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Watery Lane

Message for SHERI, I am afraid I cannot help you with that one about Mr Gibbons and GG JEAN, thank you for the compliment. My Wife is the gardener and she will be pleased with your comment. Yours, Allanbrum
 
sheri said:
I have 3 families who lived in Watery Lane, Small Heath, - near to Coventry Rd I believe - I see you also have Taylors in your family as have I - do you think there maybe a connection.
In 1871 William Taylor is living at 160 Watery Lane - by 1881 had moved to 5 house, 25 Court 89 Watery Lane and is still living there in 1911

In 1911 at 13 House, Court 17 Watery Lane, lived Gertrude and Harry Johnson - William Taylors grandaughter - my grandmother.

Also living in Watery Lane (haven't got the dates) lived Jane and Edward Nabbs - Jane is William Taylors daughter - and their children
Don't know if this is a help,
Sheri
Click to expand...

Hi Sheri, and thanks for your response,

I can't immediately see a link between your Taylor family and mine, but further digging may well produce one.

My father Harry Taylor was born in 1916 to Thomas and Violet Taylor who were living at the time at the back of 180 High Street, N.D. (Northern District?) Birmingham. Not sure where this is, but his birth certificate shows it to be in the Registration District of Aston, and the Sub-District of St. Bartholomews. Thomas (a Brass Caster) and Violet were married earlier that year and were then living at 41 Deritend - definitely near to Small Heath.

Thomas was aged 26 and the marriage certificate describes him as a widower, so there was obviously a previous Mrs Taylor, though obviously that would not have been her maiden name. I don't know who she was, nor have I found Thomas's birth details yet (but they must be circa 1890), as there are several Thomas Taylor's who it might be in the records. I do know his father was a labourer named Charles Taylor, who could well be a relative of your William - though your description of the generations suggests William would be older than Charles.

Another thread that might give a clue or throw up a connection is that of Thomas's wife Violet. Her maiden name was Rainey. She was born 17 Dec 1895 at the back of 202 Miller Street, N.D. Birmingham, to John Henry Rainey, a Bicycle-fitter, and Louisa Rainey (formerly Fellows).

Something I'm planning to do in the near future is travel down from Sheffield, where I now live, to visit the Heritage Maps section in the Birmingham Central Library. I spoke with them on the phone last week and apparently they have several 1:25000 Ordnance Survey maps of mid/late 19th century Brum which will show all these streets you and I are trying to locate and link to our ancestors. Can't wait to see them!

:)
 
One for alanbrum, your gardem ball. in situ.:shh:
 

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Message for POSTIE, many thanks for the additional picture. I have often wondered what a ball, that size, so high up possibly signified. I thought there may have been a bowling green there at some time or other but the picture indicates nothing of the kind. It also may help GG JEAN with her inquiry as to whether a transport firm was nearby. Although the picture looks as though it is a 1930/40`s scene, there does seem to be some sort of activity which involves a lorry there. Many thanks again, Allanbrum
 
Hi, John T, My William Taylor was born 1829 m. Jane? b.1832. He had one son William A. b. 1870
Williams brother - Charles b.1831 m. Mary Ann - they had a lot of children but no Thomas as far as I know but your Thomas could well be the son or g.son of one of Charles children - I haven't looked into their marriages. There is no connection with Violet's family as far as I know. Please let me know if you find a connection John

Thank you for the photo of Watery Lane and the pub. It seems funny to look at it and imagine so many of my family walking down it.

Does anyone know if it was always a poor area say back in the 1870's.

Many thanks
Sheri
 
Its hard to say which areas were poor and which were not in those days.
Birmingham was probably a very bleak place, due to the Industry and the number of diverse bussinesses crammed into a relatively short area.
 
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my mother lived in westley street which ran from watery lane to glover street. there was a big vinegar brewers there which was infested with what she called black-bats(A BEETLE).her name was helen willetts. this was in early 1900.s
 
We Too Had " Black bats" in Watery Lane, ( Under the Sink/ wash basin ) this was in the late 1950's early 1960's . I often wonder what the term
" Black Bat's actually meant !

Bo
 
I Lived at 4/201 in watery lane there were three pubs the Barrel, the Anchor, sailer's return. we had a tin bath, one coal fire. shared toilet
and a wash house we called a brew house as kids we played on the
canal or the cut as we used to call it there was a smell of vinegar from the sarsons vinegar factory, the park that ran from Kingston Hill to Keeley
street was Kingston Hill I went to ada road school when I left school
I used to get the number 19 bus to HILLS GLASS in chester street aston


I hope you find my reply of some use:thumbsup:
 
Edward did you remember Mansells transport by the pub. Mr Gibbons had lrge big lorries. I knew the family way back then and kept in touch when they moved to the Aldridge road. Bye. Jean.
 
