Sinking of the Princess Alice

THE SINKING OF THE PRINCESS ALICE

By Fred Bishop


The sinking of the Princess Alice on the River Thames at Galleons Reach on 3rd September 1878 after being in collision with the collier, Bywell Castle resulting in very heavy loss of life.

THE VESSELS

The Princess Alice, saloon steamboat, named after the third daughter of Queen Victoria, the reigning monarch.The ship was a paddle steamer used for pleasure purposes on the Thames; she was 251 tons gross, 219 feet in length with 21 feet beam, constructed with 5 bulkheads and built in Greenock in 1865 when, prior to being consigned to use on the River Thames, she was in service in Scotland plying between Wemyss Bay and Arran (a distance of some 40 miles). She was licensed to carry 936 passengers in sheltered passages; life preserving equipment comprised just two lifeboats and 12 lifebuoys which was in accordance with the regulations of that period. Princess Alice was in the ownership of the London Steamboat Company and her captain at the time of the accident was William Grinstead who went down with his ship.

The Bywell Castle was an iron-built collier propelled by a single four-bladed screw, 890 tons gross, 250 feet long and her stem was 20 feet over the waterline. This compares with the Princess Alice which was built to be low in the water). At the time of the accident Bywell Castle was in ballast having been laid up at Millwall Drydock for repainting. She was heading downstream en route to Newcastle to take on a cargo of coal to Alexandria; Master was Captain Harrison and there was also a pilot, Christopher Dix, on board.

DISASTER!

On 3 September 1878 the Princess Alice had been on a day-return cruise from Swan Pier, close to London Bridge, to Sheemess and in the evening was making the homeward-bound journey. At about 6.30 pm she left Gravesend, location of the Rosherville Pleasure Gardens, having collected passengers who had spent the day there. It is thought there were between 700 and 800 passengers on board, including a band playing on the main deck. Next port of call was to be Woolwich with a further embarkation/disembarkation of passengers.

At 7.30 pm Princess Alice approached Tripcock Point at the entrance to Galleons Reach on the ebb tide at a speed of 11 knots. At Tripcock Point the River turns sharply south. At the same time proceeding downstream at half speed (5 knots) was the collier, Bywell Castle, keeping to midstream. On board were a total of 23 men, plus Mrs Harrison, the master's wife. The pilot Christopher Dix, was on the bridge with Captain Harrison. The captain later stated that they were well along Galleons Reach when both he and the lookout in the bows saw Princess Alice's red (port) light and at this point changed direction slightly towards the south shore deciding that because of the ebb tide conditions Princess Alice was heading towards the north shore.  Ebb tide conditions around Tripcock Point were known to be difficult in that an offset current ran north across the river towards Beckton Gasworks pier. A vessel coming upstream could meet two forces - first the cross current acting on the port bow (which would oppose a starboard helm), followed by the tide pressing on the starboard bow. The ship would be taken to midstream, thence toward the north shore and finally spinning back to the south. These movements appear to be what occurred in the case of the Princess Alice.

River navigational -"Rules of the Road" - existed at the time, but, it appears, were not always clearly understood by crews. The general rule was that craft either passed red light red (port to port) or green light to green (starboard to starboard). In the event, or for whatever cause, the Princess Alice crossed the bows of the Bywell Castle on her way back to the south shore. However both masters were men of long experience; there were three lookouts on the Princess Alice and one who survived was also sure that he and Captain Grinstead had seen the Bywell Castle simultaneously.

When Captain Harrison of the Bywell Castle, at a distance of 100 yards off, saw collision was imminent he gave orders to stop engines and to reverse at full speed. The order to stop engines was carried out, but not as was later disclosed, that to go astern, until after some delay. It was not clear why, but there was fear of the screw cutting people up in the water.

Impact occurred at 7.40 pm, the bows of the Bywell Castle striking the Princess Alice amidships, just forward of her starboard paddlebox at an angle of approximately 13 degrees.

The effect of the collision was horrendous; the bows of the collier sliced through 14 feet of the Princess Alice flooding the engine room. Within the space of less than five minutes she split into two pieces, fore and aft rose into the air and sank. Hundreds of passengers and crew, including Captain Grinstead were plunged into the water. Another important aspect of this tragic event was that in 1878 the outfalls of both the northern and southern outfall sewers discharged masses of untreated sewage at high water on the ebb tide (en route to the Thames estuary) very close to the scene of the collision. The water was further much polluted in those days with industrial effluent in the river.

