Does anyone have any information on Dean's Tailor's, seen here on the junction of New Street and High Street, including dates they were on that site and any more information on their history? Thanks
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Dean family tailor’s shops in Birmingham
- Thread starter BrumMack
- Start date
A couple of adverts. In 1922 John Deans tailoring was unexcelled by any other tailor. And his repitation wasn’t just confined to Birmingham. He opened up in Sunderland too in 1902. So was obviously doing well in the early 1900s. Viv.
Attachments
JH Dean's Tailors appear to have started business in 1875 (1). For the first decade and a half the business was mostly based at 61 Snow Hill (2). In the mid/late 1880s JH Dean opened a shop on the corner of High Street and New Street (2) and remained there until WW2 when the shop was destroyed in a bombing raid on 10 April 1941(3). This forced JH Deans to relocate to No.1 Snow Hill in late 1943 (4). They moved again, in the early 1960s to 78 Smallbrook Ringway/Queensway and were still there in the early 1970's (2). I don't know what happened to them after that.
They also had branches outside of Birmingham, e.g. Sunderland.
Sources
1. Francis White Directory of Birmingham, 1875
2. Kelly's Directories of Birmingham (various)
3. Wikipedia article on 'Birmingham Blitz'
4. Birmingham Mail, Advert, 27 November 1943 (British Newspaper Archive).
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HarryWhorwood
New Member
Just joined the forum and can add a little bit to this query. My grandfather (Herbert Whorwood) was the or a manager at the shop around the turn of the century. He subsequently opened his own tailoring shop at 76 Digbeth, pictured here. Due reference to Mr Dean which no doubt benefited them both. Sadly Herbert went to war and his son fiddled the takings (allegedly!), and on his return he had to file for bankruptcy. He died in 1924, leaving his other sons to pay off the debts.
Was G.C.Dean, the tailor, seen on the corner of New Street and Corporation Street, any relation of J.H. Dean mentioned in the High Street thread here ?
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/high-street-birmingham.47830/page-3
Expect this shop secured much trade from KEGs staff and pupils.
Viv.
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/high-street-birmingham.47830/page-3
Expect this shop secured much trade from KEGs staff and pupils.
Viv.
As there are several tailor’s shops run by different members of the Dean family I have expanded this thread by copying information from other threads to this one which show their business interests. Viv.
MWS
from Bham
George and John had 2 sisters - Mary Jane and Alice Helen - and they both married tailors. Weren't local in 1911 though.
They also has 2 other (surviving) brothers Albert Reuben and Isaiah - but they went into the furniture trade.
Their father - Charles - didn't start as a tailor but he's listed as such in 1881.
They also has 2 other (surviving) brothers Albert Reuben and Isaiah - but they went into the furniture trade.
Their father - Charles - didn't start as a tailor but he's listed as such in 1881.
Was this part of the Dean family interest ? Looks very like the Newbury’s building. Viv.
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Some information on GC Dean Tailors:
GC Dean’s Tailors would have been a familiar sight for shoppers in Birmingham city centre, in the late 19th to early/mid 20th century.
George Charles Dean began his tailoring business with a shop in Summer Lane in the early 1870s. He went on to develop one of the largest clothing businesses in Birmingham (1) and became proprietor of a dozen shops across the Midlands and beyond (2).
In 1875 he established a shop in the Bull Ring and maintained a presence there until his business shutdown (3).
In addition to the presence in the Bull Ring, GC Dean became the first occupier of the building on the North East corner of the junction of Corporation Street with New Street in 1892: a prime retail site. This became the headquarters of the business until GC Dean sold their interest in the building in 1938 (2,3). The building still stands today (4).
When he died, on 1st June 1939 aged 90 years, he had been in the tailoring business for seventy years. He was actively involved until his death, attending GC Dean’s High Street premises in the Bull Ring just a few days before he died (2).
During his life, apart from business, George Charles Dean was involved with political liberalism and the Methodist church. Prior to his death he was the oldest surviving member of the Birmingham Liberal Club and he was associated with the Cambridge Road Methodist Church of which he was a trustee (5).
His business did not long survive him. His estate was declared bankrupt and went into administration in October 1939 (6).
