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Thomas William Gibson

E

Eric Gibson

master brummie
That's my granddad, he's listed in the census as a silversmith, is there any way of finding if he was self employed or an employee of one of the Brum companies?
 
If he was alive in 1921 his employer should be listed if he was working.

Did he live on Barton's Bank? If so his employer is listed as Messrs Timerller Wakefield, which I'd guess was a slight transcription error but I can't see the scan, only the search results through trial and error.
 
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If he was self employed he would probably (not certainly) be in the directories. There is no silversmith with that name listed in the 1900, 1903, 1912 or 1921 Kellys
 
There is no mention in the newspaper archives of a Timerller Wakefield, and no firm of that name in the 1921 Kellys. there is a Wakefield Bros, manufacturing jewellers at 57 Northampton S
 
There is a Richard Wakefield listed as a manufacturing jeweller in Tenby Street North in 1921 Kelly's - could this have involved silversmithing?
He is described as an employer on the 1911 census.
 
In 1921 he was listed on the census as working for Messrs Wakefield Jewellers on Tenby Street N as a Jeweller he is 56 years old and still married to Ada. With 2 sons living at home Alfred and Leonard. They live at 5 Bartons Bank
 
This picture is 48 Tenby street in 1895 from William Dargue A History of BIRMINGHAM. I wonder if your grandad is pictured here or whether he did his apprenticeship else where.

billdargue.jimdofree.com

The Jewellery Quarter

William Dargue A History of BIRMINGHAM Places & Placenames from A to Y
billdargue.jimdofree.com billdargue.jimdofree.com
 

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Janet Hunt said:
In 1921 he was listed on the census as working for Messrs Wakefield Jewellers on Tenby Street N as a Jeweller he is 56 years old and still married to Ada. With 2 sons living at home Alfred and Leonard. They live at 5 Bartons Bank
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Thanks Janet, Leonard was my dad, I knew Thomas was a jeweller/silversmith but didn't know his employment status, grandma Ada died in 1943 and Thomas in 1951, I was with him a few days before he passed, sadly from colon cancer.
 
Eric Gibson said:
Thanks Janet, Leonard was my dad, I knew Thomas was a jeweller/silversmith but didn't know his employment status, grandma Ada died in 1943 and Thomas in 1951, I was with him a few days before he passed, sadly from colon cancer.
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So Sad to hear that. Seems other family members where in the jewellery trade also, his sister was a polisher one brother listed as a jeweller. Keep it in the family so to speak. Was you a jeweller by any chance?
 
He was born in1866 Janet so could well have been in the photo, if it was a bit bigger/clearer I might be able to id him.
 
I've been a vehicle mechanic all my life Janet and dad was apprenticed as a cabinet maker but couldn't get work at the end so worked for Wolseley Sheep sheering and engineering for all his working life.
Ada's father Alfred Hodgetts was also a silversmith.
 
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