Rescue attempts commenced immediately. Ropes were thrown down from the bows of the Bywell Castle to the unfortunate people in the water below, although few were able to clamber up them. Small boats were launched from the Bywell castle and

else where, but those to be rescued were severely impeded in the filthy water which they ingested causing them to vomit and choke with little hope of survival. Again, a high proportion of the passengers were women and the voluminous clothes of the Victorian era would act as a further impediment by causing rapid sinking. A number were saved by smaller rivercraft. notably 25 who were rescued and taken to Beckton Gasworks in a boat launched by the manager. Some others were taken ashore at Erith. The work of recovering the bodies ensued over the following days. The body of Captain Grinstead was recovered from the river five days later off Woolwich Arsenal Thames watermen were paid five shillings for each body they recovered A diver sent down to the sunken Princess Alice reported that the cabins appeared to be full of bodies, still upright, grouped at points of exit where they had crowded in an attempt to escape. These were freed when the wreck was lifted.

In total 69 people were saved, but the number of those lost was estimated at 650. Some were probably never recovered having been swept downstream or buried in the Thames mud.

Two of those lost were Walter Bishop and his wife, Mary, aged 38 and 36 respectively. Walter Bishop was my great-great-uncle who was born in Chideock, West Dorset, in 1840. His name appears in the 1841 census for Chideock, but not to 1861 by which time he had left his parents' home. Family legend had it that the couple had recently married and were in London on honeymoon at the time of the sinking, but no substantiating evidence for this has yet been unearthed.

THE AFTERMATH

Bodies, as they were recovered form the sinking, were transported to a large shed at Woolwich Dockyard where relatives attended for identification purposes. After identification bodies were transferred to another large shed for preparation for burial, either in nearby Woolwich Cemetery or to be taken away by relatives.

The inquest was held at Woolwich Town Hall; the coroner was Joseph Charles Carttar, a 69-year old solicitor, who was coroner for Kent. The inquest commenced on 16 September 1878, continued for ten weeks and concluded with a verdict of death by misadventure.

On 9 September thousands of people attended funeral services in Woolwich Cemetery. A national appeal was launched for a memorial for all who had perished. The basis of the appeal was for donations of sixpence each and in excess of 23000 people responded. The memorial in the form of a large granite Celtic cross stands in Woolwich Cemetery. In addition some 120 victims; graves of those who were not buried elsewhere are reputedly in the vicinity, but time and weather have taken their toll on any inscriptions and I found none. The City of London also launched an appeal for funds for the aid of the bereaved and some £11,800 was raised. Details were recorded in the "Mansion House" book which is currently lodged in the Borough of Greenwich's museum at Plumstead. (The district of Plumstead is very close to where the disaster occurred).

A Board of Trade inquiry commenced on 14 October 1878 at the Board of Trade court. East India Dock Road, before Mr John Balguy, the Thames magistrate, sitting with three naval assessors. The investigation concluded on 6 November; the resulting verdict was that the Princess Alice was to blame for the accident.

The sinking with the loss of an estimated 650 souls, remains the worst disaster ever in Britain on an inland waterway. A graphically-detailed contemporary model of the collision may be seen in the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich.

The Bywell castle resumed her voyages to and from the Eastern Mediterranean. On the 15 January 1883 she left Alexandria bound for Hull with a cargo of cotton seed and was never seen again having, it seems, been lost with all hands somewhere in the Bay of Biscay area. She is listed at Lloyds as a missing ship. On 14 December 1878, Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse-Darmstadt and third daughter of Queen Victoria, and after whom the ill-fated paddle steamer had been named, died in Darmstadt of diphtheria, aged 35 years.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Simon Stevens of the National Maritime Museum whose lecture at Plumstead Museum in April 2001 on the Princess Alice disaster inspired me to delve further. The very helpful staff at London Borough of Greenwich's museum at Plumstead who made available to me their records on the disaster.  Gavin Thurston's book "The Great Thames Disaster" published in 1965.

published Jan 2003 in GIHS Newsletter

Greenwich Power Station Visit 1907

GREENWICH POWER STATION PAST AND FUTURE 



News that London Underground’s Lots Road Power Station has closed focuses attention on our own riverside power station – just east of the Cutty Sark.  Thel power for London Underground is now concentrated there.  It may be that this is the oldest Power Station still at work!   - here is what a group of local gas workers thought about it in 1907

A VISIT TO THE L.C.C. GENERATING STATION, GREENWICH.

