,on his pilot. During 15 months in -ordinated arms drops, secured a death at the age of 90. France “le grand diable wireless operator and was Cammaerts, son of the Belgian Anglais”, as Cammaerts beginning work on sabotage poet Emile Cammaerts, was born became known, created from operations. At 6ft 4ins he stood in England and became a teacher scratch a network of 10,000 out in a crowd and avoided after studying at Cambridge. He resistance fighters who helped detection by never staying on taught at Penge before the war. pave the way for the Riviera one place for more than a night landings and the liberation of Although originally a or two. He was awarded the DSO and the French Croix de Guerre.

December 2006 Bromleag 11 News Christmas card poem mystery leads to Beckenham Place

Some little known residents of Beckenham Place directory where the roads are listed with the were tracked down by Pat Manning occupants and Spencer Brunton is living at Beckenham Place off Foxgrove Rd. Spencer’s career had blossomed during this The year 1876 of Grace time from an insurance broker to an important Sees SB moving to Bxxxxxxxx Pxxxx member of the Stock Exchange and in 1881 the With wife and babies large and small family is found living in London with the assistance of a bevy of thirteen servants. Tis no small matter to move at all. While still at Beckenham Place two more children including Guy, 1878, were born. Guy’s birth was registered by his mother Janet at Beckenham Place. Guy became a famous Pauline Temple from the north of Scotland Egyptologist and married an even better known sent in an enquiry to the Beckenham South African painter, Winifred Mabel (1880- Heritage Group about her ancestor, Spencer 1959). Brunton. She wondered if there was any Guy (1878-1948) excavated with Sir Flinders evidence to support the idea that he had Petrie at Lahun before taking up the post as been an occupant of Beckenham Place in Assistant Keeper of the Cairo Museum. Winifred the 1870s. illustrated many aspects of her husband’s work She has a Christmas card made by one of the including items from the tomb of family in 1876, which shows them all moving to Tutankhamen. B… P… (perhaps a joke about them moving to But can you imagine the fun that those Buckingham Palace, in reality Beckenham Place). children would have had chasing up and down So a visit to Bromley Library Local Studies was the spiral staircases and running in circles from in order to look at their most precious resource, bedroom to bedroom on the second floor. the Directories. Pauline thought that the card was made by We know from the 1871 census that Major one of the children but it is signed ‘Jones’ and General John Kirkland with his aunt and the standard of English would be fantastic for Cambridge graduate son were credited with the eldest child of six. It can be seen at the living at the mansion but the Major had died and Visitors Centre in Beckenham Place mansion so it was possible that the mansion had been re- open on Sunday afternoons. let. Spencer had married Janet Swift of the Ferns, Copers Cope Rd, Beckenham on 1 May 1869 and according to the Bromley directories by Strong they continued to live at The Ferns until 1876. The house was on the west side of Copers Cope Rd, recorded in the 1885 directory as the third house down, possibly still there and used as an hotel. Several children were born to the couple between 1870 – 1876 with their dates of birth and baptisms all recorded in the parish church of St George’s registers. One of the children, Basil, was Pauline Temple’s grandfather. In the 1877 directory, Spencer was at Beckenham Place, confirmed in the 1879

12 Bromleag December 2006 News Did she or did she not visit West Wickham?

enry Heydon, Lord of the Manor of of arms of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn and West Wickham in 1469, who rebuilt St her signet. H John’ church, was married to Anne I wonder if Anne Bullen, daughter of Sir Geoffrey Bullen. Henry Boleyn did stay with and Anne’s great-niece Anne Bullen/Boleyn her relatives if she married Henry VIII and so became Queen of might have said her England. prayers in the Henry VIII courted Anne at Hever Castle chapel at St. John’s several miles away where Anne lived. It is not improbable that Henry and his future wife may Joyce Walker have met occasionally at Wickham Court, or that Anne would have visited Wickham Court to see her relatives and their ‘new’ church. The stained galls in the west window of the ‘keep’ (originally the kitchen) show the coats

Historical tale of Thames watermen Chislehurst resident Bob press-ganged into the Royal river and, despite the hard and Crouch has turned his Navy. sometime cruel life he interest in history and the “It is told through the eyes describes, his love of the experience of generations of of Edwin, the young historical period. his family working as wherryman on whom Doggett Bob, a retired bargemaster, Thames watermen to good is reputed to have based the was apprenticed to his father account in his first novel rules of his race.” as a third generation Thames The Coat. There is plenty of colour and waterman. He took up rowing Based on stories passed down interest as well as finely and successfully competed for through generations of the Doggett’s Coat and Badge in river Thames fraternity the 1958. Subsequently he was book has at its core the origin involved with the Watermen’s of Doggett’s Coat and Badge Guild and became Master in wager. The rowing race has 1987. been held on The Thames each He says writing a novel, year since 1715 and is now one rather than a history: “Gave of Britain’s oldest annually held me the opportunity to tell the sporting events. story of the origins of Mr Bob described the book: “It Doggett’s famous race, with tells of the brutality and latitude to describe the lifestyle dangerous times of the early of the watermen of the early 18th century and of how the 18th century.” watermen of that time were harshly controlled by the roles Bob is offering The Coat at a of their Guild. discounted price of £10.50 “How they dealt with the cruel including p&p to society researched historical detail in winters when the river was members from RG Crouch, Bob’s tale. His detailed frozen over, of the hard Banks, Chislehurst Road, descriptions of the period lifestyle they endured and of Chislehurst, Kent BR7 5LD. their greatest fear of being clearly show his love of the

December 2006 Bromleag 13 Publications BBLHS publications

Following our recent success with lottery grants we have now reprinted two of our books which were out of print, numbers one and two. We chose these because they are the ones most in demand. With any luck we hope to reprint the other two books which are out of print, numbers three and seven in the near future. As many of you will not know the details of the ten books that we have published over the years we give below a schedule of the books and their contents.

