Famous Beormundians

Hi Paperboy

What an intriguing storey this is.
According to Wikipedia.

John Molesworth Thomas Dumphreys (24 December 1844 – 18 December 1925) was a British Conservative politician. He was elected Member of Parliment for Bermondsey in a 1909 by-election, but weeks later lost the seat to the Liberals at the January 1910 General Election.

Dumphreys was born in Bermondsey in 1844. Of humble origins, he worked as a journeyman leather dresser. He was active in local politics most of his adult life, elected to the Borough Council, the School Board and County Council. He had also stood in Birmingham West in 1885, against Joseph Chamberlain, on a Fair Trade platform. He was something of a rarity, in being a "Conservative working man."
In 1907 he became Mayor of Bermondsey. He was a supporter of Free Trade and Tariff Reform.
Aged almost 65, he was selected as Conservative candidate for the by-election caused by the death of the sitting Liberal MP George Joseph Cooper.  The seat had alternated between Liberal and Conservative in recent elections, although the Liberals had secured a convincing victory in 1906.
Dumphreys was critical of the Liberal government's failure to act on the recommendation of the Poor Law Commission, which had been initiated by the previous Conservative government. In particular, he pressed for wholesale reform of the workhouse system, for better treatment of the deserving poor, and removal of the taint of pauper from children. "For every child a chance" was his philosophy.
After a good-natured contest, Dumphreys was elected on 28 October 1909 with a majority of 987 votes over the Liberal candidate, Mr. Spencer Leigh Hughes, with the Labour candidate, Dr.Alfred Salter, securing 16% of the vote. However, polling day had been marred by two women attacking polling stations, smashing bottles containing corrosive liquid over ballot boxes, in an attempt to destroy votes. A presiding officer, Mr. Thornley, was badly injured in one of these attacks, and a Liberal agent suffered a severe burn to the neck. The count was delayed while ballot papers were carefully examined, but it was determined that only two votes had been destroyed.
Dumphreys had little time to enjoy his victory, or to make much impact in the House of Commons. Parliament was dissolved in December 1909, and in the ensuing General Election, he was beaten by 969 votes in a straight fight by the new Liberal candidate Harold Glanville. Dumphreys thereby became one of the shortest-serving MPs in history. He tried to regain the seat in the December 1910 election, but was defeated by a wider margin, and never stood for Parliament again.
Dumphreys was the last Conservative MP for Bermondsey. His Labour opponent in the by-election, Dr.Alfred Salter eventually won the seat for Labour in 1922, and the seat became a Labour Party stronghold, until another by-election in 1983, when another Liberal candidate by the name of Mr S. Hughes scored a notable victory.
Dumphreys died at Manor Park, Londonin 1925, aged 80.

Bermondseyboy

Paperboy.

Ive been looking a bit into my Family and it seems they are from the same area as yours.
My Grandad and Nan, Harry and Ethel Breadmore on my Mothers side lived in Vauban Street No.7.
My Mother was Born there in 1919.
They certainly moved about a lot, maybe to avoid paying the rent?
Alice Street, Parker Buildings and Wolseley Buildings etc. and my Nan ended up in Guinness Buildings, Pages Walk.

My Other Grandad and Nan Walter and Sophie Rogers on my Dads side lived in Rephidim Street, although I cannot remember the number, it was on the same side as the Hop Poll Pub, about 100 yards up.

Since Starting this site ive learnt so much about the people of Bermondsey in the 1800 and early 1900's and it's always throwing up new suprises.

Thanks for you post about John Dumphreys.

Bermondseyboy

Hi All.

 Just a little teazer, which famous Bermundians catchphrase was A Good Idea.... Son, and which Radio Show did he use it on and to whom did he use it.
 Altough he is often said to be a  Bermondsea boy he was really from Rotherhith, but thats just a little way along the River so I think it's o-k.

 Rod.

Rod

I wanna tell you a story?
But i'm not going to say who this is, I will leave it for someone else.
However the idea to put a ventriloquist on radio was brilliant? and they got away with it.
His Family certainly made fortunes?
Yes I would class him as a Bermondsey boy, Rotherhite, Camberwell etc. all very close.
I wonder if he ever had Pie & Mash?

