Battersea Matters the newsletter of the Battersea Society SUMMER 2014 Katherine Low Settlement: still going strong at 90 iatherine Low Settlement Clockwise from top left Unveiling the icelebrated its 90th Battersea Society’s blue plaque: ibirthday on Saturday 17 (l to r) John Wates, president of K KLS; Margaret Robson, chair of May with a tremendous party in its trustees; Aaron Barbour, director of building in Battersea High Street, KLS; Cllr Angela Graham, Mayor of overflowing into the street outside. Wandsworth; the Mayor’s consort; The Battersea Society donated a Canon Simon Butler, KLS trustee and vicar of St Mary’s Battersea blue plaque, unveiled by Mayor Cllr Angela Graham. Hundreds of local Leila Williams, local resident and people, including Jane Ellison MP member of Jehovah Jireh Church (who use one of KLS’s rooms) and BS chair Sara Milne, enjoyed the sunshine and the giant birthday cake Playing giant chess in Orville Road baked by local hands. Katherine Low Settlement’s director Aaron Barbour. ‘Service Fond memories users, colleagues past and There were dance workshops, face present, friends and neighbours painting, choirs, reggae bands and all joining to celebrate 90 years of reminiscences from people with our work in Battersea. Here’s to fond memories of the Settlement. another 90 years.’ Ninety red balloons were released the Katherine Low Settlement has furthest reaching land at Sevenoaks been in Battersea since 1927, in Kent, 31 miles away. working to tackle poverty and ‘Everyone came along,’ said build stronger communities. From the editor strengthening the social glue that has suffered from its isolated position bonds the differing communities of on West Hill, and Lavender Hill will our area together. It’s so important certainly be an improvement in that Battersea is that different cultures, genders and regard, but its space will be sadly changing – we age groups are able to live together reduced. But Battersea Arts centre all know that. and to play both together and apart. (p11) is just down the road and But in this issue Back in 1903, a bath and electric attracts a wide audience. The current we celebrate light were considered luxurious for show, Wot? No fish! is a delight, by history and the working class, so families moving the way. continuity, into the Latchmere and similar estates The Northcote Road fete (p3) was for Battersea (p15) must have felt pleased and a huge success and a very happy day. also has a proud. Preserving these areas is an The Battersea Society stall, staffed proud history of radicalism and social important role for our hawk-eyed generously by volunteer members, action. planning committee (p4). sold locally picked elderflower cordial The Katherine Low Settlement and mugs specially designed by our and Providence House have Bitter struggle own Suzanne Perkins. Don’t miss a respectively enjoyed 90th and 50th Members who remember the bitter chance to stock up – the mugs will be birthdays. Caius House is even older struggle to retain the Wandsworth available from my phone or email until but combines old and new with a Museum in the town centre may 30 July. modern home underneath – how smile wryly – or grind their teeth – at Jenny Sheridan SW11! – luxury apartments. All three the news that it is likely to move into [email protected] organisations have a strong role in Battersea Library (p14). The museum 020 7350 2749 Man on the Battersea Bus been in the sixteenth century. Mike Roden reflects on raffles, The sun blazed down and a few restaurants and the romance of travel people fainted – reminiscent of trooping the colour, perhaps. Anyway the four of us all stayed upright, and Some of you may have missed the it was great fun – scarcely marred recent story about the discovery of by the frequent presence of a police an unexploded wartime bomb in a I have reviewed no less than four helicopter overhead, which even had basement excavation on Battersea apparently thriving establishments Cleopatra (magnificently played by Church Road. It’s a sobering reminder which are now no more: The Fish Eve Best) rolling her eyes and waving that war, now not even a memory for Place, by the river, Mantoos, on a fist skywards at times. If you think most of us – was once a very real Battersea Bridge Road, Battersea you have the stamina you can buy presence here. And most bombs Spice on York Road, and Miyajima, a standing tickets on the day – just £5 which fell on Battersea did not remain Japanese restaurant on Lavender Hill. which is astonishing value. unexploded. I have been dissuaded by concerned The annual summer party will diners against sharpening my quill A world outside probably have come and gone by pen and reviewing the evergreen