The Mills family of Battersea, London
How sharing your family photos via the RTFHS could help you identify unknown faces too
In the March 2018 edition of the quarterly journal of the RTFHS, Romany Routes, we invited RTFHS members to try and identify the people in two old photos, said to be members of the Mills family of Cabul Road, Battersea, London. The images had been given to Graham Downie, Chairman of the Fairground Association of Great Britain, by a documentary maker who in 1993 was researching the family in order to make a film about them. We posted the photos with a number of others on the RTFHS website and also pointed people to them from the RTFHS Facebook page – and excited a great detail of interest and received an overwhelming response.
We’ve been contacted by Tony Mills whose family owned the yard where the photos were taken. Called Mills Yard – naturally enough – it’s a pleasure to hear that it is still there, although its location is not in Cabul Road as we’d been told but in nearby Culvert Road, Battersea, London.
Tony has kindly identified most of the people in the eight photos that Graham Downie shared with us. In addition, Tony has kindly given us a further four photos from his own family albums. Some are shown below and there are others here on this site.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Tony for his kindness in answering our questions and providing such valuable information about the Mills family. Plus we’d like to extend our appreciation to all those who contacted us via the RTFHS Facebook page with their own memories of Mills Yard and their family connections to it.
Like to see a bigger version of the images?
Simply click on each one to open it on a new page and then click on it again.
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- Anthony Mills, Great-grandfather of Tony Mills. Our thanks to Tony for the identification.
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- This photo has been kindly contributed by Tony Mills. It shows his Dad, also Tony, and his Dad’s sister Kathleen Mills.
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- Kathleen Mills, sister of Tony Mills’ father. Our thanks to Tony for the identification.
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- Taken in Mills Yard, Culvert Road, Battersea. At the top of the steps is Amy Buckland, holding her sister Leah; the child with the bow is Mary, known as Pat. The boy is Peter? Gunnel. Our thanks to Tony Mills for the identification.
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- A party in Mills Yard, Culvert Road, Battersea, London, possibly to celebrate the Coronation in 1953. Our thanks to Tony Mills for the identification.
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- Tom Mills (left) with unknown man. Tom is the brother of Tony Mills’ Grandfather. Our thanks to Tony for the identification.
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- Tom Mills, the brother of Tony Mills’ Grandfather. Our thanks to Tony for the identification.
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- Mills Yard, off Culvert Road, Battersea, London. The people in the photo are unknown.
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- Barbara Mills (centre), taken in about 1969. Our thanks to Tony Mills for the identification.
