Exchange Shopping Center on Cranbrook Road
The city of Ilford in Essex, England will be the center of attention in this month’s Streets and Squares that provide some interesting background information on street signs around the world. It is a fun way to learn about the history and culture of the cities you visit or even live in! Ilford is situated in East London, in the London Borough of Redbridge.
Here is first some interesting history behind the names Ilford, Essex and Redbridge, for our non-British readers. Ilford was originally called Yleford, which came from the ford through the River Hyle (meaning trickling stream). A yet older name for Ilford is Ilefort. The name Essex appeared originally as East Seaxe (the East Saxons). Redbridge again comes from the fact that there was a red bridge across the River Roding, as opposed to all the other bridges being white.
Well then, true to Streets and Squares, here follows a list of some people with streets, roads or parks named after them in Ilford. The addresses are in alphabetical order, and most of these streets are located near or at least not too far from the city (or in this case, town) center. Clicking at the address will lead you to the location in Google Maps, and clicking at the person’s name will take you to his or her Wikipedia page.
You might also be interested in the Facebook site Ilford Retro that shows you - through both photographs, videos and the readers' comments - what Ilford looked like before.
BALFOUR ROAD - Jabez Spencer Balfour (1843-1916) was a businessman, politician (MP) and a fraudster. Balfour Road is on the former Ilford Lodge estate, bought for development by Balfour’s group. In the same area Wellesley Road is named after his Croydon house and Morland Road after the road where Hobbs and Co, the builders, had their offices in Croydon. Jabez Balfour fled to Argentina where he was arrested by a Scotland Yard detective and brought back to England for trial. He was convicted and served 13 years in prison. Balfour was born in Marylebone, London, England. StreetView
BARNARDO DRIVE - Thomas John Barnardo (1845-1905) was a philanthropist active in England. He was the founder and director of homes for poor and deprived children. Although Barnardo never finished his studies at the London Hospital, he used the title of ‘doctor’ and later secured a licentiate. Born in Dublin, Ireland - StreetView
BIRKBECK ROAD - George Birkbeck (1776-1841) was a physician, philanthropist, and a pioneer in adult education. Born in Settle, West Riding of Yorkshire, England - Streetview
CECIL ROAD - Robert Gascoyne-Cecil (1830-1903) a.k.a. Lord Salisbury was a statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom three times. Born in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. But it could also be that this street is named after Balfour’s sister Cecil. StreetView
GRANVILLE ROAD - H. Granville Wright was the solicitor to the Balfour group (see above) that developed much of Ilord. StreetView
GRIGGS APPROACH - Sir Peter Griggs (1849-1920) politician and Member of Parliament for Ilford who was involved in building development in Ilford and Upminster. Born in Bethnal Green, London, England. StreetView
KENNETH MORE ROAD - Kenneth More (1914-1982) was a film and stage actor, born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, after whom the Kenneth More Theatre at the corner of the street is named. StreetView
PERRYMANS FARM ROAD - George Periman (more information coming as soon as retrieved) - StreetView
SALISBURY ROAD (Seven Kings, Ilford) Robert Gascoyne-Cecil (1830-1903) a.k.a. Lord Salisbury was a statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom three times. Born in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. StreetView
A to Z FROM ILFORD
i.e. a list of people born in Ilford. Just another fun way to know something more about the city or town. We pick a couple of people for each alphabet, if possible. The numbers you see at the end of each line indicate the year of birth. This list is updated from time to time. And last but not least: the coat of arms of the city!
A – Bernard Ashmole* archaeologist/ art historian (1894) - Ronald Armstrong-Jones* (b Jones) soldier/ lawyer/father-in-law of Princess Margaret (1899)
B – Sidney Bernstein* businessman/ media executive/Baron Bernstein (1899) - Nina Bawden* novelist/ children’s writer (1925) - Kenny Ball* jazz musician/bandleader (1930) - Nigel Benn* boxer (1964)
C - Linda Calvey* (b Welford) armed robber/convicted of murder (1948)
D – Jet Black* (b Brian John Duffy) drummer/founding member of The Stranglers (1938)
E – Noel Edmonds* radio DJ/television presenter/businessman (1948)
F – xxxx
G – Tim Garland* jazz saxophonist/ composer/ bandleader (1966)
H – Eva Hart* a survivor of RMS Titanic/ singer/ magistrate (1905) - Jon Hare* computer game designer/musician (1966)
I – Paul Ince* football player/manager (1967) - Frazer Irving* comic book artist (1970)
J – Cecil Jenkinson* cricketer (1891)
K – Kathy Kirby* singer (1938)
L – Frank Lupton* sailor/administrator in the Egyptian Sudan (1854) - Denise Levertov* British-American poet/to U.S. at age 24 (1923) - Richard Littlejohn* journalist/ broadcaster/author (1954) - Jane Leeves* actress (Frasier)/singer/ producer (1961)
M – Victor Maddern* actor (1928) - Sean Maguire* British-American actor/singer (1976)
N – Bob Neill* lawyer/ politician (1952)
O – Tamzin Outhwaite* actress/ presenter/narrator (1970)
P – Jenny Powell* television presenter (1968)
Q
R - Kathleen Raine* poet/ scholar/critic (1908) - Ian Ridpath* science writer/broadcaster/popularizer of astronomy (1947)
S – Maggie Smith* actress (1934)
T – Nándor Tánczos* New Zealand social ecologist/ educator/political commentator (1966)
U – xxx
V – Florence Vale* British-Canadian artist/to Canada at age 2 (1909)
W – Rachel Whiteread* artist/sculptor (1963)
X
Y -
Z –
LINKS
Ilford Historical Society - Ilford Recorder - Ilford Retro (Facebook) -
http://www.gants-hill.com/history/
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/essex/vol5/pp249-266
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/essex/vol5/pp249-266
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_eponymous_roads_in_London
https://ilfordhistoricalsociety.weebly.com/uploads/1/1/2/2/11222518/ihs_newsletter_109_final.pdf
12.7.2023