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General Brixton history - photos, stories etc

It looks like the fencing has been up the whole time!

But excellent work. I'll see if I can post something up on Buzz.

1919 Post Office directory lists a William Robert Berkshire, Dairyman (and some of his neighbours - no sign now that it was a street of small shops.)

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(and just what the heck was a 'middle class school for boys'?)

1912 Kelly's Brixton mentions neither Avenue or Berkshire.

Sign outside about NTC public phone - National Telephone Company was taken over by the GPO in 1912, but obsolete signs don't always get taken down that quick.

1911 PO London Suburbs Guide has Walter E Silk, Plumber at 54 Elliott Rd, so sounds as though this picture must date from 1912/3 or later. Berkshire still in business at this address in 1926.

1914 phone book has Berkshire, Avenue Dairies (and Brixton 972 as painted on the window)

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wonder if Thomas, who had a dairy farm in Merton, was a relative?

Not found any trace of another branch to match the SE postcode on one of the carts.

Still in business in Elliott Road in 1939. The block was damaged in the blitz, although 54 survived, but by the 1946 phone book, Mr Berkshire had moved down the road to 2 Treherne Road (on the corner of Elliott Road)


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last phone book appearance is 1949.
 
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and sod it, I've gone after the man.

William Robert Berkshire (or Barkshire) born 16.10.1879, place listed as either Camberwell or North Brixton.

1881 census shows 1 year old William Barkshire living at 15 Tindal Street (not far from Elliott Rd), with father Alfred J Barkshire (age 30, railway porter, born 'St John's Surrey') and mother Louisa - William is 4th child listed , two of whom were born in Philadelphia, America)

1891 census shows 11 year old William Barkshire (right age and born in Brixton) living at 16 Tindal Street (not far from Elliott Road) - one of two families living in the house, William now second of four children listed (possibly 2 older children might have left home by 1891), Louisa now single parent / charwoman (can find a record of an Alfred Barkshire's death in Camberwell age 35 - in early 1891. This doesn't quite match up with 1881 census or records of Alfred James born in Westminster in 1850 and married in 1871 to Louisa, so either the wrong person or error in transcribing age.)

Married Kate (nee Moore) from Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, on 13.1.1901 at St Jude's, East Brixton - address given for them on the marriage certificate as 80 Geneva Road, Brixton.

Possible match in 1901 census, William R Barkshire (although the writing's unclear and listed as either Barksdale or Barkshire) with wife Kate, living at Chase Road, Southgate, he working as a milk carrier. Occupation and places of birth match, but the ages are given as 27 and 26 which doesn't match (don't know if the census was transcribed from written forms then - could be a transcription error for 21 and 20.)

In 1911 he was still a milk carrier but back south of the river, living at 9 Beardell Street, off Westow Hill, complete with wife and family

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In the 1939 register (a sort of emergency census) as a 'retired dairyman' living with his wife Kate, at 17 Kingswood Road (which was then in Wandsworth Borough) - looks like the business kept his name.

died 28 May 1944.

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and sod it, I've gone after the man.

William Robert Berkshire (or Barkshire) born 16.10.1879, place listed as either Camberwell or North Brixton.

1881 census shows 1 year old William Barkshire living at 15 Tindal Street (not far from Elliott Rd), with father Alfred J Barkshire (age 30, railway porter, born 'St John's Surrey') and mother Louisa - William is 4th child listed , two of whom were born in Philadelphia, America)

1891 census shows 11 year old William Barkshire (right age and born in Brixton) living at 16 Tindal Street (not far from Elliott Road) - one of two families living in the house, William now second of four children listed (possibly 2 older children might have left home by 1891), Louisa now single parent / charwoman (can find a record of an Alfred Barkshire's death in Camberwell age 35 - in early 1891. This doesn't quite match up with 1881 census or records of Alfred James born in Westminster in 1850 and married in 1871 to Louisa, so either the wrong person or error in transcribing age.)