As I write this our visitors are reaching the time you read this, and I’m sure L’AntiPasto on Battersea Park Road. the end of their holiday. We haven’t a good time was had by all. I’ll have But if you have an unfavourite place been able to show them the kind been there, of course, I’d hate to miss you’d like me to hex, then get in touch. of magnificent scenery we saw in the yearly raffle. I know it’s the taking Rates very reasonable. northern California, particularly the part, not the winning that matters Yosemite Valley but we’ve driven (and it’s all in a good cause) but each Globe nearly 600 miles round England and time a ticket is pulled out, a sigh of We visited the Globe Theatre Wales to some of the places that disappointment ripples round the recently on a very warm and sunny mean something to us – Salisbury eager watchers, and the smiles that Sunday afternoon to see Anthony Cathedral, Stonehenge, the greet the winner pushing their way and Cleopatra. On a previous Cotswolds, and Snowdonia. We’ve through the crowd are perhaps not visit we had seats (albeit very discussed badgers with a Shropshire as sincere as they might be. I did win uncomfortable ones). This time we farmer, sampled the pleasures of a prize once – a meal for two at Thai were with our visiting friends from a Toby Carvery in Telford, and said on the River. Since that eaterie is now California who wanted to test the hello to the statue of Abraham Lincoln being turned into flats, I assume that groundling experience. Standing in in Manchester – and much more. prize will not have been available this that wooden O so close to the stage, Of course all of you know this, but year. I did get a sense that it was like this in sometimes it’s useful to be reminded On a similar topic, I’ve started to Shakespeare’s day, although I’m glad that there is a world outside London. think that restaurant reviews in this that the people pressed around were See you next time. And – journal must be cursed. With friends more fragrant than they would have remember – mind how you go. 2 Katherine Low: will we ever know the true story? Sean Creighton digs into the limited archives and uncovers her links with slavery Katherine Low Settlement in The Low household had their own Settlement. She was its treasurer Battersea High Street has recently negro slave servants, one of whom, from about 1908 until her death in celebrated its 90th birthday. But who Tom Milredge, stayed with his master 1923 at the age of 67. was Katherine Low? According to post-freedom until his death, his In her last few years Katie lived local legend, she was a local social widow coming to England to cook at 106 Park St, Grosvenor Square. philanthropist and suffragette. I am for William. The Lows were arrested Her half-sister Amy had died there sorry to say she had no Battersea in the Civil War for gunrunning from in January 1917 and Katie acted as connections and there is no known Britain for the Confederacy. her executor. She is buried in the evidence that she was a suffragette. After the end of the war Andrew churchyard of St. Mary the Virgin in So why, you may wonder, was a social settled in England in Leamington Spa, East Haddon in Northamptonshire welfare initiative named after her travelling annually to Savannah on next to the Hall where her other half- established in Battersea? business. Katie and her sisters were sister Hattie had lived, having married The answer is that it followed educated in Britain. into the family of the owners, the her role in the United Girls School Guthries, who had been involved in Mission which supported Peckham Legacy slave ownership in the British West Settlement. For reasons yet Andrew Low died in June 1886, Indies. undiscovered, her friends decided to leaving £618,000 from which there Described as ‘a woman of set up and name a new Settlement were legacies for each daughter, with independent means’, Katie was in house and chose Battersea over the bulk of the estate going to William. fact a millionairess worth around Camberwell. In November 1886 Katie and £4.5million in today’s money. Her Born in America in 1855, Katherine her sisters went to the States to wealth was inherited from her father, (always known as Katie) was the attend William’s wedding to Juliette from William, and from others like daughter of Andrew Low II, a wealthy Gordon, known as Daisy. Back in her second cousin Mary Catherine Savannah-based Scots cotton trader England, William and Daisy settled Philips, whose own wealth may with interests at the other end of in Leamington Spa, re-modelling have been inherited through family the slave-produced supply chain their property to resemble a southern involvement in the slavery business.