Drawimg Peter Kent - woih thnaks

BY the kind courtesy of the Superintendent a small party were afforded the privilege of inspecting the interior of that building which has attracted so much attention, partly on account of its monster twin chimneys, 270 feet in height— with a second pair threatening to grow up beside them—and also because of its unfortunate position on the geographical meridian and proximity to the Royal Observatory.

These matters, however, were but little thought of as we entered the great dynamo-room, where two steam-driven 5,000 kilowatt alternating-current dynamos are running. The almost entire absence of vibration is, under the circumstances, remarkable, and speaks well for the solid foundations of the building. The armatures of these dynamos are 30 feet in diameter, have 36 poles, and run at 95 revolutions per minute.  Eight ropes running over grooved pulleys take the place of the more familiar leather belt.

Engine Room 1906. 

Near by we notice a smaller dynamo of the continuous-current type, termed an 'exciter,' its office being to supply the continuous current necessary to magnetise the alternators. These are multi-Polar 125 volts 50 kilowatt machines. The current is generated by the alternators at 6,600 volts, which is transformed down to 550 volts at the sub-stations before being supplied to the [tram] cars.  These two machines supply current for [tram] 500 cars. This represents only half the power capacity of the station, as' there are two more machines of similar type standing idle, but ready to work when required. The total power capacity is, therefore,  20,000 kilowatts  Engines and dynamos, however, cannot work without some motive power, so we proceed to inspect the furnaces and boilers, of which there are 24, half that number only being in use at present. The gauges indicate 160 lb. pressure. We then pass out on to the pier  [two lines of the original missing] coal conveyed by elevators to the storage overhead, 11,000 tons are now in store, and the weekly consumption is 2,000 tons. The elevators carry 40 tons per hour and on the return journey bring down the ashes from the furnaces. The coal is not such as would be valued by our engineers or that we would care to have supplied to our households, being very small  for economic reasons.

One could only take a passing glance at the main switches, necessarily labelled 'DANGER', two rotary pumps which draw water from the river at the rate of 11,000 gallons daily, and many other clever contrivances which time forbad the inspection, we would like to have given.  We finish our visit at the controlling switch-boards, where the whole system is controlled by switches which seem much too small for such important duties. By each switch is a small circular window, a red light denoting the switch to be closed and the line in that particular district supplied with power. The many switches with their little windows in darkness give us an idea of the prospective extensions of our tramway system.

On leaving the building one cannot help a desire to linger yet a while over some of the mechanical marvels, the emanations of man's brain, controlled by a few men, but which supply the power to carry daily to and fro, on business or pleasure; so many thousands of human beings

HELEK. (writing in Co-partnership Journal 1907)

published Jan 2003 in GIHS Newsletter

The Woolwich Navy

THE WOOLWICH NAVY

This extract is taken from London Ship Types, by Frank C.Bowen published 1938 by the East Ham Echo

The units of the 'Woolwich Navy' which is maintained by the War Office with its headquarters at Woolwich Arsenal are among the very familiar sights of the River but most people know very little about them.   For one thing their flag is difficult to identify, a Blue Ensign, defaced by gold guns which is not included in most popular books on flags, and, for another thing although they are painted black with a buff funnel and a black top, they do not carry their names painted on their bows like ordinary merchant ships but man of war fashion in very small letters on the stern which are generally difficult to read.  As most of them are built on the lines of coasting cargoe steamers or motor vessels and are quite small the average Londoner who encounters them on the River is quite content to put them down as coasters and leave them at that, although really they deserve much more attention.

