Marine stores

[charlie allen]

What were Marine Stores. They are mentioned in many directores of Birmingham. My great grandparents kept the Marine Stores in Great Francis Street. Has any body any information about these stores.

 

[jennyann]

Marine Stores are generally known as Chandlers and they supply many of the items necessary for a ship in order to set sail. The only Chandlers shops I have seen in the Midlands of late are the Canal Chandlers and they supply all manner of goods to the long boat owners and renters. They are usually located in Canal side streams or basins. The one I visited sold groceries
as well as hardware, etc.

Here in Vancouver there used to be lots of Chandlers close to the harbour,
They would supply items for the huge vessels that visit the port. I am not sure where they are these days. Condos where they used to be!

 

[mikejee]

There certainly were a number ( I hadn't noticed before). https://www.photohistory-sussex.co.uk/Bakerbiog.htm states that they sold sailcloth, tarpaulin, rope etc. These could be of use to others than boatman. An article on the murphy riots in birmingham states " Marine store proprietors who bought goods unacceptable in pawnshops and were thus much used by the poor. There were only 67 enumerated in Birmingham in the 1861 Census, and 10 in my sample,"
mike

 

[charlie allen]

Thank you Jenny and MikeJee.
Mikejee. What do you think "Marine store proprietors who bought goods unacceptable in pawnshops " means?

 

[mikejee]

I took it to mean that they possibly bought stuff stuff from the loess well off that was of too low a value for the pawnshop, or perhaps more likely was too bulky for the pawn shop to take. That;s only a guess though
Mike

 

[The Baron]

Hi Charlie, My G,GRANFATHER at one time was also a marine store dealer.
see attached