• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

AVERY SCALES HISTORY

I note from Pedro's 1883 Kelly’s info in post #15, that Avery’s had given up (or rented out?) #11 and #12 by that time but retained 12A (wherever that was). #12 was the showroom. Maybe there was no further use for #11 and #12. Perhaps 12A had originally been created by splitting number 12? Wonder why ? For smaller showrooms, smaller products etc ? Less room needed or maybe their sights were set on bigger opportunities such as the Soho Foundry in Smethwick ?

Maybe the new broom of younger family members were starting to take effect as they took overthe reins of the business in 1881 - William Beilby Avery and his brother, Henry J Avery. By 1895 Avery’s bought the Soho Foundry and only the head office remained in Digbeth. Viv.
 
Last edited:
Vivienne14 said:
Some early background history about the Avery scale manufacturing business. In 1813 William Avery took over Balden’s “old established concern” of scale beam manufactory and it’s steelyard from Joseph Balden. (Joseph Balden was married to Mary Avery).

View attachment 176176

The Baldens and Averys had a close connection going further back, as Balden was named as one of the executors of John Avery’s will in 1806. Source of extracts: British Newspaper Archive.

Viv

View attachment 176175
Click to expand...

Maybe can stretch back a bit further, Aris’s 1776.


FDB6486B-C68E-4B11-A373-AC4C15871468.jpeg
 
Vivienne14 said:
I note from Pedro's 1883 Kelly’s info in post #15, that Avery’s had given up (or rented out?) #11 and #12 by that time but retained 12A (wherever that was). #12 was the showroom. Maybe there was no further use for #11 and #12. Perhaps 12A had originally been created by splitting number 12? Wonder why ? For smaller showrooms, smaller products etc ? Less room needed or maybe their sights were set on bigger opportunities such as the Soho Foundry in Smethwick ?

Maybe the new broom of younger family members were starting to take effect as they took overthe reins of the business in 1881 - William Beilby Avery and his brother, Henry J Avery. By 1895 Avery’s bought the Soho Foundry and only the head office remained in Digbeth. Viv.
Click to expand...
The Goad map shows that the footprint of no 12 was larger than adjacent premises. It also states that there were" Showrooms 1 and 2nd DWR over."
Not sure what the last bit means, but possibly one showroom was 12A
 
The Digbeth roots of this business (according to the Avery site and Grace’s Guide) can be traced back to 1731 and James Ford who started making stilliards (small, portable scales) in Digbeth. Afraid I can’t find any other firm evidence at present to build the 45 year gap and make a connection from 1731 to 1776. It would be nice to be able to see something connecting Ford with Beach but can’t, as yet, find anything. It’s a long period.

Think it’s worth summarising what’s been uncovered so far but please do add more if I’ve missed anything (and if I’ve made any errors). The early timeline looks like this:

1731 James Ford, Digbeth established himself as a portable scale maker
1759 Thomas Beach apprenticed to Robert French of 28 Digbeth.
1774 French (and Beach) selling money scale and weights of quality and Assay Office adjusted
1776 Thomas Beach scale manufacturer, moved into premises at the bottom of the Bull Ring formerly occupied by Mr Badger, Saw plater in Mr. Coal‘s yard (late Mr. Godden's)
1779 Thomas Beach took over Robert French’s scale and weights business at #30 in the Bull Ring
1779 Thomas Beach takes over several businesses located in the Bull Ring (from scale maker Thomas Brunton of Snow Hill)
1782 Thomas Beach moved into 11 Digbeth
1793 Thomas Beach announced retirement, contact address given as 11 Digbeth Street
1794 Thomas Beach, scale and steelyard maker disposed of stock and business to Joseph Balden
1808 Joseph Balden, scale maker listed as an executor of the estate of John Avery
1813 W & T Avery takes on business from Joseph Balden (prior to Balden it was owned by T Beach)
1818 business transferred to William Avery, joined by his brother Thomas, traded under W & T Avery
1835 Avery advertisement showing their premises at #12 Digbeth, #5, #6 and #26 Moat Lane
1852 W & T Avery advertised address as 12 Digbeth
1854 Avery first ‘factory’ was in Mill Lane
1881 Avery business taken over by William Beilby Avery and brother Henry J Avery
1883 Kelly’s Directory lists Avery premises only at 12A Digbeth
1894 By this time Avery’s had typical three storey Victorian factories in Mill Lane and Moat Lane
1895 Only the Avery head office remained in Digbeth
1897 Kelly’s lists the Soho Foundry as the Avery factory


Viv
 
Last edited:
Post 32 indicates that Thomas Beach, in 1776, moved to the shops lately occupied by Mr Badger, Saw plater in Mr. Coal‘s yard (late Mr. Godden's).
 
Oh yes Pedro of course. Had to keep flicking back and forth to compile the list ! Shall amend post. Thanks. Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
The Digbeth roots of this business (according to the Avery site and Grace’s Guide) can be traced back to 1731 and James Ford who started making stilliards (small, portable scales) in Digbeth. Afraid I can’t find any other firm evidence at present to build the 45 year gap and make a connection from 1731 to 1776. It would be nice to be able to see something connecting Ford with Beach but can’t, as yet, find anything. It’s a long period.

