baxters bolts screws and rivets

[jim charman]

does any one recall jim in the lab

 

[Findwilliam]

No. But my grandmother (Agnes Busby, nee Smart) worked for Baxters from about 1911 to the the mid 20s I guess. I have pictures of her at Baxters. She said that the owners were very good to their employees and there was an annual day out (again, I have pictures) where they entertained the employees. At that time, Baxters were in the area of the Parade, Birmingham.

I remember Nan telling me that she had been told not to give to a particular small engineering company (as it was too small) -- that company eventually became Guest Keen!

 

[Astonian]

hi find william
just read your thread on baxters bolts which i seem to recall as being in sheepcote st
which was just from the parade in birmingham they have been there for donkeys years
which i think woud be the same company you are talking about
from them days they grew froma little a acorn - to a very big acorn if you get my drift
in other words a little factory to a multi nationion and got took in under the GKN
AROUND THE LATE SIXTIES - TO EARLY 7O,S as i seem to recall fromliving down the rd from
them i lived down the bottom end of there rd in king edwards rd
they had a very large factory by then building across both sides of the rd
i don,t know whether many people know this but the company of todays
known as screw fix started from there when GKN when they moved into heath st
the former founder of screw fix worked there and moved up to GKN heath st and opened
a little store just inside the gates selling the bolts and screws .he made alot of money
from it and when he retired it gave it to his son whom continued to sell them
and he sold the bussiness for about a half million and emigrated abroad
when he sold the bussiness he moved abroad and thats how screw fix was born
and now they are making thousands of pounds
by the way i see your family wasby the name of smarts i also have smarts for cousins
but i don,tsurpose we could be connectdow the line
have a good day best wishes Astonian ;;;;

 

[Findwilliam]

Well, I guess we might be related. My Smart background (up to 1900) is at:

https://www.scholarshome.org.uk/ancestry/gen/agnes_and_james.html

This is the top level. There are more (back to about 1800). You might also like to look at Jared's work:

https://www.whittinghams.me.uk/families/smart/Henry-1879-(West-Bromwich).htm

My most problematic ancestor is William Busby (who married into the Smart family):
https://www.scholarshome.org.uk/ancestry/gen/possible_case_of_bigamy.html

Regards

Mike (Smart descendent)

 

[shardeen]

hello all, i remember Baxter's quite well , i can still smell the suds now . i used to work in a litle rubber company oposite them in about 1958, when they were in Sheepcote st.

shardeen

 

[Findwilliam]

I found a letter from Baxters to my grandmother, dated 1914. Letterhead gives address, phone, etc:

https://www.scholarshome.org.uk/ancestry/gen/baxter_letter_head.html

Mike