Reminiscences of Tottenham

by Harriet Couchman

This was the next place of interest. The grounds, nearly twelve acres in extent, were enclosed in a high brick wall, which went all round. The lodge stood at the corner of what is now Pembury-road, and through the gates one could catch a glimpse of the beautiful hydrangeas, and other flowers bordering the carriage drive, leading to the mansion, which stood not far from Lordship-lane. It was a good old house, with a fine entrance hall; it struck me as being very gloomy upstairs, the bedroom doors all being painted black. There were many pretty, shady walks in the gardens and fields; in one part was a nut walk.

When the hall was pulled down in 1867 a portion of the ground was thrown out to widen Lordship-lane, which was at that time very narrow.

There was a row of pretty, small cottages on the right-hand side of the lane, several of them built of wood. The tenants took great pains with their gardens and grape vines, which were covered with bunches of white grapes. The houses that came next, called Bruce-terrace, were built by Mr. Thomas Finney, an ironfounder. They have one peculiarity—each house has an iron step at the gateway in lieu of stone. From this point to Bruce Castle grounds there were fields on both sides. On the left-hand side there was a row of majestic elm trees. The white house in the middle of the field was the residence of Mr. Francis Fox.

BRUCE CASTLE.

Bruce Castle has always had a fascination for me, thinking of the changes that have taken place since Robert Bruce, father of Robert Bruce, King of Scotland, who died in 1303, lived in the castellated mansion that formerly occupied the site. Later on, when it came into the possession of Sir William Compton, he re-built it, and again it seems associated with Scotland, for on the Saturday after Ascension Day, in 1516, King Henry VIII. met his sister, Margaret, Queen of Scots, at “Maister Compton’s house beside Tottnam.” One can imagine the scene that was enacted there, when Sir William’s grandson, Henry Lord Compton, was honoured by a visit from Queen Elizabeth in May, 1578. History says the Castle was repaired, and almost re-built, in the latter part of the Seventeenth Century, by Henry Lord Coleraine, who succeeded the Comptons. He removed the arms of Compton from the old porch, and placed them over the entrance of the inside, out of respect to that illustrious family. At this time there was stabling for twelve horses, and a treble coach-house, with lofts over. Gradually the glory of the place departed; it passed from owner to owner, and when Mr. Ede, a merchant, of London, purchased it in 1814, these stables and coach-houses were pulled down. Up till the early part of last Century the principal entrance was in the centre of the Castle, and on either side of the door orange and lemon trees were growing in large tubs, which gave it a very pretty appearance. This door was afterwards closed, and the entrance made at the side. In 1827 Mr. Ede sold the mansion, with 15 acres of pleasure grounds, gardens, etc., to Messrs. Hill, who started a boys’ school, which was under their management for fifty years. It is interesting to know that Sir Rowland Hill, to whom we are indebted for the Penny Postage Stamp, was one of the joint purchasers. In 1877 the Rev. W. Almack, M.A., took over the school, and it remained in his hands until the school was dissolved in 1890, when Mr. Pedley rented the Castle and grounds for two years, and during this time the building was used for a Loan and Industrial Exhibition. The estate was finally sold for the use of the public, and called Bruce Castle Park. Till within quite recent years the trees and bushes in the front of the Castle were a sight to behold when out in full bloom—white and pink horse-chestnuts, laburnum, white and pink may, guelder roses, and lilac. The ivy was so thick and broad on the top of the wall for some distance down Lordship-lane that it formed quite a verandah. During a heavy storm a great part was blown down. In olden times a curious custom prevailed at Bruce Castle: When any of the family died the corpse was not allowed to be carried through the gate, so an opening was made in the wall near the Church, and through this the coffin was taken. In the time when corpses could be arrested for debt a man died there and, owing to this custom, the family were able to get the corpse into the churchyard before the creditors could claim the body. When the last aperature was opened a Gothic door was fixed in its place.

ALL HALLOWS.

At the beginning of last Century the Parish Church, dedicated to All Saints, was the only church in Tottenham, and although smaller than at present it was large enough for the number of worshippers. But as the number of inhabitants increased, although other churches had been erected, it was necessary to enlarge it, and in 1876 the new chancel was built, north and south transepts, an organ chamber, double vestries, and a north porch added, and what was formerly the old chancel absorbed in the nave, and the new roofs made considerably higher than the old. For my part, I like to think of the “Old Church,” as we used to call it, as it was when I was a child, with the high pews with doors to them, two of which were square, with seats all round, like a little room. One of these was allotted to the tenant of the Moat House, Tottenham Park. The centre alley of the nave was paved with grave stones, but they were so worn by time that in many cases the inscriptions were nearly obliterated. There was a gallery at each side, and one at the west end, where the girls from the Blue School sat. The organ was in this gallery; Mr. Stone was the organist for a great many years. On the wall of the gallery on the south side were placed all the Hatchments that had been taken from the large houses in the neighbourhood. The other gallery was private; built and presented to the church by three gentlemen of the congregation. The pulpit was a three-decker; the lower part was where the minister stood to read the lessons, and by the side was the sort of box, where the Parish Clerk sat. One of his duties was to say all the “Amens,” and also to read the alternate verses of the Psalms, etc. We children used to look forward with pleasure to hearing Psalm lxxiv., for when it came to the eleventh verse, to our great amusement, old James Filsell always said: “Why pluckest thou not thy right hand out of thy ‘buzzum.’” The Vicar then was the Rev. Thomas Newcome, who lived at Shenley; he was also Vicar of that parish, and it was only occasionally he came to Tottenham to take the service. He never failed to come on the 25th Sunday after Trinity, and my recollection of him is hearing him say, in loud and impressive tones, the collect beginning, “Stir up, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the wills of Thy faithful people.” The strong accent on the first two words always made them sound “Stour oop.”

We only had morning and afternoon service, and as it used to get dusk on winter afternoons the pew opener placed two flat brass candlesticks on the top of the last pew on either side of the aisle to light the congregation out. It was not a brilliant illumination, but it served every purpose.

The next Vicar was the Rev. W. J. Hall. During the latter part of his time some of the congregation wished to have an evening service, and offered to pay for a minister from London to conduct it; but on talking it over with Mr. Forster’s father, his remark was, “I am getting into years, Forster, and so are you; so we will not consent to it, and if any one wishes for an evening service there are other churches to which they can go.” But Mr. Hale, who succeeded Mr. Hall, willingly agreed to the request.

Over the Altar at the East there was a beautiful window of ancient painted glass divided into eight compartments, containing the representations of St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, with smaller figures of David, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. It was given to the Church in 1807 by John Eardly Wilmot, who then resided at Bruce Castle. The other windows were all plain glass.