The War Office which in the old days controlled the Ordnance Department  which supplied guns and ammunition to the Navy as well as the Army has maintained a fleet sorts from time immemorial.  Not the only had guns and ammunition to be carried round the various forts and naval bases along the coast, but transport and storeships proceeding abroad had to be loaded at whatever port they were using as a base and on the London River itself a large fleet of sailing barges carried ammunition from the various factories to the arsenals, the magazine’s at such places as Purfleet and forts, rifle ranges and gunnery experimental stations in the lower reaches.  These barges, it may be mentioned, were among the best built on the River and several of them have been converted into first class cruising yachts.

In addition to this transporting work the War Office was for many years after the American Civil War had proved the potency of the submarine mine, in charge of all the mining defences of the country, for the Navy regarded the mine as an ungentlemanly weapon and would have nothing to do with it as long as possible.  The Royal Engineers therefore had charge of a larger number of submarine mining vessels of about 80 tuns displacement, each of which were stationed at various points along the coast and which periodically caused interest and considerable confusion by practising mining and counter mining in or alongside of commercial waterways.  It was not until the turn of the century that the Navy took seriously to mining and even so it was quite unprepared for the pitch of perfection which the German Navy had brought that arm to by 1914.

The War Department fleet has nothing to do with mining nowadays it is very busy on the transporting side.  Guns and ammunition from Woolwich Arsenal make the principle and most picturesque cargo and there are always two or three of the ships alongside the various piers and jetties on the riverfront.  Sometimes the run is only down to the gunnery stations on the Isle of Grain or at Shoeburyness; sometimes it may be round the posts which Britain still maintains in Southern Ireland, or to the coast defence fortifications anywhere round Britain.  The large variety of their duties which include the movement of stores, food and occasionally troops as well as amunition and the towing of targets for the gunnery practice of the coastal forts, necessitates a very wide range of types including dumb and motor barges,tugs and vessels very much akin to yachts. 

They are manned by an entirely separate service, the personnel generally being entered as boys and promoted through the various ranks of Ordinary Seaman, AB, Second Mate and Mate to Captain, whole below deck the grades are, Fireman, Leading Hand and Driver.  They wear a uniform of sorts and although the discipline is not be compared with either the Army or the Navy they are generally men of a very superior steady type who have a good job and who look after it well.  Pensions have only been introduced in a comparatively recent years for the officers

Of the many types which are including the fleet the steamer SIR EVEYLN WOOD - must of the vessels are named after famous generals or battles - must be taken as she has been well-known on the River for over 40 years.  She was built by Fleming and Ferguson of Paisley in 1896, a steel screw steamer on the laines of a superior coaster.   Her dimensions are 160 feet by 24 feet by 14 feet depth of hold and as a large part of her work was the csarriage of big guns she was given exceptionally heavy scantlings which perhaps accounts for her long life.  On trial as a new ship she averaged  a speed of ten knots and she still working at about nine which is a fine tribute to her original construction and the way she has been maintained by the Army.  During her long life she has carried every conceivable article that can be required by the troops , from ordinance to food and on many occasions she has also been used for transporting bodies of men over short distances

Meeting on Tuesday

This is to remind you about the GIHS meeting on 15th at the Bakehouse.  You are going to have me, Mary Mills, talking about thw wider picture of Greenwich industry and how it could be turned into a  book.  I am afraid Mr. Waller who was advertised to give a talk this week pulled out and is now down for April.

Members will be aware that in the last couple fo weeks we have lost Sue Bullivant  - who was still our Chair although she had been ill for some time. and also our Treasurer Steve Daly who died very suddenly

We have now the dates of the funerals :
Steve Daly - is 17th October. 3.30 at Eltham Crematorium. Reception after at Shooters Hill Golf Club
Sue Bullivant - is 1st November 1.30 Plumstead Cemetery, Wickham Lane.  Reception after at Woodlands Farm

I am not sure who our members actually are because Steve had the membership lists and of those I do know I don't know some addresses - so please circulate this if you can. I hope however that we can hold a General Meeting in January to sort things out - and please think very carefully because Steve undertook a number of roles amd I and Andrew Bullivant can't do everything!

