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W T Avery scales

A

Astonian

gone but not forgotten
HI EVERY ONE
In My Youth I Worked At Avery scales ltd ;
And I Worked Along Side My UNCLE Bill.
Whom Worked There From His Younger DAYS Right Up To His Retirement
Days And He Got A Gold Watch;
Any Way I Was Wondering Wether Or Not Can Anybody Tell ME
Who , What Why ; [ MEANING Can ANYBODY Tell Me How Did They Start
And whom Was The FOUNDER Of AVERY SCALES And When Did They Fist Stared The Bussiness ? ,And Also The First Ever Weighing Machine Was
Produced AT FOUNDRY LANE WINSON GREEN ,
And Are They Still There ?, thank you .
have a nice Day Every one Best Wishes ASTONIAN ;;;
 
Was at school with a pal who I believe went to work at Avery Scales around 1955. Malcolm Maclean.
 
Colin thanks for the link facinating. My great grandfather worked at Salters Springs in West Bromwich from about 1870 untill 1901 well on the census's anyway..oh I wish I had asked my grandma more questions. He is listed as clerk and in 1901 as manufactures clerk. My grandma told me he had some connection to West Bromwich Albion and I know they where formed at Salters Springs. Which would coinside with the time he was there. The only problem I have is his name was Thomas Smith which at the time was the most common name in England. I then found out his son my gran's brother also worked there as a clerk, and his name was also Thomas Smith.........family don't make it easy do they?

Link referred to does not now work
 
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avery scales

Hi Colin
ManyThanks For The Info Giving Us The Info On There Site
I Had A Good Time Working There And The Peole Was Great
My Uncle Bill Got Me The Job There When I Was Young,AND I Was
Working In The Electro Plating Department
I Was One Of A Team I Was The Chrome Plater In The Department
I Remember One Day I Had To Have Medical ,And When I Went For It
I Passed Out In The Surgery , They Sent For My Uncle Bill
And He Took Me Home, A Great CompanyTo Work For .
Once Again Thanks For Supplying Me With The Site ,And I.m Sure The
Other Members Appreciate ItAs Well.
Have A Nice Day Best Wishes Astonian ;;;
 
Three of my sisters and my mother worked at Avery's at one time or another. It was one of those tradition places that employed whole families of workers. As with most of our industries, sadly, I believe there is very little left of it now.

BTW, just to be pedantic and pick Astonian up on a very small point, although it always advertised as being in Birmingham, it was in Merry Hill, Smethwick.
 
Avery's

A couple of years ago a friend and I were lucky enough to be shown around Avery's Musem by the then Curator. We wrongly thought we would see some scales and be out in Half an hour. Thankfully we were wrong, we spent a fasinating morning learning the history of weights and scales told to us by a gentleman whose enthusiasm was great to see, Knowing my interest in the R.A.M.C he showed me a scale on which the wounded soldiers were weighed in a military hospital during the First World War. It was a teriffic morning. It is a pity there are not more museums like that, keeping the past for future generations.
Maggie
 
maggie, were you also shown around William Murdock's cottage containing examples of Matthew Boulton silverware and Murdock's prototype gasometer which, I believe, are still on the Avery site? (The latter was utilised as an emergency water reserve during WWII.)
 
Avery Scales

Hi Colin
Just Read Your Thread ,found It Intresting
And I Stand Corrected On The Issue That I Made A Little
Mistake On The Address, When I Read Your Thread I Sat
Back In The Chair And Thought Of The District
And Then I Relized Yes.
Along Foundry Lane There Was A Boundry District
With A Sign Hanging Saying Merry Hill .
There Was A Little Coffee Shop Directly Across The Road
Facing The Main Gate Of Averyies
Because Of My Knowledge With The Winson Green Area
I Presumed It Was Winson Green -smethwick B,ham
Best Wishes Astonian ;;;;
 
Astonian, I'm surprised you haven't mentioned the Soho Tavern, right opposite the main gate. It's difficult to image you've never had a piint (or two or...) in there. ;)
 
Avery Scales

HI OISIN
Didn,t I Mentioned That ,I thought i Did
Well Yes We Had A Liquid Lunch Every Day And Very Enjoyable Indeed
And The Very Last Time I Visited There I Won Ten Bob on The Tote Card
Then We Shot Up To The Smiths Arms On Winson green Road
Which Is Still Standing There Today
best wishes astonian ,,;;;;
 
My Mum worked at Averys before the war, I seem to remember she was involved with the manufacture of petrol pumps.

