Author Archives: lytteltonwitch

Andrews Crescent – Named after Sir Ernest Herbert Andrews (1873- 1961). Andrews was mayor of Christchurch 1941- 1950. First mentioned in The Press in 1944. First appears in street directories in 1946. [Twenty-four single pensioners’ flats were built there by the Christchurch City Council in 1953.] A small amount of information from the library website …

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Bletsoe Ave – Named after Bletsoe, a village in Bedfordshire, England. Referred to as “the newformed Bletsoe Avenue” in The Press in 1912 when Harry Brewer advertises 29 “choice building sites” for sale in the Bletsoe estate. The developer of the street may have had some connection with Bletsoe. From Strickland Street to Selwyn Street …

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Diamond Ave – Named in 1928. The section which is at right-angles to Coronation Street was formed in March 1928. By July 1928 it linked up with Simeon Street. By October 1929 it linked up with Barrington Street. NB This section is now part of Coronation Street. First appears in street directories in 1930. A …

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Elstow Place – Probably named after Elstow in Bedfordshire, England.A tiny amount of information from the library website. Most houses are from 1970s and 1990s. A mixture of building materials but mostly brick or summerhill stone.There was a block of flats that would have been built in the 1970s and would have been described as …

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Hillier Place – nothing on library website. I was surprised that this street wasn’t on the library website as most houses date from 1930s. I couldn’t find anything on Papers Past under Hillier Place but found a few entries under the name Hillier Street. I suspect that the name was changed when street entrance to …

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Limburg Lane – nothing on library website. There was no information on the library website for this street which was a bit surprising as the houses date from 1980s and 1990s.There was one house dated from 1950s that sold in the 1980s and I suspect that this house was on a large section and was …

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Somerset Crescent – formerly Somerset Street. Named after Lady Henry Somerset, née Isabella Caroline SomersCocks, (1851- 1921). Lady Henry Somerset was the eldest daughter of Charles, Somers-Cocks, 3rd Earl Somers. She was an English philanthropist and temperance leader. One of two streets named after the two leading temperance women of the world at the time. …

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Willard Street – Named after Frances Willard (1839-1898). Miss Willard was an American educator, temperance reformer and women’s suffragist. One of two streets named after the two leading temperance women of the world at the time. Named by the Spreydon Road Board in 1895. A reasonable amount of information from the library website. This street …

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Howard Street – formerly Havard Street. The Spreydon Borough Council did not know why Havard Street was named, saying it was the early form of Harvard, the name of the founder of the American University and that there was a Havard, a hero of an Icelandic saga about 1000 years ago. Havard Street “between Simeon …

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Simeon Street – Named after Charles Simeon (1816-1867). Simeon was acting Canterbury Association agent and provincial treasurer of Canterbury in 1854. He bought Rural Sections 154 and 214, land in Lower Lincoln Road, and Rural Section 240, 100 acres in Lincoln Road and Riccarton Road. First mentioned in the Star in 1878 when land for …

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