A.Willoughby
master brummie
Mountfords Eating Houses
Anticipate no one has heard of Mountford's Dining Rooms which were situated at 9, Philip Street. Am told they were near to Worcester Street but that is open to conjecture.
I only became aware of the place due to three photographs I had off my late aunt. Her connection was solely as an employee or was there more to it? This was well prior to the First World War.
It all started when a twenty four year old Brummie named William Mountford started his business as a 'Eating House Keeper' in 1874.
Having started in business twelve months later or on the 9th May, 1875 at St. Judes he married a Annie Williams. Within a year they had a son William.
The 1881 census notes the family plus five employees living on the premises in Philip Street and business obviously flourished
My aunt started work at the Dining Rooms in about 1900 as a cook's assistant. The cook was a Rose Turner, nee Eades and she became the future mother in law to my aunt.
The photograph I attach was taken on a date between 1900 and 1914 and it shows what a successful business it must have become. By this time William Mountford was dead and it is his wife's name that adorns the windows. Note the name in large letters above the premises together with it's name on the glass of the large lamp above the door. You will see from the menu that roast beef was on offer on that day.
The metal food containers steaming in the window and in view of the passers by. The remainder of the window is coloured by a display of cauliflowers, which were possibly awaiting 'tomorrows' cooking.
I envisage the staff, dressed in the white smocks being hurried out by Mrs. Mountford, who is solely in a dark dress, to have the photograph taken. The last persons to leave the place would, I believe, be the cook and her assistant and there you see Mrs. Rose Turner and my aunt in that order to the left of Mountford, in the doorway.
Now the man. If my eyes do not deceive me, I am sure, on magnification he has the word 'Mountfords' across his cap. I cannot make out what is written the the sash across his chest (anyone with better eyesight?) Could he have been a doorman? There are a number of women working there and would a male be a sobering influence on other males resorting there from the locals in that area? They obviously posed the shop dog as well.
On the first floor it states that there are 'Supper Rooms' From this it would suggest that the staff worked very long hours to serve a demanding local clientel
The other two photographs shows Annie Mountford, Rose Turner and my aunt in the garden at the rear of the dining rooms and another of the three of them at a seaside location. Strange for an employee and two members of her staff in that age.
Mountford obviously gave my aunt a lean towards business acumen for she aubsequntly opened a wool shop and her future husband, a confectioners in Hockley in later years.
Anticipate no one has heard of Mountford's Dining Rooms which were situated at 9, Philip Street. Am told they were near to Worcester Street but that is open to conjecture.
I only became aware of the place due to three photographs I had off my late aunt. Her connection was solely as an employee or was there more to it? This was well prior to the First World War.
It all started when a twenty four year old Brummie named William Mountford started his business as a 'Eating House Keeper' in 1874.
Having started in business twelve months later or on the 9th May, 1875 at St. Judes he married a Annie Williams. Within a year they had a son William.
The 1881 census notes the family plus five employees living on the premises in Philip Street and business obviously flourished
My aunt started work at the Dining Rooms in about 1900 as a cook's assistant. The cook was a Rose Turner, nee Eades and she became the future mother in law to my aunt.
The photograph I attach was taken on a date between 1900 and 1914 and it shows what a successful business it must have become. By this time William Mountford was dead and it is his wife's name that adorns the windows. Note the name in large letters above the premises together with it's name on the glass of the large lamp above the door. You will see from the menu that roast beef was on offer on that day.
The metal food containers steaming in the window and in view of the passers by. The remainder of the window is coloured by a display of cauliflowers, which were possibly awaiting 'tomorrows' cooking.
I envisage the staff, dressed in the white smocks being hurried out by Mrs. Mountford, who is solely in a dark dress, to have the photograph taken. The last persons to leave the place would, I believe, be the cook and her assistant and there you see Mrs. Rose Turner and my aunt in that order to the left of Mountford, in the doorway.
Now the man. If my eyes do not deceive me, I am sure, on magnification he has the word 'Mountfords' across his cap. I cannot make out what is written the the sash across his chest (anyone with better eyesight?) Could he have been a doorman? There are a number of women working there and would a male be a sobering influence on other males resorting there from the locals in that area? They obviously posed the shop dog as well.
On the first floor it states that there are 'Supper Rooms' From this it would suggest that the staff worked very long hours to serve a demanding local clientel
The other two photographs shows Annie Mountford, Rose Turner and my aunt in the garden at the rear of the dining rooms and another of the three of them at a seaside location. Strange for an employee and two members of her staff in that age.
Mountford obviously gave my aunt a lean towards business acumen for she aubsequntly opened a wool shop and her future husband, a confectioners in Hockley in later years.
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Mo
