Here is the picture: On the left, looking at the picture is my great grandmother Marie. Originally Haycock she married my great grandfather Francis Harry Crompton. In 1873 Marie and Francis, with their daughter Annie Marieaged 4 and their baby son emigrated to New York. I know nothing of why they went, presumably looking for work. Around that time Francis had been working as a jeweller’s chaser and living in a court in Gt Russell Street. While there my grandfather, another Francis Harry was born. I am not sure when or why they returned to Birmingham but I know they were back by 1879 and in 1881 were living at number 2 Furnace Lane and Francis was back working as a chaser in the jewellery trade.
In 1991 they were living in Farm Street and later Kelly's Directory shows Francis as a shopkeeper at 31 Guildford Street in 1895 and 1896. I assume the shop was in his name, as the man, but that Marie ran it. He died in 1896 at 47.
In 1898 Marie married Thomas Walker. Thomas was also in the jewellery trade and moved into the Guildford Street shop with Marie. I am not sure when Marie died but my mom used to talk about her and the shop. I was born in 1941 and as far back that I can remember it was a private house. We lived at 26 which was almost directly opposite 31
Also in the photograph is Marie’s daughter Annie Marie Crompton. At the time of the photograph, which I assume is around the turn of the century, or a little before, Marie was married to Alfred Barlow, a silversmith, and living in Clifford Street. Later when Alfred died she married Robert James Moile and became posh – see other photograph. Robert was the step son of Mary Ann Crompton, the Aunt of Annie Marie. Annie and James lived in Kings Norton and owned property off the Lozells Road and in Sparkbrook. James was described as a licensed victualler in 1901. I don’t know what pub or pubs he ran but I do know that his stepfather, a previous husband of Mary Ann Crompton, Cornelius Johnson, ran the Porchester Arms in 1871.
In the second photo Annie Marie is in black and James is sitting on the step looking like Georg V. The poor person with the cap is probably my grandfather Francis Harry
