The Gaskins

[pjmburns]

Right! I will do a streetview walk online, thanks for the suggestion. I would very much like to obtain an image or two of domestic buildings where the Gaskins lived and worked. Olton is Solihull area? (always correct me if I'm wrong). I was born in Boldmere, just south of Sutton Coldfield, so I'm best with Aston, Bordesley, Deritend etc and I know central B'ham. Together we can shed a lot of light.

Try this. St Bernard's Road where there are still a number of large houses.
Those with gardens going down to Olton Mere are on the right.

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[Neil M]

Arthur's father, Henry, is on census records as a "japanner".

Yes indeed, and according to a memoir written by Georgie Gaskin in 1929, Henry Gaskin was a "decorative artist who painted mainly portraits and drifted into furniture decoration when the taste for japanned pieces became fashionable in the late nineteenth century". [See HERE}

Around 1865 Henry moved his family to Wolverhampton presumably because Wolverhampton had large works (and so jobs) for japanning furniture and metal goods. By 1871 he had become a japanning foreman. But by 1881 (then aged about 50yrs) he was recorded as being unemployed - coinciding with the decline in the British japanning industry due to changing Victorian fashions and the rise of cheaper and mass-produced electroplated metal items. (Birmingham had japanning works too but I think they tended to specialise in japanning papier-mâché goods).

 

[pjmburns]

I might be wrong but......I think the house might still be there.

1912 directory


This is house #16 today

 

[helpfulwords57]

I might be wrong but......I think the house might still be there.

1912 directory
View attachment 231693

This is house #16 today
View attachment 231697

This is VERY exciting and I really appreciate your time and interest. It seems unlikely that the houses in this particular road would have been re-numbered? There would be no need. Let me see if I can find some extra details to make this more concrete & solid...

 

[helpfulwords57]

as you most likely know rosie the aston area has suffered a lot of demolision over the years but yes please give us some addresses and we can see if they still exist

lyn

Lyn I now have "3 Whitmore [ I think 'Road'], Bordesley" for 1881... Which map might be best to consult, to see what kind of property this was? Rosie

 

[helpfulwords57]

Yes indeed, and according to a memoir written by Georgie Gaskin in 1929, Henry Gaskin was a "decorative artist who painted mainly portraits and drifted into furniture decoration when the taste for japanned pieces became fashionable in the late nineteenth century". [See HERE}

Around 1865 Henry moved his family to Wolverhampton presumably because Wolverhampton had large works (and so jobs) for japanning furniture and metal goods. By 1871 he had become a japanning foreman. But by 1881 (then aged about 50yrs) he was recorded as being unemployed - coinciding with the decline in the British japanning industry due to changing Victorian fashions and the rise of cheaper and mass-produced electroplated metal items. (Birmingham had japanning works too but I think they tended to specialise in japanning papier-mâché goods).

So Yes, bravo, Arthur J Gaskin's father was indeed a decorative artist, and I can see him (the father) in the records as being in London at one point, was he studying at a College or similar?... and I wonder if we can find any portraits he painted? It's a skilled occupation; I paint but portraits are hard!

 

[helpfulwords57]

Can I just say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who is helping with this, we are already onto Page 2 of comments (!) and I feel very supported, I am learning new things all the time. Bless you all.