The History of Wandsworth Common
WANDSWORTH COMMON
IN THE NEWS
1907
[The Times: Search: "Wandsworth Common"].
[BNA: Buckmaster Battersea 1907]
[BNA: Buckmaster Wandsworth 1907]
[London Evening Standard: Buckmaster Wandsworth 1907]
Daily Mirror - Tuesday 08 January 1907
HOSPITAL BEDS ON THE FLOOR.
Puzzled Wandsworth Doctor Has to Fit 785 Patients in a Space Only Big Enough for 658. There is probably no more harassed man in London to-day than Dr. J. B. Neal, resident medical officer of the Wandsworth Workhouse Infirmary. The hospital under his charge is certified to hold 658 patients. Yesterday morning there were 785 inpatients, each requiring careful nursing and attention, and the vital question Dr. Neal had to solve was how these 127 extra patients were to be properly accommodated. He told the Daily Mirror yesterday how he managed to get over the difficulty. " Instead of allowing the patients the regulation 850 cubic feet, we cannot give them more than twothirds of that amount, the distances between the beds being Oft. instead of Oft. " Fifteen beds have had to be rigged up on the floor for the convalescent patients, and the removal of these in the daytime causes a vast amount of increased work to the nurses.”
The Wandsworth Union is now considering a scheme for the erection of a branch hospital at St. James's-road, Wandsworth Common. This will hold 600 patients, and will cost, as near as can be estimated, £250,000.
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19070108/043/0004
Morning Post - Thursday 07 February 1907
EXTRAORDINARY POISONING CASE, Mr. Trout bock held inquiry at Battersea restorday with reference to the death of William Thomas, aged seventeen, bottle wirer, residing at Beaufo}|-road, Battersea, who died in Bolingbroko Hospital bunday lost from fho effect of poison taken under singular circumstances. Jane Hasten said Thomas was her adopted son. She had brought him up from infancy. Ho was acquainted with girl Alice Allen, but witness thought Allen’s parents did not like it. On the evening of New Year’s Day Thomas went out with the girl, saying he was going to music-hall. The next witness heard of them was at midnight, when the police informed her that they were both in Bolingbroko Hospital suffering from poison. Witness went to the hospital next morning and saw Thomas. She asked him why he did it, and all said was Through her mother.” Witness: I said, “Who took it first?” and said, Alice.” 1 asked him, Who took the most ? ” and he said, I did.” Annio Coles, a probationary nurse at Wandsworth I.'nion Infirmary, said she was on Wandsworth Common tho evening of January 1 when a roan and a woman came to her, and the latter asked witness to help them. She said : feel very queer.” Witness said, “What has happened?” and the girl replied, have taken spirits of salts.” Witness sat both of them a seat and tried to induce them to vomit, at the same time sending passer-by for policeman. She found bottle under the seat which had contained spirits of salts. Police-constable William Brice said he conveyed Thomas to the hospital, Allen walking there. He asked tho girl what she had done, and she said, have taken poison from that bottle.” At the hospital she said, ‘‘We took the poison because parents would not allow to keep company.” Witness added that on January 7 girl was arrested and charged with attempting to commit suicide. After several remands she was bound over to be of good behaviour for twelve months. She promised not to do It again. Mrs. Alice Allen, mother of tho young woman, of High-street, Stockwell. said she had known Thomas for two years. He worked at the same factory her daughter, who sixteen years of age. At the hospital her daughter told her she took the poison because witness would not let her out with Thomas. Witness had corrected her daughter for being out late one night. The- daughter had answered she was out with Thomas, and witness said she could not allow such thing. Her obioction was that her daughter was too young. Alice Allen, reply to the Coroner, said she wished to give evidence. The Coroner : Do you wish to say anything about what you did ? Witness : Yes. The Coroner Who got the spirits salts ? Witnqps : I did, New Year’s Day, and gave it to Thomas. He handed the stuff the Common and 1 drank some. The Coroner: Do you remember Thomas taking any ? Witness : No, sir. The Coroner : What did you mean to ? Witness : don't know, sir. The Coroner : Did you mean to die ? Witness: No, sir. The Coroner : Did you wish the man to die ? Witness : No, sir. The Coroner : You did it to frighten your mother Witness :We did, sir. The Coroner You thought it very grand thing at the time ? Witness : Yes. The Coroner, in summing up, said it was an old-established principle of law that wnere two persons agreed to commit suicide and one died thq survivor was guilty of murder. But they must be careful to see that there was a real intention to take life—they must be satisfied that these two young things really meant what they were doing. It was evident that they wanted to do something striking, as suggested in penny novels, and did not realise what poison meant or what death really was. After consulting jn private the jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure, believing that neither intended to take his or her life bat intended merely to frighten the mother.
