Any London railway historians?

[PeteW1959]

I have my 2x great grandfather Thomas William Kincaid b1849 Ratcliff living at 64 Raymouth Road, Bermondsey on the 1901 census. I can't find him in 1911 (I know he didn't die until 1929).

In an attempt to find him in 1911 I looked up the address, and there are only odd numbers for Raymouth Road. Looking on Google street view, most of Raymouth Road is now redeveloped, but a few original houses remain on the odd side, but the even side is railway arches (the line form London Bridge towards Greenwich).

Thinking that the arches were constructed between 1901 and 1911 and his house was demolished I did some digging and found that the railway was constructed, and widened, considerably earlier than 1901.

The original construction was 1834/5, a southern widening in 1841 and a northern widening in 1850 (Wikipedia). I can't find any more recent construction.

So, from this I can only come up with 3 conclusions:-

1. The house number was wrong on the 1901 census
2. He was living in a railway arch in 1901
3. There was a later expansion of the railway between 1901 and 1911 and his house was demolished.

So, railway buffs, anyone know any more about the London Bridge & Greenwich Railway?

[PeteW1959]

Just remembered that Thomas's son William was living next door at 62 Raymouth Road in 1901, so I doubt the numbers were wrong. That only leaves 2 options now!

[JudithM]

Very odd, I just did an address search on FMP for 1901 and even then only odd numbers were listed, although FMP clearly has images for the even numbers in 1901.
edit:- and even stranger, I just searched again and this time odds and evens showed up for 1901 - must just have been a blip the first time. No help am I!

[JudithM]

Ah, now I may be more help. Southwark has a very useful map site with OS maps from 1895 map, and you can choose other years in menu top right. http://maps.southwark.gov.uk/connect...D%20SE16%202DA

[JudithM]

Interestingly the 1915 map on the site I linked to seems to show empty plots on railway side of Raymoth Rd, unlike the houses on the 1896 map so it seems likely that your theory of demolition between 1901 and 1911 is correct.

[LangleyValeSue]

I know this wasn't what you were asking and I can't find Thomas on 1911 census, but the 1918 Electoral Register (and several others later) shows a Thomas William Kincaid with Alice May Kincaid at 9 H Block, Sutton Model Dwellings, Bethnal Green. Maybe they were rehoused after their house was demolished?

[LangleyValeSue]

There is also a Thomas Hardy Kincaid, with an Elizabeth Kincaid listed on 1918 Electoral Roll at 18 Bush Road, Bethnal Green/Bermondsey. I think this is the couple you have on the 1901 census.

[PeteW1959]

Thanks for your input folks.

@Judith. Thanks for the map link, that is a brilliant site I have not come across before. Looking at the map it does look like the railway line was widened between 1896 and 1915, so I wonder why I can't find any mention of it anywhere?

@Sue. The Thomas living with Alice is my 2x great uncle, my 2x great grandfather Thomas's son. Thomas Hardy Kincaid is what is on Thomas's birth certificate, although he spent all his life known as Thomas William, and I did already have that electoral register. The Thomas Kincaid story is an incredibly complicated one which I won't go into here, but it involves Greenock, South Africa, Australia and the East End of London! One huge problem has been that there are two Thomas Kincaids born about the same time and living in East London. The other one is living in Greenwich, but has no connection to me (at least as far back as the early 1600s).