Bromleag the Newsletter of the Bromley Borough Local History Society
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Bromleag The newsletter of the Bromley Borough Local History Society September 2005 Shooting Common — growing into a Bromley suburb Hard times Mottingham hamlet keeping out Bony to urban village Bromley Borough Local History Society Registered Charity No 273963 About the Society Bromley Borough Local History Society was formed in 1974 so that anyone with an interest in any part of the borough could meet to exchange information and learn more about Bromley’s history. Contents History is continually being made and at the same time destroyed, buildings September 2005 are altered or demolished, memories fade and people pass away, records get destroyed or thrown in the bin. We aim, in co-operation with the local history library, museums and other relevant organisations, to make sure at least All copy for the December some of this history is preserved for future generations. edition of Bromleag must We hold regular meetings and produce a journal and occasional publications reach the editor by 1 where members can publish their research. November Chairman and Membership Secretary Dr Anthony Allnut Woodside, Old Perry Street, Chislehurst, BR7 6PP P3 News 020 8467 3842 [email protected] P4/5 Secretary Mrs Patricia Knowlden Society meetings: 62 Harvest Bank Road, West Wickham, BR4 9DJ Researching 020 8462 5002 Chelsfield Evelyn Hellicar Bromleag P6/9 This newsletter is published four times a year. The editor welcomes articles of between 100 and 1,000 words, along with illustrations and photographs. Feature: These can be in paper copy, disk or e-mailed. Shooting Common Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope if you wish material to be P10/13 returned. Items remain the copyright of the authors and do not necessarily reflect Society views. Each contributor is responsible for the content of their Feature: article. Bony brings hard Articles are not always used immediately as we try to maintain a balance times to NW Kent between research, reminiscences and articles about different subjects and P14/15 parts of the borough. Reviews: Editor Beckenham Home Christine Hellicar 150 Worlds End Lane, Chelsfield, Kent BR6 6AS Front 01689 857214 Bromley in WWII Email chrisandpathellicar @talk21.com Development of Mottingham P16 Bromley Local Studies, computer Subscription Rates system on-line Yearly subscription from 1 January Individual £8.50; couple £10. Senior citizens pay a re- duced rate of £6 per person or £8 for a couple. Members joining after 30 June pay half rates. 2 Bromleag September 2005 News Publisher seeks local authors Bromley Local Studies Library has been approached Volumes in these series on Bromley might make sense by publishers Pen & Sword Books to help them find for us, and I’m exploring the possibilities. suitable authors for two books on Bromley, one on The book on crime would carry around 40,000 words of historic crime and the other on the history of the text and up to 80 illustrations. Famous or particularly individual towns and villages of the borough. revealing criminal episodes of all kinds would make up the bulk of the narrative, but most volumes in the series also Details of the projects are given in their letter include a general introduction to the criminal history of the published below. If you would be interested in finding area. out more about the projects and particularly if you The books are published as paperbacks at £9.99. They feel you could contribute a history of a specific area are targeted mainly at a local readership, but there is also then contact Simon Finch at the local studies library a modest national market for them. on 020 8 461 7170 The history of the districts would probably also require or email [email protected] about 40,000 words along with around 100 illustrations. The book would consist of a general historical introduction I am looking for authors for two possible Bromley book followed by short chapters – 1500–2500 words – on each projects – one would look at the criminal side of the area’s district. The book would be priced at around £11.99 and history and the other would be a combined history of the again it would be aimed at the local market. various districts that make up the modern borough. I need to find local historians with serious writing Pen and Sword publishes a range of local history titles experience, good research skills and enthusiasm for the under its Wharcliffe imprint. These include books on local tasks. crime and misconduct, which usually go out under the The writer will also have to produce copy that is edited as heading Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths. the publishers will not be providing an editing service prior We are also starting a series of books on the history of to publication. the constituent parts of major towns and cities – the Rupert Harding suburbs, villages or districts that have grown together to form the modern community. Pen & Sword Books Limited Meetings September to December 2005 Meetings are held at 7.45 pm on the first Tuesday of the month, from October 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. Tuesday 6 September Members Evening. An opportunity to hear about historical research, collections and stories from Society members Tuesday 4 October The History of the Bishops Palace, Bromley Michael Rawcliffe Tuesday 1 November Bolts from the Blue. The story of V2 rockets in the Bromley area Gordon Dennington Tuesday 6 December Film Show Old Beckenham and Bromley on film by members of the Spring Park Camera & Video Society September 2005 Bromleag 3 News/ Society meetings Charter Researching a parish Market’s 800th Uncovering a village anniversary This year marks the 800th history anniversary of Bromley Charter Market - a weekly general market held every Thursday in Station Road car Nestling on the very edge of the park. The granting of the Charter borough Chelsfield has one of the ensured Bromley Town Centre’s role smallest populations of any as the hub of trading and commerce Bromley parish, but its history is in the area. rich indeed and has, for the past It was established in 1205 when a fifty years, been the focus of Court Lodge,1838 charter to hold a weekly Tuesday research by BBLHS member market in the Market Square was first Geoffrey Copus. where visitors were so few and far granted by King John. In 1447 John At our June meeting Geoffrey talked between that staff brought cups of Lowe, Bishop of Rochester and Lord with great enthusiasm about the tea to the researchers. of the Manor of Bromley, obtained a parish history which first caught his As well as the local records he also revised charter from King Henry VI. imagination when, as boy, he helped found material in the major This changed the weekly market day his father who was organist at the collections such as the British to Thursday and also granted the parish church of St Martins. Library and the National Archives – privilege of holding two annual fairs in he touched upon the wealth of Market Square. Although the fairs Geoffrey worked the organ bellows and wiled away dull moments by information to be gained from deeds haven't been held since 1862, and maps. Bromley Charter Market continues to reading old parish magazines, where articles on local history sparked his Geoffrey has also had access to flourish and now resides in Station private archives some of which he Road - its home for more than seventy interest in local history and the parish has transcribed. Although sadly years. of Chelsfield in particular. Over the years, with the help of his some have, with the passage of wife Brenda, he has dived into time, disappeared before any archives across London and Kent to transcription was made. Facelift for transcribe documents and find But for every document lost a new information on the parish. And it was source appears and he has been this research and the sources that he given access to collections of family Watermen used for compiling his History of papers as diverse as those of The carved coat of arms on a stone Chelsfield that was the focus of his Maurice Asprey, grandson of George gable at the Royal Watermen and talk. Asprey - Chairman of the Bond Lightermen building in Penge has Firstly, he acknowledged the debt he Street jewellers, and tenant of Court been restored. The carving, of two owes to others who researched before Lodge Chelsfield from 1892 to his dolphins rampant, supports a shield him and who shared their material, death in 1918 - and those of a local with the motto over reading At particularly Arthur Eldridge, the early farming family. As the Asprey Command of our Superiors. 20th century Orpington historian, and collection is 27 volumes of George's diaries and the farmers have a A specialist stone conservation Col. Arthur Waring who owned roomful of documents, both company undertook the work, which Chelsfield manorial documents. personal and business, there is was grant aided by Bromley Council’s Wills have been a very important clearly a lot of work ahead. environmental improvement fund. source and Geoffrey has transcribed hundreds. They have provided not Geoffrey’s enthusiasm and useful Other conservation work is being tips on sources should encourage undertaken at Waterman Square. only glimpses into personal lives but also are some of the oldest material others to research their chosen Paving has been re-laid in the parish.