Certainly one for the older generation - Proud to say I'm one of them

Bermondseyboy

Hiya

"I wanna tell you a story" - am fairly sure was Max Bygraves - "A good idea son" - not sure enough about that one altho i can remember the phrase.

Bett

To all members -  H A P P Y   C H R I S T M A S

Hi Bett

Spot on. Can you remember the name of the show, and who had the good idea. there is a clue in the Bermondseaboys responce. Its hard if you are to young to remember the Radio Show.

Happy Christmas.

Rod.

O-K You Lott,

It looks like some of you spent to much time at the Trocette and in Manze's. As Bett said it was Max Bygraves the show was Educating Archie, Max's pupal was Archie who was assisted by Peter Brough.
 The show which started out in 1950 was one of the big hits with audiences any T.V programe now would be exstreamly pleased to have.
  Over its run of 6 years it also had many Stars of the day, including Tony Hancock,Sid James,Eric Sykes,Bruce Forsyth and a 13 year old Julie Andrews.
 The Bermondseyboy know's all this stuff,( he does know all the answers).

Merry Christmas to you all.
 Rod.

The group picture is Peter Maddon, Hatie Jacques,Robert Moreton  then Peter Brough with Archie.

 As the Bermondseyboy said what a great idea a venttriloquist on the Radio.( Bet you can't see the lips move.)

Hi Bermondseyboy

I'm seeing my mum tomorrow and if I get a chance I'll show her this site and see if she knows the Breadmores and Rogers families you mention.

Do you recall "To Serve Them All My Days" on TV some years ago - with John Duttine and Frank Middlemiss? It was written by R F DElderfield who was allegedly born in Bermondsey, altough his birth registration was made in Greenwich district. His mum was Elizabeth Ann Burrett of 60 The Grange who married William Delderfield (of New Cross) in Bermondsey Church on 11 September 1909.

Paperboy

Hi Paperboy

Wish your Mum a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from me.
Yes I do vaguely remember the Programme "To Serve Them All My Days" although not sure if I ever watched it.
It seems like Bermondsey has produced quite a few Talented people (must be all that Pie & Mash)
Another Talent was Julie Rogers (no relation) Born in Bermondsey and I think not to far from Lucey Road? about 1943. Her hit song was the Wedding.
Mention to your Mum the Koster family and the Dickingson Family, they were from Lucey Road.
The Rogers and Breadmore Family were from Harold Estate and Guinness Buildings pages walk.

Bermondseyboy
Have a good New Year

Re Bermondsey Billy Wells, thanks Bermondseyboy for the picture of him, I had one of him many years ago he signed the photo for me himself , not the one you posted, but like all good things it disappeard over the years. His name was Bill Scoggins and he lived in the Grange, I say that because he was my Mum's brother and i used to visit my Grand mother there way before the war.. He used to box at the Ring in Blackfriars, long since gone, as did my father Ted Johnson under the name Young Stribling. Billy went to America in the 1920s to find his fame and fortune and did pretty well for a while but he told me he finished up as a Bouncer and a bit punch drunk.. He came back to England in about 1947/48 and stayed with his Sister who lived at Forest Hill at the time, and at the time she was married to Jim Killick. I was in the RN at the time doing National Service and when on leave I lived with my Aunt and had plenty of chats with Billy who told me some great yarns.. He died a couple of years after returning to Enaland.. .

I saw a bit about the Oxford and Bermondsey Club, I used to belong there just before the war and had some very good times, but it used to be on the corner of Tower Bridge Road and the street that had the Vinegar factory I forgrt the name of the street. I can rember going to a Camp in Kent run by the Oxford and Bermondsey Old Boys Club when the war was on and seeing the Dog Fights going on overhead. One of the fellows in charge was Charlie Blazedall, That could have been spelt in a different way, it was a long time ago

Max Bygraves show with the dummy was called Educating Archie. Archie Andrews being the dummy.

