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8 Hylton Street, Hockley
- Thread starter Godber
- Start date
My ancestors, the family of George Hope, lived at 7 Hylton St in 1861. He was a German Spoon Maker and his sons were in the jewellery trade. The 1841 and 1851 census just give his address as Hockley, no street name just a number. No Idea if this was next door to no 8 not sure how the houses were numbered then
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hi cba no 8 is the black door on the left of below street view...cant be certain though if this building was there in 1861...if it was maybe george hope had a workshop within the large building..if not the original no 8 was demolished...maybe someone can find out for you
lyn
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Godber
master brummie
Thanks for the replies, both. Number 8 is entered by a door on Hylton Street and into a passage which leads to the back of the building, then through another door on the right. There is then a single room which was used as an office, with a flight of steep wooden stairs down into a basement. This is made up of three rooms in a row which were used as workshops, with a w/c at the far end on the right. Curiously, although these rooms are below street level the whole building sits high above Key Hill Cemetery and gives an excellent view of it from the windows all along one wall. A basement with a view!
brummy-lad
master brummie
hi cba mike kindly sent me this info looks like the present no 32 could have been your no 7 before renumbering..32 is the one with the black door on street
The changes in numbering for Hylton st occurred between the 1883 and 1884 Kelly. It looks like before that part of the street was Richard St. Cannot be certain which is no 7. But it seems present no 26 was 2-3 and 28 was 5 and 30 was 6. These are marked. It might be that no 7 is the one in red from the succession of numbers, but cannot be certain
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The changes in numbering for Hylton st occurred between the 1883 and 1884 Kelly. It looks like before that part of the street was Richard St. Cannot be certain which is no 7. But it seems present no 26 was 2-3 and 28 was 5 and 30 was 6. These are marked. It might be that no 7 is the one in red from the succession of numbers, but cannot be certain
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Godber
master brummie
I’ve found some information online that says the (grade II listed) building dates back to 1905 and was purpose built for jewellery manufacturing, with the earliest listed occupants being W.H. Haseler in 1916. Do you have a date for the map you kindly provided, Lyn?
Here‘s the link for the information I found https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101271257-8-14-hylton-street-ladywood-ward
Here‘s the link for the information I found https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101271257-8-14-hylton-street-ladywood-ward
Thank you for all your replies. If the building is still there I can come and see exactly where it is or was if it has been rebuilt. I really appreciate maps and Google map link and the numbering explanation.
I must try to find a street name for where the family lived in Hockley on the 1841 and 51 census
I must try to find a street name for where the family lived in Hockley on the 1841 and 51 census
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hi cba as said earlier we think your no 7 is now no 32 and is still there...st view below its the one with the black door..if you would like any further help with other addresses you could start a new thread under our surname interests section of the forum
lyn
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Godber
master brummie
That’s odd, Lyn. The information I quoted comes from Historic England and dates the building to 1905 yet the map seems to show the building existed in 1889. Perhaps there was another building on the same site previously?
Thank you so much Lyn. What a great find for my family history. If I had got in earlier I could have bought my ancestral home for £350,000!!!! But now it's sold. Shame!! It did apply for planning permission for conversion to 3 flats in 2020. But has now been sold for light industry. Is this because it is the jewellery quarter and residential development is restricted?
not wanting to go too much off topic cba if you start a thread for george hope we can maybe delve deeper unless of course you have found out everything you need...ie i found george in the trade directories in 1876 at numbers 13 and 14 hylton st..and he left quite a tidy sum of money when he died
lyn
lyn
I have just looked at the Historic England link at that is for a different building if 7and 8are now 32 and 34. Looking at the photographs, which building did you work in?
Thanks. I might do that. I need to get back to my family tree records. There are a couple of Hope families from the Jewellery quarter and I need to check that your George Hope is the same line.
there was a mix up on the forum a while ago with Samuel Hope also son of George who was a gold wedding ring maker but was not of my line.
ok i will leave it to you then...all i did was trace your george hope who was at no 7 on the 61 census...
just to answer you question to godber...he worked at no 8 first black door on the left..but this is a much later building than the one your george hope was at..st view below
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Godber
master brummie
Yes cba it‘s a different building just down from the one you mention, as Lyn said it seems the buildings in this street were subject to re-numbering at some point. It is now (as it was when I worked there in the 80s) No.8, and the building is shown on the map Lyn provided marked “Jewellery Works.” I always assumed the building was Victorian, it certainly felt it…or do I mean Dickensian?!!
Thank you again. I accept that this is the same George Hope. I would need to make sure that the new thread heading reflected this. Perhaps using the address as well. He is in a very early post of mine about German Spoon makers I need to make sure that it doesn't all overlap.
I agree that it would be more appropriate in the genealogy section.
I agree that it would be more appropriate in the genealogy section.
Mark Hewitt
New Member
Apologies John for just finding this today.
I am Mark, the younger son of David, the 'DRH' in DRH Jewellery.
As this is a History Forum I should write down as much as I know about the firm and building.
