1883 HISTORIES OF EPSOM, EWELL & NONSUCH
by Edward Walford
Edward Walford was a noted Victorian historian and some-time editor of The Gentleman’s Magazine and The Antiquary – more about him can be found in Wikipedia. He was concerned to record the history and appearance of all the hamlets, villages and market towns that made up the London metropolitan area before they were overtaken by the urban sprawl that was then beginning to take place.
The outcome of his prodigious work was some 1,200 pages in the two-volume Greater London: A Narrative of its History, its People, and its Places published by Cassell & Co. of London in 1883. (This was later re-published in four volumes as Village London). For local purposes, the work’s 1883 date places it neatly between C. J. Swete’s 1860 Handbook of Epsom and Gordon Home’s 1901 Epsom: Its History and Surroundings).
Transcriptions of Walford’s chapters relevant to Epsom & Ewell (being the last six chapters in the third of the four-volume edition) are available via the clickable links below – each of which is followed by the original chapter summary. Please note that, while the various illustrations (many of which may be familiar from other sources) are from the original, they have here been positioned much closer to the relevant passages. Further, almost all the footnotes are from the original: the few I have added are clearly marked as such.
EPSOM – BACKGROUND
Situation of the Town – Railway Communication – Etymology of its Name – Ebba, a Saxon Queen – Mention of the Parish in Domesday Book – Descent of the Manor – The Manor of Horton – The Manor of Bretgrave – The Medicinal Spring of Epsom – Epsom Salts – The Town becomes a Fashionable Resort – Postal Communication in the Seventeenth Century – Improvement at the Wells – Public Breakfasts and Amusements – Epsom Society at the beginning of the Last Century.
EPSOM – THE WELLS ETC
Watering-places in and near London in the Seventeenth Century – Discovery of the Mineral Waters at Epsom – The Properties of the Waters – The Rise of Epsom from an obscure Village to a fashionable Watering place – Sabbatarian Prejudices at a Discount – Epsom in the Time of Charles II – A Royal Visit – Lady Castlemaine – Epsom in the Reign of Queen Anne – The Decline of Epsom’s Popularity – The Saline Waters – Mrs. Mapp, the Bone-setter – Dr. Clarke.
EPSOM – THE TOWN ETC
Description of the Town – The “King’s Head” and other Hotels – The Court House and other Public Buildings – The Assembly Rooms – Harlow’s Portrait of Queen Charlotte – The Parish Church – Christ Church – Chapels and Meeting-houses for Nonconformists, &c. – Almshouses – Royal Medical Benevolent College – Pit Place – Lord Lyttelton’s Ghost – Horton Place – Woodcote House – Woodcote Park – Durdans.
EPSOM RACES
The Popularity of the Derby – A Description of Mr. Frith’s picture of Derby Day – The Grand Stand – The Company on the Downs – The Race – Scenes and Humours of the Course and the Road between London and Epsom – The Origin of the Term Blue Ribbon of the Turf – Early History of Horse-racing – Introduction of Racing on Banstead Downs – Institution of the Derby and Oaks Stakes – The Races patronised by Royalty – List of Winners since 1830 – Derby Anecdotes – Count La Grange and Gladiateur – Bend Or – Eclipse – Charles Greville’s Character of Epsom Races – Silence of English Poets with respect to Horse-racing – Retrospective View of the Derby – “Plunging” – The Races and Electric Telegraphy – Jockeys – Mr. Martin Tupper on Epsom Downs.
(An early paragraph of this chapter is, as indicated, a narrative description of William Powell Frith’s picture of “Derby Day”. Click this link for our well-illustrated article about this famous painting.)
EWELL
Situation and Boundaries of the Parish – Its Etymology – “The Spring” Inn – The Hog’s-Mill, or Ewell River – The Road from Cheam to Ewell – Description of the Village – Sheep Fair – Railway Stations – Population – Brick-works, Flour-mills, and Gunpowder-works – The Roads in the Neighbourhood – Discovery of Roman Remains – Descent of the Manor of Ewell – The Parish Church – Extract from the Parish Register – Ewell Castle – Diana’s Dyke – Noted Residents.
(Ewell can justifiably feel short-changed by Walford’s dealing with it in 2,400 words. He gave 6,600 words for Nonsuch and 12,500 words for Epsom – over three chapters – plus another 9,200 words in the further chapter on Epsom Races.)
NONSUCH
Nonsuch and its Early History – Described by Evelyn and in the Parliamentary Survey – Visited by Queen Elizabeth – The Queen’s Last Years spent here – The Earl of Essex – Pepys visits Nonsuch – The Duchess of Cleveland – “Diana’s Dyke” – The Present Mansion – Archbishop Whateley.
. . . AND OTHER SOURCES
As will be seen, Walford’s text includes extensive verbatim sections from many other sources. These include some (or sections relevant to the Borough) that are available on this website, namely those by:
John Evelyn (in the middle 1600s);
Samuel Pepys (the later 1600s);
Manning & Bray (circa 1810); and
(Perhaps because of copyright concerns, Walford did not explicitly draw on C. J. Swete’s previously mentioned 1860 Handbook of Epsom.)
Roger Morgan, 2024