102 BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM. 
garden. In 1894 the whole property was sold by Mr. Legh’s 
trustees, when the shops Nos. 161 to 167 were built on the site of 
the stables, and the old house itself disappeared. Svc transit, and 
the story of this house and its grounds is that of nearly every other 
estate, not only in Lewisham but all round London. 
An engraving of the house appeared in the ‘‘ Youth’s In- 
structor” for 1835, and is here reproduced in Plate 43. 
The ground now occupied by Slaithwaite, Morley and Lingards 
Roads is the property of the Earl of Dartmouth as Lord of the 
Manor, and was known as ‘‘ Forelands,” probably the same as 
‘* Porlange” in a survey of the Manor of Lewisham in 1370, the 
acreage (10 acres) being also identical. 
On the opposite or western side of the High Street on passing 
Bath House we come to part of the Bridge House Estates, 
which comprise the mill lately known as ‘‘ Riverdale,” with the 
land around and the houses in the High Street known as Camden 
Place. 
The mill is a very ancient one, and there is little doubt it is on 
the site of one of those mentioned in Domesday. In 1299 it is 
spoken of in the Court Rolls as ‘‘The Mill of London Bridge,” 
but subsequently appears to have been known as ‘‘ Semanesmill,” 
possibly from the name of a miller. In 1420 it is called variously 
‘*Seemanysmill” and ‘‘ Brigesmill.” In Rocque’s map of 1745 
it is called a Leather Mill. The present mill house was built by 
Mr. John Penn, who succeeded Mr. Henry Wood as tenant in 
1828. The whole is now (1908) about to be let for building 
purposes. 
Set back some little distance from the street is the building 
erected in 1823 and known as the Union Chapel. It was the first 
meeting place of the Congregational or Independent Church in 
Lewisham. The site was formerly occupied by a brewery, a 
portion of which was leased in 1798 and fitted up as a chapel, 
which was enlarged in 1813. In 1822 a fresh lease was taken and 
the present building erected. It was opened on 14th October, 
1823, the Rev. Thomas Timpson, author of ‘‘Church History of 
Kent,” being the first minister. The original chapel was converted 
into a dwelling house and is now No. 218, being the lodge at the 
gates of ‘‘ Riverdale.” The Congregational Church worshipped in 
this building until 1866, when the present church was opened. 
After being used for some time as a school of art a lease of the 
building was taken by the Unitarian Church, who at present meet 
there pending the erection of another building near the Free 
Library. 
The house next to the chapel (No. 222) is somewhat older, 
and would appear to be of the end of the 18th century. 
The four double-fronted villas known as Camden Place were 
built about 1820. They are being converted into shops. Next to 
them, and occupying the site of Nos. 232 to 236 were two old 
houses, pulled down about 1878. In front of these was a large 
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