I'm really not sure where to start with this question!?
I have recently started looking into my family history and have traced them back to the Sydenham area. I'm looking at the 1850's - 1900's period, and since I stumbled across a posting by Mr Grindlay (which showed a row of shops in the former Kirkdale - one of which once belonged to my g.g.g. granddad) I have been facinated with finding out more information about the area. The numerous pictures on this forum have been brilliant in piecing together what Sydenham looked like in the past.
Now, I have no idea where would be be to start, but I thought i'd try picking your brains first. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
I have one book at the moment by Coulter & Seaman are there any others which might be better?
Are there any early photos of the High Street, Sydenham/Kirkdale?
Does anyone know about a building known as "Homestead" at 16 Sydenham Park?
My apologies in adavance for the cheek of asking, but most of the posters on this forum seem to have a serious knowledge and passion for the history of Sydenham.
Many thanks,
Lostmind.
High Street, Sydenham Hill & Krikdale??? (Help)
Both Coulter/Seaman books dealing with Sydenham in old photos are the best available for old photos, showing, among other things, the top end of Dartmouth Road and middle of Kirkdale--both parts formed the old Sydenham High Street. The current high street is the whole of Sydenham Road, but other parts, including Bell Green, and the bit between Kent House Road junction + the Trewsbury Road junction have also been known as the high street in the past, and even the bottom of Kirkdale and Cobb's corner. Together with Steve's series of photos, including the painting, you can build up a nice mental picture of these parts. For historical information, Sydenham and Forest Hill Past by John Coulter is the most comprehensive book.
This is how 16 Sydenham Park ROAD looked in 1969:
Also taken in 1969, here's a photo of 12-24 Sydenham Park (12 on the right)
15-17 Sydenham Park (no date)
16 Sydenham Park (31-Jul-73)
16 Sydenham Park showing the rear (same date as above)
Unfortunately, I don't know enough about these roads to know the names of these houses, plus only Steve would know about any potential social history. I couldn't even tell you which of these houses are still standing.
This is how 16 Sydenham Park ROAD looked in 1969:
Also taken in 1969, here's a photo of 12-24 Sydenham Park (12 on the right)
15-17 Sydenham Park (no date)
16 Sydenham Park (31-Jul-73)
16 Sydenham Park showing the rear (same date as above)
Unfortunately, I don't know enough about these roads to know the names of these houses, plus only Steve would know about any potential social history. I couldn't even tell you which of these houses are still standing.
That is brilliant, many thanks Falkor!
I would have been happy at any info, but this! As I said in the original post, I already have one book on the area (Archive Photo series: Sydenham and Forest Hill), and this certainly helped shape the way I looked into the past of Sydenham
I was interested in 16 Sydenham Park because it was the last known home of my g.g.g. grandfather, William. I had already had a chat with my family members and done some basic census-searching, and it turned out that one of his sons (my g.g. uncle Joshua) lived next door.
It was Joshua who took over the family Fish & Poultry business in the early 1890's. It's his shop that can be seen in the row of shops of old Kirkdale (in a posting by Steve Grindlay) - J. Ashby.
Once again, I must thank you for taking the time to post all this info - its cracking!
Lostmind
I would have been happy at any info, but this! As I said in the original post, I already have one book on the area (Archive Photo series: Sydenham and Forest Hill), and this certainly helped shape the way I looked into the past of Sydenham
I was interested in 16 Sydenham Park because it was the last known home of my g.g.g. grandfather, William. I had already had a chat with my family members and done some basic census-searching, and it turned out that one of his sons (my g.g. uncle Joshua) lived next door.
It was Joshua who took over the family Fish & Poultry business in the early 1890's. It's his shop that can be seen in the row of shops of old Kirkdale (in a posting by Steve Grindlay) - J. Ashby.
Once again, I must thank you for taking the time to post all this info - its cracking!
Lostmind
-
Steve Grindlay
- Posts: 606
- Joined: 4 Oct 2004 05:07
- Location: Upper Sydenham
All I can add is that 16 and 18 Sydenham Park do still survive:
No.18 is on the left and 16 on the right. Sydenham Park is a couple of hundred yards from where the Ashbys had their shop. The houses are within the Sydenham Park Conservation Area.
I'm afraid, Lostmind, that I find the Ashbys, particularly William, rather difficult to pin down. There seem to have been 3 or 4 people of that name living in Sydenham at around the same time (one, of course, was his son). It looks as though your William first appears in Sydenham in 1851 as a servant (a groom) at Woodthorpe, a large house off Kirkdale. By 1853 he had moved down the hill to a terrace (Albert Villas) near the junction with Kirkdale. He was still there in 1881 but by 1892 he had moved to Sydenham Park. It is clear that these moves were clearly linked with his increasing wealth.
No.18 is on the left and 16 on the right. Sydenham Park is a couple of hundred yards from where the Ashbys had their shop. The houses are within the Sydenham Park Conservation Area.
I'm afraid, Lostmind, that I find the Ashbys, particularly William, rather difficult to pin down. There seem to have been 3 or 4 people of that name living in Sydenham at around the same time (one, of course, was his son). It looks as though your William first appears in Sydenham in 1851 as a servant (a groom) at Woodthorpe, a large house off Kirkdale. By 1853 he had moved down the hill to a terrace (Albert Villas) near the junction with Kirkdale. He was still there in 1881 but by 1892 he had moved to Sydenham Park. It is clear that these moves were clearly linked with his increasing wealth.
Tell me about it! lol. I've been trawling throught the census details (online) for a couple of months now, and my family has a confusing past.I find the Ashbys, particularly William, rather difficult to pin down
My g.g. Uncle William (jr) seems to have been the most successful, as he apparently owned a number of Ice Merchant shops in Dulwich and a place at The New Sun Wharf in Greenwich.
What I did find interesting was "Woodthorpe". From my census-searching, the the owner was a decorator called James Hunt (It didn't name the house in the Census rec.). What is a mystery is that he is down as being the father of both William Ashby jr and another son called James (my g.g. grandfather). As you can see - very confusing!
Either way, both you and Falkor have been very kind. Again, I must thank you both for taking th time to post all this info.
Best wishes,
Lostmind.