WHAT HAPPENED IN NORBURY? An Introductory Chronology Pollards Hill Recreation Ground Fountain & former Age Concern UK office Norbury Library Norbury Park Norbury Brook Sean Creighton History & Social Action Publications 2017 1 Introduction Norbury is a district in North Croydon with borders with the Streatham district of the London Boroughs of Lambeth and with parts of Merton. The name ‘Norbury’ is an abbreviation of ‘Northborough’. ‘Borough’ originally meant a certain manor or district. What became Croydon contained several boroughs. Reference to these was dropped when Croydon was incorporated as a County Borough in 1888. This chronology has been compiled to help stimulate interest in Norbury’s history. The first modern history of the area A History of Norbury by David Clark was published by the Streatham Society in 2013. It has been through several reprints but is now out of print. It can be read at Norbury Library. David occasionally gives talks about Norbury’s history and leads walks in the area. I am a historian whose interests include Croydon and Norbury, where I live. History & Social Action Publications is my publishing imprint. I am an individual member of the Croydon Local Studies Forum, and co-ordinator of the Croydon Radical History Network. I hope that this introduction will inspire readers to research aspects of interest to them. One of the easiest ways is to look at the local newspapers from the 1860s at Croydon Museum’s Local Studies Research Room at the Clocktower at Croydon Town Hall complex in Katharine St. Sean Creighton February 2017 [email protected] Prehistoric Period 1459. Pollards Hill contained a 92 acre wood. In Pollards Hill a series of low banks suggest that there may have been a prehistoric The Tudor & Stuart Period earthwork but no conclusive finds have been dug up. 1539. Accused of high treason Manor taken off Nicholas Carew by Henry VIII and Roman Period beheaded. The Manor then belonged to the Crown and under Edward VI transferred to The Roman Road from London to Brighton the Archbishop of Canterbury. through Norbury, largely along what is now London Rd. 1556. Queen Mary returned Manor to the Carews. Medieval Period 1583. Palmers Fields of 75 acres (now 1264. Battle of Norbury between Henry III Norbury Park) purchased by executors of and Simon de Montford’s troops. Grindal, Archbishop of Canterbury (1575- 1583) for benefit of Bees Green Grammar 1269. Norbury Manor sold by John de School in Cumberland. Mortimer to Richard de Gravsende: 91 acres arable land in Pollards Hill, 30 acres in 1606. Palmer’s Field leased to Pembroke Grandon (Thornton Heath) and 136 acres of College, Cambridge for 1,000 years. pasture, heathland, woodland and meadowland. The Manor House stood close The Georgian Period the junction of today’s Kensington and 1772. 200+ year old Wooden Hermitage Norbury Avenues. Bridge rebuilt and widened. 1337. Manor granted to Nicolas de Carreu 1800. Croydon Parish Act allows enclosures. (Carew), who also owned Beddington Manor. 2 1802. The ‘Norbury Hall’ house was built for 1856. Prince’s Head regained its licence and William Coles, a tenant farmer of the renamed King William IV. Carews. In 1805 John Malcolm wrote that Coles fattened ‘a large quantity of stock; his 1859. Charles Hallowell Carew, Benjamin’s arrangements for this purpose are on a very son and a naval officer, sold Norbury Manor extensive scale. He confines himself to no to William Goldsmith. Lord of Manor title particular breed, but buys such as he thinks ceased to exist. The Goldsmiths lived there most likely to pay him; however the larger until his death in the 1870s. proportion is of the Holderness breed. Their To-mid 19thC. Only building was ‘Norbury food is oil-cakes and hay, of the former he Hall’. Its lodges were at the entrance to the has consumed this season about 30,000, and lane leading to Norbury Manor Farm, one as his intention is to lay all his home ground serving Hermitage Farm and the turnpike down to grass, I have no doubt, when he has cottage near the Streatham boundary. effected it, that he will fat more stock than any man in the county with the exception of 1859. Norbury (Midway) Villa and Norbury the distilleries.’ Coles was also praised for Lodge on the corner with Pollards Hill North. fatting his cattle with oil-cake and hay by William Anderson in 1809. 1866. Croydon Board of Health approved plans by the Metropolitan Land Co. to 1817. Prince’s Head public house lost convert the Pollards Hill Estate into building licence for nearly 40 years due to use by plots criminals. 1867. Croydon Steeple Chase and Hurdle 1820. According to John Bew ‘Norbury Hall’ Races Committee purchases 100 acre was now being leased from William Coles by Lonesome Farm. Richard Sanderson, a merchant and citizen of London, who added a lake and an 1867. Metropolitan Land Co. purchases c300 ornamental bridge. young oak trees for the Pollards Hill estate. 