A copy of my grandfather's birth certificate from 1893 gives his father's address as Salford Works, Richard Street and his occupation as a stationery engine driver. I've struggled to find anything on Salford Works, it makes me wonder if this should read Saltley Works as my mother remembered her father mentioning the gas works and Richard Street is very close to Windsor Street and Duddeston Road where the gas works were situated.
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Salford Works, Richard Street? Any clues?
- Thread starter mrsghjun
- Start date
MWS
from Bham
A previous name for the site perhaps and then changed when acquired by the council and expanded...
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My Great Grandfather and Grandmother just kept circumnavigated this area. In1901 I can see them at 58 Cromwell Street and Great Grandfather is a brasswork factory labourer. My Great Grandmother was a seamstress. They moved into this area from Cherrywood Road in Bordesley (1891 census), having first come from Northampton, when he arrived in Birmingham he changed his name to Hodson (from Whiteman still a family mystery) - they were looking for work presumably. My Grandfather would have been 11 at the time of the Saltley Gas Works explosion of 1904, bless him, he must have heard it I should think! How they survived those living conditions who knows. Here's a photo of him as a pageboy at the Queens Hotel a bit later aged 16. Thank you for your sleuthing.
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MWS
from Bham
So possibly after Joseph's birth, Mary married a Whiteman and Joseph used that until for whatever reason he reverted back to his birth name.
There's a possibly entry on the 1841 census that could be them but can't be sure - Thomas, Mary & Joseph Whiteman. Coincidently or not Joseph's eldest son was called Thomas.
There's a possibly entry on the 1841 census that could be them but can't be sure - Thomas, Mary & Joseph Whiteman. Coincidently or not Joseph's eldest son was called Thomas.
Most of the mentions in Kellys refer to engineering, lathing of toolmaking. However one in 1891 talks about plaining long lengths
The c 1889 map (probably surveyed c1886) below shows a Sawmill next to a wire works immediately before the gasworks (which are off to the top R.H. corner. Apologies for the not very good joint I made between the top and bottom halves. NLS have joined up many of the maps on their site but are presumably having trouble with some and do no have these two joined.
The directories from 1884 and 1888 show Rollasons Wire makers and Richard Street saw Mills followed in 1888 by Rollason and Slater wire makers and James Rollason timber merchant, So by 1888 there was a connection. between the two firms.
By 1892 ,and indeed by 1890 (not shown) there was just Rollason and Slater listed .Presumably the timber merchant was closed down, and the site possibly incorporated into the wire manufacturing. So it is very reasonable to say that your grandfather worked at Rollason & Slater in the wire manufacturing plant
The c 1889 map (probably surveyed c1886) below shows a Sawmill next to a wire works immediately before the gasworks (which are off to the top R.H. corner. Apologies for the not very good joint I made between the top and bottom halves. NLS have joined up many of the maps on their site but are presumably having trouble with some and do no have these two joined.
The directories from 1884 and 1888 show Rollasons Wire makers and Richard Street saw Mills followed in 1888 by Rollason and Slater wire makers and James Rollason timber merchant, So by 1888 there was a connection. between the two firms.
By 1892 ,and indeed by 1890 (not shown) there was just Rollason and Slater listed .Presumably the timber merchant was closed down, and the site possibly incorporated into the wire manufacturing. So it is very reasonable to say that your grandfather worked at Rollason & Slater in the wire manufacturing plant
Wow you lot are amazing. I also found something in BNA about Salford Works in Manchester Evening News from 1872 which given he went onto to be a brass foundry labourer seems quite likely CHANDELIERS and other GASFITTING3, ENGINEERS' BEAM FITTINGS, PLUMBERS' AND GASFITTERS' BRASS WORK, LLOYD A LLOYD. Showroom: 4, Corporation-street, Manchester. Warehouse; Barlow's Croft, Chapel-street, Salford Works: Birmingham. Re the name change Joseph Whiteman married quite quickly after his first wife, Felicia, died in labour sadly. That did make me wonder if that was why he changed his name. I understand why he had heaps of children to look after.
MWS
from Bham
I wonder if it had more to do with the death of his mother and step father. Joseph stills gives his name as Whiteman in 1871 (after his marriage to Phoebe) and it's not until 1881 that his name is Hodson.
If his mother was the Mary Hodson I mentioned previously then she and Thomas Whiteman appear to have moved to Wolston/Dunchurch (Wolston is close to Ryton where Joseph's sister was born). Thomas possibly dies in 1870 and Mary in 1873.
Of Joseph and Felicia's children only the eldest, Thomas, appears to have kept the Whiteman name possibly because he remained in Northampton where he would have been none as such. William, Fanny and Clara all seem to have came to Bham and used the Hodson name. Fanny uses the name Hodson when she marries in 1875, the earliest use I've found and after her grandmother's death.