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Chamberlain & Hookhams

F

flossiefoster

master brummie
My grandfather was a pupil at the Central Secondary School in Suffolk Street (he was born in 1895). Following his time at the school when he played sports and athletics, he went to work at Chamberlain & Hookhams. I have a few photos of him there and two of them are now here. I hope they are large enough for you to see as I have chosen the full image so you can see them clearly but also the thumbnail image so you can delete the full image but retain the thumbnail if necessary..

The first photo shows my grandfather as third from the left - leaning against the workbench - and the second shows him in the centre with his hands on the colleague's shoulders below him. The title I have in his album is Chamberlain & Hookhams AC Testers.

FHG AC Testers Chamberlain and Hookhams.jpgFHG Chamberlain and Hookhams 2.jpg
 
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Great pictures, Flossiefoster. I assume that AC is alternating current? My father worked for Chamberlain and Hookham, but later from late 1930s until 1956. They are known for electricity meters, but made a wide range of clocks and gauges for testing and timing. Derek
 
Stokkie said:
Great pictures, Flossiefoster. I assume that AC is alternating current? My father worked for Chamberlain and Hookham, but later from late 1930s until 1956. They are known for electricity meters, but made a wide range of clocks and gauges for testing and timing. Derek
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Yes, I think it had to be alternating current. He wasn't there for very long because his father and my great grandfather uprooted the family from Albert Road in Kings Heath to take on a farm tenancy in 1915. I know nothing of what they produced but it sounds as though it was a well-established company.
 
flossiefoster said:
Yes, I think it had to be alternating current. He wasn't there for very long because his father and my great grandfather uprooted the family from Albert Road in Kings Heath to take on a farm tenancy in 1915. I know nothing of what they produced but it sounds as though it was a well-established company.
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Yes, a very well established company and connected to the Chamberlain family. The name of the company is still registered, though it does not engage in business. Solar Works is in New Bartholomew Street and part of it is Latif's warehouse.https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Chamberlain_and_Hookham
 
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In the 1880s they were Smith & Chamberlaine, brassworks, gas fittings & lamp works. Up till sometime in the early 1860s they were Timothy Smith & Sons , lamp & gas fitting manufacturers., who are listed as Brassfounders & lamp manufacturers in the 1830 directory., while Timothy Smith (no son) is listed as a brass founder in Fordrough St in 1815
 
flossiefoster said:
I did wonder if there was a connection to the Chamberlain family. When did the business begin to trade?
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I think 1898 in the name of Chamberlain and Hookham (this company was founded next door to the earlier Smith and Chamberlain). By 1927 it had become a subsidiary of the giant GEC, but it was still known as Chamberlain and Hookham. Hookham had been bought out early on.

The key man was Arthur Chamberlain who was one of five brothers of the famous Joseph Chamberlain who became Mayor. I extract his biography form Grace's Guide:
Chamberlain, Arthur (1842–1913), industrialist

1842 born on 11 April in Camberwell, Surrey, the third of six sons of Joseph Chamberlain (1796–1874), a wholesale shoe manufacturer, and Caroline, née Harben (1808–1875), daughter of a wealthy provision merchant. His eldest brother was Joseph Chamberlain (1836–1914).

c.1858 On leaving school at the age of sixteen, Arthur followed Joseph into the wood-screw business of Nettlefold and Chamberlain in Birmingham but he was not welcomed by Nettlefold

1863, his father put him in charge of another of his interests in Birmingham, Smith and Chamberlain, brassfounders, which Arthur took into electric fittings.

1870 Arthur married Louisa Kenrick. They had two sons, Arthur (1880–1941) and John (1881–1917), who was killed in Flanders, and seven daughters, before Louisa died in 1892.

1874 The family sold their interest in the business.

1883 Arthur and George Hookham developed Chamberlain and Hookham, next door to Smith and Chamberlain in New Bartholomew Street.

1886 Chamberlain and Hookham won the contract to install electric light in Birmingham Art Gallery but subsequently concentrated on the manufacture of meters.

1888 He was called in by shareholders of Kynochs to rescue the business

1889 became chairman of Kynochs. He restructured the business and doubled output within 8 years as well as adding new product lines, moving into the munitions business and taking over several other firms.

1890 He was one of the first to reduce the working week from 60 to 48 hours; he gave clerks and foremen 14 days paid holiday and a pension after 10 years' service.

By 1891 Chamberlain had entered the tube-making business through Endurance Seamless Tube and Vial Co.

Mid-1890s he took over another ailing Birmingham firm, Weldless Tube Co, and merged it with others, but was hit by the collapse of the cycle boom.

