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44 Warstone Lane electroplating

K

karro

master brummie
My 2xgreat grandfather John Burley lived and ran his electroplating business at 44 Warstone from about 1862. For at least the next 20 years. Does anyone know when the housing on Warstone lane was built? Would it have been a new house in 1862? Was the housing built for artisans? I read that housing was built for artisan but I haven't been able to find out where. He was living at 48 Northampton before he moved to Warstone lane.
Does anyone have or know where I could find photos of these two locations ??
ie: 44 Warstone Lane
48 Northampton St.
I trying to write a brief history about John. It would be really helpful if I knew more about the development of the Jewllery Quarter. Since I don't live in England it difficult to find the information I'm looking for.
Thanks
 
I think you will find that Warstone Lane had housing from several different eras. A lot has gone now, demolished in the 1960's. There were some Georgian properties, and there were also many back to backs, without seeing a rates map, it would be difficult to say quite where it was. I don't know if any bomb damage occurred to Warstone Lane during the war, but Northampton Street definitely was bombed. There may be photos in the Central Library, however, someone on this forum may have some.

Shortie
 
Nos 42-45 Warstone lane is a terrace of four two=storey rendered brick houses built 1845-55. It sounds as if they might have been built just as houses, but by 1887 they all had workshops in the back yards. 43-344 have had inserted continuous windows . (https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1432646&resourceID=2 )
Only part of northampton st remains , and it looks like none of the buildings

Entries in directories for john burley are:
1858 Burley John, manufacturer of eIectro-plated liquor, cruet, pickle, and egg frames baskets.
waiters, toast racks, butter coolers,etc, 48, Northampton at
1862 Burley John Manufacturer of electroplated wares. 44 Warstone lane
1867-8 Burley &7 Glover .electroplaters, 44 Warstone lane
1872-90 Burley John Manufacturer of electroplated wares. 44 Warstone lane
In 1892 the building was occupied by a pearl button manufacturer
Mike
 
Thanks so much Mike. I never would have found the website you mentioned. I knew that 44 Warstone was still a business in the Jewllery Quarter but I couldn't find any other information. I'm trying to create a family story and this type of historic and archetectural information is exactly what I'm looking for. Do you know anything about the workshops or where I could get more information? How many rooms would the family have to live in? Was the workshop completly seperate? At times John had 9 hands working for him. Anything concerning living or working conditions would be very helpful.
Is it possible that there would be photos of any of these houses taken during the period that John lived there? I know its long shot but it would be fascinating for me to see what their home/workplace actually looked like. I have one book "The Jewellery Quarter" but it focuses on a period from 1921 onwards.
Thanks once again. Karro
 
There may well be photos, but I'm afraid I have no knowledge other than in my post of those houses. The book “The Birmingham jewellery quarter” by Catell, Ely & jones (pub English Heritage 2002) gives a reasonable description of the development of the area and the industry, is well written, authoritative and readable. It’s main interest is the buildings that remain ,however, and thus Northampton St receives little mention. If you can get hold of a copy I think you would find it interesting. The details of the houses in warstone lane are recorded in the book verbatim . I’m not sure whether the details on the website or the book came first.
Mike
 
Thanks for your recommendation. Unfortunately the Toronto library system does not have the book you mentioned by Catell, Ely & Jones and its quite expensive to buy ($140.00 + shipping). If anyone has a copy of "The Birmingham Jewllery Quarter: An architectural survey of Manufactories" , I'd appreciate any additional information it may contain. Or perhaps someone knows a way I can view it online. Thanks to all.
 
Hi Karro

There is really very little in the book (which is an expensive one to buy here, too).

This is the entire wording, and there is no photograph:

42-45 Warstone Lane

Terrace of four, two-storey rendered brick houses build circa 1845-55 and set back slightly from the street. By 1887 all had workshop ranges built in the rear gardens. Each house has a round-arched, keyed entrance offset to the left and an inserted retail-shop window. The upper-floor windows have nearly all been enlarged following the conversion of these areas to workshop use, and No's 43 and 44 have inserted continuous workshop windows at attic level. The original ground plan seems to have been a side passage opening into a good front room, and a wooden winder stair at the end of the passage with a smaller room to the left of that. The two-storey workshop range to the rear of No 45 has a mono-pitch roof and incorporates a former single-storey outshot originally containing a kitchen and/or a wash-house and earth closet.

This is all the book says on the building. The workshop range as it is called here is more often known as 'shopping', and we today would probably just call it a single storey extension, although some in the JQ are two storey.

I hope this is of some help.

Shortie
 
hi karro here is a pic of william edges at number 37 warstone lane..depending on how the numbers ran it looks like he also took up no 38 or 39....this is the closest i can find so far to number 44...these properties would almost certainly have been there when john burley was at 44...

lyn
 
Lyn
The buiilding at the far right is no 39 , ex-post office. not sure when your picture was taken. It must be after 1973, as i can't find Edges at no 39 in 1873, and up to 72 it is a post office
mike
 
I think this might be what you want, though not perfect. This is a picture i took around 1970 of the other side of Warstone lane. No 40 is the corner. Meeks is 41. and you can just see no 44 written on the far window on the right. the building with the rounded doorway must be 43 (then probably occupied by the Prima Casting co, manf. jewellers, , and the window is half of 44.
Mike

28__Other_corner_Vittoria_st_Warston_laneA.jpg
 
thanks mike..looking for pics of number 44 so its just off my pic which was taken in 1967...thanks for the email and pic...

lyn
 
brillient pic mike...hope karro sees it..i can clearly see number 44 on the window....would you or anyone happen to know if these buildings are still standing...

thanks for your help mike...lyn
 
karro.. also here is a pic of northampton st but i dont know if this is anywhere near the number 48 you are looking for...

lyn
 
I think all the buildings listed in catell's book (mentioned above) were standing in 2002
m ike
 
thanks mike...if karro gets back to us i am quite happy to go and see if the building is still there and take a full pic of number 44 as canada is a bit far to come:rolleyes:

lyn
 
B.J. Round was 7-10 northampton st. No 48 was on the other side of the roud about half way down
mike
 
thanks mike..if karro wants me to go and take any pics i may as well go and see if 48 northampton st is still there...

lyn
 
thanks mikejee thats that one sorted....thanks mike-g with a good pic like that there is really no need for me to go down myself...brillient...

lyn
 
Thanks to everyone who looked for the photos. It great to have an image of what their family home looked like.
Cheers!!!!!
 
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