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Dowler Brass Works - Gt. Charles Street

M

Michael Ball

Guest
Looking for others with an interest in, or researching the Dowler Brass Works (90 - 91 Gt. Charles St.). It was founded circa 1776 and continued until circa 1866. It then moved to a large factory in Aston and burnt down in April 1870. The operation produced various brass items, wax vestas, wooden matches, and numerous other products.
George Dowler (1824 - 1901) was the owner in the 1860-70 period and held patents for numerous items.
Michael Ball
[email protected]
 
The Dowler Family had a brass factory at 90 - 91 Gt. Charles Street for many years before relocating to Plume Street. I am trying to find a detailed map of the area (circa 1860) which would show the area, streets, buildings, etc. which could be used in a story of the family and their company. Michael Ball
 
I'm afraid you will not find detailed maps of the area at that time. There are very rough maps showing vague outlines of buildings for 1829& 1839 and a detailed OS map of c 1889. The c1889 map id given below with what I am sure was the position of 90-91 Gt charles st marked in red, though it may be that the building then was not the same as that existing earlier. It may have gone back further from the road and also in later years only part of the factory was under Dowler (part of no 91, apparently for bellmaking), the other part (90-91)being used by Thomas Lloyd, a brassfounder, particularly of brass hinges . the map shows 90-91 on th enorth side of the street, between Livery st & Snow Hill

map_c_1889_showing_position_of_90-91_Gt_Charles_St.jpg
 
Thank you for your rapid reply. The Dowler family were working at 90 / 91 Gt. Charles Street from about the 1780 period. They moved their operations to Plume St. in the 1860 period but the factory burnt in April 1870. George Dowler then revamped the operation and started to produce cartridges during the Franco-Prussian War but ran into difficulties and went bankrupt around 1873. The family moved to Canada around then and re-started a match making business there. I know that the original brass operation on Gt. Charles Street went back to Lionel (sp ?) St. I was just trying to get some sort of an early map / picture of the area around the factory which would show the streets and possibly the outlines of some of the buildings. Michael Ball
 
Michael
Below is the 1839 map of the area. I have put a red mark on gt charles st at approx the position of 90-91. This was before the railway came and snow hill station was built

map_c_1839_showing_position_of_90-91_Gt_charles_st.jpg
 
Thank you for the image of the 1839 map of Birmingham. If it is possible can I get a "fairly" complete reference for the map (e.g., title, publisher, etc.) so I can include that information if I decide to include the map in any family history that I might publish. Michael Ball
 
The map was originally published in 1839 by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge in the United Kingdom with the title "Birmingham". As it is obviously out of copyright, it has been included by a number of people on websites, including Mapseeker (https://www.mapseeker.co.uk/genealogy/?id=1123&areaA=a1&areaB=a4), who have also included it in a book "A History of Maps, Birmingham". As I remember, a better resolution version is at https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~21002~530094:Birmingham--Engraved-&-printed-by-J?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=w4s:/where/Birmingham%20(England)/when/1839;sort:pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=0&trs=1 , but can't check thst at the moment as to access the high resolution version you have to log on, and I have misplaced my password.
 
Michael Ball said:
Thank you for your rapid reply. The Dowler family were working at 90 / 91 Gt. Charles Street from about the 1780 period. They moved their operations to Plume St. in the 1860 period but the factory burnt in April 1870. George Dowler then revamped the operation and started to produce cartridges during the Franco-Prussian War but ran into difficulties and went bankrupt around 1873. The family moved to Canada around then and re-started a match making business there. I know that the original brass operation on Gt. Charles Street went back to Lionel (sp ?) St. I was just trying to get some sort of an early map / picture of the area around the factory which would show the streets and possibly the outlines of some of the buildings. Michael Ball
Click to expand...

The Birmingham Daily Post of the Friday 18th March 1870 gives the fire as on Wednesday night. The illustration is from the Illustrated Midland News.


09791338-85A7-4B5A-928D-370B2A07A233.jpeg

AB44E4AC-9CBE-468E-93F8-B6D29EC22D78.jpeg
 
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