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George Willis Pryce - Artist

Yes you are quite right and i retract my former message. Thank you for correcting me. I have inherated a scrap book which i believe belonged to louisa hearne. It has cuttings of poems and hand written poems throughought. It has mr hearnes address on the front of a magazine cutting. It also has a newspaper cutting of the death of loisa hearne at the back. Louisa had a son robert george who married elizabeth barnwell. She was the sister of my great great grandmother
 
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Welcome Gordon. We’d be very interested to hear about your great uncle. It’s great to hear from a family member. Thank you.

Viv.
 
Hello Vivienne 14.
I have been writing our family History in a series of books.
I am currently in The Algarve though I did live in Ashford for 25 years.
George Willis Pryce and son Norman form a chapter in book 1 of my family.
I can send a chapter by attachment if it will let me.
I am very new to this means of communication . Somebody told me about it
and I thought I would have a try.
There are a great many relatives like me in Brum. I seem to have become The Family Historian.
I noticed a great photo of George Willis on the site. The ones I had already are inferior by comparison.
I am constantly amazed by everything our lot got up to.
Regards,
Gordon
 
Hello Gordon. It will be difficult to attach a chapter. So I shall send you my email address through the messaging system on here (the little envelope icon on the blue bar near the top of the page). Then if you want me to load it onto this thread, I’m happy to do that for you. I shall do it in a series of images so that nobody can edit it. Only if that all seems ok to you of course. Viv.
 
Hello Vivienne 14.
I have hooked out Chapter 7 of my book. It is all about George, his wife Edith and son Norman.
It is rather big 34 pages of A4 many images.
Some very good and interesting some rather gruesome.
It does make a very good read. Took me many years to get it all together.
I can't seem to see your e-mail address in a little envelope.
there is an attach files thing at the foot of the page.
I expect the file is too big for that.
I am happy to have you insert it in the forum in the manner you suggest once I get it to you.
Regards,
Gordon
 
Hello Robert. Click on the little envelope and open the message from me. The email address is in blue in that message. Viv.
 
Gordon Robert, whose great uncle was artist George Willis Pryce, has generously agreed to share his family history on this Forum. Please note, this written material is the property of Gordon Robert.

The family history is provided in sequential numbered attachments below. These are the first 10 sections, each section (as an individual image) numbered 1-10. Thank you Gordon for sharing this with us.

Further sections will be added over the next few days.

Viv.FDF17D35-6DC5-4342-89DB-E95DEDF8196A.jpeg
9017471B-78E3-4E57-85F0-9F0866CAEC63.jpeg
ED825F6D-C102-49AD-95A0-BBD59105D160.jpeg
E55ECE2B-C6DF-4F7B-BCDA-2A95E7CA0B28.jpegC34EBB8C-2B8C-4C8A-8E94-BD85205CCE67.jpeg7E3E8AE4-FEFC-459E-9E1B-FFF417633211.jpeg08B79831-D772-49E4-AAD4-5263EAEC1FDB.jpeg5368FE2F-2F29-4CE3-B207-6C91367EF882.jpeg09329D3A-4AF5-461F-8DF6-8DBB487D720D.jpegD2302387-0E5E-4CFB-B3EA-FFAC5F276FB6.jpeg
 
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The next of Gordon’s family history.

Note. All the following material is the property of Gordon Robert.

46563E7B-8758-44D8-BAC1-60C3DD008904.jpegADCE0889-4B99-4986-902C-61413D313411.jpeg

1DA898A4-BFB3-437A-B9F3-3DB3F50E50C9.jpeg3F6BBC8A-906D-4AED-BDB6-ED2CB297864D.jpeg
75FE3D0B-41D7-412C-934A-D922B4640656.jpeg627C6D9E-20A9-488E-9127-0D321D5E9B3F.jpeg153E4163-11C0-4F3D-8B34-5477116C317A.jpeg5CB82EC6-9A04-46E3-A46C-0130FB8285CC.jpegF7DA67DE-F3A1-4323-9B4E-12AE9A93E127.jpeg385BD88D-BE8B-4974-9832-714C381BD4B6.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • 47362848-8C87-40D8-828F-A41E9ED27BF2.jpeg
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As far as the history of Birmingham is concerned Chapter 7 informs us that Charles Price built the magnificent Grade II listed chimney, which still survives at the Waterworks at Edgbaston, and also Witton station. Can this be substantiated ?
 
Hello Pedrocut,
If you are asking for time sheets and official contracts these I do not have.
I have details of a report prepared by Captain Charles Miller when interviewing members of the Price family in the period up to the 1950's
Captain Miller tried to locate the plate at Witton Station. which was Just around the corner from Charles Price Yard but was told it had been removed following renovations or was hidden where nobody could find it.
The chimney at the waterworks was mentioned in his reports as it was also in the writings of Charlie Price The Fisherman " The Kingfisher". The young Arthur Price Charles Price Seniors son assisted in the construction of the Chimney and it was from his mouth that most of this information came.
Regards,
Gordon Robert
 
The last few pages of Gordon's history.This completes Chapter 7. Note. This material is the property of Gordon Robert.


Thank you Gordon for sharing your history with us.
Viv.

