What kind of area was WEST HAM??

[Clincher]

I sometimes find estate agents' websites useful for finding images of houses. If you google 'Spicer McColl' and search their website for Crofton Road you'll see an image (a bit gloomy and not necessaily your number!) which tends to confirm that it that street is pretty old and if you take the virtual tour (limited) you'll see how the living rooms look (after they have been knocked through into one)

[Lady constance]

I have done that!!!!

My other little hobby is house design... so i have done every tour in the area i can find.

you are right very helpful. Will try that agent though....never know..

:-)

Constance

[Douglas P]

These websites give a little info about the history of the area,

http://www.eolfhs.org.uk/parish/west_ham.htm
http://www.newham.gov.uk/AboutNewham/History/History.htm
http://www.newham.com/About+Newham/NewhamsPast/.....

[lizdb]

And this is a good website for Docklands area:

http://www.parishregister.com/

[MrsLizzy]

I have quite a few ancestors who lived in West Ham and the surrounding area.   I think it would be safe to say that since none of my ancestors was remotely well off as far as I know, the area wasn't affluent although it may have been "nicer" than it is now. 

[Clincher]

Our understanding of our past can sometimes be way off target. Obviously, I cannot say that this is so in your case but I couldn't resist googling one of the names in your list of family names: Lister.
If you google 'Joseph Lister' you'll get a hit for a Quaker, born in 1827 in Upton, Essex (which was and is part of West Ham but more familiarly known as Upton Park which is where West Ham United play). His father was a wine merchant and, presumably, being near the docks was handy for that trade and I reckon wine merchants aren't short of dosh. Now whether the family remained in West Ham until later in 1800s/1900s and remained prosperous I can't say but you might have been millionaires .
A school in West Ham was named after him (Lister Tech). And I know of at least one road with that name a few miles away. The area has certainly changed since those times but some gems remain, if you know where to look

[Lady constance]

oh the might have beens....

the thing that gets me is that they SOLD the properties.... if they could only have passed them on to MEEEEE...


bugger...ancestors selling property. My grandparents sold their TWO houses in the 1950's one in central Sydney now worth a lifelime of savings, one in central london worth two lifetime savings, and here is the biggie..... the other side of the family owned a massive penthouse appartement on the Gold Coast of aussie worth god knows how much... and it got sold when Gdad died....sigh....
don't get me started on the trashy furniture that they thew out which in today's market...well..... you know what they say about Trash & Treasure..

sigh....

had to vent

 

[ladybird]

My dad's parents lived in Canningtown, West Ham from the start of the 1900's till WW2...all their children were born there.
An address I have for them in 1910 was 7 Kerry St, Tidal Basin, Canningtown.
I know they moved to Berkshire (to daughter's place) away from the bombing, so the place was probably flattened.

[Indaloman]

Our understanding of our past can sometimes be way off target. Obviously, I cannot say that this is so in your case but I couldn't resist googling one of the names in your list of family names: Lister.
If you google 'Joseph Lister' you'll get a hit for a Quaker, born in 1827 in Upton, Essex (which was and is part of West Ham but more familiarly known as Upton Park which is where West Ham United play). His father was a wine merchant and, presumably, being near the docks was handy for that trade and I reckon wine merchants aren't short of dosh. Now whether the family remained in West Ham until later in 1800s/1900s and remained prosperous I can't say but you might have been millionaires .
A school in West Ham was named after him (Lister Tech). And I know of at least one road with that name a few miles away. The area has certainly changed since those times but some gems remain, if you know where to look

Lord Lister lived in Lister House, a huge beautiful house next door to St Anthony's Infant School. It had a massive sweeping oak staircase with oak panelled walls. It remained closed for many years and was finally demolished and a block of flats was erected on the site. I was a policeman at Forest Gate and used  to nip into the gardens when the house still stood and pick fresh figs for my breakfast.