Panjabi Settlement

Mapping early Panjabi settlement in Southall

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Did you or your parents/grandparents live in Southall in the 1950s and early 1960s?

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Let’s build a map of Panjabis to show Panjabis Settlement in Southall, year by year from 1948 to 1963.

Early Arrivals and Panjabi Settlements in Southall

One of the first known Panjabi families to settle in Southall were 3 brothers, Charan Singh Bilga, Jagar Singh Bilga and Lave Singh Bilga who in 1938 lived at 64 Woodlands Road and later on purchased 66 Woodlands Road.

After Indian Independence in 1947 and prior to 1950 there were very few Panjabis in Southall and most of the Panjabis lived in Aldgate East (London) area. Information and accounts from local elders confirm that during the 1950s, there was a growing number of Panjabis settling in Southall. Two Panjabis that feature and play a prominent role in Panjabi settlement and history in Southall were Pritam Singh Sangha ( “Bhai” ) and Fakir Singh (“Fikiria”), who originally had lived in Aldgate East but relocated to Southall in 1950 and are associated with setting up the first known business in Southall.

Pritam Singh Sangha in partnership with his friend and business associate, Jarnail Singh Hura (also known as “Ghura”), established the first known business in Southall and Fakir Singh purchased numerous houses which he rented out to his countrymen.

Between 1950 and 1956 when the IWA was established, a number of Panjabis have been identified as living in Southall.

1950

Jarnail Singh Ghura who came to England on 14 Nov 1950, initially stayed in Birmingham and moved in Southall (and later in partnership with Jagir Singh started showing the first Indian films in the early 1960s at the Savoy Cinema in Hayes)

1951

Fakir Singh who bought houses at 22 Inverness Road, 53-55 Hammond Road, 19 Randolph Road and 32 Avenue Road Pritam Singh Sangha who had purchased 8 The Crescent Southall and 91 Townsend Road Sarwan Singh Lalli, Chanan Singh Lalli and Pooran Singh Lalli of 55 Abbotts Road (who in 1958 moved to 47 West End Road)

1952

Karam Singh of 73 Oswald Road (from Saila Khurd) Darshan Singh Samra of 53 Hammond Road (who later on moved to 28 Albert Road)

1953

Mohan Singh Chatha, Gurcharan Singh Takhar and Sucha Singh Randhawa ( known as “Wadalia”) of 114 Hambrough Road (who in July 1954 were joined by Gurcharan Singh)

1954

Jaswant Singh Dhami (founding member: IWA): 10 Dane Road Santokh Singh Sandhu: 6 Hambrough Road (who later set up the Maharaja Restaurant on The Broadway in partnership with Tarsem Singh Toor: IWA General Secretary)

Pritam Singh Jeer: 60 Hambrough Road (who in 1959 moved to 237 Beaconsfield Road)

Mr Harmohinder Singh Mann (an IWA Executive Committee member): 64 West End Road (who moved to 239 Beaconsfield Road)

Gurbaskh Singh Kalsi: West End Road

Brothers Jaswant Singh Bains, Davinder Singh Bains & Dyal Singh Bains of West End Road

Amar Singh Takhar (founding member:IWA ) and Kartar Singh Takhar: 57 Ruislip Road

Prior to 1954 there were no recorded Panjabis listed on Ealing borough’s electoral register.

1955

Bakhshish Singh Dhami, Joginder Singh Purewal & Narajan Singh along with Pritam Singh, Darshan Singh Aujla, Resham Singh, Mohan Singh (all from Isrowal village) and Tara Chand Sharma: 51 Abbotts Road

Ajit Singh Rai (founding member:IWA): 137 West End Road

Bhag Singh, Darshan Singh, Grumail Singh, Jarnail Singh, Lachman Singh, Malkit Singh, Sarwan Singh and Shanker Singh: 8 Inverness Road

Daram Singh Sandhu & Pritam Singh Sandhu ( IWA Finance Secretary:1977-1997): Lady Margaret Road.

Harbans Singh Purewal: 77 Woodlands Road

1956

Avtar Singh Bansal, Balwant Singh Grewal, Beant Singh Bassi, Hardev Singh, Malkit Singh Sohal, Rattan Singh Sora: 9 Randolph Road

Braham Dutt Jaitley, Charanjeet Singh Gill, Fateh S Bhinder, Gurpal S Dhillon, Gurdas Ram Kapur, Harbans Singh, Harcharan S Dhillon, Inder Raj Sharma, Mahinder Singh, Narinder S Dhillon, Piara Singh, Tara Singh: 23 Beaconsfield Road

Bikram Singh Sandher: 44 Avenue Road

Pritam Singh Sidhu, Sadhu Singh Sidhu, Darwara Singh Sidhu, Sarwan Singh Sidhu, Tara Singh Sidhu: 52 Saxon Road ( set up the first HGV Driving Training Company in UK)

Jagat Singh ‘Jagga’ ( IWA EC member): 30 Abbotts Road

Harbans Singh Ruprah ( founder member: IWA President): Abbotts Road

1957

Kartar Singh Sandhu: 38 Woodlands Road

Vishnu Dutt Sharma ( founder member: IWA President): Lady Margaret Road

By 1958 there were an estimated 1000 Indians, mainly men in Southall, predominately living between South Road, Beaconsfield Road and the Broadway and adjacent streets