Comments on: Addington Square

By: Clare Hill

Clare Hill — Sat, 09 Aug 2025 11:16:09 +0000

In reply to reginald lee. Hi Reg Lee, Thank you for sharing. I never knew that people who were considered 'Aliens' had to report weekly to police. Please can you give more information on why your mum became Chinese by law? And why they had to report? Was your dad Chinese?

By: Eli Warnock

Eli Warnock — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 03:13:03 +0000

In reply to Peter Sceats. My great grandfather Thomas Owen Pugh owned the Camberwell distillery prior to your ancestors. He also owned another distillery and a couple of breweries along with several dozen pubs from St Albans down to Bermondsey.

By: Peter Sceats

Peter Sceats — Sat, 11 Jun 2022 09:56:39 +0000

My ancestor James Sceats owned the Camberwell Distillery (AKA Suffolk Brewery) site on the south side of the square. At the end of his time there in circa 1902/3 he sold the recipe to a gin he had developed and the gin stills to an American distilling company. That gin became El-Bart, one of the biggest selling gins in the USA for the first half of the 20th century. The brand got mothballed after being sold to the then mighty Seagrams but the Sceats Family bought it back and El-Bart will be available later this summer. The head office of our company is in Lomond Grove Camberwell until we can get an address back on the Square. Cool story, huh? Come see us at El-Bart.Com. Peter Sceats

By: reginald lee

reginald lee — Sat, 20 Nov 2021 05:16:17 +0000

MY MOTHER AND FATHER OWNED 33 ADDINGTON SQUARE IN 19 12 1942 BEFORE THE RICHARDSONS HAD IT. I HAVE PROOF OF THIS FROM MY FATHERS ALIEN PASS. MY FATHER AND MOTHER USED TO HAVE TO SIGN AT THE POLICE STATION IF EVER THEY MOVED. MY MOTHER BEING ENGLISH, BECAME CHINESE BY LAW. IN THOSE DAYS ALL US KIDS WERE CLASSED AS ALIENS. REG LEE

By: Adrian Sledmere

Adrian Sledmere — Fri, 03 Aug 2018 10:28:11 +0000

What an interesting page – such an oasis amidst all of the ‘noise’ on the internet. My walks through Addington square will never be quite the same again !