Crofton Park station opened in 1892, as part of the London, Chatham and Dover Railway.
It was the last of six local stations to open – the others were:
· Brockley (opened 1871)
· Brockley Lane (1872, closed 1917)
· Honor Oak (1865, closed 1954)
· Honor Oak Park (1886), and
· Ladywell (1857)
To avoid confusion with the two stations already using the name Brockley, it was called Crofton Park. ‘Crofton Park’ was first used by a builder/developer in the early 1880s, but the railway station established it as the new name for the original centre of Brockley.
The earliest reference to the station master is George F Baldwin, who was in charge by 1895 and still there in 1899. George Davey was the next station master, occupying the role until 1908. The 1901 Census shows him living in the Brockley Road with his wife Elizabeth and five of their seven children.
From 1910-1915, Charles William Wood was in charge. He lived nearby with his family at ‘Bleak House’ in Buckthorne Road. By 1917, the stationmaster was Frederick Henry Porter, who remained in post until 1922.
The London, Chatham and Dover Railway amalgamated with the South Eastern Railway (SER), becoming the Southern Railway on 1 January 1923. Crofton Park remained part of this company until 1948, when it became part of British Rail, the new nationalised rail network.
Brockley Road showing Crofton Park station (left) in about 1912
The 1911 census return completed by Charles Wood, stationmaster at Crofton Park.
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