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Midland Red Early Days

2010-04-14 12:15:26

The Marston Coach-Building Dynasty of Birmingham 1855 – 1940. :rolleyes:

Chronology (from local directories unless otherwise indicated; with additions and corrections from mikejee's post #240):

1820.04 John Marston and Sarah Smith (Nuneaton), wedding banns read.
1835 John Marston, grocer, Nuneaton.
1841 John Marston, "chymist and druggist", 69 Lancaster St.
[1845 John Marston, boot and shoemaker, 5 Brasshouse Passage (but still there 1855-1858).]
1851 John Marston, shopkeeper and dealer in groceries and sundries, Parkfield, Sedgley.
mid 1850s many Marstons around Willenhall (including one John Marston, but he clashes with 1855 carriage works).
1855 (PO directory) John Marston, Borough Carriage Works and Horse Repository, 21-25 Bradford St; residence Reservoir Rd.
1855 (Whites directory) John Marston Hunter, Borough Carriage Works, 21-26 Bradford St; residence "The Limes", Reservoir Rd. Incorrectly listed name? No previous John Hunter. Cf 1858.
1858 John Marston & Co, coach builders, 24 Bradford St; John Marston Hunter | John Marston, carriage manufacturer, residence 22 Reservoir Rd (off 146 Ladywood Rd); Jno Marston & Co, carriage builders, 23 Bradford St; J Marston & Co, 21 Bradford St, Smithfield; [John Marston, 5 Brasshouse Passage (off 6 Broad St, Islington)]. Cf 1855 (Whites).

1861 census (only Marston at Reservoir Rd, none in Birmingham with occupation carriage maker):

6 Reservoir Rd (Edgbaston).
John Marston, 27, patent medicine vendor, born 1833/4 Nuneaton.
Ellen, 20, wife, born 1840/1.
Ellen, one month, daughter, born 1861.
Three servants.

Also no John Marston with occupation carriage maker etc in Warwickshire or Staffordshire.
Mary A Marston and husband Henry Marston at 7 Reservoir Rd (Ladywood). There appear to be two parts of Reservoir Rd.

1862 John Marston & Co, carriage builders, 21-25 Bradford St.
1867 John Marston, coach builder, coach and carriage builder, 21-24 Bradford St.

1871 census:

"The Elms", Castle Bromwich.
John Marston, 67, coach builder, born 1803/4 Birmingham.
Mara A Marston, 54, wife, born 1816/7 Birmingham.
Clara F Marston, 23, daughter, born 1847/8 Birmingham.
Charles Louis Marston, 20, son, born 1850/1 Birmingham.
Laura E Marston, 19, daughter, born 1851/2 Birmingham.
Julia L Marston, 17, daughter, born 1853/4 Birmingham.

1871 (or 1872) By this time John Marston junior had moved to Knowle, Warwickshire.

1871.0929 John Marston of Castle Bromwich, carriage builder (Bradford St, Birmingham), died. Executors of his will are John Marston and Charles Louis Marston (his sons). [London Gazette.]

1872 John Marston & Co, coach builders, 21-23 Bradford St and Worcester Wharf.
1873 John Marston & Co, carriage builders and harness manufacturers, Borough Carriage Works, 21-25 Bradford St.
1875 John Marston & Co, coach and carriage builders, 21-26 Bradford St; residence "Parkfield", Knowle.
1876-1900 John Marston & Co, coach builders, 21-26 Bradford St.

1887.0722 Advertisement in the Undertakers and Funeral Directors Journal:

John Marston & Co, hearse and cab builders, 21-26 Bradford St, Birmingham. Patentees and sole builders of "the Imperial" open or closed hansom; the new patent balancing hansom, for driving either inside or out; also the new patent char-au-banc [sic] omnibus, the best party carriage for winter or summer use. 34 prizes awarded for improvements in hearses etc; also the medal at the Inventions and Liverpool Exhibitions. No 341333. The improved "patent" funeral carriage [pictured] ... £180. No 3886. Light single or pair-horse hearse [pictured] ... From £100. Funeral cars; glass-sided hearses; sheliberes; brakes; omnibuses; broughams; landaus; side-light coaches; cabs, etc. New and secondhand on easy terms. Silver-plated hearse rails for hearses, from ?s each. Patent hammer clocks, carved, £8 per pair. Wheels, bodies and carvings for the trade. For drawings and particulars apply to John Marston & Co, Birmingham.

1890 (approximately) Marston works can be seen here; you can see it expanded a little between the two maps.

1891 Census:

"Park Field", Knowle, Warwickshire.
John Marston, 57, coach builder, employer, born 1833/4 Nuneaton.
Ellen Marston, wife, 47, born 1843/4 Birmingham.
Elsee Marston, daughter, 27, born 1863/4 Edgbaston.
John Marston, son, 25, coach builder, employer, born 1865/6 Edgbaston.
Clara Marston, daughter, 24, born 1866/7 Edgbaston.
Beatrice Marston, daughter, 19, born 1871/2 Knowle.
William Marston, son, 18, born 1872/3 Knowle.
Charles Beale Marston, son, 15, born 1875/6 Knowle.

1901 Marston & Co make (?) two 22-seat single-deck top-covered two-horse charabanc bodies for Derby Corporation Transport (DCT). These were classified as "omnibuses" by 1905 and used in service. One was converted into an "omnibus proper" in 1909. They were both withdrawn in 1917.

