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Page 7 – Pokesdown: the name – residents and businesses in Pokesdown choosing to use another district name!

The 1920 edition of Kelly’s Directory, under the category heading ‘Pokesdown’, has a note which reads “Marked thus * should be addressed to Stourfield park” and one of the addresses marked thus is the home address of Rev. William Henry Perkins, M.A. (Baptist), 13 Arnewood Road! So one of our own Ministers preferred to give his address as ‘Stourfield Park’ rather than ‘Pokesdown’!!

extract from 1920 Kelly's Directory showing Pokesdown addresses
Extract from 1920 Kelly’s Directory. Source: Alwyn Ladell Flickr.

The new Astoria Cinema is CLEARLY in POKESDOWN! The description of the address fits within all the different Pokesdown boundaries venn diagram (see page Pokesdown: its boundaries). But is referred to as being in Boscombe or “Bournemouth East”.

newspaper article about new cinema Astoria opening
Newspaper image © The British Library Board. All rights reserved. With thanks to The British Newspaper Archive.
Letter heading from 1999. Source: M. Fogg.
1927 advert in Mate’s Directory. Source: Alwyn Ladell Flickr.
1938 advert. Source: Alwyn Ladell Flickr.
From 1973 Kelly’s Directory. Source: thegenealogystore.co.uk
front cover of November 1991 Good News magazine from Rosebery Park Baptist Church where the district address is given as Boscombe East rather than Pokesdown. It shows a picture of the church building.
1991. Front cover of RPBC’s ‘Good News’ magazine. Source: Alwyn Ladell Flickr.

To round-up, suggested alternative names for Pokesdown include: Maybourne; Brooksdown; Richmond-on-Sea; Bournemouth East; Pinecliff; Pinehurst-on-Sea; Boscombe Park; Stourcliff; Avonhurst; Havenbourne; Portman Park; Boscombe East; Stourbourne; Portman Cliff; West Southbourne; Stourfield Park; Boscombe.145

The copy and paste citation for this page:

The History of Rosebery Park Baptist Church and Pokesdown – Pokesdown: the name, Page 7. Author: Michelle Fogg. Date: May 2022. Url: https://roseberypark.org/history/pokesdown-the-name-7/

Sources of Information for The History of Rosebery Park and Pokesdown (opens in new tab)

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Rosebery Park Baptist Church, 812-814 Christchurch Road, between Boscombe and Pokesdown, Bournemouth, BH7 6DF