Heart-Streatham-Issue-8

As far as is known Charles Dickens never
visited Streatham, but our town has a
number of links with him. Edwin Durrant, of
70 Penwortham Road, purchased the lease
of the Old Curiosity Shop in Portugal Street
around the turn of the 20th century, and under
his ownership it traded as a curio shop. Many
old pictures of the premises clearly show
the Durrant family name above the door.
Bleak House in Broadstairs, where Dickens
used to holiday, was purchased in 1953 by
Mrs M.E.Scholeboom, of Prentis Road. She
described the house as ‘magnificent’, standing
in an acre of ground overlooking the sea and
comprising some 15 rooms. Sir Arthur Helps,
another resident of Streatham parish and who is
buried in St. Leonard’s graveyard, was secretary
of the Privy Council and introduced Queen
Victoria to Dickens in 1870. Another Streatham
resident worthy of mention is Bertram
Waldron Matz of 29 Woodfield Avenue was
acknowledged as the world’s greatest authority
on Charles Dickens. In his youth he worked
for Dickens’ publishers, Chapman and Hall,
and later became a partner in the publishing
business of Charles Palmer of Chandos Street.
A prolific author on Dickens, he founded the
Dickens Fellowship in 1902 and was its first
honorary secretary and later president. For over
20 years he was the editor of the Dickensian,
wrote at least 11 books on Dickens related
subjects.
Although Dickens appears to have never visited
Streatham, his son came to the town in March
1889 to read from his father’s works in the
Streatham Town Hall. A report in the Norwood
Review and Crystal Palace Reporter on 9th
March 1889, recalls the events of the evening
with the headline: “MR CHARLES DICKENS AT
STREATHAM"
An extended version of this report and more
can be found at www.streathamsociety.org.uk.
The Streatham Society, 220 Woodmansterne
Road, Streatham, SW16 5UA
22
www.heartstreatham.co.uk