In the 1960s a fountain was installed by Hackney Council and dedicated to Florence du Vergier.
Florence du Vergier, a teacher, was elected to be a Hackney Councillor in 1928 and in 1943 became the very first woman to be elected Mayor of Hackney.
Altogether she was a councillor for twenty-five years and made a significant difference to the lives of Hackney people. She started the youth club on the Kingsmead Estate, and undertook substantal work in the fields of public health, housing and older people. After her death, Hackney Borough Council decided to make a drinking fountain in her memory which was completed in 1960.
The dedication on the plaque reads:
"This corner of Stoke Newington Common has been laid out to commemorate the services rendered to the borough of Hackney,
particularly in the spheres of housing and public health by Mrs. Florence du Vergier J.P.,
Alderman and Councillor of the Borough from 1928-1953 and Mayor 1943-4."
In Spring 1960, the drinking fountain was officially opened by Maurice Blitz the then Mayor of Hackney. The first people to have a drink from the new fountain were three year-old Tony Paul and his big sister Annette from Garnham Street. SNUG have obtained a copy of a short film of this official opening. So if anyone knows Tony Paul or Annette Paul or any of their living relatives please contact us.
In 2006 SNUG commissioned a local landscaper, Small World Landscapes, to reset the stones around the fountain and construct 3 curved benches. The benches are made from recycled hardwood. SNUG are trying to get the fountain restored and have enlisted the help of a local stonemason and support from the Drinking Fountain Association. (Thanks to TimeLine and Hackney Archives for researching this information)
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