Midhurst Avenue

Midhurst Avenue was developed slightly later than the Fortismere estate. William Arnold, who had appeared on the 1881 census, was still shown in the 1901 Street Directory as living at Midhurst, but when I looked it up we knew nothing about the rest of his family. Street Directories list only the head of house, but by 2002, when the 1901 census returns were released, much more information became availablebefore we learn about the others. Certainly the family did not stay in the house much longer, for by 1903 Messrs T.D.Steed and Son had submitted house plans for Nos. 1-27 and 2-36 Midhurst Avenue to Hornsey Urban District Council.

These were approved in October 1903. The designs are not unlike the Collins ones, with the same radiused corner to the dining room, drawn with an old penny. None of these draughtsmen seem to have owned a compass. Instead they used a penny, which on their scale gave about a 15 inhes radius in the corner of a downstairs front room to make space for the stairs behind.

Steeds & Son, who were substantial builders, appear to have produced their own drawings, but the next houses were drawn by Chesterton & Sons, chartered surveyors, of Cheapside. Chestertons drew up the plans for a Mr W.Oley, who submitted drawings of Nos. 38 & 40 which were approved in July 1907. This was four years after Steeds & Son, so the development was slow. Later Oley built. 42-54 to the same design. The fact that he built only two and then a few more suggests that he was in a small way of business.

The Midhurst/Fortismere border is marked with a dark line

Developments by 1913 show much of the old village green still untouched.

150