Lambeth Local History
This local history column kicks off with a look at our Lambeth estate names. Ever wondered what the place was named after? We did a bit of digging to find out…
If you are into local history and would like to contribute to this column, please get in touch with your community engagement officer, Gieve, on 07399 347 470 .
Ethelred
Ethelred the Unready was King of England from AD 978 - 1016 (apart from a spell in exile). He became King aged just 12, after his older brother was killed in mysterious circumstances.
Ethelred’s reign was spent fighting off (and paying off) Danish invaders, until he was defeated in December 1013 by King Swein Forkbeard of Denmark.
Ethelred regained the throne in 1014 , taking London back from the Danes . But only temporarily ; h is forces w ere defeated again two years later by Forkbeard’s son, C a nut e the Great .
Fun fact: In old English, ‘Ethelred’ means Wise Counsel, while ‘Unready’ is a play on words in old English, implying ‘badly advised,’ as Ethelred was considered to have made a lot of bad decisions .
(Image: Ethelred, c.1220, source: Wikipedia)
Thorlands
Thorlands estate was built by Lambeth Council during efforts to address the post-war housing shortage. Thorlands was named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder, who protects humans and gods from giants. There is no known link between Camberwell and Asgard, but someone at the council must have made the connection, as the blocks were also given Nordic names , like Elsinore, Mercia, Norse, Dane and Viking. ( Maybe the Lord of the Rings saga, published around that time, had something to do with it . )
(Picture: Thorlands Estate under construction, c.1949 - source: https://boroughphotos.org/lambeth/thorelands-estate-denmark-road-loughborough-junction-3/ )
Magdalen
The Magdalen estate is named after the Magdalen Hospital, a charitable institution for vulnerable women and girls that operated in Streatham Hill for over 100 years until it closed in 1967.
The hospital was founded in 1758 “To provide women and girls on the street a safe, desirable and happy retreat from their wretched and miserable circumstances.” In 1868 it moved from Whitechapel Road to six acres of land in Streatham, where its inmates could enjoy a healthier and more spacious situation. After the hospital’s closure, the housing estate built on the land kept the Magdalen name, in honour of the location’s charitable legacy.
Fun fact: A clergyman who regularly preached in the Magdalen hospital, Dr William Dodd, came to a bad end after being arrested for forgery to pay off his gambling debts - it’s a story worth investigating.
You can find m ore up-to-date information about our estates in Lambeth at www.watmos.org.uk/our-estates-in-london
(Picture: Magdalen Hospital, Streatham Hill, 1869 - source: https://www.archiseek.com/1869-magdalen-hospital-streatham-london/ )