Martin Fentum

[Hazel Wright]

I'm trying to find out some information about my great-great-grandfather, Martin Fentum. He was an ivory turner in the second half of the 1800s, and lived at Norville, near Alleyne Park. Judging by information on his probate he was a reasonably wealthy man, and I am wondering if he owned any properties around the East Dulwich area. My grandfather used to collect rents from a couple of properties in East Dulwich, and I wondered whether they might be linked to Martin Fentum in some way.

[ianr]

The South London Press of 13/3/1897 has a report of an inquest of a young woman found drowned in a pond in the Crystal Palace gardens. She was identified as one of the lady attendants at Fentum's ivory-turning department in the Exhibition, which had an ivory room.

And in the 5/9/1891 issue, a report of an inquest into the death of "Martin Fentum, aged 65, an ivory turner, late of Norville, Alleyn-Road, Dulwich." He had been thrown from the dog-cart he was driving when the horse was pulled up sharply and slipped. An accidental death.

On the properties side, nothing more found in the Dulwich area, but there is an account in the Evening Standard in 1865 of his being removed from a Mayfair district voters list. As well as having the Norville, Dulwich residence he said that he also occupied two houses in central London, at both of which he was registered and had voted.

Did he also live in the Fulham area in 1853? There was a Martin Fentum assaulted on a Putney omnibus, after having taken the seat which another passenger had routinely 'reserved' for a consideration. The magistrates took some time deciding what seemed to them the main question, in what the press deemed "a case of considerable importance to omnibus passengers": whether seats on a public omnibus could indeed be reserved. Having decided in the negative, they then went on to find the other passenger guilty of assault and gave him a nominal fine of a shilling, with two shillings costs.

A couple of other minor references, including the 1872 marriage announcement of the eldest son of Mr MF of London and Gipsy Hill.

If you'd like images, PM me with an email address. Or you could subscribe to http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/.

[Ferrs11]

Martin Fentum (1825-1891) lived at Norville, No 1 Alleyn Park, probably from the mid/late 1860s, he was there for the 1871 census. The house was pulled down after WW2 and is now the site of the Paxton Green Surgery. Ianr is right about the other newspaper reports - and he had three shops in Central London, one at 85 Bond Street, and others at 8 Hemmings Row, Charing Cross, and later on, he also had one at 7 Burlington Arcade. For information on history in the local area you should try the Dulwich Society local history group - www.dulwichsociety.com - its remit covers the whole of the area and they would be interested in any other info you might have.

[malumbu]

Can you do this service for others eg Herbert Kisbey aka Kisbey the Call boy, Josephene Avenue, Brixton, died circa 1965 I understand broke and an alcoholic, musichall artist (apparently on stage with Chaplin).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/71/a2304271.shtml

http://www.leodis.net/playbills/item.asp?ri=200381_32047671

I've got the link to variety magazine, and the 1927 Derby winner

[Mick Mac]

1) Brilliant post ianr

2) what have you done with all the money Hazel?

[Hazel Wright]

A very belated thank you for this! Only just seen it for some reason!

Hazel

[Hazel Wright]

Ha ha Mick Mac - still looking for it!