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Wolseley Car History

My father worked for most of his working life for Wolseley and I posted some photos on here of an Aussie sheep shearer (world champion) doing a demo to the staff at the works. E.
 
Eric, my mum also worked for the Wolseley and she remembered watching the sheep shearer! I have looked very hard but can't see her! Her name was Marie Monaghan, and she also mentions a foreman called Sid and also Len Spragg. Maybe these names mean something to someone!
 
Dad's long gone now so no one to ask about names, the ones I can recall are Len Howell worked with dad and lived just round the corner from us in Leyton Grove, a Mr O'Dell who I remember was an amputee (only had one leg).
There was a Joe Jones who was at the works but I believe he actually worked for the government as an inspector, him and his wife and mom and dad were friends and used to visit each others houses to play cards, his wife was named Flora. Eric.
 
I worked for the Sales Director of Wolseley in the 1960s and remember we were asked by British Leyland for any information on our company as they were compiling a book or booklet to celebrate a landmark in their history. I was given the task of looking throught the archives and the most memorable item was Minutes of a Board Meeting in about 1904 when the decision was taken not to continue with the manufacture of cars "as there was no future for them".

This was Wolseley Engineering in Electric Avenue in Witton, who manufactured sheep shearing equipment in the early days and when I worked there - agricultural machinery. A sister company on the same site was Webbs Lawnmowers.
 
Sylvia that's funny about there being no future for cars. I wish people from that era who made statements like that could see where we are at now! My brother's Webb lawn mower, bought by my father in l935, is in prime condition and working better than ever after
my brother did a reno on it. This consisted of a good oiling and blade sharpening only.
 
Eric, I left late 1968, always regretted leaving as I was very happy there, but my boss left to take a position in London, he asked me to move there with him, but due to family commitments I couldn't, I often wonder what turns my life would have taken if I had moved to London.

Which department did your dad work in?
 
I'm not sure which dept. Sylvia, he was there as I said for 40 odd years so may have moved around, he listed his job as 'viewer' at one time. His name was Len Gibson. Eric.
 
Sorry I don't remember your dad Eric, as I said it was a happy firm to work for in those days, and I know that Mr. Drake who was the Chairman used to park his car at the Webb side and walk through the factory each morning and always spoke to the men on the shopfloor, he was a real gentleman. His children Gabrielle went onto be an actress - "The Brothers" among her credits, and son Nick who was a singer, but unfortunately committed suicide, and became more famous after death.
 
Rod and Myself were sent a few photo's by a lady I think who was Jill :-\ Hogan......her grandfather or father worked at the Wolesley pre WW1, on his return from the war, he wrote and asked for his job back..........here is the reply.........
 
This photo is of William Banham working at the Wolesley, I do not know if its pre or post war?
 
Wolseley 9

This is a photo of my grandmother Clarissa Jennings posing with my Dad's new Wolseley 9 outside their house in Bevington Road. There is a photo on the Aston Brook site of my Dad in the same pose. I think the photo is around 1932.

Dad___car.jpg
 
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Peter Walker said:
Just come across this very good Australian site.
Jim Jarron's Motoring Pages - Wolseley History
URL: https://www.users.bigpond.com/jimjarron/wolseley_history.html
I think it's quite fascinating, and very local too. Another example of foreigners coming to Birmingham to make their mark and doing it brilliantly.
Peter
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I just came across your site while searching the internet for something else (as often happens). I see you have a reference to my old website, so I thought I would give you an update on it. At the time I created my site, my ISP provided space for a free website as part of the package I was on. This facility was, however, withdrawn a few years ago, with the result that the website disappeared altogether.



In late 2009, the then President of the Wolseley Car Club of New South Wales raised the question of whether or not the club should have a website of its own. Some of the Committee members felt that it was an unnecessary expense for a club of our size (we have about 90 members) and nothing much happened until I suggested using the free service offered by Google. As I am the editor of the Club's monthly magazine and also the only person on the Committee with any experience in setting up and maintaining a website, I got the job of doing it.



Most of what was on my website can now be found on the club's website together with, of course, additional club specific information such as club aims, committee members, outings and so on. So if you're looking for any of my old pages, you should find them at: https://sites.google.com/site/wolseleycarclubofnsw/
 
That is great Jim thanks for sharing and updating us. Peter is no longer with us though his memory lives on thanks to the great articles he contributed.
 
sylviasayers said:
I worked for the Sales Director of Wolseley in the 1960s and remember we were asked by British Leyland for any information on our company as they were compiling a book or booklet to celebrate a landmark in their history. I was given the task of looking throught the archives and the most memorable item was Minutes of a Board Meeting in about 1904 when the decision was taken not to continue with the manufacture of cars "as there was no future for them".

This was Wolseley Engineering in Electric Avenue in Witton, who manufactured sheep shearing equipment in the early days and when I worked there - agricultural machinery. A sister company on the same site was Webbs Lawnmowers.
Click to expand...
I researched the Minute ledgers in depth and there is no statement whatsoever in them that "there was no future for cars".
And, of course, the sheepshearing machine company sold off their car and machine tool business to Vickers Sons & Maxim in 1901, so in 1904 the company had no dealings with cars whatsoever.
I published a book specifically about this subject "Herbert Austin - His Wolseley Years" which is only available from the Wolseley Register.
Boomy
 
sylviasayers said:
Sorry I don't remember your dad Eric, as I said it was a happy firm to work for in those days, and I know that Mr. Drake who was the Chairman used to park his car at the Webb side and walk through the factory each morning and always spoke to the men on the shopfloor, he was a real gentleman. His children Gabrielle went onto be an actress - "The Brothers" among her credits, and son Nick who was a singer, but unfortunately committed suicide, and became more famous after death.
Click to expand...
 
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sylviasayers said:
Sorry I don't remember your dad Eric, as I said it was a happy firm to work for in those days, and I know that Mr. Drake who was the Chairman used to park his car at the Webb side and walk through the factory each morning and always spoke to the men on the shopfloor, he was a real gentleman. His children Gabrielle went onto be an actress - "The Brothers" among her credits, and son Nick who was a singer, but unfortunately committed suicide, and became more famous after death.
[/QUOT1974
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On Bargain hunt repeat this lunchtime. Visit to British motor museum in Warwick showed this photo of a tractor manufactured by Wolseley for Scott's Antarctic expedition , but which could not reverse and would have needed the transport of lots of fuel to make use of it.

wolseley tractor for scotts antarctic expedition.jpg
 
mikejee said:
On Bargain hunt repeat this lunchtime. Visit to British motor museum in Warwick showed this photo of a tractor manufactured by Wolseley for Scott's Antarctic expedition , but which could not reverse and would have needed the transport of lots of fuel to make use of it.

View attachment 146586
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Three of these motorised sleighs were built and taken to Antarctica for Scott's Expedition.
They are covered in great detail in a book "Wolseley Special Products" which I bought from the Ian Allan bookshop, but that shop closed, so do not know where, if, the book can still be obtained.
PA739
 
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