Object of the Month – September 2015

We return after the summer break with September’s Object of the Month. This month we are displaying personal items from Mr Ernest Levitt, which were only discovered by chance when work was being done on the property in Crowlands Avenue. This surprising discovery highlights how historical finds can be made by chance, and you never know what may be lying undiscovered near you!

‘Effects of Mr Ernest Levitt of Crowlands Avenue, Romford 1931′

When the present owner was working on their house in Crowlands Avenue, Romford, this Transport & General Workers Union rulebook and Municipal Mutual Insurance Ltd house insurance certificate fell from a cavity in the attic. The items belonged to union member, Mr Ernest Levitt, a bus driver who occupied the house in the 1930s.

Transport & General Workers Union rulebook belonging to Mr Ernest Levitt.

The Transport & General Workers Union was formed in 1922 from an amalgamation of fourteen other unions by Ernest Bevin. The amalgamation ensured representation for both semi-skilled and un-skilled workers. Membership was mainly drawn from dock workers, inland waterway workers and, like Ernest Levitt, those in the road transportation industry, Meanwhile, from the certificate, we can see how drastically house values have increased. Ernest’s house in 1931 cost him just £700!

Municipal Mutual Insurance Ltd house insurance certificate belonging to Mr Ernest Levitt.

Donated by Mrs Sylvie Marshall.