A. H. Bayes & Co and Archibald Kenrick

[deiseboy]

Hi.
I am researching Archibald Kenrick 1875-1955, and his sister Sylvia, who lived in Fountain Road, Edgbaston .
They were first cousins to Neville Chamberlain, via their Aunt Florence, Joseph Chamberlain's second wife and grandchildren of Timothy Kenrick of Archibald Kenrick and Sons, West Bromwich.

Archibald was an engineer and traded for several decades as A. H. Bayes & Co. at 175, Icknield Street, Birmingham, which was a metal working company.

I just wondered if anyone had any information on them or the company.
Photographs would be wonderful.

Many thanks.

 

[Wendy]

Hello deiseboy.

How lovely to be researching these great Birmingham families this thread may help. https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=26039

 

[deiseboy]

First image is our man. Last 3 Images are scanned from the book, Kenricks in Hardware by R.A.. Church

Hi Wendy.

My sister now lives in the house where Archibald and Sylvia Kenrick lived. During renovations, she discovered a forgotten box of about 50 old photographic glass plates, behind a water tank in the loft. Most are holiday type shots of churches and landscape scenes.
They appear to date from around 1880-1900 and a few show people, both adults and children, of that era. They seem to be a family group.

The time frame would rule out the adults being this Archibald but, assuming they are members of his family, they could be his father, also Archibald 1842-1919, son of Timothy Kenrick (shown above), with his wife and children on holiday in Yorkshire, Kent and the Isle of Wight. Two of the children could be Archie and Sylvia. (We call the younger one Archie to save confusion with so many Archibalds.)

The father was a bit of a nomad, born in West Bromwich, a partner in the family firm until 1870, when he left shortly after marrying Emily Purdie Sellman, a toolmaker's daughter. He is described somewhere as a landscape painter.

His sister, Florence, became Joseph Chamberlain's second wife. His cousin, Harriet, had been the first wife. Anyone studying the Kenrick family tree will be amazed at the number of inter-marriages between these famous Unitarian families: Kenricks, Chamberlains, Beales and Martineaus particularly.

He then lived in Upton on Severn, Bristol, Inverness, Croydon, Tunbridge Wells and Bournemouth, where he died in 1919.
He had 2 sons and 7 daughters. Sylvia was born in Clifton, Bristol and Archie was born in Inverness.

This Archibald's uncle was also Archibald (shown above as Archibald II), Timothy Kenrick's brother. They were the main partners in Archibald Kenrick and Sons through the middle years of the 1800s.

We have been unable to find any photographs of this Archibald or his son, Archie, so we can only compare my sister's images to those above.
George Hamilton Kenrick (above) was this Archibald's brother. Is there a resemblance? What do you think?

 

[Wendy]

How amazing to find the old glass slides, I love looking at these things. The families were very interconnected. I was amazed at their burial place at Key Hill Cemetery, where they are all buried together. I think there is resemblance in your photo's of George and Archibald. There is quite a lot of info on these families in the Pen Museum in Fredrick Street in the Jewellery Quarter. Margaret one of the volunteers has a lot of information and items from the Chamberlain family. If I come across anything I will certainly let you know.

 

[Jayell]

I wonder if you are still on the forum "deiseboy"? I have just found a connection in my family to Archibald Kendrick. His wife Emily Purdie Sellman was my 2nd cousin 3 x removed. Her grandmother being the sister of my 3 x Gt.Grandmother! It was fascinating to read your information on the family and the connection to the Chamberlains!

Judy

 

[deiseboy]

I wonder if you are still on the forum "deiseboy"? I have just found a connection in my family to Archibald Kendrick. His wife Emily Purdie Sellman was my 2nd cousin 3 x removed. Her grandmother being the sister of my 3 x Gt.Grandmother! It was fascinating to read your information on the family and the connection to the Chamberlains!

Judy

Hello Jayell.
I am sorry but I missed your post about Emily Purdie. I have just received a photo of a young Archibald, Emily's husband, (attached) from Martin J Kenrick who is organising his uncle's old photos. I don't think he would mind me sharing it.
I have more information about Emily and Archibald's life together if you would be interested.
If you have any photos of Emily and/or Archibald I would love to see them.

 

[Jayell]

Hello deiseboy. Great to see a photo of Emily Purdie Sellman's husband Archibald Kenrick. Unfortunately I have no photos of either of them, and haven't followed their line through further than to list their children. I do know that Emily sang and in 1863 before her marriage sang at a concert in Oswestry. She also sang in the choir of The Church of the Messiah in Broad Street (1862/63) - this church was where, amongst others, the Kenricks and Chamberlains worshipped.

 

[deiseboy]

Hi Jayell.
I knew she was a professional singer around the Midlands before she married. She must have caught Archibald's eye but I didn't know she sang in the choir. She had been a student at the Royal Academy of Music in 1861.
I remember passing the Church of the Messiah, since demolished, in Broad Street. The canal passed underneath it I believe into Gas St Basin.
Most of their 9 children were born in Inverness.
None of their children married except Adelaide who married late in life after Archibald died in Bournemouth.
Emily died in Tunbridge Wells, where the family were then living, in April 1907 after a sudden illness.

 

[Jayell]

Yes I have most of that information, except I didn't know about the Royal Academy of Music. I do know that Emily's older 2nd cousin was also in the choir at the Church of the Messiah and was also a chorister who sang in various concerts. I used to pass the church regularly but didn't know of the connection then!

Judy