1896 Endurance became Endurance Tube and Engineering Co and opened a factory in King's Norton with, as co-directors, son-in-law John Sutton Nettlefold and George Hookham, while his son John worked for Chamberlain and Hookham.

1898 Weldless Tubes and others were reconstructed into Tubes Ltd; his son and grandson, both Arthurs, were involved in the management for many years.

Also had interests in Hoskins and Son, makers of ships' berths, and Elliotts Metal Co, makers of ships' sheathing.

1913 Died in Devon

Source: https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Arthur_Chamberlain
You can read more about the Chamberlains here https://chamberlainhighburytrust.co.uk/2021/04/28/joseph-chamberlains-time-in-birmingham/
 
'Solar Works, 4, New Bartholomew Street, Birmingham. T.A.: "Solar, Birmingham." T. N.: Central 2161. Established 1883. Capital £100,000. Employees: 700. Directors Adolph Harry Railing, D.Eng. (Chairman), H. Donald Hope and Walter Sidney Sprague (Managing ). Manufactures.—Electricity meters, instrument transformers, current limiters.' Graces Guide 1922.
 
Stokkie said:
I think 1898 in the name of Chamberlain and Hookham (this company was founded next door to the earlier Smith and Chamberlain). By 1927 it had become a subsidiary of the giant GEC, but it was still known as Chamberlain and Hookham. Hookham had been bought out early on.

The key man was Arthur Chamberlain who was one of five brothers of the famous Joseph Chamberlain who became Mayor. I extract his biography form Grace's Guide:
Chamberlain, Arthur (1842–1913), industrialist

1842 born on 11 April in Camberwell, Surrey, the third of six sons of Joseph Chamberlain (1796–1874), a wholesale shoe manufacturer, and Caroline, née Harben (1808–1875), daughter of a wealthy provision merchant. His eldest brother was Joseph Chamberlain (1836–1914).

c.1858 On leaving school at the age of sixteen, Arthur followed Joseph into the wood-screw business of Nettlefold and Chamberlain in Birmingham but he was not welcomed by Nettlefold

1863, his father put him in charge of another of his interests in Birmingham, Smith and Chamberlain, brassfounders, which Arthur took into electric fittings.

1870 Arthur married Louisa Kenrick. They had two sons, Arthur (1880–1941) and John (1881–1917), who was killed in Flanders, and seven daughters, before Louisa died in 1892.

1874 The family sold their interest in the business.

1883 Arthur and George Hookham developed Chamberlain and Hookham, next door to Smith and Chamberlain in New Bartholomew Street.

1886 Chamberlain and Hookham won the contract to install electric light in Birmingham Art Gallery but subsequently concentrated on the manufacture of meters.

1888 He was called in by shareholders of Kynochs to rescue the business

1889 became chairman of Kynochs. He restructured the business and doubled output within 8 years as well as adding new product lines, moving into the munitions business and taking over several other firms.

1890 He was one of the first to reduce the working week from 60 to 48 hours; he gave clerks and foremen 14 days paid holiday and a pension after 10 years' service.

By 1891 Chamberlain had entered the tube-making business through Endurance Seamless Tube and Vial Co.

Mid-1890s he took over another ailing Birmingham firm, Weldless Tube Co, and merged it with others, but was hit by the collapse of the cycle boom.

1896 Endurance became Endurance Tube and Engineering Co and opened a factory in King's Norton with, as co-directors, son-in-law John Sutton Nettlefold and George Hookham, while his son John worked for Chamberlain and Hookham.

1898 Weldless Tubes and others were reconstructed into Tubes Ltd; his son and grandson, both Arthurs, were involved in the management for many years.

Also had interests in Hoskins and Son, makers of ships' berths, and Elliotts Metal Co, makers of ships' sheathing.

1913 Died in Devon

Source: https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Arthur_Chamberlain
You can read more about the Chamberlains here https://chamberlainhighburytrust.co.uk/2021/04/28/joseph-chamberlains-time-in-birmingham/
Click to expand...
Wonderful article on Chamberlain!
 
Electricity meters are very familiar. But Chamberlain and Hookham manufactured high quality measuring instruments to calibrate the process timers and other gauges they constructed. Bonhams had this chronometer in an auction. Chronograph.jpeg
The watchmaker Helmut Sinn bought one for his collection for £1000 before his death in 2018. So Chamberlains could do high quality precision engineering.
 
Stokkie said:
I think 1898 in the name of Chamberlain and Hookham (this company was founded next door to the earlier Smith and Chamberlain). By 1927 it had become a subsidiary of the giant GEC, but it was still known as Chamberlain and Hookham. Hookham had been bought out early on.

