[The Times: Search: "Wandsworth Common"].
[BNA: Buckmaster Battersea 1884]
[BNA: Buckmaster Wandsworth 1884]
[London Evening Standard: Buckmaster Wandsworth 1884]
["When a year or two ago they proposed to utilise a portion of Wandsworth Common they brought a hornets nest about their ears, for the whole of the aristocracy of Surrey, headed by the Earl of Lovelace, jealous of any interference with those open spaces (in no portion of England are the commons more beautiful), opposed the proposal tooth and nail. “ ?? Who he?]
PRIVATE BILLS IN PARLIAMENT. THE SOUTH-WESTERN GROUP. FOR some years past the south-western district of England has been the scene of remarkable Parliamentary contests, the aim of the attacking parties being to deprive the London and South-Western Company of their traffic flowing to and from the Southampton Docks, or, as they said, to break down a monopoly and afford a direct communication between the manufacturing districts of the north and the several fleets of steam ships, which deliver and take in cargo at Southampton. This session, however, it would appear, from the list of plans deposited at the Private Bill Office, that a lull has succeeded the storm, as there are only two proposals of schemes dealing with the territory in question—namely, the Aldershot Farnham and Petersfield, and the Basingstoke Alton and Petersfield, for the little Easton and Church Hope line, lying wholly within the island of Portland, can scarcely be said to belong to the group. The list of petitions, however, somewhat dispels the impression created by its precursor, the list of plans, as there we come upon the names of the old belligerents, but they show that the parties have come to a state of peace, and are now burying their hatchets. The Swindon Marlborough and Andover Company seek to be invested with further powers to enable them to make about six miles of railway from the station at Marlborough to a point on the Marlborough line proper, at a place called Burbage, and thence to a junction with their other line at Great Bedwin. To enable them to carry out those works, they ask to be allowed to increase the amount of their capital by £75,000. The Swindon and Cheltenham Extension Company are also petitioners for further powers. They wish to abandon a portion of their line between Preston and Andover park, and to substitute for it a new line of over twelve and a-half miles in length. They also propose construct four short connecting links between the South-Western branch of the Great Western and the Cirencester branch of the same undertaking, in the parishes of Kemble and Siddington, and for these purposes they seek power to raise .650,000 additional share capital. While each of those two companies are thus seeking to better its position, the one independently of the other, they also approach Parliament together, and ask to;be amalgamated into one corporation, under the name and title of the Midland and South-Western Junction Railway Company. This is a renewal of a proposal made by them last year, with the exception that they do not now ask to be permitted to pay interest out of capital. They allege that, with the exception of the short lines authorised by Parliament last session, they have carried out all the works entrusted to them, and state that they are now, if amalgamated, able, by means of the Parliamentary powers which they possess over portions of the Great Western Marlborough Berks and Hants Extension, London and South- Western, Banbury and Cheltenham, Didcot and Midland Railways, to afford the public a continuous route from Cheltenham, in the north, to Southampton and Stonepoint, in the south.
Meanwhile, the Great Western Company are in the field, asking to be authorised to construct three connecting links between the Cirencester branch and the Swindon and Cheltenham Company's line, which may be regarded as alternative proposals to those which that company propose to carry out in the parish of Siddington, Gloucestershire. The Various Powers Bill of the London and South-Western Company proposes an additional expenditure of half a million of capital in connection with their undertaking.
A large portion of the improvements which they propose to carry out are geographically in the south-eastern district, such as the widening of the line at Vauxhall, Wandsworth, Malden, and Merton Junctions with the Wimbledon line, a deviation of the Wimbledon and Epsom line at Raynes Park station, a part of which undertaking they propose to abandon. In all these localities they seek to acquire additional land in connection with their undertaking, and to extend the time for the completion of the Kingston line. They also propose new works at Basingstoke and Bishopstoke, to lay down additional rails at Netley and Hound, to widen the line at Winchester, and in association with the Midland Company to widen the Somerset and Dorset (Bath Extension), between Banister and Rodstock.
Among the lands which the company require for these various purposes is a portion of Barnes Common. Here they provoke hostility which may prove fatal to this part of . . their scheme.
