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Rice & Harrison

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Paradebob

New Member
Here in Tucson, Arizona we have a large horse-drawn vehicle collection of over 200 pieces. We have a coach, Tally Ho style, which has axles marked RICE & HARRISON, Birmingham, England. We're uncertain if this firm made the coach, as well.
Any links that could help us in the search would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Bob Stewart
TUCSON RODEO PARADE MUSEUM (www.TucsonRodeoParade.org)
 
Might be Grice and Harrison...

January 1876, John Grice, Grice and Harrison patent for improvements in axles for carriages.
 
My Great Great Grandfather John Harrison was an "Axletree maker" and ran The Hope Works at 144-146 Sherborne Street from the 1870s. They made axles and other components for hose-drawn vehicles and even motor vehicles before they went out of business in 1921
 
snellingj said:
My Great Great Grandfather John Harrison was an "Axletree maker" and ran The Hope Works at 144-146 Sherborne Street from the 1870s. They made axles and other components for hose-drawn vehicles and even motor vehicles before they went out of business in 1921
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My Great Grandfather John George Harrison of 49 Summerfield Crescent was an 'Iron Worker' at Grice and Harrison. Must be related.
 
Pleased to e-meet you Bobbee. We sure are. My great grandmother was Florence Mabel Harrison, his fifth child and second daughter. I never knew her as she abandoned my grandfather in 1912 as a 5-year old.
 
I am pleased to meet you as well. Your great great grandmother was Emma Harrison (nee Hurd) wife of JG Harrison. My great grandmother was Ellen (Nellie) Harrison (nee Lowe) second wife of JG Harrison. So step mum to your great grandmother Mabel. Nellie was actually Emma's niece. So a lot younger than JG Harrison. My grandmother was Clarice Ida Harrison, step sister to Mabel. Nellie and George (eldest son) took control of the company on the death of JG Harrison. This made Nellie a wealthy widow. Out of interest I note from JG Harrison's will, he left Mabel a complete bedroom suite and £400 at age 21. A lot of money in 1899.
 
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That's fascinating. I learned some of this history from a grandson of Nellie's that I met on Ancestry (Chris) - but you have filled in some more gaps for me, thank you. Living in Melbourne Aus makes me want to keep my links with my Brummie history in Ladywood and Edgbaston alive. In earlier times I worked in Brindley Place and my mother in a building next to the canal in Gas Street without knowing that our great grandfather and great great grandfather had a factory nearby in the 1800's.

I would be really interested in seeing the will that left Mabel such wealth. By 1911 she was living in a boarding house in Ladywood and it was with that wonderful family that she left her kids and disappeared in 1912, only to pop up with a new family as a farmers wife at Shipston on Stour. She lived to 90-years old and died in 1970 her son (my grandad) unaware she lived nearby.

It seems that Grice & Harrison went out of business in 1921 having struggled to adapt to the demands of post-war era.
 
According to an advertised search by Norman Harrison in 1939 regards a legacy. Mabel's daughter, Mrs. Pearce took her mum to collect the money.
Mabel was living at Pepperwell farm with her husband, John Townend (actual relationship not known). They had 2 daughters. Norman described Mabel as in very poor circumstances with very poor eyesight. John Townend was described as a hopeless drunk.
 
This is fascinating. I knew some of this but not all. John Townend went to WW1 and came back with medical issues which is apparently why Winifred Mabel Townend was born blind. I am in touch with her son through Ancestry. I came across the 1939 newspaper advert seeking out Florence Mabel. Odd that it took 40 years for the bequest to catch up with her! And where did you find Norman Harrison's rather judgmental record of the transaction?

It appears that the Harrisons were a very entrepreneurial family as John's brother Walter was in partnership with a Mr Deykin and had the business Deykin & Harrison Silver platers in Jennens Row, Dale End

Deykin & Harrison Electroplaters - Jennens Row - Venetian Works

I'm just wondering if anyone would know where I would find out some more information about Deykin & Harrison - an electroplating company who were based in Jennens Row until around 1930. My Gt Gt Grandfather was living at 1 Jennens Row on the 1911 census, he was described as a stationary engine...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
Bobbee said:
According to an advertised search by Norman Harrison in 1939 regards a legacy. Mabel's daughter, Mrs. Pearce took her mum to collect the money.
Mabel was living at Pepperwell farm with her husband, John Townend (actual relationship not known). They had 2 daughters. Norman described Mabel as in very poor circumstances with very poor eyesight. John Townend was described as a hopeless drunk.
Click to expand...
How can I contact you outside this forum?
 
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