Lingfield Road - No 8 of an Occasional Series

This is Springmount at the far end of Lingfield Road. 

Until 1935 it was "The Jungle" between 1935 and 1952 it is Spring Mount. From then onwards it seems to have become Springmount

This impressive house was built around 1906/1907 and was probably built to the specification of its first owner, Harry Nightingale. He was an Architect and Surveyor with an established London practice as well as in East Grinstead. The OS Maps shows the house sitting on a very large plot of land (now occupied by adjacent housing). Perhaps it sat surrounded by undeveloped land that had the appearance of a jungle. Who knows?

In 1916 their 15-year old daughter Joan died. Understandably, the house must have been a very difficult place for both Harry and his wife Maria to continue living there; we know that in 1919 Harry and Maria are living in Judges Terrance and would remain there until his death in 1949.

Edward Jones is listed in the 1919 Electoral Roll being replaced by Frank Morgan by 1925. 

The following year (still) "The Jungle" is occupied by Sir Charles Edward Fitzroy and his wife Sarah Louise. In 1935 they are living in Chertsey and the house (now Spring Mount) is home to Fraser McAllister a retired Oil Company executive (India) and his wife Edith. It looks as if they lived out the war years there, he serving as a part-time ARP Warden. After the war it looks as if they moved to Edinburgh.

In 1946 the house is still Spring Mount and occupied by a retired London Merchant Alfred Baumann and his wife Antoine Marie. They had moved out of London to Blindley Heath in 1939. He remained there until his death in 1952 (whilst on holiday in Barden, Switzerland).