Book number 1, stock available. £2.00 each Book number 4, stock available. £1.00 each.

The Holwood Estate The Parish Chest and Its Contents –(with The Lady Margaret Hospital, Bromley. particular reference to Local Churches) The History of Transport in Bromley & District. Sundridge Park, Bromley and the history of the The Wells Family of Deptford and Bickley. Scott family who lived there. Problems of the Cray and Ravensbourne Valleys, The British Red Cross in the Bromley Area, 1910 1830. – 1919. William Farr, M.D.,F.R.S.,D.C.l., C.B. A History of Orpington Hospital. The House that was Camden Close, Chislehurst, Anglo-Saxon Charters of Bromley (Kent). and its people. James Scott, the famous Surgeon of Bromley. The Windmills of Keston. Book number 2, stock available. £2.00 each The Emancipation of West Wickham, 862 – 1928. Village into Suburb. Reminiscences of J.R. Pocock 1834 – 1909 Book number 5, stock available. £1.00 each. The Norman Family of Bromley Common. Roman Coins of Roman Bromley. Memories of Bromley 1897 – 1916 William Baxter: Bromley Antiquary. By Rail to Biggin Hill. A railway that never was. The Sandersons of Bullers Wood. “Bromley gets Switched on” A history of Electricity in Bromley. St. Mary Cray & The Anti-Corn Law League. Very Early West Wickham.

The Bromley Palace and Coles Child, Lord of the Book number 3, out of stock Manor of Bromley, 1846 – 1873. Trustees of the New Cross Turnpike Trust, 1718 John Till, Rector of Hayes, 1777 – 1827. – 1830 The Bromley School of Science and Art. The Story of Farnborough Hospital. Book number 6, stock available. £1.00 each. The Genesis of Horsburghs’ “Bromley, Kent”. The Roman Occupation of West Wickham. The Southern Heights Light Railway. Bromley College Pillars. Viola House School. The Growth of shops in Beckenham 1885 – St. Luke’s Church, Bromley Common. 1915. West Wickham and the First World War. The old Anchor and Hope Inn, Orpington. Hook Farm, Bromley and the Westbrooks in the The James Frazer Tent of the Independent Order Eighteenth Century. of Rechabites. Bromley and the Bishops of Rochester in the Stuart Period.

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Book number 7, (1985) out of stock Book number 9, stock available. £1.00 each Around Bromley a Century Ago. Industry and Enterprise

St. Mary Cray, 1885. Percy Cox’s Steam Bicycle. Downe in the 1880’s. Thomas Graham Farish – Entrepreneur. Farnborough – Green Street Green – Locks F. Medhurst Ltd. Bottom. Alexander Muirhead. Orpington 100 years ago. Two Early Craftsmen. Hayes 100 years ago. Western Motor Works in Perry Street. Beckenham in 1885. St. Mary Cray Paper Mills. A Year in the life of West Wickham The Farnborough Aviation Works. Keston. The People who made Penge. “All that part of the Parish of Cudham”. James Staats Forbes of the London, Chatham The Parish of Chelsfield. and Dover Railway. Chislehurst – 1885 Gustav Mellin, baby food manufacturer. Fox’s Brewery at Green Street Green. Book number 8, stock available. £1.00 each. The Orpington Car. The Town of Bromley a Century ago Book number 10, stock available Bromley Town. £3.50 each. How the Town was run. In & around Bromley at the Transport: from carts to buses. Turn of the Century. New Bromley. Bromley Market Square and the High Street in Matters of Health. 1900. The growing Outskirts. Beckenham: towards township. Record and Journal. Chelsfield around the turn of the century. Church and Chapel. Chislehurst 1899 – 1900. Bromley Common, the parish of Holy Trinity. Cudham before Biggin Hill. Changes in Education. Downe: a pleasant village still. Plaistow and the Endowment Lands. Farnborough: continuity and change. Leisure Activities in Bromley. 1888. Hayes in 1900. Keston at the end of the Victorian era. Orpington around a 100 years ago. If you have access to a PC, why not th take advantage of the BARGAIN OF Mottingham on the threshold of the 20 century. THE YEAR and purchase our CD of ALL St. Paul’s Cray: memories of the early 1900s TEN books, including books 3 and 7 Penge: the 20th century and a new beginning. price £10.00 to members, £12.00 non St. Mary Cray 1900: the village that disappeared -members, less than the individual behind a retail park. prices. West Wickham: a diary of 1899 – 1901.

The CD and books are available by post from Brian Reynolds, 2 The Please add 35p postage if ordering by post. Limes, Oakley Road, Bromley, BR2 Books 3 & 7 can be seen in the Local Studies 8HH, 020 8462 9526 Library

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