Thursday 14 May 2015

Help for Robert Oliveri who lives in Australia.



Robert is trying to trace any Information regarding the 39th Divisional Artillery Ammunition Column, Deptford. Is there an association??

Robert says

My grandfather was in WW1 in the 39th Divisional Artillery Ammunition Column.  And I think that the unit was formed in Deptford.  I was wondering if you can  point me to any associations or historical societies that may have more information.  l have some old unit photos in poor condition and I was hoping I could trace one in better shape. The first photo is very much like like a company of men although the title indicates it is section 3 of the Ammunition Column 39th Divisional Artillery.  


Roberts mother says he always kept the photos in a cylinder and that is both the reason for it's damage as well as its preservation.  The second photo is, he assumes, his small group, a section in modern infantry terms.  His grandfather was a black smith by trade and a shoe smith by rank. His name was Charles Walter Hollis.  

Robert is planning a trip next year that will probably see him on the Somme almost exactly 100 years after his grandfather arrived there in 1916.  Robert shares the only war time story he heard about his grandfather which was when he had an argument with a tent mate over a game of cards one night. He got angry and decided to sleep under a tree and that night a shell took out his tent.  He died aged 90. 

Robert says

Thanks for your help.  I would imagine it is unlikely that anyone else will have this photo unless there is an old association still active or a local library or historical society.   I plan to restore the photo very slowly.   In Australia our War memorial in Canberra has this type of photo on file, is that the case in the UK as well?

Wednesday 15 April 2015

Deptford Kids 1960's


Soldiers wives making Sacks for the trenches at the Albany Institute 1914-1918


Somewhere in Deptford.



                                                       Anyone know where this is???

Help for Rachel

Hello!

My family, going back at least 200 years, lived/worked in/near Deptford and I have, coincidentally got a flat on Crossfields - I went back to my roots without realising it!

My gg grandfather, Thomas Pay had a bottle washing business on Church Street Deptford which closed in the 1950s. It was called Thomas Pay&Sons. My grandmother was Rosemary Pay and her siblings Jack and Olive Pay and Joe Berry and 'Boy' Parker were also prominent characters involved in the business in the war/1950s - they had nice cars including a flashy Aston Martin.

I am desperately trying to find out more info on their business/story and wondered if you/readers of your site may know anything at all about them or location of Thomas Pay&Sons?

Huge thanks for any help in advance and thank you for running such an interesting and informative site.

Kind Regards

Rachel Worzencraft

Monday 6 April 2015

Help identifying street name.

Hi all,

John and Jacquie are doing the geneology bit and are having trouble indentifying the street name on this census form.
I thought it was Queen Street but I'm not so sure. Can anyone help them please?

Sunday 15 February 2015

Where in Deptford?

 
 
Hi everyone
 
Jane sent me an email telling me about her ancestors in the above photo but more importantly help in trying to identify the location of where the photo was taken. Clue may be in the sign above them. Jane supplied the following info......
 
His name was William John Clark. On the 1911 census he was living with his parents William John Edward Clark and Finch Morgan Clark nee Pearson (known as Annie) at 53 Crossfield St. I know his first 2 children were born at this address in 1914 & 1919 I don't know when he moved out.

By 1936 he was living at 62 Creek Rd, with his wife Ellen & children, Ted, Nell, Harold & Joyce and my grandmother Ivy Morley. His parents were still at Crossfield St..........
 
 
Can anyone help please
 
best regards
 
Andy

Sunday 1 February 2015

Mystery Bottle




Lorna found this bottle whilst mud-larking the Thames up buy the 02.

She has asked if we can identify the distributors and or the location where they operated from

On the bottle and the top are the words  "The Kent Creamia Milk Co. Ltd. Deptford. 

Can anyone help please???

Regards

Andy

Tuesday 27 January 2015

Robbins Model Bakery


Can anyone identify whether or not this picture with the bakery in the background was located somewhere in Deptford...? Your help would be much appreciated as I'm trying to trace, for my family tree, the person on the left who I believe is my grandfather's brother who was born in Hale Street.

best regards to all
 Andy

















Tuesday 28 October 2014

Thankfull Sturdee




Thankfull Sturdee was born in Deptford April 24th  1852 and Christened June 27th  1852 in Deptford. He was married to Catherine Sarah Bland (b Deptford 1854) in 1883 and had 1 son and 1 daughter.
He is listed as living and working at the following places.

 70 Tanners Hill from 1899 to 1900
16 Bolden Street from 1900 to 1903.
157 Malpas Road, Deptford 1909 - 1910.


1881: photographer living at 252 Evelyn Street, Deptford.
1901: photographer living at 16 Bolden Street, Deptford.

1912: photographer living at 151 Manor Road, Brockley, Deptford.
1917: photographer living at 26 Geoffrey Road, Brockley, Deptford.

He Joined the Daily Mirror as staff photographer September 1911, retired 1922.
Above is a Commemorative plaque from Lewisham Borough Council fixed to Studio 2 in Bolden Street. He died at 26 Geoffrey Road, Brockley, Deptford April 3 1934.




I recently purchased one of his books "Reminiscences of Old Deptford" printed 1895.
I have seen this book advertise for sale at £75 up to would you believe £145!! My copy was a lot cheaper and I  have decided to copy and post its contents here so all the folk of Deptford can enjoy its content. Here is the first instalment with more to follow. Enjoy












Monday 21 July 2014

Help for Giles in his search

Hello All,

Giles Gaffney has asked me to help him on his quest to find more information regarding the area around Lower Watergate and Butchers Row and in particular parts from a missing map. Here's his email to me and he would be grateful for any help.

Chris at Shipwrights can you help in anyway? As you can see Giles has been trying to contact you but like me he doesn't have you email. Thanks

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Andy

I wanted to bring this to your attention - would also be grateful if you could please forward it to Shipwright's Palace as I don't have his email address or perhaps a plug on your website even - this is quite exciting stuff! :)

I am attempting to trace the source of this map (below) left by the Deptford Pier company upon demolition of the old village centre, which may span further south and east compared to the excerpt reproduced by Pre Construct in an archaeological report from 2008. It shows the numbering and position of all the buildings, including the names of the pubs/taverns, but is cropped before taking in Lower Watergate where another pub existed (below).

 
 
 
 

So far I have failed to trace it, but have begun contacting members of Pre Construct, so with any luck may hear back from them. The report in itself is worthy enough to appear on the same shelf, and alongside, the best history books of the Lewisham borough IMO!http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/greylit/details.cfm?id=17970&det=y
 


 
 
Best regards
 
Giles