As already mentioned in this thread, it can be quite difficult at times deciding if a place is in Birmingham or Smethwick. I suppose its the same today, postal addresses are not always related to local authority boundaries and this is bound to create some confusion.
 
Remember these? Avery stacking weights. But I notice no 2oz weight. Many of us must have had 2oz of sweets weighed out using these. Viv.

image.jpeg
 
Vivienne14 said:
Remember these? Avery stacking weights. But I notice no 2oz weight. Many of us must have had 2oz of sweets weighed out using these. Viv.

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I have similar weights, although supplied from Rushbrookes. (There is already a thread I believe about that company). They range from 4ozs.to 4lbs. The other weights are brass and range from quarter ounce to 1lb. They are used frequently.
 
bb.jpeg
This was sent to me by a friend, it is obviously from a newspaper and because articles from the Evening Mail often appear I hope it is o/k to post this one.
Stitcher
 
Very nice Dave. Any idea of the date. The red ironwork looks Victorian, but could be wrong. Viv.
 
Pooleys were another manufacturer. Their scales were often on railway platforms where people paid to weigh themselves. The large scales in the previous post were the type also seen in most railway goods sheds and anywhere else where crates and sacks were weighed.
 
W & T Avery Birmingham scales seen at the Melin Llynnon windmill on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales.



 
Ever since I took it 10 days ago I wasn't able to read the top line! It's so faint.

No problem Lyn.

So much history on Anglesey.

Even found out that Penmon stone was used to build the Birmingham Town Hall!
 
ell i think i read some time ago that the town hall was built from welsh stone...did not know it was from penmon stone though..must have taken some shifting from wales to brum back then

lyn
 
Just adding to the Avery Scales thread.
I have this 1906 Avery catalogue which says the company was established in 1730.
The scales made in 1906 ranged from a laboratory fine balance which could measure from 1/50th grain up to 2 ounces, and railway locomotive tables which could weigh up to 200 tons.
Boomy
 

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I still need to sort out my books after a house move two years ago but at least I now have them on shelves instead of boxes in a spare bedroom. I know that somewhere I have a book which was owned by one of my great grandfathers who worked at Avery's. It must have been written for the 200th anniversary of the company in 1930. Must try to find it.
 
DavidGrain said:
I still need to sort out my books after a house move two years ago but at least I now have them on shelves instead of boxes in a spare bedroom. I know that somewhere I have a book which was owned by one of my great grandfathers who worked at Avery's. It must have been written for the 200th anniversary of the company in 1930. Must try to find it.
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yes david you must as it could be a very good read...well done for getting your books out of boxes at last:D

lyn
 
boomy said:
Just adding to the Avery Scales thread.
I have this 1906 Avery catalogue which says the company was established in 1730.
The scales made in 1906 ranged from a laboratory fine balance which could measure from 1/50th grain up to 2 ounces, and railway locomotive tables which could weigh up to 200 tons.
Boomy
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Hi there, I was just wondering if the catalogue you reference above would have any details of the 1900's type Avery grain scales- refer to attached pictures. I'm working with a local authority in Waterford, Ireland and we are currently demolishing an old grain store building which housed the attached. We have removed the scales and the intention is to refurbish it and put it on display in a public building. Ideally if you could guide me to where I might be able to get a copy of the catalogue that would be great.
 

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Paul-Flynn said:
Hi there, I was just wondering if the catalogue you reference above would have any details of the 1900's type Avery grain scales- refer to attached pictures. I'm working with a local authority in Waterford, Ireland and we are currently demolishing an old grain store building which housed the attached. We have removed the scales and the intention is to refurbish it and put it on display in a public building. Ideally if you could guide me to where I might be able to get a copy of the catalogue that would be great.
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Unfortunately, my Avery Scales catalogue only covers engineering scales and there is no mention of grain scales.
Should imagine these catalogues are quite rare and can only suggest that you try eBay or abebooks, the latter lists old books currently available all over the world.
Boomy
 
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