The Siemens Brothers Works Bird’s Eye View Artist

The Siemens Brothers Works Bird’s Eye View Artist

By Stewart Ash

During the 1920s, a talented amateur artist, Edmund William Neale, who was a Siemens Brothers employee throughout his working life, created a series of exquisite line drawings, depicting the Siemens Brothers Works, seen from the air above the River Thames.  Though signed none of these drawings are dated but from the buildings in the drawings and other records we can be certain that they depict the Works in c. 1918-20, 1924-25 and June 1927. In addition, Neale also produced an impression of what the site may have looked like, when it was first acquired by theSiemens brothers,in 1863.It is almost certain that the originals of these wonderful drawings no longer exist, but they have been captured for posterity in high quality photographs and the pages of the company magazine.  So,what do we know about theman who produced these outstanding works of art?

Edmund was born on 16 May 1895, the youngest surviving child of George Thomas Neale (b.1871 and Mary Ann nėe King (b.1867).  They had married at St James’ in Woolwich on 13 March 1891 and their eldest daughter, Ann Martha (1891-1935), was born six months later, followed by a son Thomas (b.1894). In 1901, the Neales were living in Woolwich at 17 Nadine Street, with Mary Ann’s younger brother, Edmund King, and other members of her family, a household of ten in a two-up-two-down terraced house. George was working as a spice packer and Edmund King was a dock worker. 

Over the next few years Mary Ann had two more children, but they both died in infancy. In 1909, Edmund Neale left school and started work at the Siemens Brothers factory in Woolwich.  By 1911, the Neale family was living at 725 Woolwich Road, just a mile to the west of the Siemens Brothers factory.  George was the head of the household,  which then comprised the Neale family together with eleven-year-old Frederick Daly, a nephew, and 33-year-old James King as a boarder.  George was now going by his second name, Thomas, and was a General Labourer in the Spice Trade, while Ann Martha was a sewing machinist making shirts. Thomas was working as an office boy in a dockyard, and James was a chemical labourer at a paint manufacturer.  Edmund’s profession is given in the census as ‘Electrical Labourer’, working on ‘electrical batteries’.  It is possible that Edmund started on his first ‘Bird’s Eye View; of the Works during the First World War.  Whether or not he was commissioned by the company to do it, is unknown.  Photographs of this drawing can be found in Siemens Brothers presentation photo albums that show scenes from the factory in the 1920’s

Edmund’s older brother, Thomas, died in 1920 and Edmund married Mary Ann McCarthy, in April 1922; there was one child from the union, Kathleen, born in January 1926, but she appears to have died young. 

The next version of Edmunds Bird’s Eye View appears as part of the banner headline to the First edition of the company magazine in June 1925.  By then factory buildings had been erected,to the west of Hardens Manorway.  The Siemens Brothers Magazine was published between June 1925 and the company centenary in 1958. For the majority of that time this banner was used.

Banner of the First Siemens Brothers Magazine

Edmund probably also created the line drawing of Faraday (2) in the banner.  She replaced Faraday (1) in 1924 and can be seen at anchor at the Works in the full version of this drawing, dating the drawing to c. 1924-25.  Copies of this exist as high-quality photos and were used as small souvenir albums sold or presented by the company.

 E Neal Drawing with Faraday (2)c.1924-25

From January to June 1927, the Siemens Brothers Magazine ran a series of six articles entitled ‘An Outline of the Company History’ and, in the February edition, Edmund’s impression of what the site may have looked like in 1863 appeared.

The Original Siemens Brothers Site in 1863, by E Neale c 1927

An extract from the article states

‘From information supplied by some of the veterans among our colleagues, who still remember the old days quite vividly, Mr. Neale has been able to produce the accompanying sketch.’ We may almost regard Mr. Neale as official recorder of bird’s eye views of the works.’

In the final article in this series, the last known version of Edmund’s drawing appears with the caption ‘The Works Present Day’.

The Siemens Brothers Works by E Neale June 1927

Tragically, Edmund’s wife died in April 1929. and on 13 October 1935, his sister, Ann Martha, passed away.  In the 1937 electoral roll, Edmund is found living at 516 Woolwich Road, with his mother and father.  This was a large detached house about half a mile to the west of the Siemens Brothers works, in which rooms were rented to Siemens Brothers employees. Edmund’s mother died two years later, in April 1938. 

