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Wright's Rope Works

HI VIV;
Thank you for that picture i found it very intresting to look at i was trying to study the picture details to se any where it and how it changed in any part of the grounds they was working on at that time and trying to se where was the office departments was
could you tell us what year that picture was
I would have loved to have shown dearly old emily that picture god bless her even after her retiremnt for twenty years ater they still did send her flowers and
gift right up until her deah from the head office up north she soon sorted out the management she made her mark and her postion within the company
she was well respected as i have said i used to spend time wuith her at her selly park home right up after her retirment and her death
she was a great lady and lady i mean ; a truely lady in every form and shape and highly resp[ected in the steet
thanks viv once again ; best wishes Astonian;;
 
Wrights rope works in Garrison Street before it became the Rover trim department where they made the seating and hood for the Land Rover among other things. Didn't Wrights move over the other side of Lawley St after moving out of Garrison St, or was that another company.
 

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    Bordesley Garrison St Wrights Ropes.JPG
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Phil said:
Wrights rope works in Garrison Street before it became the Rover trim department where they made the seating and hood for the Land Rover among other things. Didn't Wrights move over the other side of Lawley St after moving out of Garrison St, or was that another company.
Click to expand...

Your right Phil there was another section of the factory alongside the Viaduct Pub
 
Glad you found the drawing interesting Alan. The drawing is 1770, don't know when it was covered in but I expect the later buildings were on the same footprint as those in the picture. Maybe even some of the original buildings were absorbed into the later factory. I too like to study these drawings as you can spot some nice little details that tell you a bit more about the history. Like the boss in the top hat, looks like he's checking the hemp (? sorry know nowt about rope-making!). And there are the blokes climbing the stairs to that first building - no handrail - and as we've often said on the forum, no health & safety gone mad yet. Interesting that originally rope walks were outside, not covered in. Must have been hard work in the depths of winter.

Phil - hope someone can answer your question. Thanks for posting the photo. Viv.
 
As I understand it Wright's were founded in 1770, so this must have been a picture of the original works as built. Wright's are not listed in the 1777 directory, which I think was a pay-to-insert publication, but in 1818 William Wright;s Rope & Twine works were somewhere in Suffolk St
 
My father worked at Wright's Rope Works during the 1940's and also,I think, the 1930's. I did have a photograph of him at work there but, sadly, it was lost about fifteen years ago. He was a 'splicer.' Sorry I couldn't supply more information.
 
FOUNDER OF WRIGHTS ROPES etablished 1770.

Need help on this one....
Wrights Ropes Ltd...Garrison Lane....Got loads of information on the "Atlantic Cable"
What I have not got is what was the name of the Company when it was founded in 1770 !!! And the FOUNDER.....
Anything on the Wrights would be GREATLY Apreciated...
Brian.
 
HI MILLIE AND TREBOUR
Firstlly trebour i remember your uncle frank he was one of the splicers one of twelve within the work shop and a friend of his was
a guy called johny hartnell and his son inlaw i believe as he was the union man for our company at wrights ropes [ british ropes ]
they was from sutton coldfield
I Myself along with the splicers and johny harnell and a couple of other guys was the rope makers and we would sort out the customers ordrers
As i have previuosly said of a grand old lady named emily thomas was in the office whom handled all the documents for the company
a little old grey haired lady whom started work at wrights from the word dot she was always highly dressed and imacorite person
even when she retired the company kept in touch with her and often sent her flowers right up until the day she died
whilst i was working there she told me the story of her first impression of the the attitude of the person she was to work under towards her
but she soon put him his place i will not go into details on that subject but dear old emily was highly respected lady through out the whole country
and up north at the head quarters anybody whom is on the forum and worked there would remmber dear old emily hey would never forget her
even after hours and week ends i spent alot of time at her house i was there when she died at a ripe old age her husband whom died quite young really was
A Artist painter around in birmingham and her daughter was a high class dance instructure with her own dance studios in brum she his well known
and may i add she was and is still a high class lady like her mother you could not meet another lady like emily she was know around selly park
sorry for getting carried away about emily but she was the hub at wrights and if she was alive today she could give you all the picture s and info; fromthe top to
of the ranks of the generals office of tthis office he senior forman was mick and stan blackwell and he would be another person whom could fil in the life of
wrights i am sure the name rings bells regaring millie and th other lady i think was janet from chemsley wood by the white har pub she lived
but it was a great company to work for they was the ladies in the back section of the lighter ropes of splicing us men had the big heavvy duty steel cables
and after sorting the customers steel ropes from the splicers we would put these huges wooden reels on to a turn table and coil it all on to these cotton reel
they was huge hevvy stuff the type of cables they used for big ships and cranes and you need a a crane to lift it off the machine befor geting moved
by a stack a truck and you could see these big round rolls beinused by the GPO And telecommunications
and the other great guy of frank trebour and along side working partner with him was a young guy called jerry they was great mates and jerry used to live down by the cov rd by that big pub that used to be the one that was the biggest bar in brum all those years ago i used to drink wih them
and one day i was on the sick for a week i went to get my wages and i had a lovely tweed new fashion coat frank called me across the shop and said thats a
great smart jacket how much he said and where from i told him and a month or two later frank was wearing one ; frank was abit of a smart dresser as i recall
Him any way they was the good old days happy new year to you all for 2014 ;; Astonian;;
 
