Stuart McLaughlin will be speaking about Oscar Wilde’s time in Wandsworth Prison doing hard labour before being transferred to Reading Gaol in 1895. Stuart wrote his history of Wandsworth Prison back in 2001 and he curates the small museum at Wandsworth Prison.
We will be meeting as usual at The United Reformed Church, Rookstone Road, SW17 9NQ. Members free, guests £2. All welcome.
Tooting has been home to a large number of hospitals over the years. Fever hospitals, general hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, geriatric hospitals and maternity hospitals have come and gone from Tooting in the last 130 years. Now there are only two. Where were these other hospitals? What was there before St. Georges Hospital? What is the heritage of Heritage Park? Philip Bradley will uncover the Victorian origins of healthcare and hospitals in Tooting at our February meeting. There will also be a short AGM business meeting.
Tuesday 13th February 2024. Members free, guests £2. 7.30pm. All welcome.
United Reformed Church, Rookstone Road, SW179NQ.
Tooting History Group is actively involved in speaking up for historic buildings and other heritage assets in Tooting. Come and hear about this work at our next meeting with Libby Lawson, Conservation Officer, Tooting History Group.
We will be looking at local and national listing of buildings and other assets.
The meeting is next Tuesday, 14th November, starting at 7.30pm at the United Reformed Church, Rookstone Road, SW17 9NQ.
Come along and take part in the discussion.
Daisy Lawrence was born in Tooting in 1917. She left Sellincourt School aged 14 and went to work at the Tooting Co-Op. In 1942, she was called up to work at the Bletchley Park code breaking centre. Whilst she was working on breaking Japanese codes, her fiancée was held as a POW in the Far East. Daisy’s daughter, Jan Slimming, has written an account of her mother’s life and will be speaking to our September monthly meeting. You will also be able to buy copies of Jan’s book.
Come along on Tuesday 12th September at 7.30pm to the United Reformed Church, Rookstone Road, SW17 9NQ.
Tooting History Group will also be at the Woodfield Pavilion on Tooting Common on Saturday 9th September. The heritage event takes place from 10.30am to 5pm with other local history and heritage groups present. Janet Smith will be talking about the history of the lido and I will be leading a walk on the common at 3pm about the battles for Tooting Common. The event is part of the Lambeth Heritage Festival 2023.
We look forward to seeing you at one of these forthcoming events.
Our monthly meeting in July will be addressed by Dr. Paul Carter from the National Archives at Kew. He will be talking about the records of 19th Century workhouse inmates, particularly from the Wandsworth and Clapham Union which covered Tooting. So what lead to complaints or petitions from Workhouse inmates? How were the complaints investigated by the Poor Law Commissioners?
The talk is on Tuesday 11th July starting at 7.30pm at the United Reformed Church, Rookstone Road, Tooting SW179NQ. (Tooting Broadway tube). Everyone is very welcome.
Tooting History Group 