The key man was Arthur Chamberlain who was one of five brothers of the famous Joseph Chamberlain who became Mayor. I extract his biography form Grace's Guide:
Chamberlain, Arthur (1842–1913), industrialist

1842 born on 11 April in Camberwell, Surrey, the third of six sons of Joseph Chamberlain (1796–1874), a wholesale shoe manufacturer, and Caroline, née Harben (1808–1875), daughter of a wealthy provision merchant. His eldest brother was Joseph Chamberlain (1836–1914).

c.1858 On leaving school at the age of sixteen, Arthur followed Joseph into the wood-screw business of Nettlefold and Chamberlain in Birmingham but he was not welcomed by Nettlefold

1863, his father put him in charge of another of his interests in Birmingham, Smith and Chamberlain, brassfounders, which Arthur took into electric fittings.

1870 Arthur married Louisa Kenrick. They had two sons, Arthur (1880–1941) and John (1881–1917), who was killed in Flanders, and seven daughters, before Louisa died in 1892.

1874 The family sold their interest in the business.

1883 Arthur and George Hookham developed Chamberlain and Hookham, next door to Smith and Chamberlain in New Bartholomew Street.

1886 Chamberlain and Hookham won the contract to install electric light in Birmingham Art Gallery but subsequently concentrated on the manufacture of meters.

1888 He was called in by shareholders of Kynochs to rescue the business

1889 became chairman of Kynochs. He restructured the business and doubled output within 8 years as well as adding new product lines, moving into the munitions business and taking over several other firms.

1890 He was one of the first to reduce the working week from 60 to 48 hours; he gave clerks and foremen 14 days paid holiday and a pension after 10 years' service.

By 1891 Chamberlain had entered the tube-making business through Endurance Seamless Tube and Vial Co.

Mid-1890s he took over another ailing Birmingham firm, Weldless Tube Co, and merged it with others, but was hit by the collapse of the cycle boom.

1896 Endurance became Endurance Tube and Engineering Co and opened a factory in King's Norton with, as co-directors, son-in-law John Sutton Nettlefold and George Hookham, while his son John worked for Chamberlain and Hookham.

1898 Weldless Tubes and others were reconstructed into Tubes Ltd; his son and grandson, both Arthurs, were involved in the management for many years.

Also had interests in Hoskins and Son, makers of ships' berths, and Elliotts Metal Co, makers of ships' sheathing.

1913 Died in Devon

Source: https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Arthur_Chamberlain
You can read more about the Chamberlains here https://chamberlainhighburytrust.co.uk/2021/04/28/joseph-chamberlains-time-in-birmingham/
Click to expand...
That's excellent, thank you Stokkie.
 
Stokkie said:
I think 1898 in the name of Chamberlain and Hookham (this company was founded next door to the earlier Smith and Chamberlain). By 1927 it had become a subsidiary of the giant GEC, but it was still known as Chamberlain and Hookham. Hookham had been bought out early on.

The key man was Arthur Chamberlain who was one of five brothers of the famous Joseph Chamberlain who became Mayor. I extract his biography form Grace's Guide:
Chamberlain, Arthur (1842–1913), industrialist

1842 born on 11 April in Camberwell, Surrey, the third of six sons of Joseph Chamberlain (1796–1874), a wholesale shoe manufacturer, and Caroline, née Harben (1808–1875), daughter of a wealthy provision merchant. His eldest brother was Joseph Chamberlain (1836–1914).

c.1858 On leaving school at the age of sixteen, Arthur followed Joseph into the wood-screw business of Nettlefold and Chamberlain in Birmingham but he was not welcomed by Nettlefold

1863, his father put him in charge of another of his interests in Birmingham, Smith and Chamberlain, brassfounders, which Arthur took into electric fittings.

1870 Arthur married Louisa Kenrick. They had two sons, Arthur (1880–1941) and John (1881–1917), who was killed in Flanders, and seven daughters, before Louisa died in 1892.

1874 The family sold their interest in the business.

1883 Arthur and George Hookham developed Chamberlain and Hookham, next door to Smith and Chamberlain in New Bartholomew Street.

1886 Chamberlain and Hookham won the contract to install electric light in Birmingham Art Gallery but subsequently concentrated on the manufacture of meters.

1888 He was called in by shareholders of Kynochs to rescue the business

1889 became chairman of Kynochs. He restructured the business and doubled output within 8 years as well as adding new product lines, moving into the munitions business and taking over several other firms.

1890 He was one of the first to reduce the working week from 60 to 48 hours; he gave clerks and foremen 14 days paid holiday and a pension after 10 years' service.

By 1891 Chamberlain had entered the tube-making business through Endurance Seamless Tube and Vial Co.

