‘The Commoners’ is a fascinating dive into the lives of the most remarkable people who have lived around the Wimbledon and Putney Commons over the last 500 years.

Diane Neil Mills
Chair, Wimbledon and Putney Commons Conservators

‘The Commoners’ is a fascinating dive into the lives of the most remarkable people who have lived around the Wimbledon and Putney Commons over the last 500 years.

Diane Neil Mills, Chair
Wimbledon & Putney Commons Conservators

£25.00

In stock

– ABOUT THE BOOK-

The Wimbledon and Putney Commons have attracted a host of remarkable people over the last 500 years. Aristocrats, politicians, theologians, medics, activists, courtesans, bankers, property developers, even two French Dukes and a famous highwayman, not to mention visiting royalty, have contributed to the rich tapestry of the Commons’ past. This book profiles 31 ‘notable neighbours’ of the Commons, people who lived extraordinary lives around Wimbledon, Roehampton and Putney and helped shape the environment we enjoy today.

– SOME NOTABLE NEIGHBOURS –

SARAH CHURCHILL

DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH

(1660-1744)

– MATRIARCH –

Sarah Churchill was unquestionably a driving force of her age and her relationship with Queen Anne gave her power and influence. She played a key role in the establishment of the Spencer base in Wimbledon that ultimately led to the events of 1871 that protected the Commons in perpetuity.

THOMAS CROMWELL

1ST EARL OF ESSEX

(1485-1540)

– STATESMAN –

Putney’s most famous son, immortalised in Wolf Hall, rose from a humble background as the son of a brewer, to become Henry VIII’s chancellor of the Exchequer and one of the most influential statesmen during a tumultuous time in British history.

WILLIAM WILBERFORCE

(1759-1833)

– POLITICIAN –

Probably one of the most notable of neighbours in terms of his long-term influence on history and society. His indefatigable opposition to slavery was hugely significant in its demise and his work lives on today in the recognition of the iniquities of the slave trade and its role in British history.

SIR JOSEPH BAZALGETTE

(1819-1891)

– CIVIL ENGINEER –

Sir Joseph is one of the great figures of Victorian civil engineering and his legacy is extensive. He designed both Putney and Hammersmith Bridges and kept Victorian London safe from disease by designing an new modern sewerage system.

SARAH CHURCHILL

DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH

(1660-1744)

– MATRIARCH –

Sarah Churchill was unquestionably a driving force of her age and her relationship with Queen Anne gave her power and influence. She played a key role in the establishment of the Spencer base in Wimbledon that ultimately led to the events of 1871 that protected the Commons in perpetuity.

THOMAS CROMWELL

FIRST EARL OF ESSEX

(1485-1540)

– STATESMAN –

Putney’s most famous son, immortalised in Wolf Hall, rose from a humble background as the son of a brewer, to become Henry VIII’s chancellor of the Exchequer and one of the most influential statesmen during a tumultuous time in British history.

WILLIAM WILBERFORCE

(1759-1833)

– POLITICIAN –

Probably one of the most notable of neighbours in terms of his long-term influence on history and society. His indefatigable opposition to slavery was hugely significant in its demise and his work lives on today in the recognition of the iniquities of the slave trade and its role in British history.

SIR JOSEPH BAZALGETTE

(1819-1891)

– ENGINEER –

Sir Joseph is one of the great figures of Victorian civil engineering and his legacy is extensive. He designed both Putney and Hammersmith Bridges and kept Victorian London safe from disease by designing an new modern sewerage system.

– ABOUT THE AUTHOR –

NICK MANNING

After a career spanning over 40 years in the advertising industry, Nick is now an independent consultant and is able to finally indulge his lifelong interest in history. He lives on the Putney and Roehampton border with Sarah, his wife. They have three grown-up boys and now three grandchildren. This is his first book and the result of the COVID-19 pandemic which led to a Damascene revelation of the depth and richness of an area that Nick has known for nearly 50 years. Nick has the misfortune to support Fulham although he transferred his allegiance from Wimbledon FC after they moved away, but not before enjoying the FA Cup win in 1988 and the extraordinary sight of Wimbledon residents dancing in the streets.