Seven streets built off the Dunstable Road just before 1915 have names that appear quite random. Churchill, Beresford, Medina, Durbar, Highfield, Chatsworth and Shaftesbury form a block that continued
the westward expansion of Luton as growth continued to accommodate the people attracted to the town by new industries. The name Medina, apart from being a holy city in Saudi Arabia, was the name of a royal yacht. Details of this yacht can be found at RMS Medina. Medina was launched in March 1911 and was only used for one ‘royal’ voyage – to transport King George V and Queen Mary to India for the Imperial Delhi Durbar. Durbar is an Urdu word from the Persian darbar meaning court. A Durbar is defined as the court of an Indian ruler. Three were held at the height of the British Empire, the first in 1877 to commemorate the coronation and proclaim Queen Victoria as Empress of India (see Empress Road). The second in 1903 commemorated the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra (see Alexandra Avenue). The third took place in Delhi in December 1911 and was the only one at which the monarch was present. On November 11th 1911 Medina sailed for Bombay, returning almost three months later on
February 5th 1912. The Delhi Durbar held in December 1911 was captured on film (Delhi Durbar) by Charles Urban a pioneer of colour cinematography. The descriptions of his filmed material give an idea of the size and pageantry of the Durbar, reinforced by the fact that over 26,000 Delhi Durbar Silver Medals were awarded, mostly to members of British regiments.Only about a quarter of those present received the medal.

Medina and Durbar are therefore closely linked. So what leads us to the other street names? Two are obviously naval connections. Winston Churchill was First Lord of the Admiralty from October 1911 to May 1915. He had also spent time in India in the 1890s. Charles William de la Poer Beresford, Baron Beresford (1846-1919) was an Admiral and politician. This link gives information about one key episode in his life.

This picture of people on board the HMS Medina in 1911 leads us to Chatsworth and Shaftesbury. Chatsworth House in Derbyshire is the home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. The Duchess is shown on her way to the Durbar, her husband, the 8th Duke having died in 1908. Also shown in the picture are the Earl and Countess of Shaftesbury.

It is also possible that Kingsway named in 1914 is a reference to the railway station of the same name in Delhi, at which many native princes arrived for the Durbar, if the Indian connection is correct.

So, the question this prompts is who was the Luton man, landowner or developer with a naval background and experience in India who named these streets? What is the relevance of Highfield Road? Was Portland Road also part of this group? If you have any ideas please let me know.