News Cuttings

The funeral of the late Mr.Richard Polding, the well-known dairyman, of
13, Acton-lane, Chiswick, whose death was announced in our last issue,
took place on Thursday. A service was held at Turnham Green Church,
conducted by the Rev.S.Osbourne Goodchild, and interment followed at
Chiswick New Cemetery.

The mourners were Mrs.Polding (widow), Mr.and Mrs. T.Greenshields
(son in law and eldest daughter), Mr.and Mrs.N.Polding (son and
daughter in law), Miss D. Polding (daughter), Mr.R.Polding - son,
Mr.and Mrs.G.Candler (son in law and daughter), Miss I. Polding
(daughter and her fiance, Mr.L. Galloway, Mr.J.Polding (brother),
Mr.E.Morani (brother in law), and Mrs.Carrington (cousin).

Floral tributes were sent by :-

Wife: Vi and Tom; Norman and Winnie; Dorrie; Reg and Connie; Phyl and Gordon; Iris and Les; Bibs and David; Brother Joe and boys; Aunt Lizzie and family (Grantham and Long Bennington); Uncle Ernest and daughters; Joe's Boys; Marge and Bert; Mrs.Rice and daughters; Mr.and Mrs.Harvey and family; Rose; Garf; Mr.Wilmot and Eric; Mr.and Mrs.Greenshields; Annie and Herbert; Mr.and Mrs.Candler and family; Mr.and Mrs.Pinkstone; Mr.and Mrs.Galloway; Len West; Helen:; London Wholesale Dairies; Harrods Correspondence Office; Mrs.Hubbins, Mr.and Mrs. Jones; the Trowbridge Family; Mrs.Johnson and family; Mr.and Mrs. Jackson; Mrs.Clarke and family; Mr. Steyer; Mr.and Mrs.Wingrove; Miss Yates; Mr. and Mrs. Mallons; Mr.and Mrs. Winwood; Mr.and Mrs. W. Kemp; Mr.and Mrs. Gow; Mr and Mrs Miller; Mr and Mrs.Goding; Mr.and Mrs.Knight; Sid and Tim; Alf and family; Friends from the Waggon and Horses; and from all at 81 Speldhurst-road.

The funeral arrangements were carried out by Mr. W. G.Barratt.

Mrs. Richard Polding and family desire to express their thanks to the many friends who sent floral tributes and sympathy in their sad bereavement.

NOTE

The above mentioned 'Sid' was a young Saturday milk boy earning pocket money helping with the round some five years before I was born - in later years Sid worked as a journalist alongside my husband at the Daily Mirror in the 1960's - a strange co-incidence and pure chance found the previous connection with my family.

At Hammersmith, Richard Polding of West-place, Brentford, was summoned
at the instance of the Sanitary Authority of Chiswick for causing a nuisance
in the house by overcrowding. Mr.Finnis, clerk of the Board, said the
proceedings had been taken to prevent the outbreak of an epidemic

There were eight children with the parents living in the place, with only
1,000 cubic feet of air. The defendent did not appear, but he was
represented by his wife, a short robust little woman. Mr.Moore, the
Medical officer of Health for Chiswick, said there were only two habitable
rooms in the house. All the family slept in one room.

The wife said not now. She could not get another house as she had so many
children. What could she do with the children ? If they were turned out,
they would have to go to the workhouse. Mr.Finnis, in reply to a question
from the magistrate, said the Sanitary Authority had done their duty, and
were content to leave the case in his hands. Mr.Bridge said epidemics
arose, as he understood, through the physique of persons being lowered by
sleeping in crowded places, but in this case the parties were all healthy and
not predisposed to disease. He dismissed the summons.

NOTE:- Richard and Caroline's family at that time consisted
of the following members, as well as themselves -

William aged 13 years

Joseph aged 12 years

Caroline aged 9 years

George aged 8 years

Richard aged 7 years

Henry aged 5 years

Emily aged 4 years

Elizabeth aged 1 year

The 1881 census, just over 3 years later, shows them living at
3 and 4 West Place so they presumerably wre able to rent the
house next door to them as well and one hopes that by these
means there were more rooms habitable than in just the one
house.

Caroline certainly must have been as robust as the court and
her photograph claims her to have been. It seems that as no
more children followed the ones she had, that possibly, as well
as saying "Not now" to the court, she used just those words to
her husband a bit more often.

Mr.Horne appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr.Wortly for the defendant.

The declaration in this case stated that the defendant converted to his own use a dog- cart belonging to the plaintiff. There was also a count stating that the defendants had wrongfully detained the dog-cart. The defendant pleaded 'Not Guilty'.

The plaintiff in this case was a coal and coke merchant, carrying on business in the Blackfriars-road, and the defendant was a livery-stablekeeper, also in the Black-friars- road, and it appeared from the plaintiffs case that in October last the plaintiff had bought two horses, and having them upon his hands, not having sold them as he expected, a person of the name of Simpson cameand offered him a dog-cart and 2/- for his two horses. The plaintiff agreed to that and received the 2/-. He then went with Simpson to the premises of the defendant, where the dog-cart was, and Simpson, in the presence of the defendant, took the key of the coach-house out of his pocket and showed the cart to the plaintiff.

