Inspector of Nuisances

George Comley of Lower Cravells Road

By Stella Scott

My great great grandfather, George Comley, lived in Lower Cravells Road in Harpenden in 1881 and his occupation was 'Inspector of Nuisances'. I believe the modern day equivalent of this would be Environmental Health Officer, but I suspect it had a lot more to do with sewage that it would have nowadays!

In earlier censuses, living in Luton, he is listed as a 'contractor' which I take to be a kind of civil engineer.

Looking at Google street view, Cravells Road looks as if it might be much the same as it was is the late 1800s. I would love to see any photos that exist of the area at that time.

Photo:Lower Cravells Road, with Post Office behind the trees on the left, c.1900

Lower Cravells Road, with Post Office behind the trees on the left, c.1900

LHS collection

Photo:Lower Cravells Road, 1890

Lower Cravells Road, 1890

LHS collection, included in Bygone Harpenden

Photo:Lower Cravells Road, 1927

Lower Cravells Road, 1927

LHS collection, included in Bygone Harpenden

This page was added by Stella Scott on 30/11/2010.
Comments about this page

The Post Office is shown on the 1924 OS 1/2,500 map, and moved to Southdown Road in c.1930.

By Diana Parrott
On 30/11/2010

Thank you for the photograph! Amazing to see fields at the bottom of the road!

By Stella Scott
On 30/11/2010

More views of Lower Cravells Road around 1890 and 1927 have been added above.

By Rosemary Ross
On 03/02/2011
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