CATFORD. 141 
the eastern side of the road, the group of buildings makes a 
dignified appearance as befits the civil centre of the Borough. 
The Hatcliffe Almshouses are so named from Mr. William 
Hatcliffe, of the Inner Temple and of Greenwich, who died in 1620, 
and left the income from certain property in Greenwich to be 
divided, one half to the poor of Greenwich, and the other half 
between Lee and Lewisham. The Lewisham portion of the income 
amounts to about 4170 a year. In 1857 a new scheme for its 
management was approved, and five of the almshouses were 
erected in that year, a sixth being built by subscription, which was 
endowed by Mr. Thomas Watson Parker. Two additional houses 
were added in 1880. 
Between the almshouses and the river were two houses, one 
of which, formerly known as ‘‘ Elmwood,” is now the Catford 
Conservative Clubhouse—the original portion of which is of 
Georgian date. On the site of the other house are the shops in 
Catford Road, and Nelgarde Road and Doggett Road are partly 
built on the garden. 
All this portionof the parish—and doubtless all Rushey Green 
was liable to inundation from the River Ravensbourne whenever 
there were heavy rains. This was especially the case in medieval 
times when the river Was a stronger and deeper stream than it is 
at present, and there are several bequests in wills to making a 
causeway at Catford, ze., one of those raised paths with stones 
laid on the top, which are to be seen in many country places, a 
reminder of the time when the roads were not so well cared for as 
they are nowadays. These bequests are of interest and may be 
recorded here :— 
**To the makyng of the nu waye betwene Syppenham and 
Leuesham Church.”’ William Feyrewyn, 1494. 
““T gif to the causey at Catforde 6s. 8d." Thomas Gryme, 
husbondeman, 1529. 
‘*To the causey 4od.”’ Denys Batt, alias Gryme, late the 
wyff of Thomas Batt, alias Gryme, 1529. 
‘*Towards y* makyng of a causey be twen Catford and Catford 
Brige 6s. 8d.” Robert Rogers 1530. 
**To the causey at Catford Bridge 8d.” Joone Jhonson, 1532. 
At Catford was one of the many mills on the Ravensbourne, 
probably one of the eleven recorded in Domesday, and known in 
the 13th and 14th centuries as Fordmill. It stood on the western 
side of the river, on the left hand side of the road going towards 
Catford Hill, but was removed a few years since (Plate 65). The 
roadway was considerably raised when the Mid-Kent Railway 
bridge was built. 
Beyond the bridge the road leads up the slope now called 
Catford Hill, towards Perry Hill and Sydenham, and the site of 
Place House—of these parts we shall have more to say later. At 
the foot of Catford Hill on the right is Stanstead Road, which is 
