What is this blog about?
Having noticed that a lot of people see no more than the obvious tourist attractions of London, I thought it would be a good idea to show the world that there is more, much more, to be seen in London. As you may have gathered from the title, ‘London Details’ is all about items you come across when walking in the city and you want to know more about. So, it is not about the London Eye, the Tower of London, nor about Madame Tussaud – nice as they are – but it is about the small gems that make London what it is, a fascinating city. If you are interested in shops of days gone by, have a look at my other blog, London Street Views.
Who am I?
A retired physician, living in London, born in Bruges in 1568 (yes, that is correct, 1568), but when I was young, my family moved to Leiden where I studied for my MD. I also spent some time in Russia as physician to the tsar, but have been living happily in London for quite some time now. In 1599, I married Sarah Oeils and we had 3 children who survived into adulthood; Baldwin junior, Jeremy and Elisabeth. If you want to know a bit more about me and my friends, go to this page with my portrait. And if you do not believe this, and think the name Baldwin Hamey is a pen-name, a pseudonym, or an alias, you might be right, but despite this innocent subterfuge, I hope you still like the blog.
Photographs
Most pictures have been taken by me with a small hand-held digital camera, so do not expect photographic miracles; the purpose of them is just to give you some idea of what I am writing about. If the photo has not been taken by me, the source will be stated.
Help needed
There is a danger in linking to other sources on the web as websites get changed, moved, or taken off completely. Should you find a dead link in any of my posts, would you please be so kind as to alert me to the problem via a comment or an email? Many thanks for your help.
Copyright
This blog can be cited or used (of course preferably with due acknowledgement) for non-commercial purposes. Any reuse for a commercial reason is not allowed. For those who are familiar with Creative Commons: the relevant icon below.
London Details 
Great blog!
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Please could you help me. We have a costermonger barrow which says on hire w.j. everett ltd 165 Drury Lane WC2 all over it. It dates 1901 covent Garden. I can send you pictures if you wish. I am trying to locate who built it and who this hire company is as well as try to trace the owners etc. Is there anything you can do to help me please?
Warren
I am quite willing to help, although 1900 is a bit late, but I’ll try. A picture would certainly be helpful (baldwinhamey[at]gmail.com) Drury Lane is not covered by the Tallis Street Views, so no help there.
Thank you so very much for this informative blog. I’m an expat American, recently relocated and have used your blog as a walking guide to learn about my adopted city. I particularly enjoy your attention to architectural detail. I’m curious about the lovely, new-ish building I live in–Cranmer Court, Whitehead’s Grove, built in the 1930’s (yes, apologies for the stereotype of an American living in Chelsea, but I chose it because I can walk to work each day in Victoria). I’ve learned that the building sustained damage in WWII but can’t find more details. Where might I look for it’s history?
Hi Gailen,
Thanks for your comment, much appreciated. Cranmer Court was designed by Stanley Gordon Jeeves and RIBA has some working drawings of the building. LMA also has material, but I will admit that I have not seen either of the files, so no idea if it is of any use to you. I am quite happy to discuss your query further, just send me an email at baldwinhamey [at] gmail.com.
Best,
Baldwin
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I have taken the liberty of re-posting your excellent piece on the Plimsoll line:
http://www.cabbieblog.com/plimsoll-line/
Thanks for allowing allowing its use under a Creative Commons Licence
I noticed 🙂 No problem you reposting my post, that’s what CCL is for. Just glad you like it.
Like you I really like Radiant House. Thank you for doing the detective work! Really fascinating.
Thanks Ed for your kind comment and the reblog, much appreciated. I agree that it looks un-English and it certainly caught my eye.
Fascinating blog, please email me any updates
Thanks and regards
Helen
Dear Helen,
Thanks for your kind comment. You can subscrie to the blog with the “Follow blog via email” option on the left-hand side of the webpage.
Hi, A couple of months ago I think (!) that I sent you a link to our history website http://www.herberthistory.co.uk/cgi-bin/sitewise.pl?act=det&pt=&p=275&id=herbhis
which shows this, “A slightly later drawing shows both 6&7 around 1838, when John Tallis published his “London Street Views”. However the Wood’s name is not shown, as the publication was a commercial venture and it was necessary to subscribe to have the name of a particular business identified.” rgds, Richard.
Thanks Richard. Yes, you did sent me the link and it is one of the addresses I still have to work on, but there are so many and I have not done any research on this particular one. I will get round to it sometime, promise.
