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AMBRIDGES IRONMONGERS AND HARDWARE
SHOP - 483
HIGH ROAD TOTTENHAM
David Callan – Johannesburg South Africa
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ERNEST CHARLES AMBRIDGE OUTSIDE HIS SHOP AT 483 HIGH ROAD
TOTTENHAM IN THE EARLY 1900’S |
My name is David Callan and I live
in Johannesburg, South Africa. I was googling the business of my Great Grandfather on my Mothers Mothers side when I came across an article on your Tottenham website by Stan Wood. What interested me was his first job at 14 years old at E.C Ambridge Ironmongers in Tottenham High Road. Ernest Charles Ambridge was my Great Grandfather who started the Ironmongers at 483 High Road, Tottenham, but as he passed away in 1911 and is buried at the Tottenham Old Church next to Bruce Castle, I assume Stan Wood worked for my Great Uncle Frances Stanley Joseph Ambridge who took the business over and turned it into a Wholesale Ironmongers. It ran until 1955 when Frances passed away and the business was sequestrated. My Grandmother Jessie May Ambridge grew up at 18 Drayton Road, Bruce Grove, Tottenham. She married Percy Vere Ernest Fruin in 1912 and they emigrated to East London, South Africa in the same Year. He grew up at 141 Felixstowe Road, Tottenham. Percy’s Father Alfred James Fruin was a Superintendent at H. M. Bonded Vaults. |
Stan Wood had written a most detailed description of his
early work experiences at E.C Ambridge and company from just prior to
WW2 and the hardships and deprivations experienced by the people of
Tottenham throughout the war. The following are a small number of
extracts taken from Stan Wood’s memories that capture some of the events
and working practices that help build a mental picture of this once
prominent business along Tottenham High Road: |
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David Callan has sent to us a fine collection of photographs
that have survived in South Africa and capture some scenes of the local
area and events that his family once enjoyed. He explains that he has
quite a few photos from the early 1900’s of scenes in and around
Tottenham as his Grandfathers one brother was a professional
photographer and travelled around England on a motorbike with sidecar
taking photos. |
![]() Central Association of Volunteer Training Corps- a voluntary system of enlistment and many men still held to the Victorian principle that it was the task of professional troops to fight a war whilst voluntary militias provided for home defence- Early ‘Home Guard’ of which E.C Ambridge was probably a member. C 1914 |
![]() WHITE HART LANE TOTTENHAM c1907 |
![]() HIGH CROSS TOTTENHAM c1906 |
![]() TOTTENHAM HIGH ROAD c1906 |
![]() TOTTENHAM HIGH ROAD - LOOKING NORTH TOWARDS BRUCE GROVE c1906 |
![]() STONEBRIDGE LOCK TOTTENHAM - c1905 |
![]() BRUCE CASTLE PARK TOTTENHAM c1908 |
![]() CHRISTMAS CARD TO FAMILY IN SOUTH AFRICA - 1912 |
![]() WINTER IN TOTTENHAM - c1907 |
![]() HAPPY NEW YEAR CARD TO FAMILY IN SOUTH AFRICA |
BACKGROUND IMAGE - BRUCE GROVE c1900
This photographs would have been taken very close to the Ambridge store - looking north towards Bruce Grove
Article prepared by Alan Swain - Using notes and photographs by David Callan and memories of Stan Wood
July 2019