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Whitmore Street

Sandi I do have photos of Theresa Masters and Ruby (Doris's mother and sister) but they were given to me personally and was asked not to publish them at any time. I have a photo of Doris and Theresa with my mom. My mom is at the front on the left hand side, Doris and Theresa are at the back in between the two ladies in the front on the right hand side. Theresa lived 2 Ford Street, I lived 4 Ford Street. Doris moved from Whitmore Street to a maisonette off the Lichfield Road and then moved back to 1/6 Ford Street. I know that Ronald died quite young leaving Doris with Ronald, John, Joyce, Ruby, Margaret and Maureen. If you are on facebook there is a Billy Kavanagh whose sister was called Brenda, I think she was a cousin to the children of Doris and Ronnie.
 

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Don’t think I’ve seen anything like this arrangement for auctions before. Seems to be a marquee/temporary structure attached to the premises for the audience. It has ‘catwalks’ for staff to show potential bidders the items for auction, Viv.

8A094503-0E04-4AAC-AB08-3A6D369B9D3D.jpeg
 
Every evening at seven o'clock. They must have got rid of lots of stock. I went to a couple of these sort of auctions, but smaller type auctions - usually in an empty shop. Grand Opening Sales they were often billed as. There was a kind of fever and excitement that encouraged people to buy. It was a slick operation and the punters were soon reeled in! ;)
I went in out of curiosity - and with little else to do when wandering the town of Weston-super-Mare when in the RAF. Being in the RAF meant there was little, if anything, that I would need or want to buy. Careful observation revealed the plants in the audience coupled with the auctioneers gestures. All in all a cheap entertainment. :laughing:
 
Yes Alan. I can imagine the 1881 Pearson’s auctions would have been entertainment too. And with the circus-type tent/marquee/awning it probably created a particular atmosphere. Viv.
 
Maybe a one-off. No record of Pearson in Whitmore St. 1883 or 1879. But in 1890 Pearson's Grand Auction Mart address in Tonypandy advertising for a pianist.
 
No mention in Kellys of Frederick Vincent Pearson in the 1882,83 or 84 editions, but is a Frederic Pearson (with that spelling) at 149 Irving St, shopkeeper, in the 1880 and previous editions
 
Carolina. The advert is from the Birmingham & Aston Chronicle (from British Newspapers Archives). As long as you acknowledge the source and don’t use it for commercial purposes I’m sure that’ll be fine. Viv.
 
I wonder then if the drawing was used for different venues. It seems to me that the “Whitmore Street Birmingham” address is in a different type and is less distinct. Maybe it was originally blank and the venue added later ? And maybe the auctions were actually in a tent, not attached to a permanent building. Were there such auctions ? Viv.
 
It would appear that he was a travelling dealer originating from sheffield, and a number of prosecutions were made of his practices.One is below:
Sheffield daily telegraph.24.7.1869.jpg
 
The Mart was on the ground near the Coffee Tavern in Nuneaton, May 1895.

Regent Street, Long Eaton, Jan 1896 with the address as ST Pearson 199, Noel St, Nottingham.
 
A sort of cross between a mobile hardware shop, market trader and travelling circus. Mind you it does put me in mind of when we used to go to Walsall Market in the 1950s. Traders had big van loads of china, pots or whatever. All lining the hill. And they each had their own peculiar gift of the gab to attract customers and sold their wares, literally, off the back of their lorry. And it would be sold like lightening. I used to love going to watch them. Viv.
 
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I think the crockery feats were what enthralled folk and encouraged them to buy. The hawkers had a knack of juggling large amounts of crockery - usually a complete dinner plate set - without breaking or dropping any of it. :eek:
 
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