FANTASTIC blog….any chance Borradaile hat manufacturers on 34 Fenchurch appears in an image?
Thanks for your kind comment and yes, Tallis has “Borradaili, on, & Ravenhill” at 34 Fenchurch. I have not done any research on them, but will get onto it. Will send you a picture by email. If you have any information on them you care to share, please email me.
Good afternoon. Hoping that the premises of George Albert Chapman, Linen-draper might appear in one of the street views . . . 263 Great Russell Street (according to a list of ‘John Tallis London Street Views 1838-1840). My Gt Gt Gt Gt Grandfather, shall we say, ‘liberated’ a piece of cloth from this store when he was 13 . . . paid for it with ‘transportation’! (It seems poor Mr Chapman may well have been on the receiving end of many a ‘light-finger’. A downside perhaps of living so close to the Rookery of St Giles in the 1840s . . .). Look forward to hearing from you.
Good morning Lyn. Thanks for your message, but I am afraid that I will have to disappoint you. Tallis does not list Great Russell Street. He does list a Chapman, linendraper, in Tottenham Court Road, but as he does not give any initials, I do not know more than his last name. Will look into it and get back to you.
Oh, Bother . . . :-), but thanks for looking! It was certainly worth a try. What I was working from was:
According to Old Bailey records his store was in Great Russell Street 1840-1844 . . .
EDWARD GRIFFITHS . I am shopman to George Albert Chapman, a linen-draper, in Great Russell-street,
WILLIAM HARRIS . I am in the service of George Albert Chapman, linen-draper, Great Russell-street.,
CHARLES HEWITT . I am in the service of George Albert Chapman, of Great Russell-street, Bloomsbury,
GEORGE ALBERT CHAPMAN , linendraper, Russell-street, St. Giles.
The reference I found online
http://www.cgpublishing.com/Godwin/TALLIS.html
but it lists:
JOHN TALLIS’S LONDON STREET VIEWS
London Shops and Businesses 1838-1840
and goes on to list:
Great Russell Street.
263 Chapman, Linen Draper.
264 Edwards, Wine Vaults.
265 266 Otley, Joseph, Corn Dealer.
267 Chantry, Horse Shoe Inn.
Anyway, like I say, thanks for looking, much appreciated.
Ahhhh, I think I see what I have done . . . I have just found an image online of Tottenham Court Road, and the ‘262’ is listed right next to Great Russell Street. When I saw the list originally, because there seemed to be no context, I was taking the mention of Great Russell Street as a ‘heading’ , and what was listed below it as shops being on that street. Now I see, the list was noting that that is where Great Russell Street and Tot Court Rd intersected . . . perhaps the store was on the corner and had two entrances . . . or perhaps he had another store further up the Great Russell Street as well. Who knows, but it makes a lot more sense now. 🙂
I feel a bit like Nancy Drew on a case! Sorry to inundate your ‘inbox’ but I have now just found a directory for 1841 that lists George Albert Chapman as Silk Mercer, No: 1 Great Russell Street, so this would have been on the corner. So I think the mystery is solved! One question you may be able to answer . . . would the fact his name is mentioned on Tallis’ list . . . could there have been an advertisement perhaps for his store in the ‘book’? Again, apologies for taking up so much space. Feel free to delete! Best . . .
No problem Lyn; it is confusing when a shop is known by two addresses. It happens more often and the shop itself was usually given the entrance in the busiest street and the entrance in the other street then led to the upper floors where the family lived. There is no advertisement for Chapman in the Tallis booklet, but he does describe Great Russell Street as “a broad handsome street, composed of highly respectable tradesmen’s shops …”. Pity he does not depict the individual shops in another booklet. I’ll send you an email with some more information in a moment.
Hi
Enjoy reading your updates
I have particular interest in the Teede Family and their Business’s.
GR Teede ( brother of John and Charles of Bushopsgate St) had premises at Bell St , Eton / Datchet and also
13 Lower Brooke St , Hanover Square.
Any info appreciated
Thanks
Thanks for you comment Graham, but as I already said in the reply to your previous comment, I do not have any information on other Teedes https://londonstreetviews.wordpress.com/2017/10/19/william-mortlock-china-warehouse/
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Hello. We found a Dr. Adam Clarke’s “Commentary on the Old Testament” from 1825 that a “William Benning of 43 Fleet Street” and family had used to record births and deaths etc. We googled until we found your amazing article on 43 Fleet Street. My son and I would like to know what we should do with the book.