SOUTHGATE is a village, and was formed into a civil parish out of Edmonton parish in 1894: it takes its name from having been the southern entrance to Enfield Chase, and is situated 3 ½ miles west from Edmonton and 8 north from London and has a station at Palmer’s Green, 1 mile south on the Enfield branch of the Great Northern railway: the parish is in the Northern Metropolitan postal district, Enfield division of the county, hundred, petty sessional division, union and county court district of Edmonton, rural deanery of Enfield, archdeaconry of Middlesex and diocese of London and in the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan police. In 1881, under the provisions of the “Edmonton Local Board (Division of District) Act, 1881,” the parish was constituted a local government district: by an Order of the Middlesex County Council, confirmed by Local Government Board Order 27,860, dated Jan. 8, 1892, its area was extended to include part of the civil parish of Tottenham previously in Wood Green Urban District, and it now comprises Southgate and Palmer’s Green, Winchmore Hill, part of New Southgate, and part of Bowes Park. Under the provisions of the “Local Government Act, 1894” (56 and 57 Vict. c. 73), the district is now controlled by an Urban District Council of nine members. The district is lighted with gas by the Colney Hatch Gas Co. and by the Tottenham and Edmonton Gas Co. and the sewage, with that of Edmonton, is treated at a farm of 200 acres at Deephams, on the principle of irrigation. Water is supplied by the New River Company. The Pymmes brook flows through the parish. The ecclesiastical parish was formed Aug. 29, 1851. Christ Church, erected in 1862, in place of the oId Weld chapel, a plain edifice of brick, erected by Sir John Weld kt. of Arno’s Grove, in 1615, is a handsome building of stone, in the Early English style, from designs by the late Sir G. G. Scott R.A. consisting of chancel with aisles, nave of five bays with clerestory, aisles, north porch and a tower on the north side with spire and containing a clock and 8 bells; the tenor bell was given by Mrs. George, of Cannon Hill, in memory of her son Arthur: the lower stage of the tower forms a porch: the Teredos is adorned with a representation in mosaic of “The Last Supper:” the brass lectern was presented at a cost of 100 guineas by the Rev. J. E. Watson, 45 years curate here, in memory of his mother: the stained east window is a memorial to Vincent Figgins, d. 21 Dec. 1860, and the west window a memorial to John Lutwyche, eldest son of John and Agnes George, d. 7 May, 1842, and Agnes Elfrida, their only daughter, d. 4 Feb. 1869; three windows in the north aisle are from designs of the late Sir Edward Burne-Jones R.A. and representing the Christian Virtues, and are all memorials: there are 800 sittings. The registers, dating from about 1810, are partly included in those of Edmonton. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £300, in the gift of the vicar of Edmonton, and held since 1898 by the Rev. John Beardall B.A. of St. John’s College, Cambridge. There is a Baptist chapel and a Wesleyan Mission house at Southgate.

A cemetery of 4 acres was consecrated 7 August, 1880, by Dr. Jackson, late Bishop of London; it is under the control of a burial board of six members, the vicar being chairman. The Skinner’s Almshouses, in Green Lanes, Palmer’s Green, are for 12 poor women and 6 poor men; those for the women were founded at Mile End in 1688 by Lewis Newberry esq. citizen and skinner, and removed here in 1897; the almshouses for men were founded by Sir Andrew Judd-Knight, in 1551, at Great St. Helens, and removed here in 1894. The Memorial Homes for the aged poor were erected in 1894 by the parishioners, at a cost of about £2,000, in memory of Rev. James Baird, who was vicar here 1858—1893: they are of red brick with stone dressings and will hold inmates. Frederic Walker esq. of Amo’s grove, Southgate, who died in Dec. 1889, left £1,000, the interest for the poor of the parish. Mr. John Julian, in 1892, left £1,000, the interest to be expended in giving £1 each, on Christmas Eve, to 20 poor widows and the balance in the purchase of bread. Mrs. Elizabeth Cowling, in 1873, left £1,454 14s. 7d. in trust for educating and clothing poor children in the ward of Southgate. The vicar receives annually £7 10s. from “Jackson's charity” for distributing amongst the widows of the district. The Village Hall, erected in the High street in 1883, by the Rev. James Baird M.A. late vicar (1858—93) and Mrs. Baird, for philanthropic and benevolent purposes, is a substantially built edifice of brick with stone dressings, in the Gothic style, from designs by Mr. A. R. Barker, architect, and will hold 400 persons. A reading room with library and recreation room, was erected in 1889 at a cost of about £1,200, raised by public subscription, and is supported by subscribers; the library contains 2,000 volumes, and there are 2 good billiard tables. Beggar’s Bush fair, held Sept. 1st and 2nd, at Cathol Gate, leading to Northall, was granted by King James I. Arno’s Grove, the residence of Vyell Edward Walker esq. J.P. is a handsome mansion standing in well-wooded grounds of 260 acres. Grovelands, the seat of Major R. Kirkpatrick Taylor J.P. is situated in this parish; the house is in the Ionic style, after designs by Nash; it stands in a well-wooded deer park of 140 acres and there is a piece of ornamental water covering 8 acres. Osidge, the residence of Sir Thomas J. Lipton, is a large and handsome mansion, erected in the early part of the present century by Mr. John Kingston: it stands on an eminence and commands extensive views of the neighbourhood. The grounds and gardens are beautifully laid out and well timbered. Sir Thomas Lipton is a great grower of orchids and has a very fine and valuable collection. Sir William Michael Curtis bart. of Caynham Court, Ludlow, is lord of the manor. The principal landowners are Vyell Edward Walker esq. J.P. of Amo’s Grove, Major R. K. Taylor J.P. of Grovelands, and the trustees of the late Samuel Sugden esq. The population of Christ Church district in 1881 was 2,821, and in 1891 was 3,027. The area of the Urban District is 3,828 acres, rateable value £83,532; the population in 1891 was 10,970; rateable value of the parish, £72,015.

Broomfield House, the seat of Ralph D. Makinson Littler esq. C.B., Q.C., D.L., J.P. was an old hunting lodge of James I. and has a fine oak staircase, the walls of which are adorned with paintings by Sir James Thornhill; the house stands in park-like grounds of 80 acres.

Schools

National, Chase Road (boys), for 300 children; average attendance, 185.

National, Green (girls), for 300 girls; average attendance, 170 girls.

St. Michael-at-Bowes, Palm&r’s Green (mixed), was entirely rebuilt, in 1897, at a cost of about £4,000 for 400 children; average attendance, 190.

The Chase, for 200 children; average attendance, 184.