Think it’s worth summarising what’s been uncovered so far but please do add more if I’ve missed anything (and if I’ve made any errors). The early timeline looks like this:

1731 James Ford, Digbeth established himself as a portable scale maker
1776 Thomas Beach scale manufacturer, moved into premises at the bottom of the Bull Ring formerly occupied by Mr Badger, Saw plater in Mr. Coal‘s yard (late Mr. Godden's)
1779 Thomas Beach takes over several businesses located in the Bull Ring (from scale maker Thomas Brunton of Snow Hill)
1793 Thomas Beach announces retirement, contact address given as 11 Digbeth Street
1794 Thomas Beach, scale and steelyard maker disposed of stock and business to Joseph Balden
1808 Joseph Balden, scale maker listed as an executor of the estate of John Avery
1813 W & T Avery takes on business from Joseph Balden (prior to Balden it was owned by T Beach)
1818 business transferred to William Avery, joined by his brother Thomas, traded under W & T Avery
1835 Avery advertisement showing their premises at #12 Digbeth, #5, #6 and #26 Moat Lane
1852 W & T Avery advertised address as 12 Digbeth
1881 Avery business taken over by William Beilby Avery and brother Henry J Avery
1883 Kelly’s Directory lists Avery premises only at 12A Digbeth
1895 Soho Foundry bought, only Avery head office remained in Digbeth

Viv
Click to expand...
Thomas Beach link?
 

Attachments

  • 6CF7C4E4-8A9D-4E50-B05B-3F1BAAD80808.jpeg
    6CF7C4E4-8A9D-4E50-B05B-3F1BAAD80808.jpeg
    944.2 KB · Views: 12
Pedro - the Godden/Goolden and Cole reference in the Bull Ring sounds possible. Do you know the date of the newspaper notice ?

Tinpot - Thanks. Interesting theories to bear in mind. Might prove hard to get at the truth then. Wonder if we can find anything else out about French and Beach.

Viv.
 
Last edited:
Aris's Gazette, 16 September 1776 for Beach's removal.

Looking a little earlier in the January there as a partnership dissolved between Goolden and Samuel Arnott, Richard Hill, and George Baylis.
Arnott moves his silk warehouse to 8 New Street.
 
Last edited:
More on the Beach and Robert French connection. Beach took over the business at #30 ‘in the BullRing’ from the ‘late Mr Robert French’


3391DDFC-4531-4053-918E-2D1C48368612.jpeg


Prior to Robert French’s death, he was actively advertising the business in 1774 pointing out the quality and accuracy of his gold coin scales (Assay Office adjusted).
A1A4C7B4-B6A3-4B9B-B4DB-926284219F23.jpeg
Source: British Newspaper Archive
 
Last edited:
Now wondering if/how Robert French and John Ford had a connection. Can’t find anything at the moment. The period 1730s to 1750s around Digbeth/Bull Ring would be of interest. Viv.
 
Re-reading the extract in post #41 just connected with the word ‘Stiliard’ being another word for steelyard or stilyard. Seems obvious really. Viv.



all the time.
 
Last edited:
Some little snippets from much later newspapers quoting the history of the business.

From these it’s suggested

Ford was a blacksmith
Ford was located by the weighyard at #11
The weighyard was down by the River Rea - most of the steelyard/steelyard/stilliard businesses were concentrated there

Also there’s a little detail in the 1907 extract of #12 Digbeth, which was a half-timbered shop W & T Avery (late T Beach)

Source: British Newspaper Archive
 

Attachments

  • 90088750-7978-47EC-87F1-4D5EC5D61FF9.jpeg
    90088750-7978-47EC-87F1-4D5EC5D61FF9.jpeg
    130 KB · Views: 5
  • 2C49DEC7-500C-40D3-B076-24AAF06216AD.jpeg
    2C49DEC7-500C-40D3-B076-24AAF06216AD.jpeg
    299.3 KB · Views: 4
  • 105AB3EF-95B0-4878-9D70-3FAD004BAB39.jpeg
    105AB3EF-95B0-4878-9D70-3FAD004BAB39.jpeg
    134.3 KB · Views: 3
  • 6DC56A6B-CF78-4337-942B-29CEA0296A32.jpeg
    6DC56A6B-CF78-4337-942B-29CEA0296A32.jpeg
    235.2 KB · Views: 4
  • F93D6F9C-335E-4E04-A0F7-09CEE899C80D.jpeg
    F93D6F9C-335E-4E04-A0F7-09CEE899C80D.jpeg
    259.5 KB · Views: 5
Last edited:
I now have a question. Could this family be connected with Ford/French ? For some reason it’s been nagging, but can’t remember why. Might be way off here. Viv.

1B1B3616-12B8-4C0E-8B99-95ED76F860B7.jpegSource: British Newspaper Archive
 
Found it ! It was in Graces Guide. The connection is with James Ford, not John Ford. However, I am now cautious about some of the info in the Guide. But probably worth pursuing. Viv.

D288E172-133A-4C5D-9450-C54510353432.jpeg
 
A great example Tinpot and even better, named ! I can see from that why a blacksmith might originally have made these scales. Thanks. Viv.
 
Last edited:
Vivienne14 said:
A great example Tinpot and even better, named ! I can see from that why a blacksmith might originally have made these scales. Thanks. Viv.
Click to expand...
Basically it is the same method used when stood on the school scales for weighing and the nurse moved the weights along the arm until balanced.
 
thanks for the update..thats a nice postcard saved dated 1954 so some age to it

lyn
 
I was hoping somebody may be able to get some information from the postcard, despite my rushed pictures, there is a picture of a large building on the front but i cant make it out, crazy to think 1954 is nearly 70 years ago
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top