Hi all,
I know it's a bit late in the day to come back on this thread, but I don't visit the site as often as I should. I feel a bit of an interloper being a Walworth-ite.
I remember 'Educating Archie' very well on the light program back in the early fifties. Poor old Peter Brough. When he tried to move over to t.v. in 1960 he really got found out, bless him. He was a hopeless ventriloquist. That show threw up so many stars of the future, apart from Max Bygraves. Hattie Jaques, Dick Emery, Beryl Ried and James Robertson-Justice to name but a few, all cut their teeth on that show. Max had a song that he sang to Archie. It went something like,
 'I'll take the legs off some old table, the arms off some old chair. (It was about making another dummy as a rival to Archie.) The final lines were, '.....And Archie when I'm through, I'll get more loving from that dum-dum-dummy than I ever got from you.'
Around about the same time there was a situation comedy on the radio called, 'A Life of Bliss,' starring a very young Geroge Cole as the hapless David Bliss. Anyone remember that one?
Cheers,
Del.

Hi Del,

I remember that song, apart from using furniture there is also the bit of "from a horse I'll take his hair".
'A Life of Bliss' - do you remember Sarki the dog who was always yapping away in the programme, was given voice by Percy Edwards ( again only on Radio' ventriloquists and a man playing a dog) . Percy Edwards was famous for his bird impressions, Barry Took tells how in one recording of the show, the scriptwriter Godfrey Harrison who was always behind with the scripts, halfway through the show they had to stop whilst the writer had to finish it behind the scenes.
 The producer got Percy to fill in for half a hour with Bird Songs. Haveng started at 8pm and finished at midnight with about four people left in the audience, they had to make do with canned laughter.
 Not the great Percy Edwards' fault.

Rod.

Ok! all you youngsters
Here is that Song

I'll take the legs from some old table
I'll take the arms from some old chair;
I'll take the stuffing from a sofa
And from a horse I'll get some hair
And then I'll put them all together
With some wire and some glue,
And I'll get more lovin' from that Goddam dummy
Then I ever got from you.

Hi Bermondseyboy and Rod.
Sorry to be pedantic, but the dog was called, 'Psyche.' And they wouldn't have said, 'Goddam dummy' on the radio back in the fifites. It was definitely, 'Dum-dum-dummy.' It still amazes me to think of such things as a radio ventrilioquist. I'm still not convinced my kids believed me. Mind you, it wasn't that long ago that I swithched the radio on for a second half football comentary and there was gymnastics on. Gymnastics on the radio? You had to take the comentators word as to how good the competitors were.

Your right they would not use that language, but the song was by Tune: Washington and Lee Swing
I think American southern music?
We proberbly just change the lyrics a bit for the radio, although some of the Bermondsey boys would have used much stronger lyrics? I know I can think of a few..........

Another act that occasionally popped up on the radio back in the fifties was, 'The two Bills from Bermondsey.' A comedy/singing duo. I can remember them doing a rendition of what I think was originall a Harry Champoin music hall song. 'What a mouth, what a mouth, what a north and south, etc.' Does anyone remember them, or know anything about them. As the name suggests, they must have been Bermonsey boys.

THE TWO BILLS, Bill Burnham and Bill French were recorded by Peter Kennedy, at "The Cock & Monkey" Bermondsey 13/2/54. Burnham's father, Art Burnham, was in the newspaper world for 48 years and his son, Bill, became an entertainer for ARP in the blitz and at 12 years old had his first piano pupils. He had a barrow and then a shop in Tabard Street, a notorious part of Bermondsey. The two Bills are real cockneys with check cap and a whiff (small cigar) - other songs in their repertoire in 1954 were: "While the dance goes on" "The Inquisitive Kid" "The Mice have been at it again" "My pal, Jack," "The newspaper boy" but they were barred from singing "What a wonderful fish" I have a CD copy of 'The Two Bills From Bermondsey' singing 'What a Mouth'. I will send it to Bemondseyboy and hopefully get it up on the site for all to rnjoy

As a kid growing up in the 60s/70s, I remember Billy Burnham used to play in The Grange pub. Also I have an LP that includes Bill B recorded 'live' in the Queen Victoria Pub, Southwark Park Road.

Also have a look at, http://folktrax-archive.org/menus/cassprogs/331londoners.htm

Ta

Phil (Bermondsey Beat)