I wonder if any one remembers James and Dick Reilly, my grandfather and great uncle, who worked until well after retirement age (at least into the 1950s)? James, my grandfather, received a long service certificate in 1948 - 48 years.

Of course, any one who remembers them would have been extremely young at the time!
 
Hi all this is a photo of my sister Eileen Emery, as she was then, the photo is about 1962 with her colleagues at Wrights Ropes,eileen abt 1960 12.jpg eileen is at the front on the right,she worked there for 4 years. all the best Michael.
 
HI Michael
I beleive the lady in the front row first on the left was the lovely old lady i got to know whilst working there myself
way back and her name as i have just been speaking about in my previous thread as dear Old emily thomson whom later in her elderly years
was in the work costing deparment and she was loved by everybody whom worked there from the shop floor to the top of directors
even after retiring the head office kept in touch with her through out her living days and constanly sent her flowers with other gifts
At christmas times and her birthday in her late old age she was very attive and self applyant even thou her daughter would help her
I think she was in her eightys one year down dog pool lane post office when she felt unwell and fell on the floor on pershore rd
she had just come out of the post office with her pension when she collasped a middle age man came running across the road to pick her up and whilst
picking her up had taken her hand bag and walked off iy was when she got home she missed it they never got the person responible
sadly a year or two she was feeling unwell she told me the next time i went to see her she was in hospital and died god bless her
her husband was a scenery painter in brum and her daughter used to keep a dance hall some where in brum i just cannot think of it at the moment
best wishes Astonian;;;
 
shyster2008 said:
Re: FOUNDER OF WRIGHTS ROPES etablished 1770.

Hi BernardR...
Is that a "Pic" of one of your Ancestors??? Sure looks Splendid...
Anyway...Still trying to get around Posting things I have to Research.....Where is the best place to "Post" it ???
If you would "Move" the Topic about Wrights Ropes for me and point me in the "Wright" direction...(Sorry about the Pun...Could not resist it)..Then I would be most grateful.
Regards
Brian.
Click to expand...


Hi. did you make any progress on finding out the ownership of Wright in the 1770's? I am interested too.
Bradford's 1751 map of Birmingham shows a Rope Walk down by the River Rea. By 1778 (Hanson's map), this appears to have become Milk Street. So I am thinking that given the size of the Rope Works in the 1770 drawing (source please if anyone can find it!) the firm may have later moved to Garrison Street.
Dawn
 
Is this firm the Johnnie Wrights that had a playing field on long acre nechells that we used to play on?
 
In 1835 William Wright is listed as a ropemaker in Dartmouth Street. I am not sure if this is a link or not.
Further searching suggests he was the grandfather of John and Edwin. Found here https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/warks/vol7/pp81-139
J. & E. Wright's rope works at Garrison Street similarly owed its growth to a patent for the production of rope composed of hemp and wire. This had a high degree of strength and resistance to corrosion, yet was light and was used for the Atlantic cable of 1866. (fn. 499) The business had been founded in 1770 by WilliamWright of Dartmouth Street, was continued first by his son William and then his daughter-in-law Ann, and after 1846 by his grandsons John and Edwin. They were the patentees and brought the firm to its later size.
Janice
 
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Hi,

My Nan worked at Wrights Ropes factory in the 40s and I'm eager to know if there are any photos taken of the workers, building etc around this time.

