Joseph Lawende's home

[moonbegger]

Hello all , I have just discovered a remarkable coincidence ( for me anyway ) On my recent trip home , as well as getting some decent footage of the inside of the infamous stairwell at goulston street .. I also got some footage of the street I was born into ( Mitchinson Rd , Islington ) .

I have always had a fascination with the Ripper crimes , ever since my ol Granddad , used to take my brother and I down Club row , Petticoat lane markets on a Sunday , and tell us stories about Jack the Ripper ..

and some time ago my curiosity was focused on the Eddows inquest , in particular witness Joseph Lawende , who's address was noted as 45 Norfolk rd , Dalston .. this had always fascinated me because my primary school was in Dalston , a five minute walk from home, but I could never seem find Norfolk rd on any street map, even my London Cabbie pals were at a loss .

Anyway , to cut a long story short , on the day before I headed back to my new abode ( the Land they call Canada ) .. I asked my Dad if he knew of such a road in the area .. at which point he called me a silly b*****d and informed me I was born in it .. Mitchinson road was infact once Norfolk road !! in fact our local corner pub was still called the Norfolk arms ( just changed to Hops and glory )
the other end of the street bordered Hackney ( Dalston )

And then it got more surreal when he told me I was often looked after by my aunt and uncle who lived at #45 .. our house #53 was a few houses further down the road .. most of the houses to the east of us were bombed during the war but the houses to the west are still standing and reminiscent of an old London. This was in the late sixties/early seventies so needless to say any trace of the man who may have witnessed the Ripper in 1888 was long gone , but I did find it interesting enough to share on here .

I also got some pictures and video of 45 Mitchinson/Norfolk road .. I am not sure how interested you folk might be to see a vital witness's home , one that has never been photo'd before .. but I will upload it all the same .

cheers

moonbegger

[moonbegger]

The white door #45 Norfolk road ( now Mitchinson ) my old house is on the far left .

[moonbegger]

another angle ..

[Bridewell]

Really interesting, MB. Bizarre coincidence too! Are you going to post these on the East End Pictures etc thread also?

[Cogidubnus]

Hi Chris

Yes I concur with Colin...please do post these on the East End Photos thread with full explanatory text...this is the sort of important stuff which could all too easily be lost

Every good wish

Dave

[Stephen Thomas]

my curiosity was focused on the Eddows inquest , in particular witness Joseph Lawende , who's address was noted as 45 Norfolk rd , Dalston .. this had always fascinated me because my primary school was in Dalston , a five minute walk from home, but I could never seem find Norfolk rd on any street map, even my London Cabbie pals were at a loss .

Anyway , to cut a long story short , on the day before I headed back to my new abode ( the Land they call Canada # .. I asked my Dad if he knew of such a road in the area .. at which point he called me a silly b*****d and informed me I was born in it .. Mitchinson road was infact once Norfolk road !! in fact our local corner pub was still called the Norfolk arms # just changed to Hops and glory #
the other end of the street bordered Hackney # Dalston )

And then it got more surreal when he told me I was often looked after by my aunt and uncle who lived at #45 .. our house #53 was a few houses further down the road .. most of the houses to the east of us were bombed during the war but the houses to the west are still standing and reminiscent of an old London. This was in the late sixties/early seventies

Well well, moonbegger. Something new for a change.

5 or 6 years ago someone posted a complete list of all of the places Lawende lived from his arrival in London to the day he died and I posted photos I later took of most of them, all in the Newington Green area which is sort of East End but considerably posher than Spitalfields. I looked for Norfolk Road on the modern maps but finding it not there I assumed it had been bombed and the house and street didn't exist anymore. But now here you are on a Jack the Ripper website telling us that you used to hang about in the very house where the top Ripper witness lived in 1888.

What a fascinating coincidence.

[Robert]

Hi Moonbegger

The electoral rolls indicate that 1938 was the last year that it was called Norfolk Road. Mitchison commenced 1939.

[moonbegger]

Hello Bridewell , Dave , Stephen .

Yes I will definitely post them on the East End photo thread .. along with some other pic's and short video from Norfolk/Mitchinson Rd .

As far as the coincidence goes , I am still bamboozled as to how it all unfolded ! just a throw away question to my dad about a street name that I had also concluded was long gone .. and his reply was like a strong left hook dropping my chin to the flour , Then once I had reunited my chin with my jaw and told him about #45 , his response was like a second hit , this time a right upper cut sending my jaw through the roof of my head .. I was equally amazed that my dad could tell me who lived in many of the houses up and down the street .. I guess it was like that back in the day . Heading back to Canada the following morning and light fading , I grabbed my camera a headed round to corner to Mitchinson rd to take a few pic's .

Another slightly coincidental albeit tiny thread that ties my family to the Whitechapel murders is that my Granddad (Albert) who also lived for many years at #53 , has his ashes a few yards from Catherine Eddows plaque in the city of London cemetery . how's that for coincidence !

Cheers

moonbegger

[moonbegger]

A very short video of #45 Norfolk/Mitchinson Rd ..

http://youtu.be/rgBkXpWDQKs

moonbegger

[moonbegger]

Hi Moonbegger

The electoral rolls indicate that 1938 was the last year that it was called Norfolk Road. Mitchison commenced 1939.

Hello Robert , i am just picking the bones out of my own family history regarding Norfolk/Mitchison rd .. and it turns out , my Great Great Nan & Grandad ( Jack & Jess ) lived next door to #45 at #43 my Granddad owned quite a few houses in the street . My uncle and Aunt lived a #45 for a while ..
Holy cow ! this is like Pandora's box !

cheers

moonbegger

[Robert]

Hi Moonbegger

Blimey yes, there were lots of them - it's all a load of Bol -

If you want to keep it private and can't access the electorals, PM me your email and I'll send you some pages.

[Cogidubnus]

Hi Chris

Gets more and more interesting. Thanks for putting up the video

All the best

Dave

[Stephen Thomas]

Well well, moonbegger. Something new for a change.

5 or 6 years ago someone posted a complete list of all of the places Lawende lived from his arrival in London to the day he died and I posted photos I later took of most of them, all in the Newington Green area which is sort of East End but considerably posher than Spitalfields. I looked for Norfolk Road on the modern maps but finding it not there I assumed it had been bombed and the house and street didn't exist anymore. But now here you are on a Jack the Ripper website telling us that you used to hang about in the very house where the top Ripper witness lived in 1888.

What a fascinating coincidence.

With some difficulty I managed to find where I posted those photos which is on the Witnesses section here. I can't provide a link at the moment but perhaps someone else can. The thread is called Why is Lawende Definitely Anderson's Witness? from Feb 2009 and my contributions, with old maps and new photos, are on posts #28 and #102.

[Robert]

http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?t=1891

[Lechmere]

Many years ago I got a minicab from Kentish Town and asked to go to Stepney Green where I lived at the time. Admittedly I worse for wear but I kept one eye open and was wondering where the hell the driver was going when we ended up in Newington Green. I said no ‘Stepney Green’. I didn’t fancy walking from there – its miles away. I wouldn’t count it as ‘sort of East End’. It wasn’t posh then either.

Not as close a connection as Moonbeggar’s!