-
Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.
We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team -
HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
we are now using a backup solution
District Inspector (of Water)
- Thread starter Graesaint
- Start date
Welcome Graham. Hopefully someone can help you with your query. It would be interesting to find the answer. Viv.
What an interesting job title. Many of the waterworks companies had uniformed staff to supervise the reservoirs and to take water samples at the appropriate sampling points. These samples were taken back to the labs for analysis and recording.
The uniformed men in this photo are just that.
The uniformed men in this photo are just that.
Does this advert from the Yorkshire Post help to explain ? A Waterworks Inspector who is conversant with waste detection. Also I think the Paradise Street address given may have been the City of Birmingham Water Co - maybe someone can check that. Viv.
They lived in Handsworth, which was in Staffordshire at the time (1911). It may be a transcribe error as the transcription reads << Detective Inspector B Ham Coeptn Water Dept >>. But I will do some more investigation on the South Staffs Water company. Thanks
What is the name of your ancestor? I have access to an extensive archive of South Staffs Water, they have the records of all of their employees, I will check it out for you.
South Staffs water did have its HQ in Birmingham in Paradise Street at the turn of the century. They then moved to Sheepcote Street, Birmingham and are now at Green lane Walsall.
There is a short history of the South Staffs Water on this link here
A detailed history of South Staffs Water here
Please acknowledge Lichfield waterworks Trust and South Staffs Water if you quote or share this information.
Frederick Charles Miller (b 1872 d 1939 1911 Census As Detective Inspector B Ham Coeptn Water Dept ) Thanks
So the Bham ???? Water Dept might be part of the police? Rather than the corporation Water company. I might have posted on the wrong thread. Sorry
Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
No my fault, just an observation that looking for descriptions of job titles in the Birmingham Corporation Waterworks Detective Inspector always led me to Police. Morturn may uncover the answer.
Radiorails
master brummie
This probably is the answer. I imagine water board and present day companies employed people as detectives to monitor fraudulent appropriation of water supplies and leaks.
Looking at the raw documentation of the census, it may be the case it is not the Waterworks. So have fired a seperate thread quest in WM police WMPeelers.com. Thanks for the suggestions. He was a Postman in Nechells at 19 and his father was a plumber so keeps the options open.
I shall separate out the posts about our Detective Inspector from the original thread. All very interesting stuff. Viv.
Edit - thread now separated.
Edit - thread now separated.
Ok, our archivist has gotten back to me with the following:
The only inspectors SSWW employed had titles such as District, Waste, Mainlaying, Fittings etc.
Frederick Miller is recorded on the 1901 census as a Water Inspector. Possibly what happened was he got promoted to District Inspector by 1911 and the census enumerator misinterpreted the household schedule that Frederick had filled in (perhaps his handwriting was bad?) and copied down Detective instead of District.
The only inspectors SSWW employed had titles such as District, Waste, Mainlaying, Fittings etc.
Frederick Miller is recorded on the 1901 census as a Water Inspector. Possibly what happened was he got promoted to District Inspector by 1911 and the census enumerator misinterpreted the household schedule that Frederick had filled in (perhaps his handwriting was bad?) and copied down Detective instead of District.
Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
Yes it could well be District. In post 14 he is an Inspector for the Birmingham Corporation, and you think they would have several districts
Radiorails
master brummie
Most likely, BCWW was quite a large undertaking and the waterworks did employ quite a lot of labour
