Jacksons Tobacconists

[Pipit43]

Does anyone know anything about or have any connections toJohn Jacksons Tobacconist at 44 Digbeth?
It was run by John Jackson Snr from the mid-1800s until hisdeath in 1906 when it was left to his son, also John Jackson but by 1908Fredrick Hassan (his brother in law) is listed as running it but I am unable tofind any record of John Jackson Jr dying. There are other John Jacksons runningtobacconist shops in the town and I didn't know if there was any connection.
Likewise there was another son William Henry Jackson for whoI can find no death records but there is a Wm H Jackson also running a Tobaccoshop in Birmingham - again any connection?
The shop was briefly in the hands of a third son, David, buthe predeceased his father and his wife and children emigrated to Australia inthe late 1800s (I am in touch with this side of the family).
If anyone has any information about the shop and the familythat ran it I would love to hear from you.
The last family members to have the shop were my grandparents:Walter and Annie May Hassan. I have attached two photos of the shop below. One pictured John Jackson Snr outside the shop arround 1900 while the other is Frederick Hassan and Annie May Hassan in 1937.

 

[rosie]

Hi Pipit43, My relatives lived at 82 Digbeth, after 1860's, Thomas and Selina Yapp. It was originally a printing shop for sheet music etc. but he became a tobacconist too, as well as a cabinet-maker. He was fined 10/- and 10/- costs for giving short-weight on scales - presumably for snuff. She was taken to court for receiving stolen shawls and pawning them, she was also a bigamist!!! So many skeletons in the cupboard!!
If you put Digbeth in the search box you will find lots of photos old and new. Your photos are lovely, thanks for posting them.
rosie

 

[smiler]

Hi Pipit 43

How interesting to read your story about the Hassan's, I lived in Rea Street Flats, Digbeth, situated on the corner of Digbeth and Rea Street from 1954 until 1967. I can remember that we lived on the first floor directly over Jackson's sweet shop. I have a copy of the 1962 Voters list for Rea Street and listed on it is Walter and Annie M Hassan living at 6b Rea Street. I can vaguely remember them as a very old couple, I think that they ran the sweet shop, which was very popular as it was the only shop that was open on a Sunday afternoon in those days!!

The majority of the people living in the flats were people who had lived and worked in the Smithfield Markets or ran small business's who were displaced by the Council in the slum clearance which was taking place at that time, so it would appear that they had a shop that was cleared for redevelopment and were given a new shop and a flat to carry on their business.

Did you ever visit them at Rea Street Flats?

If you look on this site, you will find some good photo's of the flats taken by Ell Brown, showing Jackson's Sweet Shop.

Smiler

 

[Pipit43]

Hi Smiler,

The shop pictured above was demolished in 1956 ish as partof the widening of Digbeth at which point they moved to the flats. I know myMom got married from the flat in 1957 and I have a photo of me there when I was2 but really don't remember it. Walter died in 1968 and Annie sold the businessbut stayed in the flat until about 1973 when she moved to live with us.

I will have a look for the pics you mention, thanks for thehint!

 

[smiler]

Hi Pipit43,

I'm sorry that I can't remember more, but I was only a 'kid' and well you just don't go asking the questions that you would want to ask today!!!

Have you got a photo of Walter and Annie? I would like to see if i could still recognise them.

Good hunting!!!

Smiler

 

[Pipit43]

Some more pics of Jacksons'.
One is the original shop at 44 Digbeth before the roadwidening (so probably early 1950's) while another is the temporary shopwhile the new shop was being built (so mid 50's). The other pic is specially for Smiler - Walter Hassan in the Rae Street Flat above the new shop at 67 Digbeth.

 

[smiler]

Hi Pipit 43,

Thanks for the photos, YES I recognised both of them instantly, especially Annie Hassan, who was a real lady and always nice to me and all the other children when serving us our sweets or ice cream!!

I dont remember their original shop, but in the photo of them standing outside, in the background is a lovely shot of Rea Street Flats.

Have a look at this link for some more photo's. https://www.flickr.com/photos/ell-r-brown/4200456964/in/pool-digbeth

Great memories, thanks.

Smiler

 

[ShopKeeper]

Hello everyone, I'd be interested in seeing any old photos of 67 Digbeth, I am the current resident shopkeeper at the address. I have recently removed all the old signage and you can still see the 'Jackson' name above the shop.
Does anyone know any further history about the shop, how long the Jacksons traded from there and any of the other residents shopkeepers?
We are currently undertaking refurbishment and will be opening a coffee shop there.
Hope to hear from you

 

[horsencart]

In the 1957 directory it is listed as Jackson Jn Tobacconist I suspect that he was not there much before this date

Hello everyone, I'd be interested in seeing any old photos of 67 Digbeth, I am the current resident shopkeeper at the address. I have recently removed all the old signage and you can still see the 'Jackson' name above the shop.
Does anyone know any further history about the shop, how long the Jacksons traded from there and any of the other residents shopkeepers?
We are currently undertaking refurbishment and will be opening a coffee shop there.
Hope to hear from you

 

[Pipit43]

Hello everyone, I'd be interested in seeing any old photos of 67 Digbeth, I am the current resident shopkeeper at the address. I have recently removed all the old signage and you can still see the 'Jackson' name above the shop.
Does anyone know any further history about the shop, how long the Jacksons traded from there and any of the other residents shopkeepers?
We are currently undertaking refurbishment and will be opening a coffee shop there.
Hope to hear from you

Hi ShopKeeper,
Just to confuse you, there was never actually a Jackson at number 67. It was Walter Hassan that owned/ran Jacksons Tobacconist while it was located at number 67 until his death in 1968. If you read back through the thread you will get a bit more of the history but Walter Hassan was the Grandson of John Jackson and was running the business when Digbeth was widened in the mid 1950s. The whole of that side of the road was replaced and hence Jacksons moved from number 44 to number 67.
I'm afraid I have no photos of 67 Digbeth. There is one earlier in the thread of the temporary shop they were allocated while 67 was being prepared following the road widening but other than that all my history revolves around number 44.
Ironically, John Jackson originally openned his tobacconists shop at number 30 something (I'll have to dig all my paperwork out for exact dates/numbers) but this too was demolished for road widening in the 1850s not long after Jacksons had opened.
You say you found the Jasksons name when stripping for refurbishment? Well when 44 was stripped prior to demolition they found loads of swords in walls & floor boards, would love to know who/what was there before Jacksons!!