In the 1939 Register, taken on 29 September, Edmund and his father are still living at 516 Woolwich Road, and George is stated as being a ‘Stoker retired’ while Edmund is given as a ‘Cable Worker’.  Meanwhile, on the other side of the River Thames at 24 Winifred Street in North Woolwich lived 38-year-old Jessie Bramley.  Her profession was given as ‘Assistant Cook’ and she gave her marital status as married.

Jessie was born on 6 February 1901 at 27 Corinthian Road, West Street in Erith, Kent, on 20 January 1901 and baptised Jessie Victoria Low. Her father was Frederick George Low, a general labourer and coal porter. Her mother, Annie, had had 9 children by 1911, two of whom died young. It appears that Jessie’s father did not hold down a regular job and the family moved from one rented accommodation to another.  This can be seen through the birthplaces of their children in the 1901 and 1911 censuses. 1892: Rainham, Essex; 1896: Canning Town; 1900: Erith, Kent, before they moved in 1910 to 56 Claremont Street, North Woolwich.

In October 1921, Jessie married Thomas Bramley. Thomas was born in Bethnal Green in 1897, the only son of Thomas Bramley, a Blacksmith Wheelwright, and his wife, Elizabeth.  Thomas Junior left school at the age of 14 to work as a Van Boy. There were two children from this marriage, Enos Frederick, born July 1922 and Olive Matilda, born October 1924.  From then on, Jessie’s life can be followed through the Electoral Rolls. In 1929, the couple lived at 164 Elizabeth Street in North Woolwich.  However, from 1930 until at least 1934 she was residing at that address, without her husband.  In 1937, Jessie was at 24 Winifred Street, North Woolwich, again without Thomas.  Living next door, at No. 26, was a Lionel Neale and his wife, Julia.  In the 1939 Register, Lionel Neale’s profession is given ‘Cable Maker – Lead Coverer’.  Whether or not he was related to Edmund, or worked for Siemens Brothers, is unknown, but both seem possible.

During the war years there are no records of Edmund or Jessie; however, her daughter, Olive, married Ronald James O’Donnell in Portsmouth in October 1941.  Ronald was in the Royal Navy and it is probable that Olive was evacuated to Portsmouth, as they lived close to the docks in North Woolwich. Jessie’s son, Enos, joined the RAF and, as a Flight Sergeant, he died in Valetta Southern Harbour on 9 July 1943.  He is buried there.

After the war, Jessie and Edmund’s stories come together and they can again be followed through the Electoral Rolls.  In 1945, Jessie, her daughter Olive O’Donnell, and George and Edmund Neale were all at 516 Woolwich Road.  They were joined at that address by Ronald in 1947, after his discharge from the Royal Navy.  It does not appear that Olive and Ronald had any children. 

Edmund’s father, George, died in March 1949 aged 77, and was buried in Greenwich Cemetery on 29 March 1949. From 1950 to 1951, Edmund, Jessie, Olive and Ronald continued to live at 516 Woolwich Road.  On 22 March 1952, Jessie, then aged 51, married Edmund, aged 55, at Greenwich Registry Office. Jessie’s marital ‘Condition’ was given as ‘Formerly the wife of Thomas Bramley from whom she obtained a Divorce’.  They gave their professions as ’Electrical Solderer’ and ‘Machine Cable Hand (Electrical)’, respectively, almost certainly both working at Siemens Brothers.

From 1952 to 1958, mother and daughter with their husbands lived at 516 Woolwich Road then in 1959, they moved to 134 Admaston Road, Plumstead.  In 1960, Edmund would have been 65 and Jessie 60, so they probably both retired that year and would have had to give up their rooms in 516 Woolwich Road.

Edmund died intestate on 24 October 1966 and was cremated at Greenwich Crematorium on 4 November.  Olive died in January 1979; once again there is no record of a will or probate. Jessie outlived her daughter and died in May 1990, again without leaving a will. Ronald died in February 1997, and once again there is no will or probate registered for him.

If anyone can add any further information about the life of this exceptional amateur artists or can provide a photograph of him and Jessie it would be most appreciated.

Bad News

Bad News

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People may also have heard of the deaths over the past 10 days of Sue Bullivant (who was still our Chair - despite her long illness) and Steve Daly (our Treasurer). 

