Dennis Williams
Gone but not forgotten
OK, pin back your lugoles...another lengthy story of everyday Brummie Folk....Meet The Dockers…….one of Birmingham’s most important Industrial families…and with one particular addition by marriage; certainly one of the most infamous…..
Their story is quite long and complex, and there is inevitably a certain amount of repetition, for which I apologise in advance…so let’s start with the most amazingly talented, but sadly perhaps, the least well known one…the Godfather….the business genius that was….
Frank Dudley Docker
Frank Dudley Docker (26 August 1862 - 8 July 1944) was born at Paxton House, Smethwick, Staffordshire, the son of Ralph Docker, a solicitor in practice at Birmingham and Smethwick who took on a large number of public appointments, and his wife Sarah Sankey. Although Frank was his first name, he much preferred Dudley from the off…
Paxton House, Smethwick
He went King Edward's School, Birmingham but appears to have resisted formal schooling and left early. He was equally discontented when he went into his father's office to study law. In 1881 he left his father's firm and went into the varnish business with his brother William. Known as the Docker Brothers, and it is still a thriving business now in west Bromwich, but originally from under a couple of arches in Deritend ….and for the REALLY keen, their whole paint and varnish making process is captured beautifully in this 30 minute silent, but deadly, You tube clip… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD_QPIgWeE0
Gives substance to the 'watching paint dry' aphorism...
In 1895, Dudley Docker married Lucy Constance Hebbert at St Augustine’s Church in Edgbaston. After their marriage, Dudley and Lucy set up home in Rotton Park Lodge, in Rotton Park Road Their only child was Bernard Dudley Frank Docker, who succeeded his father in his business enterprises, and he and a subsequent wife, form the basis of Chapter 2….
As well as the paint firm, Dudley Docker later acquired a railway rolling stock company; and at the same time, through his close involvement (from 1906 as a director) with British Small Arms (BSA), Docker initiated an interest in firearms, cars (briefly), cycles and motor-cycles - for which the BSA name became legendary.
As deputy chairman in 1909-12, he masterminded BSA's purchase of Daimler Motors in 1910; and from 1906-9 BSA were guaranteed a quarter of all government orders for Lee Enfield rifles; in 1911-13 up to 33% of all BSA's business was in arms. So, quite a good start then…..
Docker, however, very much the Birmingham industrial magnate, but also a character of unique vision, had ideas for a more considerable expansion. In fact even before the war his efforts and intrigues were largely directed to matching, overtaking and supplanting German industrial power. In April 1902 he formed a massive conglomerate, the Metropolitan Amalgamated Railway Carriage and Wagon Company, a merger of five rival companies, latterly the Metropolitan Carriage, Wagon and Finance Company (MCWF), to which others were then added.
Their story is quite long and complex, and there is inevitably a certain amount of repetition, for which I apologise in advance…so let’s start with the most amazingly talented, but sadly perhaps, the least well known one…the Godfather….the business genius that was….
Frank Dudley Docker
Frank Dudley Docker (26 August 1862 - 8 July 1944) was born at Paxton House, Smethwick, Staffordshire, the son of Ralph Docker, a solicitor in practice at Birmingham and Smethwick who took on a large number of public appointments, and his wife Sarah Sankey. Although Frank was his first name, he much preferred Dudley from the off…
Paxton House, Smethwick
He went King Edward's School, Birmingham but appears to have resisted formal schooling and left early. He was equally discontented when he went into his father's office to study law. In 1881 he left his father's firm and went into the varnish business with his brother William. Known as the Docker Brothers, and it is still a thriving business now in west Bromwich, but originally from under a couple of arches in Deritend ….and for the REALLY keen, their whole paint and varnish making process is captured beautifully in this 30 minute silent, but deadly, You tube clip… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD_QPIgWeE0
Gives substance to the 'watching paint dry' aphorism...
In 1895, Dudley Docker married Lucy Constance Hebbert at St Augustine’s Church in Edgbaston. After their marriage, Dudley and Lucy set up home in Rotton Park Lodge, in Rotton Park Road Their only child was Bernard Dudley Frank Docker, who succeeded his father in his business enterprises, and he and a subsequent wife, form the basis of Chapter 2….
As well as the paint firm, Dudley Docker later acquired a railway rolling stock company; and at the same time, through his close involvement (from 1906 as a director) with British Small Arms (BSA), Docker initiated an interest in firearms, cars (briefly), cycles and motor-cycles - for which the BSA name became legendary.
As deputy chairman in 1909-12, he masterminded BSA's purchase of Daimler Motors in 1910; and from 1906-9 BSA were guaranteed a quarter of all government orders for Lee Enfield rifles; in 1911-13 up to 33% of all BSA's business was in arms. So, quite a good start then…..
Docker, however, very much the Birmingham industrial magnate, but also a character of unique vision, had ideas for a more considerable expansion. In fact even before the war his efforts and intrigues were largely directed to matching, overtaking and supplanting German industrial power. In April 1902 he formed a massive conglomerate, the Metropolitan Amalgamated Railway Carriage and Wagon Company, a merger of five rival companies, latterly the Metropolitan Carriage, Wagon and Finance Company (MCWF), to which others were then added.
Last edited: