Allsopp - A history of Luton: from conquerors to carnival

A HISTORY OF

LUTON

from
Conquerors to Carnival

Ordnance Survey Map of Luton, May 1891.

A HISTORY OF

LUTON

from
Conquerors to Carnival

Anne Allsopp

First published 2010 by Phillimore & Co. Ltd

This revised and updated edition 2018

The History Press

The Mill, Brimscombe Port

Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 2QG

www.thehistorypress.co.uk

Anne Allsopp, 2010, 2018

The right of Anne Allsopp to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the Publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-0-7509-8675-5

Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd

Croydon, CR0 4YY

eBook converted by Geethik Technologies

For my parents

who, very wisely, came to live in Luton

Anne Allsopp was born in Luton and attended Luton High School for Girls. She taught in local schools before gaining an MA and PhD at the London Institute of Education. She published a book on Luton High School and the Technical School to celebrate what would have been the centenary of selective education, and another on the education and employment of girls in the town. Her particular interest is the lives of ordinary people, and her latest research has helped her appreciate Lutons unique character and reputation for being quite unlike anywhere else.

Frontispiece: Ordnance Survey Map of Luton, 1891

I would like to offer my sincere thanks to the people who provided pictures for this book.

David Ainsbury, who accessed pictures from the Luton News archive.

Barbara Benson for the use of her personal photographs.

The late Roy Bushby, freelance photographer, for his excellent service.

Charlotte Phillips for allowing me to use a picture from the Wernher collection.

Dr James Dyer for many photographs as well as original drawings.

Chris Grabham, photographic officer at Wardown Park Museum, for his meticulous care.

Geoff Cox and the Luton News for permission to use photographs from their archive.

Dien Luu at Wardown Park Museum, who is the co-ordinator of the Voices project, and Nicolas Holzapfel, who designed their logo.

Paul Newman and Owen Allsopp for giving their time to put photographs onto discs.

Mary Rolls for the photograph from her family archive.

Mark Turner for allowing me to use some of his card collection.

Dr Trevor Tween, who sent photographs of the environment.

Michael Wing for the photographs of his family hat factory.

Anthony Woodhouse for his original drawings.

Philip Wright for pictures of hats produced by his company.

Dr Anne Allsopp, 7, 94-6; Barbara Benson, 35, 44, 108-9; Roy Bushby, 70, 73-4; Dr James Dyer, frontispiece, 2, 3, 4, 13, 31-2, 42, 69, 76-7, 79, 80, 99, 117-19, 121-2; James Dyer/Anderson, 25; James Dyer/Alan Hutchinson, 38; James Dyer/A.C. Jordan, 9, 39, 84, 103, 107, 114; James Dyer/Kurt Lang, 1; James Dyer/Luton News, 59, 111; James Dyer/Eric Meadows, 28; Nicholas Holzapfell/Luton Museum Voices Project, 71; Luton Museum, 14, 15, 17, 20, 26, 45-6, 48, 58; Luton Museum/A.E. Cox/Luton News, 61; Luton Museum/Luton News, 41, 47, 57, 62-6, 68, 75, 78, 97, 100-2, 104, 120; Luton News, 112, 115; Charlotte Phillips/Wernher Collection, 40; Mary Rolls, 34; Mark Turner, 21, 24, 27, 33, 37, 49, 60, 98, 81, 110; Mark Turner/A.E. Cox, 19, 22, 30, 43, 82-3, 86, 106, 113; Dr Trevor Tween, 5, 6, 10, 67, 72, 85, 87-92; Michael Wing, 50-4; Anthony Woodhouse, 8, 11-12; Philip Wright, 55-6; 1902 Yearbook, 23.

One hide = about 120 acres

One acre = 0.404 hectares

One hectare = 2.471 acres

One mile = 1.609 kilometres

One pre-decimal pound = 240 pence (240d.) or 20 shillings (20s.)

One pre-decimal shilling = 12 pence (12d.)

One guinea = 1 1s.

I AM COMPLETELY and absolutely indebted to the many researchers who have written about the history of Luton and whose work is listed in the bibliography. In one sense, history does not change but, as new information comes to light, perspectives and interpretations can change. Now is a good time to produce another history of Luton since the town has changed to a very great degree over the last 50 years. Some of the research is based on oral evidence and I am also very grateful to the many people who have willingly given their time when I continued to ask so many questions. I would like them to know that I appreciate their patience, although I have to say that this is what I have come to expect from a friendly town like Luton. Some with specialist knowledge have contributed to the text and their work is suitably acknowledged as it appears.

Dr Elizabeth Adey, curator of Local History, Art and Archives at Wardown Park Museum, has, as ever, been very helpful and supportive. Dr James Dyer is an archaeologist and was one of the authors of The Story of Luton. He has been the main contributor to the chapter on the early history of Luton and I could not have written it without his help. Both Dr Adey and Dr Dyer have a bottomless pit of knowledge about Luton. They have also very kindly read my chapters and offered comments. This book owes them both a very great debt of gratitude. I must also thank Dien Luu, from Wardown Park Museum, who has worked so hard on the Voices project, and all the people who contributed to her exhibition and oral archive, which was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Michael Freedland kindly wrote the Preface and I thank him for his sincere interest.

Some of this research, for example the history of education in the town, has already been published in my book, The Education and Employment of Girls in Luton 1874-1924, and, as the copyright for this is shared by the Bedfordshire Historical Record Society, I would like to thank the Society for agreeing to its use.

Staff at the Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service (BARS) have been consistently helpful to me over the years, as have Mark Stubbs and the staff at Luton Central Library and Alan Bullimore, librarian at the University of Bedfordshire.

Dr Trevor Tween, Environment Manager at Luton Borough Council, spent time discussing the environmental aspect. He also supplied material which is included in the chapter on leisure.

Charlotte Phillips, who is the co-ordinator of the Luton Hoo Walled Garden project, has been very supportive, as have Millie Cooksley, who showed me around the garden, and Zena Dickinson, who gave me a tour of the Luton Hoo Mansion, now an