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Robert Normansell Limited Exeter Street

C

Christine

Brummie family connection
I wonder if anyone recalls anything at all about a business/shop in Exeter Street (earlier Exeter Place) from circa 1912 until 1977 called Robert Normansell.

The company were Art Metal workers and made hearth ware as well as reproduction armour, working in brass and pewter.

Robert himself died in 1923 so wonder who took over the business.

In the 1950's they also had premises of some sort in Dollman Street Aston Cross.

The name of Norseman Reproductions was used on some of their products.

Any snippets very welcome.

Christine
 
Christine, google his name and put Birmingham after it and you will see there is a few things on there, one being: Regards Carol

N​
​
​
​
OTICE is hereby given, that the Partnership
heretofore subsisting between us, the undersigned,
Robert Normansell and William Douglas
Thomson, carrying on business as Metal Workers, at
Exeter-street, Birmingham, in the county of Warwick,
under the style or firm of ROBERT XORMANSELL.
was dissolved as and from the 2nd day of March,
1914, by mutual consent. The said William Douglas
Thomson will carry on the said business under the
style or firm of "Robert Normansell." All debts due
to and owing by the said late firm will be received
and paid by the said William Douglas Thomson.—
Dated the 2nd day of March, 1914.
R. NORMANSELL.​

<»s W. D. THOMSON
 
Not giving you the information you asked for, but may be of interest
In some address directories is listed as 2 Exeter passage, and in others as 2 Exeter St, but it seems to have been on the corner, so it was probably both. He is listed there either as metal worker, art metal worker or hearth furniture makers from sometime between 1910-1912. I cannot find him listed under that name in the 50s at another address, but there is no reason why he should list all his addresses if he didn’t want to.
I thought he might turn up in the electoral roll, but no Normansell is listed in Exeter St or passage. There is a Robert Normansell at Queensmore road and then Hobmore road but he is still going in 1930, so it must be a different one from your comment about his death.
Below are Kellys entries from before he was in exeter st/passage
He possibly had a father of the same name from the length of time the following entries from Kellys runs. Although it is not clear when the son took over, he still seems to have followed a number of different trades.

No mention in 1862
1867-8 Normansell Robert,, coal & breezes dealer.,26 Lower Trinity st ;
1872-3 Normansell Rob, coal, timber and building material dealer.,26 Lower Trinity st ; & 71 Herbert rd
1876 Normansell Robert, coal dealer, 8 Gibb street, Deritend
1876 Normansell Robert, coal & timber dealer,26 Lower Trinity st
1878-9 Norrmansell Robert, coal & timber dealer, 8 Gibb St, Deritend & 26 Lower Trinity street;
1880 Norrmansell Robert, coal & timber dealer, 8 Gibb street, Deritend & 26 Lower Trinity street; & shovel maker, 9 William street, Lower Trinity street
1882-3 Norrmansell Robert, coal & timber dealer, 26 Lower Trinity st
1884-8 Normansell Robert, timber dealer, 26 Lower Trinity street
1890 Normansell Robert, Japanner, 40½ High st. Deritend
1892-5 Normansell Robert, Japanner, 39½ High st. Deritend
1896-99 Normansell Robert, trunk, shovel, ladle & ashpan makers, 39½ High st. Deritend
1899-1908 Normansell Robert, ashpan maker, 39½ High st. Deritend
1910 Normansell Robert, fender maker, 39½ High st. Deritend
Anyone know what Breezes are. Is it the Victorian equivalent of breeze blocks?
Mike
 
I do not know of a Dollman St Aston Cross the only one I can recall is Dollman St Duddeston this would be a couple of miles away. Dek
 
Many thanks for the replies (Dek it probably is the Duddeston one - it was listed as Aston Cross in one directory and I hadnt checked any maps - thanks).

Mikejee - thanks so much for those Kellys entries - I had some of them but the extra ones you supplied fill in a few more details.

Carolina - I had googled the name but must admit hadn't added Brum so although found a few things had missed that one which is wonderful - thanks you so much - explains a few things and the Thomson name ties in with details I found in the 1970's.

If anyone does happen to recall the shop itself or happens to have a piece of their work in either Brass or Pewter with any makers type marks on would be really interested to know.

Once again help much appreciated.

Christine


PS I had also wondered what breezes were when I came across it.
 
Anyone know what Breezes are. Is it the Victorian equivalent of breeze blocks
Click to expand...

Good question Mike


Coal breeze is the unburnt lumps of coal, usually a by product of industrial processes like brick making clamps.



Not sure if you would class gas coke as breeze, it is a byproduct of town gas, and people did buy it.
 
In a lot of pre-war house internal walls mainly in between bathroom and bedroom,kitchen and living room were built with black slag like blocks which were extremely brittle in construction,These must have been the forerunners to breeze blocks. Dek
 
I was interested when I was sent the link to this item, as William Douglas Thomson was my grandfather. After his death, the factory was run by my father, Kenneth George Thomson, and his elder brother, Colin Ian Thomson. (I think their younger brother, Keith, may have been involved too, but he died in a climbing accident in the mid 50s, when I was still very young.)

When my father, Ken, died in 1961 after suffering a heart attack, my mother, Clare Thomson, entered the business, initially to give her a means of coping with her sudden loss. Colin retired when the business closed down, and died in 1977. However, my mother continued to trade, on a much smaller scale, under a different name after Robert Normansell Ltd went into liquidation, and continued to do so until her death in 2007. She had meanwhile been joined by my husband, Barrie, who is still in the brass trade today!

Many of the original patterns are still being reproduced today, including the door knocker on 10 Downing Street!
 
Normansells had two buildings, the main 3 story one was on the corner of Windmill street and Exeter street and the passage ran around the back and into Ernest street.This building had lacquer shops and polishing equipment and also the offices.
The other building was on the opposite corner of Exeter and Windmill streets and was a single story building housing power and hand presses etc.
Exeter place was a back to back yard which ran alongside the main Normansells building until the area was demolished in the 1970's.
There was a fire in the Normansells building around 1965 or so and all of the inhabitants of the Exeter Place houses had to be evacuated.
 
Attached is apicture of Exeter place. In the right hand corner of the picture you can see a brick building wiht a slit window in the wall. This was the back corner of Normansells main factory
Exeterplace 1966.jpg
 
I am a new member to this thread and wonder if anyone has a recollection of the marks that Robert Normansell or Norseman Reproductions used on their pewter wares.
 
Colin B said:
This article suggests there is no known mark for Normansell / Norsemanhttps://www.pewterbank.com/Faked_Marks_and_Faked_Commemorative_Plates_etc_-_...20.pdf pages 16-18Colin
Click to expand...
Hi Colin
Thank you for your reply and link, I have been in regular contact with pewterbank; he and I are carrying out research into the company following different lines of enquiry. I think that there may have been some pewter that was marked NR but need evidence to confirm this is the case.
Regards
Steve
 
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