1825. Coaches already operating from 1868. First Streatham Horse Race meeting Croydon to the City and West End. with the horses being brought to Streatham Common Station. 1826. Mary, the wife of Richard Sanderson died on 24 September aged 68 and was 1861. Railway constructed with bridge. buried at St. John’s Church (Croydon 1862. Stanford’s map shows: Norbury Lodge Minster). and Norbury House off London Rd, Norbury 1828. Former Admiral Sir Benjamin Hallowell Farm, the Streatham Toll Gate, Bridge Carew becomes Lord of Manor. House and a row of buildings up to the Hermitage on the corner of Hermitage/Back 1837. Richard Sanderson, who had been born Lane (now Green Rd), some buildings on the at Wigton in Cumberland died on 20 August other side, and in the triangle of land along aged 75, and was buried at St. John’s Streatham High Rd which included the Church (Croydon Minster). William IV pub. The Victorian Period to 1880 1868. Pollards Hill estate laid out, but no building until 1900. 1841. 56 people in 7 dwellings. The Hermitage was lived in by Charles 1878. Norbury Halt wooden railway station Fauntleroy, a merchant. opens designed to enable horses for the Streatham Races. 1840s-1871. The Hermitage lived in by the Tollitt family, farmers. One of them John 1879. Parliament bans horse racing within 10 Tollitt was a horse-dealer. miles of Westminster ending the Streatham Races. 3 The Victorian Period from 1880 1890s. Brick-making fields at junction of Norbury Cross and Northborough Rd and 1880. Four detached villas now on east side, where Pollards Hill Recreation ground is. two either side of where St Helen’s Rd later built (St Winifred’s demolished 1920s and 1893-1930. Norbury Golf Club on Stanford Dursley). Rd. 1881. Census shows that properties known as 1894. North Surrey Golf Club creates golf ‘Pollards Hill’ were occupied by two brick course on the 90 acres of Hermitage Sports makers and their families. Ground. 1882. 'Sorrento' north of the junction with 1894. Nos 2 (Cleveland), 4 (Gartconnel), 6 Pollards Hill North and six more large villas (Hillside) and 8 (Keslodene) villas built in St built south of Norbury Hall. Helen’s Rd; then 10 (Fairly), 12 (Barton), 14 (Hudson) and 16 (Silverdale). 1884. James William Hobbs, a timber merchant, purchased Norbury Park Estate. 1894-1934. North Surrey Golf Club at He laid out a cricket pitch in the grounds. Hermitage Park. He renamed the house ‘Norbury Hall’. 1896. Shadowbush and Westview Villas built 1886. Pollards Hill Farm built down to Wide in St Helen’s Rd. Way in west and to today’s South Lodge Ave and Galpins Rd 1896 Ordnance Survey map shows still how underdeveloped Norbury is: Norbury Villa, 1880s. Double-decker omnibuses start Norbury Fram, Norbury Park Cricket Ground, operating from Croydon to London. Norbury Hall, houses on eastern side, houses in St Helen’s Rd. Norbury Station. 1887. Hobbs builds houses on Norbury Park Estate. 1897. 'The Uplands' north of Stanford Road and 'Alpha House' and 'Beechcroft', either 1887-9. Hobbs was Mayor of Croydon. side of the road north of Ederline Avenue. 1888. W. G Grace played on Nobury Hall 1897. Queen Victoria’s Jubilee celebrated cricket pitch against Australia. with bonfire on Pollards Hill. 1889. Road renamed London Road, Norbury. 1898. The Hermitage purchased by North 1889. Norbury Cricket Club started. Surrey Golf Club; burnt down a year late. 1889 to present. Norbury Park Lawn Tennis 1900. All the houses between Stanford Road Club, off Ederline Ave. and Fairview Road completed. 1880s. Start of Norbury Football Club. 1900-present. Norbury Bowls Club, Turle Rd. 1891. Wychwood House near the junction 1900-22. Housing on Pollards Hill estate with Pollards Hill South. built. 1891. 196 residents in 29 dwellings. 1900-1932. Norbury Ave built. Early 1890s-1896. The Hermitage lived in by The Edwardian Period Jennie Hill, music hall star. 1901. Croydon Corporation Tramways 1892. Construction of four buildings (Nos. between Purley and Norbury opened on 25 18-21) of Station Parade. September, terminating at Hermitage Bridge. 1893. Hobbs found guilty at the Old Bailey on 6 March of company fraud and 1901. Houses were being built between imprisoned. Beatrice Avenue and Norbury Court Road and two houses north of the latter road and the 4 five houses north of Fairview Road were both lived at 2 St Helen’s Rd. He is best started. known for Winnie-the-Pooh. 1901. 475 residents in 80 dwellings, inc. 87 1904-1910. Benett Gdns and north of Bavant servants. Rd built. 1901. London County Council purchased the 1904-1926. Ederline Ave. 30 acres of land between Northborough Rd and Selmy Rd.