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Confectioner's Shop in Wattville road Handsworth

Gwynfor

knowlegable brummie
I am trying to find information or photo's of my relative's shop 124 Wattville Road,Handsworth her name was Mary Ann Hughes fomerly Duffield,she would have been there around 1890 to 1900 she was married to William Hughes.
 
There is no listing of 124 Wattville St in any directory 1890-1900. Could it be she lived in Wattville Road, but her shop was elsewhere. The only Mary Anns I could find around that period were:

1890 Hughes, Mary Ann (Miss) milliner, 245 Icknield St
1899-1908 Hughes, Mary Ann (Mrs) shopkeeper, 21 Witton Lane
1900-1921 Hughes, Mary Ann (Mrs) . beer retailer, 203 Park Lane
The electoral roll show mary ann was at Park lane till between 1927 and 1930
A “shopkeeper is likely to be a general shop, and would have probably sold sweets and confectionery. A beer retailer, if it was an off licence and not a beerhouse,, would have probably sold confectionery
Mike
 
There is no listing of 124 Wattville St in any directory 1890-1900. Could it be she lived in Wattville Road, but her shop was elsewhere. The only Mary Anns I could find around that period were:

1890 Hughes, Mary Ann (Miss) milliner, 245 Icknield St
1899-1908 Hughes, Mary Ann (Mrs) shopkeeper, 21 Witton Lane
1900-1921 Hughes, Mary Ann (Mrs) . beer retailer, 203 Park Lane
The electoral roll show mary ann was at Park lane till between 1927 and 1930
A “shopkeeper is likely to be a general shop, and would have probably sold sweets and confectionery. A beer retailer, if it was an off licence and not a beerhouse,, would have probably sold confectionery
Mike
I found the address in the Kelly's directory so I know it is correct but I am not sure about the dates.
Gwynfor
 
Mike,
It was listed in the Kelly's directory but I don't know the year the Directory was printed,someone sent me the page on e'mail thats all I know.
Kind Regards Gwynfor
 
Right Gwynor.
I have no directories between 1921 and 1932 (these years excepted). However the electoral roll (which online is available 1920, 1922,1925,1927 & 1930 amongst other dates) lists Mary ann as at 124 in 1922 & 1925. so she would have been probably in the 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925 and possibly the 1926 directories. Unfortunatyely, as I say, I do not have access to them so can't check listing
Mike
 
Right Gwynor.
I have no directories between 1921 and 1932 (these years excepted). However the electoral roll (which online is available 1920, 1922,1925,1927 & 1930 amongst other dates) lists Mary ann as at 124 in 1922 & 1925. so she would have been probably in the 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925 and possibly the 1926 directories. Unfortunatyely, as I say, I do not have access to them so can't check listing
Mike
Hi Mike,
Thanks for that, I knew she was there around the early 20th Century,do you think the shop is still there because I have seen houses for sale in the same road and they look like they were built over 100 years ago.
Regards Gwynfor
 
Hi Gwynfor.
Was searching at too earlier date, as Mary Ann is listed at 124 in Kellys 1932 to between 1950 and 1956, listed as confectioner. The fact that she is not on the electoral roll in later years possibly indicates that she was not living there. At around this time you could be included in the roll both for living at an address or owning it. Am a bit vague myself as to exactly how it worked.
Unfortunately no 124 seems to have only recently been demolished. It would have been on the building site at https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Wattville+Road,+Birmingham&hl=en&ll=52.505917,-1.955202&spn=0.00913,0.026157&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=18.199598,53.569336&oq=wattville+road&vpsrc=0&hnear=Wattville+Rd,+Birmingham,+United+Kingdom&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=52.505522,-1.955537&panoid=XdrOOYXfn3l40IoNWPo3HA&cbp=12,208.32,,0,-3.11 , though presumably the buildings would have been similar to other nearby
Mike
 
Hi Gwynfor

The shop mentioned was not built until 1905, planning was applied for to Handsworth Council in1904/5. The Rates book for May4 1906, shows 120 to 146 Wattville Rd has Shops so they were open for business then.
The plans for this shop and others along with 17 houses on the corner of Wattville Rd & Kentish Rd are in the Archive in town ref. HW/BP 3930, the shops 138 to 146 and houses in Kentish Rd on the other corner were built 1903/4. ref HW/BP3575
The houses after the shops 148 to 154 were built by my Great Grandfather in 1899, 152 becoming the family home till 1945.
The last property 156 next to the school was built in 1902 a Shop & Bakery, built by my Great Grandfather for a Mr William Clarke Baker & Confectioner of 105 Wattville Rd.

Hope this may be a help.

Regards George
 
I am trying to find information or photo's of my relative's shop 124 Wattville Road,Handsworth her name was Mary Ann Hughes fomerly Duffield,she would have been there around 1890 to 1900 she was married to William Hughes.
Hi Gwynfor,
Just joined! - if you are still looking - I remember the Wattville Road shop well through the 1950's and were always popping in for multi-coloured Kali scooped from a glass jar, gob-stoppers, love hearts, penny and twopenny bars of chocolate or Fry's 5 Boys, humbugs, lubbely jubberlys (frozen of course) and always on Friday night (after fish & chips) Mom went down for liquorice which came in many shapes - whirls, laces, tubes etc., some chocolate covered toffee broken from the slab and a bottle of Dandelion & Burdock or Vimto pop - then settle down to watch 'Take your Pick' on Gran's swanky new 17 inch screen telly.
 
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