Mid-1890s he took over another ailing Birmingham firm, Weldless Tube Co, and merged it with others, but was hit by the collapse of the cycle boom.

1896 Endurance became Endurance Tube and Engineering Co and opened a factory in King's Norton with, as co-directors, son-in-law John Sutton Nettlefold and George Hookham, while his son John worked for Chamberlain and Hookham.

1898 Weldless Tubes and others were reconstructed into Tubes Ltd; his son and grandson, both Arthurs, were involved in the management for many years.

Also had interests in Hoskins and Son, makers of ships' berths, and Elliotts Metal Co, makers of ships' sheathing.

1913 Died in Devon

Source: https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Arthur_Chamberlain
You can read more about the Chamberlains here https://chamberlainhighburytrust.co.uk/2021/04/28/joseph-chamberlains-time-in-birmingham/
Click to expand...
My grandfather, Frank Howard Gossage, who worked at Chamberlain & Hookham after leaving Central Secondary School, was visited and selected by whoever did these things was enlisted in the Army and sent out to France - he went to Ypres where he was shot in the arm so was unable to hold a shotgun in order to fire it so was sent home and stayed in Highbury for his convalescence. The surgeon wanted to amputate but Frank's father refused to let him do it on the grounds that Frank now had to work on the farm and hold and fire a shotgun if necessary. He won the argument and Frank was still pulling shrapnel out of his arm 15 years later but he still had his arm.
 
Stokkie said:
Electricity meters are very familiar. But Chamberlain and Hookham manufactured high quality measuring instruments to calibrate the process timers and other gauges they constructed. Bonhams had this chronometer in an auction. View attachment 172181
The watchmaker Helmut Sinn bought one for his collection for £1000 before his death in 2018. So Chamberlains could do high quality precision engineering.
Click to expand...
Indeed they could. I hadn't imagined that their work could be so precise and commercial. That is certainly a product of quality.
 
Stokkie said:
Great pictures, Flossiefoster. I assume that AC is alternating current? My father worked for Chamberlain and Hookham, but later from late 1930s until 1956. They are known for electricity meters, but made a wide range of clocks and gauges for testing and timing. Derek
Click to expand...
Yes, I assume that AC is alternating current - direct current was rather dangerous to work with I think. It seems that Chamberlain & Hookhams, as well as other companies, laid down the basics for today's manufacturers. That's over a hundred years ago which is amazing.
 
yalush said:
Hi all !
Thank you for the wonderful information about Chamberlain & Hookham !
I am doing a research, as I just found one of their process timers in my father's storage !
Click to expand...
Welcome. My grandfather worked at C&H but I haven't seen any of the equipment before. Thank you
 
yalush said:
Hi all !
Thank you for the wonderful information about Chamberlain & Hookham !
I am doing a research, as I just found one of their process timers in my father's storage !
Click to expand...
Used to have these on sterilisers at Yardley Green Hospital for accurate timing of sterilising and drying stages.
 
T Q said:
In case you haven't come across it, there's another C&H thread at https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/chamberlin-chamberlain-hookham.22020/which has further photos and information that perhaps may interest you? ...

TQ
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you have which on the end of link so it doesn't work try

Chamberlin/Chamberlain & Hookham

As any one any memories of "Chamberline & Hookham" New Bartholomew Street. I did 6 months working at that factory as part of my early GEC WITTON Apprenticeship. I was told it used to be a workhouse? any one confirm that?
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
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Reactions: T Q
yalush said:
Hi all !
Thank you for the wonderful information about Chamberlain & Hookham !
I am doing a research, as I just found one of their process timers in my father's storage !
Click to expand...
Welcome Yalush! You will find the old Chamberlain factory (Solar Works) in New Bartholemew Street, Part of it is now Latif's warehouse. There are lots of photographs of instruments made there, from hand grenade bases in brass from 1914- 1918 to GEC household electricity meters. (Google images.)

My father was apprenticed as a toolmaker elsewhere, then worked as a camera and cine-camera maker before working for Chamberlain's. I have his micrometer and steel rule.

th-348039336.jpeg
 
RobT said:
you have which on the end of link so it doesn't work try

Chamberlin/Chamberlain & Hookham

As any one any memories of "Chamberline & Hookham" New Bartholomew Street. I did 6 months working at that factory as part of my early GEC WITTON Apprenticeship. I was told it used to be a workhouse? any one confirm that?
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
Click to expand...

Thank you RobT for making the correction.

I had copy/pasted the link, though clearly overshooting the end and incorporating a word of from the adjoining text unnoticed which broke the link. Not so much copy/paste as copy/haste *blush*
 
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