Recent content by robjarman

goodness! thanks v much - what a discovery! that's a well used knife! so - is that a salesman's gift to a good customer? or an item for sale? it does not seem to specifically relate to the oil or bottle top businesses... any idea of a date?

thanks v much for that pointer - that might provide a closer link with the family's primary involvement with the brewing business, which was massively scaled up and innovated during the 1930s and 40s - I'll pursue that avenue!

Hi Janice - you're a star! I don't have access to any more Kelly's, so by filling in the missing link you've solved a riddle I think - they must have changed the focus of their business from oil by 1936 I just discovered an earlier passenger list from Dec 1926 where Eric gives 'oil business' -...

many thanks Janice - so a very local migration of offices is becoming clear! 1930 109 Colmore Row 1937 33 Newhall St 1940 33 Newhall St 1941 10 Newhall St 1959-70 10 Newhall St I'm still trying to find out what Eric Dudley Thompson was doing as MD of Jessel Co - I've found two more passenger...

I now see from Kelly's 1930 that Jessel Co Ltd were based at 109 Colmore Row - which appears to be in the same building block as 33 Newhall Street - is that correct? also, in this Directory Jessel Co are given as 'The Jessel Oil Co Ltd - oil importers'. in the 1937 Kelly's, Jessel Co Ltd are...

have now checked on Kelly's 1939 - 33 Newhall Street was an office block with 20 tenants, including Jessel Co

thanks Janice. I've now looked up 'crown cork' - ah = bottle tops!! so, would the Newhall Street premises have been manufacturing, or admin? given that all the beer production was in Burton on Trent, why would they have bottle top production in Birmingham city centre? they did not take Ansells...

job ads for Jessel Co for 1940 and 1941 - and the 1939 Register entry for Eric D Thompson at the Carlton Hotel, Bournemouth

yep the Hazelwood School record is the right man - but some of that info is incorrect...e.g. the 1939 register has been mistranscribed as 'Tessel Co Ltd', he was not RNR or RNVR, he did not work for the Admiralty during WW2, etc!!... what's new!! thanks for all your help - gold dust!!

thanks all, really appreciate your help - yep, Grace's Guide was the 1950 ref I had - but it's not clear what Jessel Co did, were they suppliers of the 'Fisholow' products (= Fisher & Ludlow, metal pressings for many industries) in this case crates/racking for bottles? this makes sense in terms...

please, can anyone help with info on a company called Jessel Ltd? they were based in 10 and 34 Newhall Street, acc to archives I have found for 1940, 1941 and 1950. I am interested in a man called Eric Dudley Thompson, who described himself as Managing Director of Jessel Co Ltd in the 1939...