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and also

there are more notes on the GIHS Facebook page

Belated news - but anyway its summer

I have been very trmiss not sending some of this off earlier,.   I ought to send it out on the day it comes in! Hwever here is the digest of what has been in the post recently -  keep on to the end there is some important stuff there

Woolwich Antiquarians Newsetter

They note the following dates
9th November Andy Brockman on The Conflict Archaeology of Woolwich. 2 pm Charlton House
4 September.  Richard Buchanan  on Street Furniture. Orpington and District Archaeological Society, Christ Church to Tudor Way, Petts Wood 8 pm
14th September. Charlton Society 50 years. 2 pm Charlton House

Among other items the Newsletter notes use of the Tram Shed in Woolwich. The point out that it was built as an electricity substation using mains driven motors directly coupled to generators to provide the DC supply needed by the trams.

Shrewsbury House. There are concerns about a World War II building converted for use as a house known as Green Garth.  The Community Centre is keen to use  this building since it is designed in bomb resistant reinforced concrete and is thus sound proofed. It also has a good hall for art displays.  They are hoping to get heritage funding.

They also report on the current state of the Avery Hill Winter Garden  which belong to Greenwich  University who would like to sell. Apparently an understanding has been reached with the council

Cruise liner Terminal site - they report that Morgan Stanley have sold the land to Criterion Capital

There is an article about a suite of Astragraphic telescopes - meaning that modern digital is used to generate viewable output. It is to be named after Annie Maunder who was called 'a computer' when she worked there in the 1890s. Some details are given of her life.


Lewisham Local History Society Newsletter

They lead with a obituary to Diana Rimmel whose death we reported earlier in this blog. It includes tributes from Julian Watson and John King

They give some information about Frederick Lanchester who designed the heavy bomber ansd who was apparently born in Lewisham.

In answer to a query they mention the Whitbread bottling plant which was on what is now the Tesco site and the only remaining building there called Eagle House. The Anchor Brewery occupied the site from 1818 and in 1870 built Eagle House but it was bought by Whitbreads in 1984

They advertise meetings
27 September. Women’s Suffrage Movement in Lewisham and working-class campaigners with Jill Mountford
25th October. Lewishams' listed theatre at Catford Broadway by Carmel O’Connor
29th November Leaves from Literary Lewisham by Malcolm Bacchus
They don’t say where the meetings are but I guess they are at the Methodist Church at Albion Road at 7:30

GLIAS Newsletter

They advertise meetings and walks
7th September Camden housing led by John Goodier
5th October City Geology led by Alan Wheeler
email walks@glias.com to book

They hope that newsletters during this year which is their anniversary year will be themed:
in October people asked to contribute about GLIAS  coach trips; in December about the GLIAS Recording Group in February walks and conferences

An article on Greenwich and Woolwich ferries includes the new ferry vessels from Poland which are currently being an embarrassment on the old Woolwich ferry route. It also gives some details of the Greenwich steam ferry which operated in the 1880s at what was later known as Wood Wharf.

GREENWICH SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

This has an article by Pieter Van der Merwe on the Tudor and earlier jetty remains found on the foreshore off the Five Foot Walk in Greenwich and exposed by the  emergency repairs to the river wall . He also mentions the Friars Wharf in the same area.

LABOUR HERITAGE NEWSLETTER

This includes some interesting information about Woolwich and Greenwich in a packed newsletter. It is by John Laxton who I remember well as having done and very noticeable dissertation on Woolwich Labour Party in the 1970s. This article talks about the growth of the Party in Woolwich and saysntht by 1901 the Liberal Association there had ceased to function. A Progressive Association was formed and the Woolwich Trades Council said that the Parliamentary  Candidate had to get a pledge to join the Independently Labour Party members in Parliament. Will Crooks was chosen and fought a by-election in 1903 as the Labour candidate winning with a majority of over 3000. John points out the strength of local trade uniona and that the engineers in Woolwich had 2000 members. The Labour Representation Committee formed in Woolwich was organised it what was to hecome the universal pattern for constituency Labour parties.


LOCAL PLANNING SITE ALLOCATIONS

We have had a letter to the Planning Department of the council about the site allocations consultation and local plan preferred approach. Hopefully local groups will read the huge amount of material sent out on this and keep us in touch with their views on all those old industrial sites.  Info on the Council web site under 'Consultations'.








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