Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
End of workday Little Russia Tottenham c1910-1920
The title of this image was the caption used as it came to me. I'd never heard of Little Russia before seeing this photo.
"Little Russia was an area of Tottenham, London, England. It was on the straight northern boundary of the London Borough of Haringey, specifically adjoining Edmonton, mainly comprising Pretoria Road, Durban Road, and Lorenco Road (west of the railway line between Silver Street and White Hart Lane).
Wikipedia has the following:
"The area had become known as "Little Russia" in the early 20th century due to the influx of Russian immigrants.[1] Immigration peaked when a large number of Russians settled there after fleeing the 1917 Russian Revolution. It developed into one of the toughest areas of North London and the local constabulary usually only policed the area in pairs. The area was mostly redeveloped in the 1970s."
I know that after the fashionable set had moved on, some of the large houses in Woodberry Down also became home to Russian refugees.
By the 1920's the area directly bordering on to the backs of Lorenco Road had been developed as an area of light industry. This photo may have been taken at the gates to that area from Lorenco Road.
Albums: Historical Images of Tottenham
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Comment by Bruce Castle on December 24, 2025 at 13:59
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Hello Hugh, the Little Russia now seen on Google Maps has been added online in recent years. This area became known as Little Russia - and people within living memory who once resided there know it as that around Lorenco Road and Pretoria Road in North Tottenham. But it is not the original Little Russia, for which Tottenham was specifically known. The original Little Russia pre-dates the 1917 Revolution, with its origins in Tottenham from the late 19th century and especially after the 1905 Aliens Act. It was areas nearer to the High Cross in High Cross Road (demolished and now Monument Road) and the High Road. These were totally different groups of settlers in Tottenham at this time compared to the later settlement of the now-impoverished White Russians post-1917 in London. The Tottenham Outrage of 1909 is of course linked to the story of Little Russia and the growing xenophobia and public resentment against the number of immigrants - mainly Russians and Eastern Europeans - coming to Tottenham, drawn by the opportunities of work at local factories like Schnurmanns rubber factory or Lebus during the early part of the 20th century. Many were Jewish and formed an important community around the High Cross, setting up its synagogue there. It is a shame that the BBC3 radio programme that the late local historian Janet Harris, myself I and others were interviewed for in 2009 isn't available - the Ghosts of Little Russia. The novelist Zinovy Zilik carried out the research and the interviews. (incidentally, the Museum & Archive is holding a walk on 25 January about the original Little Russian, as well as one on the Tottenham Outrage on 23 January) BBC Radio 3 - Twenty Minutes, The Ghosts of Little Russia Unfortunately Wikipedia seems to have merged the histories of the two areas to become one. Although calling Lorenco Road etc Little Russia is within living memory, no one actually knows now why it acquired its distinctive moniker. Lorenco Road certainly had a wide range of backgrounds of people living there, many of whom would have been immigrants.
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Comment by John Hough on January 3, 2026 at 11:43
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In more recent post war history 'Little Russia' was renowned for being one of the 'Teenage/Youngman' gangs of North London that you didn't mess with. The Acacia Road gang the 'Pally Boys' and The Spouters were Wood Green lads, the Bruces and the Tottenham Royals were Tottenham/Edmonton Teds. The Bruces always claimed an affiliation with Little Russia due to the closeness of territories but everyone knew it to be a bluff. There were many others from surrounding areas but it would be a long list, socially they mainly entertained themselves by organising 'Bundles' at local tube stations and then off to a coffee bar, some of the Teddy Boy gangs deserved a bit more caution. In the sixties a couple of West Indian gangs emerged but we were mainly cautious of them as they were a new phenomenon, they turned out to be mainly House Party groups who smoked 'Grass (ganjer) and competed as to which could house the loudest biggest party much to the annoyance of the neighbours, the best group were known as the Cockney Spades and I'm still friends with a couple of the 'Old' members.
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Thanks so much John - that's really covered a tremendous lot there, something that many - including myself - just would not know. Gives a lot of depth to the Little Russia name now mapped on Google. Thank you
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John...........can you recall any of those West Indian names ??
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The family I remember most were Georgie & Flo' Barratt, They had the most enchanting daughter who got pregnant by a guy with a 'flash car',, as was their way. They then taught me a life lesson by example when they invited me to their house party to celebrate their daughters pregnancy, when I innocently asked them when she was going to marry, they quietly answered; "Oh no, she hasn't decided her man!". Being a young man about eighteen in the early 60's it was an answer not expected within my 'white' upbringing and would normally have provoked shock and judgement. To me it provoked surprise, admiration and a determination to use it as an example of how to live life. Other names are tricky as the West Indians used a lot of nick-names and first names, Necky-Norman, Whiny-Winston, Petty-Pat, Winston, Desmond, Gloria Platt. Not sure how many of them are alive any more
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