A few days afterwards, the plaintiff went to the premises of the defendant and requested to see the cart, when the defendant said he could not get at it as he had not the key, and that the plaintiff had better leave it, as some gentleman was coming to see it. At this time the defendant said nothing about any claim upon the cart by anybody, but in November, when the plaintiff went again about it, the defendant said he could not part with the cart as he had a claim upon Simpson for �5 and he should not part with it until he was paid. On the 10th January the plaintiff went again to the defendant's stables, when the defendant advanced another claim upon the cart, saying that Simpson had pledged the cart to a Mr.Warton, a pawnbroker, for the sum of 8� 10s. and that he, as Warton's agent, should not allow the plaintiff to remove it. Simpson, who was then present, said that if the plaintiff would pay the �8 10s. he should have the cart.

The defence was that Warton had advanced the �8 10s three weeks before the deal between Simpson and the plaintiff took place, and that the defendant had given a written undertaking to Warton at Simpson's request, at that time not to part with the cart. He, therefore, could not comply with the demand of the plaintiff to deliver up the cart.

Mr.Justice Erle, in summing up, asked the jury if they were of opinion that, after the purchase of the cart by Conway. The defendant held the cart for Conway: if so, then the defendant was guilty of converting the cart.

The jury said, they were of opinion that, after the purchase in October, the defendant had held the cart for Conway.

His Lordship said that would be a verdict for the plaintiff for 16/-. His Lordship then observed that, in his opinion a set of fraudulent persons had been endeavouring to over each the plaintiff. The jury said they were of the same opinion.

At West Ham, John Powling, the proprietor of a teetotal refreshment bar, called the Non-intoxicating Ale Stores, 26 Barking Road, Canning-town, was summoned before Mr.Baggallay at the instance of Chief Inspector Hornby (K Division) to answer a charge of unlawfully permitting his premises to be used by other persons for betting purposes, and Robert Davidson, a book- maker, of Canning-town, was summoned, for using the place for the purpose of betting. Mr.Hutton, who appeared for Powling, put in a plea of guilty. At the same time, he said, he should like to state that Powling had been in the house 11 years and there had been no previous complaint against him. Mr.Baggallay, remarked that there seemed to have been an extensive business carried on. The defendant was liable to a �100 penalty for each offence. He ordered him for the first offence to pay a penalty of �10 and costs, and �1 and costs for each of the others - in all �17.16s.

Davidson was fined �33 in all. The money in each instance was paid.

At Worship-street, William Powling, 22, Carman of Birkbeck-road, Kingsland, was charged with embezzling, during the past 3 months, various amounts received on behalf of his master, Charles Offen of High Street, Kingsland. The prosecutor a baker, carrying on business in the Kingsland-road, stated that the prisoner had been in his service about nine months, and was employed to deliver bread and collect accounts from customers, on his round. About four months ago prosecutor discovered that a number of accounts amounting to about �16 had been paid to the prisoner, who had not included them in his returns, but he overlooked the offence then, on the prisoner promising to act honestly in future and to five up drinking habits.

Recently, further defalcations, which he estimated to amount to �20, had taken place, and he decided to prosecute him. Witnesses were examined who had paid money to the prisoner and who produced his receipts for �6, and the whole of that sum the prosecutor said had been kept back. It was stated that the prisoner had been engaged in gambling etc., and Mr.Busby said it appeared he had robbed his master wholesale. Mr.Bushby now sentenced the prisoner to six months imprisonment under the Summary Jurisdiction
Act.

ONE OF CHISWICK'S "CHARACTERS" HAS GONE -

JOE POLDING DIES

Mr.Joseph ("Joe") Polding, one of Chiswick's best-known characters, died in St.Johns Hospital, Twickenham, on July 18th after an illness lasting about a year. He would have been 90 in September. "Joe" - for that was how he was known to a vast number of Chiswick residents - had lived here all his life. He started work when he was 10 years old, helping his father in the dairy business which still bears the name of Polding and is now run by a great grandson. (gt.grandson of his father not Joe)

In his younger days he was a familiar figure at all political meetings. He was a fearless Labour supporter, and at a time when to be so was to court almost universal disappoval. That made no difference to Joe Polding. If he believed in a cause he would support it come what may.

RAPID HECKLING

He enlivened Conservative meetings with his rapid-fire heckling, and on more than one occasion brought proceedings to a stand-still until police requested him to move on. He would leave with a mischievous chuckle: the meetings would proceed, but would be a good deal less entertaining. Politically, "Joe" Polding could be said always to know what he was talking about. He was one of the first to realise the value of trade unions (he was a paid-up member of one well into his seventies). and the importance of getting the workers to unite. "The workers are their own worst enemies, he often exclaimed, and never saw any reason to change that opinion.

ON THE BENCHES

He was one of the prime movers in establishing a Brentford and Chiswick Pensioners Federation. Their first meetings were on the benches on Turnham Green common. For many years he worshipped at Chiswick Mission, Fraser-street.

Until last summer he could often be seen in Chiswick High-road; he would sit for hours watching the stream of traffic pass by. His final illness started about a year ago, and he underwent an operation in December. His home was with his son and daughter-in- law, Mr and Mrs Horace Polding, at Reckett-road. His wife died in 1931.

A funeral service was at Mortlake Crematorium on Friday conducted by Paster H.G. Dean, Chiswick Mission. Only the four sons attended - one of Mr.Polding's last
requests.