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000174/19070207/120/0005
Pall Mall Gazette - Tuesday 20 August 1907
A GIRL SOMNAMBULIST.
FOUND BY A POLICEMAN ON WANDSWORTH COMMON.
Early this morning a policeman found a young woman clad only In night attire asleep on one of the seats on Wandsworth Common. He awakened her after considerable trouble, when it was found that she had been walking in her sleep. She knew nothing as to how she got on the common, she having left her bedroom at the residence where she is house-maid in Nightingale-lane, some three-quarters of mile away.
[Source: Link.]
Illustrated Police News — Saturday 31 August 1907
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SLEEP-WALKER FOUND ON WANDSWORTH COMMON
[Subject of Illustration.]
POLICEMAN found young woman, clad only in a night-gown, asleep on one the eats on Wandsworth Common early in the morning. awakened her after considerable trouble. It was then learned that she had been walking in her sleep. She knew nothing of how she got the common. She is employed housemaid in a house three-quarters of a mile away.
[BNA: Link]
South Western Star - Friday 23 August 1907
BABY ENDANGERED AT YORK ROAD
Summoned for driving two horses attached to a van to the common danger, Harry Castle, of 23, Ram-square, Wandsworth, pleaded guilty.—Mr. F. G. Hamblin, of 36, Cicada.road. Wandsworth Common, said bis wife was pushing a perambulator containing their baby along there'd at 11 Rm. on July 27. Defendant was driving a van in the opposite direction. The road was perfectly clear at the time. Defendant was not driving very fast, but he collided with the perambulator and overturned it on the pavement. Fortunately the baby was not hurt, but the "pram' was damaged to the extent of about Defendant did not stay to see what happened, but whipped up his horses and drove on. He stopped by someone, and witness saw he had been drinking, though he was not drunk.—Defendant: The policeman allowed me to go on.—Mr. Francis fined Castle lOs., and ordered him to pay 10s. damages. "
CYCLING ON FORBIDDEN GROUND
—H. Sheppard, of 35, Borrodaile-road, Wandsworth, A. Ball, of 431, York-road, Wandsworth, and a young man described simply as Jeffrey, of 98 Aslett-street, Wandsworth, were summoned for cycling on a footpath on Wandsworth Common on July 20. Mr. Carter prosecuted on behalf of the London County Council.—Jeffrey and Sheppard, according to the evidence of a common-keeper, aggravated their offence by racing. The speed was not lees than 15 miles an hour—Jeffrey denied he was riding fast, and mid he believed the road was open to cyclists. --Defendants were each fined 3s. and 2s costs.
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004606/19070823/018/0002
Pall Mall Gazette - Saturday 19 October 1907
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THE UNIVERSITY RUGBY FIFTEENS today*s opening games. DARK BLUES* EXCELLENT PROSPECTS. The list of Rugby football fixtures to be decided to-dav is the most interesting of the present season date,' for both Universities play their opening games, and Newport pay their first visit to town. other very important games, including the first match of the season between Cardiff and Swansea, bollowers of the game in London will be divided between a visUto Richmond, where Oxford University meet Scottish, and a trip to the Rectory Field, where Blackheath meet Newport, while the United are West Ham playing the London Welsh, and Bath are new visitors to London, meet the Harlequins at Wandsworth Common.
[Source: Link.]
