Lavender fields, Mitcham
| Partial / Incomplete Date | c.1820 |
|---|---|
| Area | Mitcham |
| Picture Reference | Mit_Work_Industry_22-1 |
| Original Format | Sketch |
| Notes / History | Mitcham was best known in the 18th and 19th centuries for the cultivation of medicinal and aromatic herbs and the distillation of essences and perfumes. It was 1749 that distillation of lavender water commenced on an industrial scale lead by Ephraim Potter and William Moore. Potter and Moore’s distillery was in its time a show piece of Mitcham. Although lavender was to become synonymous with Mitcham it was exceeded as a crop by peppermint. As a result of a boundary change lavender become as well known in Carshalton as Mitcham. The church in the background is thought to be the parish church of St. Peter and St. Paul, in Church Road, Mitcham. |