Married Kate (nee Moore) from Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, on 13.1.1901 at St Jude's, East Brixton - address given for them on the marriage certificate as 80 Geneva Road, Brixton.

Possible match in 1901 census, William R Barkshire (although the writing's unclear and listed as either Barksdale or Barkshire) with wife Kate, living at Chase Road, Southgate, he working as a milk carrier. Occupation and places of birth match, but the ages are given as 27 and 26 which doesn't match (don't know if the census was transcribed from written forms then - could be a transcription error for 21 and 20.)

In 1911 he was still a milk carrier but back south of the river, living at 9 Beardell Street, off Westow Hill, complete with wife and family

View attachment 251714

In the 1939 register (a sort of emergency census) as a 'retired dairyman' living with his wife Kate, at 17 Kingswood Road (which was then in Wandsworth Borough) - looks like the business kept his name.

died 28 May 1944.

View attachment 251713
Do you want to write the piece? ;)
 
Here's a very comprehensive piece on the old Stockwell brewery


View attachment 251766

Really interesting! Does anyone know much about the brewery that stood just around the corner on Combermere Road - were they connected or rivals? I believe it became artists studios and a womens center.
 
Some Brixton cycling history
Brixton cycling history - the magnificent 1930s machines of F H Grubb, Robsart St, Brixton


 
Really interesting! Does anyone know much about the brewery that stood just around the corner on Combermere Road - were they connected or rivals? I believe it became artists studios and a womens center.
Was gonna ask the same as I squatted in the house part of it from 1989 to 1991, before that it was known as the Black Women Centre and had a mural to Mary Seacole on the combermere road wall, there were artists studios in the main building upper parts and the groud floor and yard were used as an ambulance depot (or maybe some other official vehicles, it's been a while now)
e2a: OS Map 1944-1969 says: borough cleansing depot.
 
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Was gonna ask the same as I squatted in the house part of it from 1989 to 1991, before that it was known as the Black Women Centre and had a mural to Mary Seacole on the combermere road wall, there were artists studios in the main building upper parts and the groud floor and yard were used as an ambulance depot (or maybe some other official vehicles, it's been a while now)
e2a: OS Map 1944-1969 says: borough cleansing depot.
DietCokeGirl
Presumably it's this one - and accounts for there being a council block opposite side of Stockwell Road called Waltham House
 
Found a pic on google from Lambeth Archives View attachment 252317
I don't remember the Black Women's Centre - but I do remember some sort of site visit before the lans were approved for the current block of private flats.

At that time part of the site seemed to be parking up space for Social Services ambulances but the back bit where Walthams Brewery had been had some sort of awning and there were art works being displayed - open to the courtyard on one side.

Needless to say the private flats got waved through. The gallery had been a temporary use.

Funnily enough Google shows that there was a Stockwell Depot studio at an earlier date.
Stockwell Depot 1967 – 79 / Exhibition Opening and Book Launch – University of Greenwich Galleries

There was certainly still art going on in the early 1990s, even if not part of this group.
 
Probably posted somewhere upthread, but this resource has a load of old photos of Brixton and surroundings, you can buy prints.


edit: looks like it has been posted, I'll have to set aside some time to read through this beast of a wonderful thread :)

London Picture Archive is similar only more so - city of london and fomer LCC / GLC photo archive now held by london metropolitan archives. A search on 'Brixton' brings up 750 images
 
Hello all, apologies if this has been posted elsewhere but walked past this today and was wondering if anyone knew the history of the place?

ah sorry don't worry - just saw this posted previously
 

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Hello all, apologies if this has been posted elsewhere but walked past this today and was wondering if anyone knew the history of the place?

ah sorry don't worry - just saw this posted previously
where is that - looks like Railton road? when was it posted before - sorry I'm feeling lazy.
 
on teh tweeter today



R C Hammett Ltd are listed in 1959 phone book with about 75 branches in London and head office in Smithfield. They seem to be still in business but looks like only wholesale

They had a branch in Brixton too


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Wonderful old 'ghost signs' revealed in Herne Hill as the former Café Provencal is refurbished




 
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