Would any employment records exist also? Her name was Eileen Martha O'Connor.

I'm really looking for anything on Eileen Martha O'Connor (aside from birth/death certs) that might be out there. She was born in Miles Street, Small Heath in 1923 and then moved to Heybarnes Road, until 1946/7 before she moved to West Sussex when married.

Thanks
Phil
 
The electoral rolls online (which when online do not list every year) shows the family was there was there in 1939, but not in 1935. the occupants of 237 Heybarnes Road (over 21) were Edward & Mary O'Connor in 1939. In 1945 there was also Eileen, Edward P, Elsie, Edward (another one), and Terence M.P. O'Connor , and Walter T.Smith. In 1947 eileen had left, but there was also a Josephine O'Connor, presumably just come of age.
I realise this may already be known to you, but just in case.
 
mikejee said:
The electoral rolls online (which when online do not list every year) shows the family was there was there in 1939, but not in 1935. the occupants of 237 Heybarnes Road (over 21) were Edward & Mary O'Connor in 1939. In 1945 there was also Eileen, Edward P, Elsie, Edward (another one), and Terence M.P. O'Connor , and Walter T.Smith. In 1947 eileen had left, but there was also a Josephine O'Connor, presumably just come of age.
I realise this may already be known to you, but just in case.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I have this information from the electoral registers, that's them!

I am more looking for pictures of Heybarnes Road during this period, or as close as possible to it, also Miles Street.
 
Hi millie
I seem to recall little Emilly thompson used to speak of your name after you went
do you recall the lady whom lived in chelmsley wood by the white horse pub whom would have been there
along side of you , there was a gentleman whom took over after you leaving for reasons known
beest wishes Astonian,,,,
 
This is a short description from a 1927 Institute of Mechanical Engineering visit to Wrights (from Grace's Guide). Although earlier than Phil's gran's employment, the place was unlikely to have dramatically changed by the 1940s. They had works at Garrison Street and Fawdrey Street. Viv.

image.jpeg
 
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Vivienne14 said:
Hope so too Lyn.

This is a short description from a 1927 Institute of Mechanical Engineering visit to Wrights (from Grace's Guide). Although earlier than Phil's gran's employment, the place was unlikely to have dramatically changed by the 1940s. They had works at Garrison Street and Fawdrey Street. Viv.

View attachment 116074
Click to expand...
Thank you to everyone for your help. My Nan is not one of the ladies pictured, but it would be pretty safe to say that they were likely some of her colleagues, so still very much a useful picture.

Any more like that?

Thanks again,

Phil
 
yes into watery lane facing the old British railway goods depot
coming down the darthmouth street heading towards the blues as you come under the bridge entering watery lane
and as i said facing the railway depot containers units which was the B R S
Whom ever worked there would have remembered Johny Hartell and his son inlaw was the union rep and blackie as we called him an old guy whom name is mr blackburn he was there for centurys as well a a shop forman , he was just one of number one shop
the wire coils , and the hemp division, and emly was a production office worker whom was a secretary to mr black burn
and she ran the cost deparment for senior management, i am trying to recall the names of the surronding streets it covered it was a masive area
about ten years ago when i came to the forum i done a atricle on wrights rope along with other older members but they aint no more
and ironicaly the forum was robbed as i say of this valuable inputs from the other members and myself
and this cannot be chased back on the forum i would imagine as phil as said the libary may have some records on them some where
at one time i did have alot of info, on wrights because i worked there myself i even got my younger brother a postion of the factory floor
on the steel ropes section after he came out of the forces
i asked my oldest son today if he recalls my records of the days i have two lots of records one in the lofft and of books with wrights info with some pictures, i have two garages and tons of storage of documents he seems to think that i put them in a case and into a large box
but i cannot remember but i will have a look some time tommorrow and dig deep , but i cannot promise i will find the documents of yester years i seem to recall the general mangers office was right a cross the yard and you had to go up some steps to get to the offices and wage department and i think is first name was also Alan, but whom of surname
I think there head office was some where up north where they was producing steel and that when little emily retired wat back in the seventy or the eightys they never forgot her and every year after she had left they always sent her flowers and gifts at her birthday
and at christmas time for years they done it but sadly she died
and if you have seen any of the old threads from millie and that she left after 12 moths of working there because of the two foremen
running the show you would understand the pressure they put on them , but little emily was the young girl when she started
way back in the begiinng years of the 20/30/ whom was recently married to a true gentleman
whom was a painter of building around birmingham was a true artist ,
And Ispent many many hours with emily at her home and during working there told me her life story on how she came from woolworths store wher she worked to come and work at wrights ropes as a secretary and her and blackburn never got on within the department he would be sarky and put obsticles in her way but in the end she won it through
and showed him and put him his place and senior management had seen how she operated blackburn and took her up in the offices
they was over the moon and they highly respected her and she stayed well after her retirment age she was in her eightys and fell down on good health and that was the day some scum bag awaited for her to come out of the dogpool lane post office
and mugged her and kicked her to the ground and robbed her pension from that she would never go out on her again
that was the down fall of emily
but any way i think phil will put our friend right direction
sorry for waffling on ,, Astonian,,,, Alan,,,
 
