Merlewood House in the High Street and a hint of how the other half lived in the spring of 1851

Merlewood House in 1909

We are looking at Merlewood House which was one of those fine old houses Eltham did so well.

It stood just east of the present National Westminster Bank and was demolished when the road was widened and the bungalow shops were built.

It serves to remind us of the contrasts that Eltham threw up, for with Sherard House to its left it is the home of one of the well off in Eltham but stood close to Jubilee Cottages which had been built in 1833 and the interestingly named Ram Alley which in the 1850s and 60s housed some of our farm workers, labourers and tradesmen.

Merlewood had been home to Mr Richard Lewin from 1798 till 1853 and was ocuupied by a succesion of people who styled themselves "Gentry" including Caleb Mann Esq and Mr Howard Keeling who "left a benfaction to the National Schools."*

By contrast in Ram Alley lived Samuel and Mary Lambert and their three children.  He described himself as a labourer in 1851 and was one of the 21 men in Ram Alley who laboured on the land or the roads, and consitiuted 54% of those earning a living there.

Which is a nice introduction to a series of stories exploring the two sides of Eltham society.

Next; living in Ram Alley and Eagle House.


Pictures; Merelwood House , from The story of Royal Eltham, R.R.C. Gregory, 1909 and published on The story of Royal Eltham, by Roy Ayers, http://www.gregory.elthamhistory.org.uk/bookpages/i001.htm

*The story of Royal Eltham, R.R.C. Gregory, 1909,page 278