In 1973 my father worked as a foreman at a jewellery firm in the Quarter, when his mother passed away. He went to the owner and after asking for some time off to sort out her affairs, the insensitive reply was "how many hours do you need?". My father placed down his company car keys, told him where it was parked and quit his job there and then. He went on holiday to Malta, returned and started DRH Jewellery at 8 Hylton Street.
You are quite right regarding the layout of the building - after the front door, a long passageway to an inner strong door at the end on the right-hand side. There in the small office worked his sister Barbara as a secretary, leaving later to be replaced by his wife Irene. Down the steep wooden stairs into the workshop - the lunchtime dartboard greeted you, with jewellers benches on the left hand side, with an eerie window view down onto the cemetery. Small, narrow ante rooms continued straight ahead with presses and chemical baths full of all kinds of nasties bubbling away. My brother Steve worked there for a time in the 80s.
The firm operated from 1973/4 to around 1995 - the Ratner group was its sole big customer and The Gerald Ratner Speech hit hard. It really was a typically small Jewellery Quarter firm of its time.
John, I hope you have good memories of working in the Jewellery Quarter back then, and at 'DRH'. David, Irene and Barbara are still with us, although David is in very poor health now. My brother Steve, who you may have worked with, still lives in south Birmingham. My uncle, Phil (from my mother's side) also worked in the workshop for a few years. Unfortunately Phil passed away about 5 or 6 years ago.
All the very best to you.
Mark
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Godber
master brummie
Hello Mark, I can’t tell you how pleased and surprised I am at your reply! No.8 was exactly as you described it and you even remembered the dartboard. I wonder if you remember the old valve Pye radio that sat close by, it was always switched off at lunchtime for darts sessions. Yes, I remember most of the stuff we made was for the Ratner group (Samuels etc) but I’m sure some was for F Hinds too, I could be wrong though. I left DRH in either ‘88 or ‘89, the last time I visited would probably have been early 1995 and I recall your Dad telling me how tough things were then.
Mark, I remember everyone you mentioned. Your brother Steve (big blues fan?) your Aunty Barbara (very graceful looking lady) your Mum Irene (lovely smile and dark curly hair) and your uncle Phil who lived at Castle Vale, I think. Very sorry to hear he’s passed away, you have my sincerest condolences. It’s wonderful to hear your Dad is still with us though I’m sorry he’s in poor health, please pass on my very best wishes to him. There weren’t many jobs around for a sixteen year old lad in the mid ‘80s and he gave me one. I’m sure you don’t need me telling you this but your Dad’s a good bloke and a damn good laugh as well, I have great memories of working at DRH. Do you remember old Arthur Foxall who worked there too? I think he rented a bench there and made heart shaped lockets. Absolute diamond of a chap, I used to wait until he took a sip of tea then shout ARTHUR! THE BABY!! in the voice of Olive from On the Busses, the tea would come flying out over his bench and he’d turn purple laughing! He nearly choked on one occasion and your Dad made me promise not to do it again. Also, do you remember old Bill who did the lapping in the room at the far end? I’ve never seen someone sit so still for so long at a job, the fag in his mouth would burn the full length without the ash dropping as he sat at that wheel. There was another old boy who would periodically come and check the fire alarms in the building, and both he and Arthur had been in the RAF during WWII as radio operators. They would sometimes break into Morse code as they spoke! Finally, do you remember Richard the engraver? Watching him work was fascinating and again, like everyone else there, he was nice to the lanky teenager I was back then.
Sorry to have gone on a bit, but thank you so much for replying and please pass on my best wishes to your family. Incidentally, did you ever visit the place between 85-89? I have a feeling we may have met once!
Cheers, John.
Mark Hewitt
New Member
Thank you so much John for your very kind words. You're absolutely spot-on with everything and it was great to read your memories of the time!
I'm sure our paths crossed at some point, although I didn't leave school until 1990, so a trip to Hockley was quite rare for me.
I will encourage my Dad to write a few words here about the Jewellery Quarter in its heyday. His stories should definitely be recorded! I'm sure he can tell us more about the background of the building.
Mark
I'm sure our paths crossed at some point, although I didn't leave school until 1990, so a trip to Hockley was quite rare for me.
I will encourage my Dad to write a few words here about the Jewellery Quarter in its heyday. His stories should definitely be recorded! I'm sure he can tell us more about the background of the building.
Mark
Godber
master brummie
It’d be great if your Dad could share his memories of the Jewellery Quarter here, Mark, both in general and of running DRH in particular for so many years. It can’t have been easy as it was very seasonal, in the months leading up to Christmas everyone was working flat out to fulfil orders, then come January nobody was buying and we’d be painting the workshop. The fluctuating price of gold and silver would have been a problem too, I imagine. Hope to hear from him soon.
All the best, John.
All the best, John.
Richard Dye
master brummie
John & Mark, wonderful stories about the Jewelry Quarter and most importantly to have you both validate the history and the details.
Thank you!
Thank you!