20th Century
William Cole Plaque
Memorial plaque from Passmore Edwards Museum, Stratford. Inscription: William Cole. A.L.S. Founder of the Essex Field Club. First Curator of this Museum. Died at St. Osyth 27. June 1922.
Part of Newham Heritage & Archives collection
West Ham Trade School for girls, Plaque
Brass plate from the school at the junction of Water Lane and Romford Road. It commemorates the opening of the school on 7th September 1936. It was short lived, as it was soon to be destroyed by enemy action.
Part of Heritage & Archives collection
East Ham Fire Station Plaque
Brass plaque from the opening of East Ham Fire Station. By the Mayor, Alderman O.R. Anstead. J.P. May 28 1914.
Part of Heritage & Archives collection
Newco products - a history (4)
Men employed making brushes and brooms at West Ham Municipal Industries in the 1930s.
Newco products - a history (3)
Men employed at West Ham Municipal Industries in making baskets and other wicker work.
As the number of blind persons began to decrease, so people with other disabilities bagan to be employed.
Newco products - a history (2)
Shop front of West Ham Municipal Industries in West ham Lane.
Newco products - a history (1)
Newco Products is the latest version of an organisation that originated in 1922.
Origins
Under the Blind Persons Act of 1920, the London Society for Teaching and Training the Blind set up workshops. In 1932 the Society was terminated and the responsibility for the workshop was taken over by the County Borough of West Ham. The workforce comprised 5 Boot Repairers, 5 Mat-Makers, 8 Basket Makers and 7 Home Workers, including knitters and pianoforte tuners.
West Ham Lane
In 1932 the Council moved the workshops to one location in West Ham Lane and laid plans to erect a new workshop on the site. In 1938 the Municipal Workshops for the Blind was opened on 11th April, 1938 by the Minister of Health, the Rt. Hon. Sir H. Kingsley Wood. The photograph shows him with the then Mayor, Councillor Esther Bock, J.P. at the official opening of the workshops.
During this decade the number of blind ex-service people declined and the workshop opened itself up to employing an increasing greater range of disabilities. A number of different products were tried during this period but the income generated was only marginal to the cost of the service.
In the early 1980s the workshop, now known as Newham Municipal Industries, introduced kitchen unit manufacture and gained the specified supplier status from the Council for kitchen units.
Bridge Road Depot
The decision was made to build a purpose designed factory at Bridge Road Depot to house the existing production of kitchen units, the proposed new window works and also to incorporate the DLO Mill & Joinery Works. This was officially opened in 1995 by William Hague, MP. Who was then Minister for Social Security and the Disabled and Leader of the Conservative Party.
First World War Medals
1914 and 1914 -15 Star. (centre) Issued to members of the British expeditionary Force. Later known as the"Mons Star", over 378,000 were issued. The medal would have had ribbon of red, white and blue vertical stripes. This one was issued to Royal Navy stoker first class, J.W. Webb (K.22192)
British War Medal 1914 - 20. (right) Awarded for service in the three armed services, in all theatres of war. Well over 6 million were issued. This medal belonged to Frederick Redman
Victory Medal 1914 -18. (left) Never awarded alone, one of the above had also to be awarded, and issued to anyone with any military service in the war including some recognised voluntary organisations. Over 5½ million were issued. This medal belonged to Frederick Redman.
These three medals were affectionately known as "Pip", "Squeak" and "Wilfred" from cartoon characters in the Daily Mirror of the period.
Part of the Newham Heritage & Archives collection
Clarnico Opening Plaque
A bronze plaque commemorating the opening of the new buildings in 1955 at Waterden Road, mentioning the history of the company.
Donated to Newham in 1974 by Clarke Nickolls & Coombs Ltd (when the premises were sold to a developer for conversion).
Clarke Nickolls & Coombs Ltd of 9 Kings Yard Carpenters Road, Stratford, owned Clarnico Ltd, (later sold to Trebor Sharps Ltd)
Part of the Newham Heritage & Archives collection
Edwin Dunmow Memorial
Able Seaman Edwin Dunmow Awarded the Obilich Silver Medal (Serbia) for bravery on the field of battle. H.M.S.Vindictive,ServiceNo.J/4405. Killed in action 23/04/1918 aged 24.
This Memorial plaque was originally in Elmhurst School where Edwin Dunmow was once a pupil, he lived nearby with his family, at 22 Westbury Road. By theage of 17 Dunmow had joined the Royal Navy and in 1918 when he was serving on H.M.S. Vindictive he took part in the famous Raid of Zeebrugge, one of the most daring exploits of the First World War.