1902-1905 John Marston's Carriage Works Ltd, coach builders, 21-27 Bradford St.
1908-1933 John Marston's Carriage Works Ltd, coach builders, 21-27 Bradford St.

1911 (approximately). A 24-page "Motor Bodies" sales brochure of John Marston's Carriage Works Ltd was issued (three-colour board cover, with eight illustrations of cars with different bodies, a photograph of a car awaiting its body and a history of the works with testimonials). A copy was sold (together with a W Parkyn & Sons Ltd brochure) by Charles Leski Auctions Pty Ltd (Hawthorne East, Victoria, Australia) on 27 Jul 2003 for Au$120. [I would like to see that!]

1914 Sale brochure of late John Marston and mortgagees. "Parkfield Estate" (Knowle) etc.
1917 Sale brochure of late John Marston and mortgagees. "The Poplars" (Knowle) etc.

1919 Marston makes 32-seat charabanc body (no C9) for Midland Red which in 1920 is mounted on A125 (OE3154 T-S TS3 chassis no 1121 new in 1919 with body no BB120 Brush B29F); chassis and body broken up 1926; this charabanc is possibly pictured in c 1923 at Dudley in Midland Red Volume 1 (page 4).

1920 Marston make a B26F body for a GMC-Edison battery-powered bus (DCT fleet number 2 registered CH1812). The bus was withdrawn in 1924, but the body was mounted on a Tilling-Stevens TS3A bus (DCT fleet number 2 registered CH4381 chassis number 3098).

3 Jul 1928. Commercial Motor advertisement:

"Distinctive ... coachwork for any chassis. Double-purpose saloons and hearses any design. Cash or terms. John Marston's Carriage Works Ltd. 21-27 Bradford St, Birmingham." [Picture of hearse.]

31 Oct 1935 John Marston's Carriage Works Ltd (registered office 21 Bradford St, Birmingham). Extraordinary general meeting resolves on a voluntary winding up; liquidators appointed: Charles Beale Marston ("Hill House", Leckhampton Hill, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire) chairman; Frederick Anthony Roberts ("Chartville", Mansel Rd, Small Heath, Birmingham) secretary and general manager. [London Gazette (5 Nov 1935).]

15 Nov 1935 John Marston's Carriage Works Ltd (members' voluntary winding up). Notice to creditors ... "all debts will be paid in full". [London Gazette.]

1936-1938 no listing.
1939 John Marston's Carriage Works Ltd, 1 or 2 Bromsgrove St, Birmingham 5.
1940 no listing.

27 Nov 1940 John Marston's Carriage Works Ltd. Last meeting to complete winding up. [London Gazette (25 Oct 1940).]

Another Marston with long involvement in the carriage trade:

1867-1868 William Marston, carriage & upholsterers trimming manufacturer, Albert Buildings, Dale End.
1872-1873 William Marston, manufacturer of carriage lace, fringes and upholsterers trimmings & warehouseman, 18 Dale End.
1876-1880 William Marston, carriage lace & trimming maker, Albert St, High St.
1883-1888 William Marston, carriage lace & trimming maker, 27 Albert St, High St.
1892-1904 William Marston, carriage lace manufacturer, 28-34 Albert St, High St.
1908-1921 William Marston, carriage lace manufacturer, 28-34 Albert St, trading as Marston.
1932-1973 (at least) William Marston Ltd, motor carriage trimming manufacturers, 28-34 Albert St, trading as Marston.

Three generations of coach-building John Marstons:

[John Marston 0 (c 1785 – c 1855).
?Nuneaton grocer 1835.]
John Marston 1 (c 1803 Birmingham – 1871.0929).
Birmingham chemist & druggist 1841, ?Sedgley grocer 1851; Birmingham coach-builder 1855 – 1871.
John Marston 2 (c 1833 Nuneaton – c 1914).
Birmingham patent medicine vendor 1861, Birmingham coach-builder c 1862 – c 1914.
John Marston 3 (c 1865 – c 1935).
Birmingham coach-builder c 1885 – c 1935. Chairman of the company by 1935 was Charles Beale Marston (brother of John Marston 3). The company was liquidated 1935-1940.


745DE2A6-79DC-489C-9747-A9DA780CBF0C.jpeg
 
That I wouldn't know - but I did recognise his voice when he visited Wythall about ten+ years ago!

Just looked him up on Ancestry - Floris Bierhaalder, b.1918 d.Oct 2000, Birmingham. RIP old friend.
No he wasn't teetotal and he went to Acocks Green not Sutton.
 
i built a few of these when i was a simms apprentice. they went to bmmo
LEYLAND LEOPARD TIGER SIMMS SWITCH PANEL
View attachment 182163
I've clicked a few switches on panels like that! Some of the name tags might confuse, "Fan" was the demister; "Ceiling" was the cab light (which also came on if the side lights were on and the doors were opened) - the top row name tag is missing, but they were, L to R, Master switch, Side & Tail lights, Head lights, and Fog light. (Headlight dip was on a stalk on the steering column). The knob in the middle of the top row was a dimmer for the instrument lights (Speedo & Air gauges), the two red buttons were engine start & stop (either could be either if thelocal electrician had been at it!)
 
i loved working on BMMO buses when i was a apprentice auto sparks at simms motor units and going for a road test
 
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