Simpson family (Jack, former boxer from 1940s)

[Gwynfor]

Thank you for the photos Gwynfor. We hope to venture up to Birmingham next year and try to find the places my ancestors lived. I believe one of the pub's in Birmingham used to have memorabilia up of Jack's boxing days, but whether it is still there or not I don't know? My eldest brother remembers going to watch one of his fight's in a pub garden, with a proper ring and referee etc and Jack taking him to a back room in pub where men were dressed smartly smoking cigars...perhaps the Aston Sloggers or Peaky Blinders?! He was only around 6/7 so doesn't remember the pub name but was in Aston.

Hi, My wife told me that she remembers going to see one of Uncle Jack's fights with her Father when she was a young girl, the fight took place at a pub in the garden, Jack & Alice lived in Cooksey Lane, Kingstanding, Birmingham for most of there married life and they used to go to the Dears Leap pub in Cooksey Lane, in the group photo Diana's Father is in the back row on the extreme right his name was John Patrick Astle, my wife was asking if you live local to Birmingham.

 

[Wisey66]

Hi, My wife told me that she remembers going to see one of Uncle Jack's fights with her Father when she was a young girl, the fight took place at a pub in the garden, Jack & Alice lived in Cooksey Lane, Kingstanding, Birmingham for most of there married life and they used to go to the Dears Leap pub in Cooksey Lane, in the group photo Diana's Father is in the back row on the extreme right his name was John Patrick Astle, my wife was asking if you live local to Birmingham.

Hi, oh really I wonder if it was the same boxing match? My eldest brother was born 1956, so he would have gone to that boxing match in 1963/64 - my other brother remembers visiting Jack and Alice at their home too and yes I have the Cooksey Lane address in my mum's old address book. Thanks, that is great you have given us the name of the pub, is that still there do you know? I live in Portsmouth with my husband, but my Grandad, Alfred, Jack's brother moved to Winchester from Birmingham many years ago in the 1920s and as a family we all grew up there. It would be great to meet one day if you are nearby?

 

[Alberta]

moved to surnames

 

[PC 5002]

My late grandmother, Lily Cain, nee Simpson was the daughter of a Jack Simpson, she had a, brother also named Jack who for many years owned a betting shop on Barnes Hill, Weoley Castle. The elder Jack was well known in the Aston area in his younger days as a troublemaker, constantly in and out of prison for minor offences mostly involving fights with the Peaky Blinders or petty theft. He was also regularly arrested for being a street corner bookie for which he was usually fined about ten shillings or did seven days in prison. My grandmother as a child was often employed as a lookout to warn him if a police officer was nearby. She married Martin John Cain and they lived at number 5, back of 25 Tower Street in Aston. They had four children, Lillian, John ( known as Jack), Emily and my mother Winifred. When the area was redeveloped they moved to the
then newly built Weoley Castle estate. The first picture is my great grandfather's police record card, the second picture is him in his old age.

 

[Astoness]

hi PC 5002 and welcome...your family story is so typical of many of our ancestors...like was tough back in the day..if you use the search box and put in tower street i think we have a thread for it with old photos...may even be one of no 25 or the back of it..always make sure you start reading a thread from post 1 so that you do not miss anything

lyn

 

[gypo65]

Hi if it is the same Jackie Simpson then he was my godfather

 

[Vivienne14]

Are these relations or other family members ?











Source : British Newspaper Archive