When a year or two ago they proposed to utilise a portion of Wandsworth Common they brought a hornets nest about their ears, for the whole of the aristocracy of Surrey, headed by the Earl of Lovelace, jealous of any interference with those open spaces (in no portion of England are the commons more beautiful), opposed the proposal tooth and nail. Their conservatism on the point of preserving the rights of the commons has not since cooled down, nor is it likely to be diluted by the company's offer to reconstruct the common by adding to it out of their own estate at Barnes as much la right I'm getting myselfnd as they propose to clip from it for the purposes of the railway. T
hey repudiate the idea of paying interest on the new capital until . the works for which it is raised have been executed and earning revenue, except in regard to calls paid in advance. The . Basingstoke Alton and Petersfield scheme, proposes to raise a share capital of £450,000 for the construction of 22 34 miles of railway from the London and South-Western line at Basingstoke to Petersfield, where, as it is proposed, it will form a junction with what is known as the Portsmouth Direct line. At Alton there is to be a short branch a little over y, mile in length to connect this line with the Alton Alresford and Winchester Railway. The Petersfield and Midhurst branch of the South-Western Railway is also to be connected with the proposed railway at a place called Sheet, by a junction line half-a mile in length. They ask, too, to be authorised to use portions of the South- Western, including Basingstoke station, the Reading and Basingstoke branches of the Great Western line, and so much of the Portsmouth Direct as will be situate between their junction with that line and the line of the London Brighton and South Coast Company at Havant, and thence over that line into Portsmouth Town and Harbour stations. They also claim the right of using the Petersfield and Midhurst line, and so much of the Mid- Sussex and Midhurst line as lies between it and the Midhurst station, which they will also occupy. They also ask to be permitted to run from their junction with the Guildford Alton Alresford and Winchester line at Alton, into the Alton station. They are, however, willing to accept facility arrangements. They propose to pay interest out of capital at the rate of 4 per cent. per annum from the date of the certificate of the Board of Trade that two-thirds of the ;capital have been paid up, until the works are completed, or else for four years. The proposers of the Aldershot Farnham and Petersfield scheme are also candidates for incorporation. The share capital which they propose to raise is £220,000, on the calls for which they undertake to pay 4 per cent. per annum, with the same limitations as the other company to whose proposal reference has been just made. Like the promoters of that scheme they are by no means chary in their demands for summary powers over the other undertakings which they will encounter in carrying out their scheme. They propose to use the Aldershot Town station, the Liss and Havant stations, and the two stations at Portsmouth. They propose that the other railway companies who have lines in the same neighbourhood shall, subject to agreement, facilitate the interchange of traffic in connection with their undertaking, which is to commence at Farnham, by a junction with the Guildford and Alton branch of the South- Western Railway, to the same branch line at Bentley, and thence to Liss station, on the Portsmouth Direct line, the whole run being a little over fourteen miles. Call
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004367/18840119/130/0027
THE LONDON SCHOOL BOARD AND WANDSWORTH COMMON.
A deputation waited upon the Works Committee of the London School Board yesterday in opposition to the proposal to erect a Board school upon land formerly part of Wandsworth Common, and which was conveyed upon the that it should never be built upon. The chairman of the Works Committee announced that the proposal would be abandoned and an alternative site selected.
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001485/18840130/072/0011
Fancy Dress Ball for Bolingbroke Hospital
THE ANNUAL FANCY COSTUME BALL in aid of the funds of the Bolingbroke House Pay Hospital, Wandsworth Common, ..
. . . of the Bolingbroke House Pay Hospital, Wandsworth Common, takes place at the Albert Hall next Wednesday. The Annual Fancy Costume Ball in aid of the funds of the Bolingbroke House Pay Hospital, Wandsworth Common, takes place at the Albert Hall next Wednesday . . .
CONSERVATORS 8 March 1884
RANSOME
DU BUISSON
THE WANDSWORTH COMMON ACT, 1871.
I, EDWIN RANSOME, Chairman of the Board of Conservators incorporated under the abovementioned Statute, do Hereby CERTIFY that, at the ELECTION of CONSERVATORS holden this Day, the undermentioned Persons having been DULY ELECTED as CONSERVATORS for executing the said Act during the Period of three years, commencing on the First Wednesday in the Month of April next; that is to say:
ANDREW CAMERON.
R. ORAM.
E. R. RANSOME.
T. [J?] DU BUISSON.
J. ERSKINE CLARKE.
As witness my Hand, this Third day of March, One thousand eight hundred and eighty-four.
EDWIN R. RANSOME, Returning Officer.
[BNA: Link]
Fernside's Swiss Bazaar
One of the prettiest bazaars of the season was yesterday opened in the grounds of Fernside, Wandsworth-common, by the Countess of Romney. A village fair in the Alps is not to be despised if it can be reached in fifteen minutes from hot, dusty London.
The visitor, however, must be prepared to be somewhat disappointed in the Alps, which are represented by an enormous tent in which the fair is held. The small Swiss cottages, with their quaint-looking upper story, are a success, and would be even more so had they been less regularly built, but no doubt the size of the "Alps" did not allow irregularities of the interior. On the ground floor of the chalets are displayed all the usual bazaar articles, from woollen Jumbos and baskets of eggs to embroidered plush table-covers and handsomely painted plaques.
The vendors are Swiss matrons and maidens, in as near an approach to their picturesque national costume as a suburban Alps permits; but a buxom Swiss damsel would no doubt feel a little embarrassed had she to appear at a genuine Swiss fair in high-heeled fancy shoes, gorgeous satin petticoat, and finely wrought gold necklace, her hands encumbered with jewellery, and her face with a fashionable pince-nez. But barring these trifles the bazaar is a success. /p>
An enormous beehive is conspicuous near the entrance, out of which now and then emerge toddling Swiss babes, whose office it is to gather honey in the shape of coin from their numerous admirers.
[BNA: Link]
It is hard to establish the boundaries of Fernside estate based only on this map. But click on the map to see its minimum size at this time.
[Source: David Rumsey Collection.]
See also, e.g.
1866: Fernside for sale.
WandsworthCommonHistory: Fernside.
[Advert for Emanuel School]
[BNA: Link]
Woodlands, Nightingale Lane, for sale - "admirably adapted for a lucrative building scheme, being the best uncovered site in the district"