Astonian said:
yes into watery lane facing the old British railway goods depot
coming down the darthmouth street heading towards the blues as you come under the bridge entering watery lane
and as i said facing the railway depot containers units which was the B R S
Whom ever worked there would have remembered Johny Hartell and his son inlaw was the union rep and blackie as we called him an old guy whom name is mr blackburn he was there for centurys as well a a shop forman , he was just one of number one shop
the wire coils , and the hemp division, and emly was a production office worker whom was a secretary to mr black burn
and she ran the cost deparment for senior management, i am trying to recall the names of the surronding streets it covered it was a masive area
about ten years ago when i came to the forum i done a atricle on wrights rope along with other older members but they aint no more
and ironicaly the forum was robbed as i say of this valuable inputs from the other members and myself
and this cannot be chased back on the forum i would imagine as phil as said the libary may have some records on them some where
at one time i did have alot of info, on wrights because i worked there myself i even got my younger brother a postion of the factory floor
on the steel ropes section after he came out of the forces
i asked my oldest son today if he recalls my records of the days i have two lots of records one in the lofft and of books with wrights info with some pictures, i have two garages and tons of storage of documents he seems to think that i put them in a case and into a large box
but i cannot remember but i will have a look some time tommorrow and dig deep , but i cannot promise i will find the documents of yester years i seem to recall the general mangers office was right a cross the yard and you had to go up some steps to get to the offices and wage department and i think is first name was also Alan, but whom of surname
I think there head office was some where up north where they was producing steel and that when little emily retired wat back in the seventy or the eightys they never forgot her and every year after she had left they always sent her flowers and gifts at her birthday
and at christmas time for years they done it but sadly she died
and if you have seen any of the old threads from millie and that she left after 12 moths of working there because of the two foremen
running the show you would understand the pressure they put on them , but little emily was the young girl when she started
way back in the begiinng years of the 20/30/ whom was recently married to a true gentleman
whom was a painter of building around birmingham was a true artist ,
And Ispent many many hours with emily at her home and during working there told me her life story on how she came from woolworths store wher she worked to come and work at wrights ropes as a secretary and her and blackburn never got on within the department he would be sarky and put obsticles in her way but in the end she won it through
and showed him and put him his place and senior management had seen how she operated blackburn and took her up in the offices
they was over the moon and they highly respected her and she stayed well after her retirment age she was in her eightys and fell down on good health and that was the day some scum bag awaited for her to come out of the dogpool lane post office
and mugged her and kicked her to the ground and robbed her pension from that she would never go out on her again
that was the down fall of emily
but any way i think phil will put our friend right direction
sorry for waffling on ,, Astonian,,,, Alan,,,
Click to expand...

Thank you for such a lovely message, it's always fascinating finding out about people, isn't it?

Very interested in those boxes of records and photos from your Wright's days. If your son could arrange for them to be scanned, (I'm happy to help with this), that would be excellent.

Thanks,
Phil
 
Three Wrights Ropes images. The first a rope guage c1930s. Lovely object.

image.jpeg

A very nice display of Wrights Ropes. Don't know where or when the exhibition took place.
image.jpeg

A 1950s advert. Who'd have believed ropes could make such interesting adverts. Almost psychadelic !
image.jpeg
 
My mother and sister worked there in the war, Violet Paget Berril Paget How they had to go into work after the factory was bombed working in water They would have been both young girls at the time Mum Violet had a built up shoe Berril was a red head Would anyone remember them ?
Alan
 
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