East Wickham Hutments, Bexley

[Carol20]

I am researching the complex history of a relative who was born in St Abbs Street, part of the East Wickham Hutments, Bexley. I have the information provided by London Borough of Bexley about the hutments but would like to see if his family or the family they lodged with appear on the electoral register from 1928 to 1931 when the family became split up. I have tried to find this area using the Ancestry site but found surrounding streets and road but not the hutment area. Any help to point me in the right direction would be appreciate either with an internet site or the correct record office to contact.

With thanks

[chempat]

Could you give the names of the people to help us search?

Added:
These appear to be the street names:
Apple Avenue   Ashkirk Avenue   Berwick Road   Bruce Road   Cherry Road   Clover Road   Commondale Road
Cramond Avenue   Crocus Road   Daffodil Road   Douglas Road   Firth Street   Gordon Avenue   Kay Street
Kirklea Street   Largo Avenue   Rustic Avenue   St. Abb's Street    Snowdrop Road    Stuart Road   
Teviot Road

Added:
I could only see Wickham East, Bexley, in Ancestry for 1963 and 1964.  My mistake?

[Carol20]

Thank you for the response, its unfortunate that Ancestry does not have these records, as after they leave St Abbs Street I have found my husbands grandfather (estranged from the rest of the family) from 1932 till his death in 1959 on the London electoral Rolls on this site. My husbands Aunt remembers living at 193 St Abbs St as a very young girl in 1928/29, she thinks they lodged with a Mrs Dixie or something similar, its that name and the possibility that her father  W J E Cowling registered to vote that are my targets in this time frame, W J E Cowling stayed in the area for the rest of his life while the rest of the family returned to Yorkshire. The 93 year old but very aware Aunt is interested in rediscovering her past hence the interest in the Hutments.

Thanks again

[kateyas]

Hello Carol and any others, re The East Wickham hutments. I have only just come across the 2015 'Roots Chat' entries.  I was born in Commondale Rd in the 'hutments' area. I contacted the London Borough of Bexley a few months ago for further information about them and got some through a librarian, including pictures.
I have included here a link to a paper about the hutments and their origin, I hope it remains of some interest.
https://www.bexley.gov.uk/sites/bexley-cms/files/East-Wickham-hutments.pdf

Try contacting:-  Bexley Local Studies & Archive Centre

Libraries, Heritage and Archive Service

Central Library

Townley Road

Bexleyheath

Kent

DA6 7HJ

Tel: 020 3045 3369

Facebook: Bexley Archives

Twitter: @BexleyArchives



kateyas

[chempat]

Welcome to rootschat, kateyas

Just putting the death that I think is referred to:

William J E Cowling died age 64 in March quarter 1959 in Sidcup, Kent.

(But I cannot see his birth - perhaps he swapped the initials around)

Possible marriage:
William J E Cowling married Maud Hargreaves in September quarter 1921 in Huddersfield.

[Carol20]

Thank you for the renewed interest. I was able to do further research into the Hutments, WJE Cowling left his wife Maud and children for another married women from this area, who although I have never found a marriage record (he was never divorced), she lived the rest of her life as Edith Cowling including registering as his wife in the 1939. They both ended their days in Chislehurst and had their ashes placed in  Eltham, there were no children and her death was registered by a neighbour but who Edith was remains a mystery.  The elderly relative now aged 95 still has memories of this short time she spent in the Hutments, the people they lodged with, the local cinema burning down and her father abandoning them but she would still like to know who this Edith was I have tried but failed.
Thanks for the link
Carol

[chempat]

What was her date of birth from the 1939 census or the death certificate?

[chempat]

In the 1958 ER's for Chislehurst are William J E Cowling with Edith, both living at Arnside, Willow Grove.
Is this the correct pair?

If so they also have Serle people living at Arnside - do you know if it was a split dwelling?

In 1959, no William (he has died, presumably) but there is a Ernest W Cowling there.  Unless William is calling himself Ernest??

[Carol20]

Hi
Edith's DOB on the 1939 reg was 28 Feb 1885. Although she called herself Edith Cowling there was no one of that name born at that time. Her age at death was 83 on death cert so that fits. WJE Cowling lied about his age in 1939, he was younger than the age he gave, which might have helped him avoid service during the war... he did have a history of dishonesty and failed to pay maintenance to wife and two children in Yorkshire. He did use the name Ernest and there is another William John Ernest Cowling who lived with an Edith Rosina Cowling nee Wilson/Dossett around at the time which has led to a false trail, possibly related, he originated from Truro Cornwall born 1894. I have ER's from 1932 - 1939 Woolwich  they then turn up as housekeepers in Chislehurst 1946 - 1959, after his death Edith returns to Woolwich till her death in 1969. The elderly relative thinks she was a married women with children before she ran off with my WJE and there are a lot of Edith's born in the 1885 quarter, if she did live in the hutments she could have been local or one of the many who came to work in the area like WJE Cowling. Any incite or suggestions would be appreciated or she may remain the women of mystery.
thanks Carol