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Milbrowe Smith

mikejee

Super Moderator
Staff member
The photograph shows the first motorcycle produced by Milbrowe Smith in 1902. He had premises from around that time at 239 Soho Road, appearing as a motor car builder in the 1903, 1904 , 1908 and 1910 editions, but the building is not listed in 1900. By 1912 the building is a florists, and Milbrowe has disappeared. The building has long gone, the site being part of a new post office building in the 1950s
A John Milbrowe Smith, of High Street ,West Bromwich, was the patentee of US Patent US944998 for an invention"PRESSURE-INDICATING INFLATOR OR AIR-PUMP." in 1895. No 239 Soho road is not listed in the 1901 census

1st motorcycle built by  Millrowe Smith in Handsworth Wood 1902A.jpg
 
Milbrowe Smith,(43), together with wife Annie (37) and two children were at 7 Grove Lane in the 1901 census, he being described as a cycle engineer. By the time of the 1911 census he is listed as a motor vehicle repairer (employer) at a garage, with the son (15) and daughter (19) both working at the garage. They are living at 67 Stafford Road. The garage is shown there till at least1910, but by 1912 the firm has moved to next door to the Red Lion at 272 Soho Road (see 1913 map), and are still listed there in 1915, but, bt 1921 the garage is named Dalton s Garage

map 1913 showing 272 Soho Road.jpg
 
The photograph shows the first motorcycle produced by Milbrowe Smith in 1902. He had premises from around that time at 239 Soho Road, appearing as a motor car builder in the 1903, 1904 , 1908 and 1910 editions, but the building is not listed in 1900. By 1912 the building is a florists, and Milbrowe has disappeared. The building has long gone, the site being part of a new post office building in the 1950s
A John Milbrowe Smith, of High Street ,West Bromwich, was the patentee of US Patent US944998 for an invention"PRESSURE-INDICATING INFLATOR OR AIR-PUMP." in 1895. No 239 Soho road is not listed in the 1901 census

View attachment 200653
not certain but i think no 239 would have been around here...now gone i think

 
Milbrowe Smith - quite the petrol head at 26mph !

And the first owner, a local Handsworth Wood man (Davis), of the Milbrowe Smith Minerva cycle in 1902.


Source: British Newspaper Archive
 

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