• 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

Harold Smith

F

family history

Brummie babby
I was trying to find out the location and any family links with either 7/23 or 7/24 Nechells Park Road (NPR). My wife's father (Harold Smith) was born at 77 Dudley Avenue/Rd in 1929 (which I think from info on this site was a hospital from 1920 to 1948. The birth certificate states 7 Bk 24 Nechells Park Road, but the 1921 Census entry (for the same names and family members) states 7/23 NPR. We recently had a DNA match with a lady in Canada (Vancouver Island, BC) whose dad (Joseph W Smith) was born in and lived at 7/24 NPR. So that helped us find more info on Harold (whose mum was the older sister of JW Smith). I know the area has been redeveloped, but the old maps show old buildings very well. Any help with this will be much appreciated.
 
7/23 and 7/24 are likely to be the same place as the court containing house 7 was probably behind houses 23 and 24.
 
Here's a map from 1950, pink dot 7/23. Also listed on the ERs as 7 court 3 at times...

0 - Nechells Park Road.jpg
 
Not easy with Smith but I can possibly trace your Smiths at least 4 generations back from Harold if you're interested.

Going forward is even more difficult but I'm fairly certain who 4 of Harold's aunts married.
 
Last edited:
pjmburns said:
7/23 and 7/24 are likely to be the same place as the court containing house 7 was probably behind houses 23 and 24.
Click to expand...
Thanks Janice, that makes sense now and with the marked up map from MWS showing 7/23, I think we've identified my father-in-law's first home. They don't look very big and the census shows many people living at one address! Makes one thankful for what we have.
 
MWS said:
Not easy with Smith but I can possibly trace your Smiths at least 4 generations back from Harold if you're interested.

Going forward is even more difficult but I'm fairly certain who 4 of Harold's aunts married.
Click to expand...
Wow, I'm grateful and amazed at the knowledge, ability and willingness to help from people on this forum. My wife is pleased at the progress and new information on her dad, grandmother and the wider family. Going back through the generations will be much appreciated, but she ideally would like to trace forwards to her dad's half brother (she only knew him as Uncle Frank - hence my interest in Frank Bromley, but as you say he's not been on since 2011). Her grandmother wasn't married and her dad remembers being looked after by his grandparents (Thomas Smith and Ada Elizabeth Smith) until he was placed into a Banardos Home [is there one in Birmingham?] when we think they died.

His mother Frances Smith (Born Jan 1901? and in the 1901, 1911 and 1921 census records) had another child some years later (poss 1931) and lived with a Mr Valencia in Golders Green, London. Some time in the 1930's they took Harold out of the children's home (Banardos) and got him to work in a jewelers shop until he was 15 when he ran away to join the army. We have some info on this and his future life. Any info or guidelines on where to look (Birmingham or elsewhere) will be much appreciated. When was the area around 7/23 redeveloped? Rgds, Alan.
 
Hi MWS, many thanks for that. Yes; my mistake (or lack of clarity), I meant Frances Smith didn't marry Harold Smith's father. So, her first child (?) had no entry for 'father' on his birth certificate (which we knew about), but we weren't sure about the second child (Francis[Frank?]). It appears she did marry Albert E Bromley (as you discovered), but we don't know how long they stayed in Birmingham (or together). I think the 1939 'Survey' has Frances Smith still living at 7/24 (23?) NPR with her parents and some siblings, but no entry for Harold or Francis! We'll keep digging and looking.
 
Francis may not appear on the 1939 register because he was born less than a 100 years ago is still alive. A blanked out entry with grandparents could be him.

Harold, listed as Harold Valencia appears to be in Sawbridgeworth with a Frank & Doris Maskell.
 
Hello Janice,

Many thanks for the new information. Do you know how I can access the Electoral Rolls for specific years and places (like Birmingham)? Thanks.
 
family history said:
Hello Janice,

Many thanks for the new information. Do you know how I can access the Electoral Rolls for specific years and places (like Birmingham)? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Certain years - the ones I have given - are on Ancestry (roughly every 5 years apart from war years). There are later years but as I didn't find Ada and Thomas I stopped looking. So 1939 then 1945, 50, 55 and 60. Not all are wards seem to be online and in some case I think 1965 is there.
 
MWS said:
Harold, listed as Harold Valencia appears to be in Sawbridgeworth with a Frank & Doris Maskell.
Click to expand...
There appear to be 2 entries for Harold at different addresses.
1690905695371.png
Harold M is with the Maskells evacuated??
Harold S is at 92 Cambridge Road but other entries are blanked out.
 
Last edited:
  • Appreciate
Reactions: MWS
Having checked again - it seems both Harolds are at 92 Cambridge Road. So many names are blanked out from page 32 onwards I am wonderng if these were the names (listed separately) of evacuees. The majority of the ages of the people I can see seem to be similar with "at school" being written. I am not sure of this though.
 
pjmburns said:
Certain years - the ones I have given - are on Ancestry (roughly every 5 years apart from war years). There are later years but as I didn't find Ada and Thomas I stopped looking. So 1939 then 1945, 50, 55 and 60. Not all are wards seem to be online and in some case I think 1965 is there.
Click to expand...
By 1939 a different famly seem to be at 7 court 3 Nechells Park Road.
Had Thomas and Eliza died by 1939?
 
Last edited:
Thomas and Ada.

They appear to be listed on findmypast but in Birmingham no address is given in the search results so not sure where.
 
I can get a result on Ancestry which seems to match the findmypast one, searching for Ada Smith b1870, husband Thomas keyword Birmingham but I don't know if these are the right people.

It is likely that Ada died in 1936 and Thomas maybe in 1935, so above would not be them.
 
I found that couple but didn't think they were the right ones. Need to investigate more.
If Harold was with them until they died, then in Barnardos then London and by 1939 being called Valencia it suggests they died before 1939.
 
  • Appreciate
Reactions: MWS
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top