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What sort of industry would moulders be employed in?

Having worked with Big Gee in England ,I agree with all his comments.I have worked in foundry and steelworks all my working life in Aus and the Uk and find them fascinating places.My husband also worked at Round Oak Steelworks till 1973 which as also gone now.I believe they also had the first continuous casting machine in the UK
 
Hi Bordesley Exile.

Thanks for the link. I have no recollection of any connection between Key & Hoskins and Hoskins & Son but certainly, pre early 50's there may well have been a connection.

Old Brummie
 
Hi Polly Kettle.
I'm being kept busy today. When I joined the site I didn't quite know what I was letting myself in for.
Now I see you're researching "Kettle" - naturally.
I worked as an apprentice at Wilmot Breeden and the man in charge of apprentice training was a Harry Kettle. Is he one of yours?
Old Brummie.
 
All this started with the reference to castings and moulders and here we are with a Prime Minister. I'll explain. Having re-discovered Hoskins & Sewell and a reference to Key & Hoskins I decided to try to see if they were linked to Hoskins & Son. - No success but I did find something I had completely forgotten. Lord Mayor Joseph Chamberlain had a son, Neville, who as well as also being L.M. of Brum, went on to become Prime Minister. He had a Half Brother/Cousin named Austen Chamberlain who was Civil Lord of The Admiralty. Neville's wife, Austen and his Sisters were the owners of "Hoskins & Son", manufacturers and suppliers of "Chain Beds" to The Admiralty. This was a bit of a crisis at the time of the Parliamentary Elections in September 1900. (Shades of current shinanegins?)
Having found all this on "The Net" reminded me that I met, on a number of occasions, Frank Chamberlain, Austen or Neville's son and my Dad's Boss, when he owned Hoskins.
And here is another bit of "Trivia" for you. Frank Chamberlain had relatives linked to the early exploration of Australia. I can't recall whether it was Frank's or his wife's family but one of them was directly related to either Burke or Wills who endeavoured to discover a route from Adelaide to what is now Darwin across the centre of Australia. Burke and Wills both perished in the attempt. Frank Chamberlain visited Australia not long after I arrived here though I was not able to meet up at that time.
OldBrummie.

As a p.s. Hoskins & Sewell beds were supplied to the "Titanic".
 
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Hiya Polly Kettle!

Thanks for your kind comment. I remember you well. I also remember the absolute balls-ache (excuse my French) of trying to develope a coating for continuous casting....remember Alan Dent from those distant days???

Round Oak Steelworks is now Merry Hill Shopping Centre (more or less). About a year before he died I took my old man on a trip down several Black Country Memory Lanes, and his comment about Round Oak was that "he'd never have believed that where HIS furnaces once stood they're now flogging cut-price bloody T-shirts to *******s!" He got it right.

Big Gee
 
G,Day Big Gee,I do remember Alan Dent,I started at FOSECO when I was 18 in 1968 from Duddeston Manor School.If you remember our Lab was right at the bottom of the building(Ingot Treatment Division)down a very narrow steep set of stairs into what was once the air raid shelter.I only lived just across the road but I came to work in my 'modern " clothes and changed in to my work gear.Not long after I started I came down the stairs one morning in my black leathermini skirt,black leather boots and black leather midi coat,Alan Dent was at the bottom of the stairs ,he threw himself on the floor and shouted "whip me, whip me and trample allover me".I decided then and there working with with men I,d better learn to give as good as I get,and I do.ps I,m still in touch with Mike Humm in Canada and Martin Wardell.Frank Lawrence died a few years back but I still keep in touch with his wife in Great Barr.
 
Sorry Old Brummie I forgot to reply to you on the last post.I don,t think Harry Kettle is one of mine but I,m still trying to find all my Dads cousins,so could be.I have a couple of my dads job references,ones dated 15/11/1946 from Cyclo Gear Co ltd,and the other is from Newton and Co dated 15 oct 1952 from then on he was at Joseph Lucas,till his death at Joseph Lucas Shaftsmoor Lane in 1966.Ring any bells .Regards Polly
 
Hi Polly.
I can throw no light on Harry Kettle other than to say he was a big man who was well respected. I was at Wilmot's from about July 1958 to July 1963 and Harry Kettle was still there when I left. I did not have a huge amount of personal contact and learnt next to nothing about him out-side of work.
Lots of luck with the research. It can get very frustrating.
OldBrummie.
 
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