B7F5CD23-04CA-4847-8CF1-40E630106834.jpegCC797747-2350-49DB-9800-542F313E3BE4.jpeg34C36B56-670E-4EC8-88EA-76F6A56479C3.jpegC1F8A28F-C217-4FF8-BE98-E86B7826A7BB.jpeg58614A97-3559-4A37-8F68-3A8CFD4AC57F.jpegFC6613E2-5B2B-41A4-AA05-E9A5FA62E52E.jpegE9C5693F-59E8-4B04-BB19-96ABBBAF2AF4.jpeg
 
Gordon Robert said:
Hello Pedrocut,
If you are asking for time sheets and official contracts these I do not have.
I have details of a report prepared by Captain Charles Miller when interviewing members of the Price family in the period up to the 1950's
Captain Miller tried to locate the plate at Witton Station. which was Just around the corner from Charles Price Yard but was told it had been removed following renovations or was hidden where nobody could find it.
The chimney at the waterworks was mentioned in his reports as it was also in the writings of Charlie Price The Fisherman " The Kingfisher". The young Arthur Price Charles Price Seniors son assisted in the construction of the Chimney and it was from his mouth that most of this information came.
Regards,
Gordon Robert
Click to expand...

The description of the Grade II Listed Building, built in 1862, is given in the Historic England link below.

It’s a pity that there is no concrete evidence as it would be great to add the information of a craftsman who actually built the structure. For me the craftsman is just as deserving of a mention as the architect John Henry Chamberlain.

For the record in the 1851 Census Charles, and also his father, appear as Bricklayers. By 1881 there is a Chas Price at 89 Tower Street down as a Bricklayer employing 4 men, and in 1891 a Chas Price down as a Builder and Contractor.

In the Trade Directories. 1868 there is a mention of a bricklayer Chas Price at 106 Upper Tower Street. In 1883 a Chas Price, Builder at 89 Tower Street, St George’s.

historicengland.org.uk

Edgbaston Pumping Station including attached store room, standby generator room and ornamented chimney stack, Non Civil Parish - 1343154 | Historic England

List entry 1343154. Grade II Listed Building: Edgbaston Pumping Station Including Attached Store Room, Standby Generator Room And Ornamented Chimney Stack. May include summary, reasons for designation and history.
historicengland.org.uk historicengland.org.uk
 
I have received this email from Gordon

B9BCB620-6FAD-4A9E-8BED-E8F383B3A1FD.jpeg

And below is the transcribed extract from Charles Price’s book

EDC17E67-32AB-4784-B0B8-27F1E1D33C65.jpeg
 
If the chimney referred to in the above post is the one at the Waterworks at Edgbaston shown below, then Historic England give the date of building as 1862. Other sources differ and say around 1870.

One hell of a chimney to personally build.


2215A93A-F194-4A45-8004-5AE0B739E4AE.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • E213B71E-2098-4110-A650-96B6FACB68FE.jpeg
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Yes, I too thought the date to be suspect, but it’s how people remember past events. I wonder if it’s the same chimney as there was more than one waterworks.
 
Another great part of Birmingham history is the stealing of the FA Cup in 1895 from a shop in Newtown Row. According to an article in the Criminal Encyclopedia from 2016 the case officially remains open.

“Arthur and Charles a half-brother from his father's first marriage had the dubious honour of thieving the first FA Cup in 1895.

 
Hello Pedrocut,
My Father was born in Tower Street and my Mother was born in Milestone Lane Handsworth.
Mum and Dad left Birmingham on the 31st Dec 1929 to make their new Life in London.
On the Train to Kings Cross My Dad said to My Mum "I hope we have a bit of luck in our new life together Rene"
Mum replied " You wont need Luck Den you've got me"
I was born in London.
I have been writing the family histories for several years and The Theft of The FA Cup 1n 1895 was mentioned many times by
My Uncles. Dad kept quiet about it but told me once that The Cup was kept in a shop just down the road from where he was born in Tower Street. I remember saying to him as a joke that "It was probably one of his Family who stole it" He never replied.
A few years ago I decided to check the whole thing out and I wrote a chapter about it in My Family History Book 1.
I distributed about 30 copies all to members of The Price and Poole Families scattered round The World.
It was always intended just for our Family and written in that style. I never intended making money out of anything I wrote and all the copies were gifts from me.
I can see no reason why I should not share this chapter with your history association.
If you or any others would like to see the contents I will ask Vivienne 14 if you could repeat the process she did for me about Willis Pryce.
Regards,
Gordon Robert
 
It’s certainly not my history association, and I am just an insignificant member. I would expect that your information is very welcome on the the subject of George Willis Pryce, especially as one of the family. I was born in Park Road looking down to Villa Park, and the subject of the theft of FA Cup has many theories.

As far as the Waterworks Tower is concerned I will continue to try find a link with Charles Price the bricklayer. As said previously the craftsman who actually laid the bricks on the magnificent tower, for me, deserves a mention as much as the architect John Henry Chamberlain.
 
Gordon mentioned the report made by Captain Charles Miller in his post #41 above. Here is a section of that report kindly provided by Gordon. Please note this is the property of Gordon Robert.

642E3857-DF13-42A2-8DB7-FF5A61BAB43E.jpegFC9CD63A-59BB-4A87-8A89-EC3F9B66844D.jpeg
 
Hello Pedrocut,
As a member of a history organization it becomes your organization and you are most certainly not insignificant.
Any organization is only ever as good as its members and in my opinion you are near the top in that respect.
Anyone can see from your comments that you are a much valued member. Having people like you to converse with makes me feel proud.
Sorry for getting on my high horse but I had to say something.
Regards
Gordon Robert
 
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