The following business premises were part of that estate:
94, High Street, Birmingham;
11, The Burges, Coventry;
9, Gallowtree Gate, Leicester:
21, Wine Street, Bristol;
27, Long Row, Nottingham;
28, Market Place, Nuneaton;
18, High Street, Sheffield;
35, Above Bar, Southampton;
23. Market Street, Tamworth;
83, High Street, Cradiey Heath
Sources:
1 Birmingham Faces & Places, Vol 6, p112
2 Obituary Mr. George Charles Dean, Birmingham Post 2 June 1939
3 Kelly’s Directories of Birmingham
4 Google Street View, Junction of New Street and Corporation Street, April 2019
5 Article on George Charles Dean funeral, Birmingham Post, 6 June 1939
6 Bankruptcy notice published in Birmingham Post, 31st October 1939.
(All newspaper content provided online via British Newspaper Archive).
GC Dean’s Tailors would have been a familiar sight for shoppers in Birmingham city centre, in the late 19th to early/mid 20th century.
George Charles Dean began his tailoring business with a shop in Summer Lane in the early 1870s. He went on to develop one of the largest clothing businesses in Birmingham (1) and became proprietor of a dozen shops across the Midlands and beyond (2).
In 1875 he established a shop in the Bull Ring and maintained a presence there until his business shutdown (3).
In addition to the presence in the Bull Ring, GC Dean became the first occupier of the building on the North East corner of the junction of Corporation Street with New Street in 1892: a prime retail site. This became the headquarters of the business until GC Dean sold their interest in the building in 1938 (2,3). The building still stands today (4).
When he died, on 1st June 1939 aged 90 years, he had been in the tailoring business for seventy years. He was actively involved until his death, attending GC Dean’s High Street premises in the Bull Ring just a few days before he died (2).
During his life, apart from business, George Charles Dean was involved with political liberalism and the Methodist church. Prior to his death he was the oldest surviving member of the Birmingham Liberal Club and he was associated with the Cambridge Road Methodist Church of which he was a trustee (5).
His business did not long survive him. His estate was declared bankrupt and went into administration in October 1939 (6).
The following business premises were part of that estate:
94, High Street, Birmingham;
11, The Burges, Coventry;
9, Gallowtree Gate, Leicester:
21, Wine Street, Bristol;
27, Long Row, Nottingham;
28, Market Place, Nuneaton;
18, High Street, Sheffield;
35, Above Bar, Southampton;
23. Market Street, Tamworth;
83, High Street, Cradiey Heath
Sources:
1 Birmingham Faces & Places, Vol 6, p112
2 Obituary Mr. George Charles Dean, Birmingham Post 2 June 1939
3 Kelly’s Directories of Birmingham
4 Google Street View, Junction of New Street and Corporation Street, April 2019
5 Article on George Charles Dean funeral, Birmingham Post, 6 June 1939
6 Bankruptcy notice published in Birmingham Post, 31st October 1939.
(All newspaper content provided online via British Newspaper Archive).
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AR Dean's building was on the north-east corner of the Corporation Street / Bull Street junction. It was purpose built for the company in 1885. At some point between 1910 and 1913 AR Deans vacated this building and Dunn & Co, hatters moved in. I understand the building was demolished in the early to mid 1960s
(Sources: Kelly's Directories of Birmingham and Roy Thornton's 'Victorian Buildings of Birmingham').
rosie
brummie
My great uncle and his wife were managing the Wine Lodge Burges Coventry in 1939, is this the place mentioned on the list for the Estate? (Ref 1939 register and notes my Mom wrote). I was never sure whether he owned it or not.
rosie.
Edit correction, I've just checked and the Wine Lodge was 17 not 11, sorry.
rosie.
Edit correction, I've just checked and the Wine Lodge was 17 not 11, sorry.
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The Burges is a street near the central of Coventry. GC Dean's tailor's shop was at No.11 and that was part of his estate in 1939. Other businesses will have occupied other addresses in the Burges that were not part of the GC Dean estate.
Hope this helps.
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Sorry Richard, I’m a bit confused about which post to delete. Viv.
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You can see G C Dean advertising on the wall in this postcard. This must have been the High Street premises. Viv.
Yes, GC Dean's had a shop at 94 High Street, which seems to correlate with the location of the GC Dean's sign.
