Anthea Greenaway (antheagreenaway @t hotmail.com) says I've been reading the questions and your answers regarding houses in Sandridge Road. Our family (Dumpleton) used to live at 65. I remember it being on the same side as the Heath and a few houses down. Our back garden was very long and in the corner at the far end it was possible to climb the fence and get into an area which was, I realise now, part of the old brick works. There were some lovely dips and hills for riding the bikes up and down! Needless to say we weren't supposed to play in there. Did your ancestors own the land on that side of the Heath?

If you look at the Map of the Bernards Heath Brick Works, all the area in yellow had been agricultural land, owned by Earl Spencer and let out to tenants in the early part of the 19th century - and all, apart from some land used for brickworks, etc., was farmed by my great grandfather, Jacob Reynolds, circa 1880 - before the building of what was, for a time, called Sandridge New Town. Development to the North of the Bernards Heath common land, on the west side of Sandridge Road (approximately where 5 is on the map) started, I think, in the 1920's. Most of the old brickwork land in this area has now been levelled and built on - and I know that some recently built houses are already having problems with their foundations.

Number 65, Sandridge Road

A young lad called W Dumbleton was nearly drowned in one of the disused brick pits in 1889 - see The Aftermath of Brickmaking, while a George Dumbleton was a shepherd work for my great grandfather in 1880, when there was a gruesome murder at Marshalswick Farm. Other references I have include a Charles Dum(b/p)leton who was involved in a fight in Culver Road in 1890; a W Dumpleton who played cricket for the Bernards Heath Working Men's Club in 1899; a J Dumpleton who was vice captain of the Sandridge Cricket Team in 1900; a Charles Dumbleton of 29 Culver Road who was fined for not having a dog licence in 1913 and a George Dumpleton of Sandridge who enlisted in the army in November 1914.

If you can tell be more about your Dumbleton/Dumpleton ancestors (the spellings appear to have been interchangeable - at least in the press stories I have noted) it might be useful to exchange further information.

December 2002

Anthea (antheagreenaway @t hotmail.com) replied Walter Dumpleton was my great grandfather. he was born in Luton in 1862 but moved to St Albans around 1900. He had a grocers shop in Catherine Street and rented a house in Liverpool Road, just off Victoria Street. He was a member of the Salvation Army and was very active in its service, holding the offices of Secretary and Treasurer. Of his sons: Reginald became a Salvation Army Officer, Leonard ran the shop after Walter retired and Cyril became mayor and MP for St Albans. My great grandfather's cousin was Charles Dumpleton and it was his son Charles who founded the building firm C&S Dumpleton. I believe that the Dumpletons who were in Sandridge came from another brother's line higher up the family tree. I have yet to find a Dumpleton who I am nor related to albeit several cousins removed!

For other pages relating to Sandridge Road see NOAKS, Sandridge Road, St Albans, 20th century) and REYNOLDS, Sandridge Road,  St Albans, circa 1900. 

If you can add to the information given above tell me.