Letters July 2004
From:
Adrian Goolden
In
response to Pat O'Driscoll's query on your Web site. I remember a cast iron
drain cover with the maker’s name Anderson & Goolden on it - in the
grounds of my old school in Surrey, built 1900. It always fascinated me as both
names were in my family! There were no other names /addresses on it.
David
Pollard asked
about Campbell Evans - did we know anything about him?
Mary
Mills replied: In the 1859 sewer rate lists for the Greenwich Peninsula is
"Peter Soames and Campbell Evans, engineers shop, smithy shop, yard and
dwelling house and offices". This is next to the entry for James Soames
soap works. Peter Soames was one of the local Soames family who ran a massive
soap factory on Morden Wharf for many years - they made British Carbolic and
were taken over by Unilever.
David
replied: “I have since found an 1858 patent for cranes in the names of Soames,
P and Evans, J C. Thanks to you I know something about Soames. The next joint
patent was for hoists, the parties this time were Evans, J C and Fairlie, W.
Have you ever come across Fairlie? I wonder if there is a connection with Robert
Fairlie, the son-in-law of George England of Hatcham Ironworks
at New Cross.
From:
Peter Claughton
Richard
Howarth of the Geologists' Association is trying to trace the site of a plant
in East London used to process radioactive minerals from Cornwall - can
you help?
From:
Nancy Williams
I found
the Greenwich Industrial History Society Newsletter on the Web through a search
engine. I am trying to trace my father’s family. My father was born in 1914 at
7 Drake Buildings, Deptford. There is no mention of a street name. I am trying
to find any references to the Drake Buildings so that I can possibly
search street directories of the time to see if I can find reference to any
member's of my father’s family. I am wondering if the Drake Buildings might
have been some industrial type building at some time? I am also wondering if
there is some sort of register or record of dock labourers around that time?
The
Webmeister contributes:
From my
own knowledge I would think that this was probably part of the old Deptford
Victualling yards, some of which weren't knocked down and became incorporated
in to the present-day Pepys Estate. Whether it was just the warehouses that
were preserved and converted into flats I'm not sure. However, there is more
info here...
1961
Royal Victoria Victualling Yard closed. Became Pepys Estate, some 1790
buildings remain (officers houses and warehouses).
Nancy has
subsequently been back in touch to say that she is going to contact the Pepys
Community Forum to see if they have any more information. However, any other
information on this would be useful.
Members
will remember that at the May GIHS meeting Gerry Moss spoke about the history
of fireworks - and the dangers of small, local firework factories where
terrible explosions were only too frequent. Gerry drew attention to the
pioneering work of the Explosives Inspectorate and in particular Col. Vivien
Majendie, after whom Majendie Road in Plumstead is named.
Gerry
writes:
As
mentioned at the Blackheath meeting I have a copy of Majendie’s signature.
Reading it again it is not clear if he actually wrote these complements slips.
I thought you might find this interesting.
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