Hi Edward, My Taylor family lived for many years at 89 Watery Lane and some of my Nabbs family lived at Court 5 21 Watery Lane. My mother lived there from when she was born in 1912 to about 1931 when her mother died. I know they had an outside loo and a tin bath in front of the fire. Apparently there was family living there for years after the war - I don't know much ab out that.
Sheri
 
hi Sheri
I'm afraid i dont remember your family name probabley my sister might have but she passed away a few years ago and there is not a lot of my relatives alive now to ask these questions, is there any of your family that would be able to pin point where on watery lane you lived my house was by opposite the sweet shop run by miss Thomas, up a big entry which opened into a yard. my best friend and still is raymond griffiths
edward
 
Hi Edward, Can't help much - my mother and her siblings moved away when their mother died in 1931 - I thin k they lost touch with their family as I never heard them talk about relatives except their grandmother who they called Mrs. Nabbs. Sorry
Sheri
 
Sheri have just found this photo of Mr and Mrs Gibbon with one of their lads either Harry or David. Do you recognise them. This was taken about 46 years ago when they moved to Aldridge road. Thanks. Jean.
 
  • Appreciate
Reactions: Jom
Hi jean, No sorry I don't recognise them - I've never been to Watery lane or know any of relatives who lived there unfortunatly.
Sheri
 
I found this thread via a search on google for 'watery lane'. I have my great grandparents marriage certificate from 1902 and it states that they were living in watery lane at the time. I can't make out the handwriting very well but it says 18..something House, Watery Lane. Their names were Moore and Brittain, in case it is of any interest :)
 
edward said:
hi Sheri
I'm afraid i dont remember your family name probabley my sister might have but she passed away a few years ago and there is not a lot of my relatives alive now to ask these questions, is there any of your family that would be able to pin point where on watery lane you lived my house was by opposite the sweet shop run by miss Thomas, up a big entry which opened into a yard. my best friend and still is raymond griffiths
edward
Click to expand...

I have just come across your quote as above and was interested in one name you mentioned "Griffiths"
I live for a short time in Watery Lane during the war years and later moved to Lower Trinity St Deritend
I used to know Bobby Griffiths who also lived in Watery La , we went to the same school I know that he has passed away but i just wondered if the Griffiths you know could be a relative of the one I knew
John
 
Hi Marzipan, I don't know why but I never received your reply to my thread - so sorry but I just picked it up today. My families were Nabbs an d Taylor and Johnson all lived in Watery Lane. The Taylors were at No 89 at least until 1911. The Johnsons (my grandparents) lived at 13 House, Court 17 Watery Lane - my grandmother was a Nabbs whose mother married Nabbs - my grandmother married Harry Johnson. I haven't got what number the Nabbs family lived at to hand but they were a large family and most seemed to live in the area.
I never lived in Watery Lane, my mother did and I did not meet any of the them - I thik my mother lost touch with them after her mother died.
I hope it helps - let me know if I can help any further.
Sheri
 
Hello All. Just noticed the thread and i lived in Watery Lane from 1949 till 1970. I knew a Taylor family in the 1950s who lived about three or four doors from the white hart cafe in Watery Lane, the one son was named Alan. I also knew two Griffiths families, Bobby,Chris,Alan and Richard, i think their parents were named Dolly and Mick. I can only remember the childrens names of the other Griffiths family they were Raymond and Pauline. I have heard the Nabbs family mentioned by my aunt who also lived in Watery Lane, she will be 101 years old in April and still going strong i will ask her about the family,when i see her next thursday. My avatar photo was taken on her window ledge in Watery Lane when i was 5. All the best formula t.
 
Hi Formula t, thank you for your message. I thin k some of the Taylor family would have been still in Watery Lane in the 50's but I don't know any names of people then - as I think I said my mother lost touch with her family after her mother died. It would be interesting to know what your auntie remembers about the Nabbs or Taylor family. I know my gt.grandmother was there, I think until the early 50's - her name was Jane Nabbs nee Taylor - my gt. grandfather was Edward and my grandmother was Gertrude. I'm sorry I don't know a Griffiths family.
Sheri
 
Hello Sheri. I spoke to my aunt about the Nabbs family in Watery Lane, she said she did remember the name and thought they lived by the local shop which was run by Mr & Mrs Gaunt. She thinks it was about number 185 or in the 180s, she said the only first name she could recall was Jackie or jack Nabbs. Thats about all she could remember. All the best formula t.
 
Thank you formula t for that information. I don't know a Jack but there were so many Nabbs in the area and I'm not very sure about later ones. Interesting though.
Sheri
 
I had a school friend that lived in Watery Lane in the late forties, his name was 'Dickie' Wigall, can't remember what number though.

Nick
 
;)
John J Pegg said:
I have just come across your quote as above and was interested in one name you mentioned "Griffiths"
I live for a short time in Watery Lane during the war years and later moved to Lower Trinity St Deritend
I used to know Bobby Griffiths who also lived in Watery La , we went to the same school I know that he has passed away but i just wondered if the Griffiths you know could be a relative of the one I knew
John
Click to expand...
hi john sorry for the delay in replying I asked Raymond Griffiths if he new a bobby but he thinks bobby belonged to another branch of his family they where is dads brother who lived at the time
on kingston hill you dont say how old you are I was born 1951 sorry I cant give any more info
 
Hi, my 3rd great grandfather Thomas Sheppard lived in Watery Lane, Boardsley in 1851. Its listed next to 172 Watery Lane, difficult to see the full address it looks like Sh???? Building, Watery Lane. Does anyone know what it might have been. Thanks
 
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