Abrams or Abraham's munitions

[Alan Tucker]

The National Roll of the Great War Birmingham volume gives details of 130 women workers. A few are stated to work at Abrams Washwood Heath, or Abraham's Munition Works, Saltley, or Abrams, Lander (Landor?) Street. Anyone shed any light on these?

 

[Wendy]

I have an original book of the Birmingham National Roll. I think Abrahams was a very large factory. Mike may come up with more in the trade directories. Here is an example of one lady from the book who worked at Abrahams. Miss E Gillett.

GILLETT, E. Miss Special War Worker.
At the outbreak of war this lady, who had had previous experience,
volunteered for work of national importance in the manufacture of fuses for
bombs and was employed at Messrs Abrahams, Washwood Heath, Birmingham. For
the whole period of her service, which extended to January 1919 she was
engaged in the output of munitions, rendering valuable work and giving
complete satisfaction.
36 Tilton Road, Small Heath, Birmingham.

 

[Alan Tucker]

Sorry did not make myself clear. I have all 130 in a database and have selected two as representative for my Great War Trail of Birmingham. It is the places I am interested in. Cannot find them in Kelly's 1913.

 

[mikejee]

There seems to be no firm call Abrahams in the 1913, 1915 or 1921 Kellys, so either it was deliberately not listed for security reasons (the OS maps around WW1 show Kynochs as a blank space, although the earlier ones show a factory there.) or it was known under another name
Mike

 

[Alan Tucker]

Thanks for looking.

 

[mikejee]

Alan
In a search I have come accross something that might be useful for you. I was looking up details of the Adderley Park Rolling mills, which were taken over by BSA in 1873 to make shells. , and later in 1893 sold to Nobel and combined with other firms to make Birmingham Metal and Munitions Co.( https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Birmingham_Metal_and_Munitions_Co). Originally the firm was founded by John Abraham in 1863. Old names hang on, so i would think it possible that the firm was called Abraham's long after they were owned by him. When it was first constructed Landor St seems to have had the name Lander St (at le st for a few years in directories), and the Adderley park works were listed as in Saltley. Not sure about the Washwood Heath bit
Mike

 

[Alan Tucker]

Thanks Mike - that is a logical explanation

 

[anthonyabrahams]

Alan,

I think you are looking for John Abraham, who used to have a factory in Fazeley St., and also in Saltley. He was active in the latter part of the 19th century, but what happened after he died (in 1899) I don't know. He left over £100,000 in his will. I have sent you by email my research, which I stopped after I had established that he was not "one of mine".

 

[terry carter]

Tony

Sadly Alan Tucker passed away last year. RIP

However, as I am researching Birmingham In the Great War, I too have been confused by the amount of times Abram's was mentioned in in the National Roll of the Great War (Birmingham) by folk who did war work

Regards

Terry

 

[terry carter]

I'm still researching Birmingham Munitions Factories in WW1 and I tend to agree with reply No.6 by mikejee that even though Mr Abraham's Rolling Mills at Adderley Park was taken over by the BSA for munition purposes local folk still referred to the factory as "Abrahams". Using the British Newspaper Archive I have been scouring for information and keep on coming with Adderley Park Road however maps for the period only show Adderley Road. I presume this is the same road.

Terry

 

[mikejee]

Terry
I have come across a number of people calling it Adderley Park Road, but have no official reference to it called that. All the references that can be definitely placed refer to Adderley Road. In the 1873 White's directory (the first reference in a Birmingham directory) it is just Adderley Road

 

[Phil]

Mike

I can confirm that most people around the Saltley Duddeston & Vauxhall area would have called Adderley Rd by the name Adderley Park Rd this usage would have been down to the park itself and not any former or proper name of the road. To tell the truth until I left the area I always thought that Adderley Park Rd was the correct name, wasn't the local rail station called Adderley Park?

 

[mikejee]

Yes Phil, that's right

 

[terry carter]

I think the Munitions factory was still known by it's old name but in the Great War the official title was the Birmingham Metal and Munitions Company.

Terry