• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

The Jewellery Quarter

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nipper
  • Start date Start date
I lived just off Carver St., and my step mother used to deliver orders for all sorts of jewellery to most of the jewellers in the trade. I remember she went every day collecting and delivering diamonds, pearls, rubies and emeralds. I used to go with her during school hols., and was fascinated looking at all those sparklers laying in drawers waiting to be chosen. All this she did with just an old shopping bag..how safe the world was then! As you say we had gold watches and rings all on appro., never a thought of stealing, they always got returned safe and sound.

Maggs.
 
Nice tour of the Jewellery qtr.....
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCKu7ps13fU"]YouTube - History Tour of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham[/ame]
 
Thanks Brumgum I enjoyed that. I have been on a couple of Chris's walks and found them really good. :)I also enjoy his books.:)
 
In the early 80's, my brother in law had a jewellery business in Warstone Lane, and I went, a couple of days a week, supposedly to do the books. I ended up taking pieces of jewellery, repairs, bits and bobs from one jeweller to another. I couldn't believe how magical and at the same time dickensian these small workshops were. I also met some great characters. But, like so many others, my brother in law did go bust.

Ann
 
hi all..im pretty sure that these 3 cracking pics are new to the forum...apologies in advance if they have been posted before.

.29..augusta st...no date. but i would imagine about 1895 the same as the other 2... This picture is now included in Augusta St., Jewellery Quarter
48 tenby st north..1895...

evans...54 albion st...1895..

be great if any members knew of rellies that worked at any of these 3 places round about the same date...

lyn
 
Last edited by a moderator:
great photo's not much of the jewelery quarter left now I shouldn't wonder makes you think with all the kid's on the middle photo, child labour still in evidence even at this late date (1880's 1890's)
paul
 
What a find Lyn, superb photograps. It really focuses the mind when you see the number of youngsters employed at this time. I wander if any of these family firms still exist?
 
paul stacey said:
great photo's not much of the jewelery quarter left now I shouldn't wonder makes you think with all the kid's on the middle photo, child labour still in evidence even at this late date (1880's 1890's)
paul
Click to expand...

Hi Paul
The jewelery quarter is still a thriving manufacturing/retail area. The main retail area is Vyse St but there are a huge number of workshops both small and large in the surrounding streets. I was in the area last week and was amazed at the number of almost Dickensian workshops that still exist.
 
thanks for that John I would love to have a wonder round like you, I'M not well at the Mo but am hoping to get up to Brum in the not to distant future,
regards
paul
 
thanks both....paul to my mind i would not really class working in the jewellery quarter at maybe 13 or 14 child labour..the youngsters you see in the pics were most likely learning a trade which they passed onto their children and so on...while researching my family i found a rellie who at the age of 11 was working down the mines..now thats child labour at its worst and im not joking when i say after reading that it made me weep...

lyn
 
your quite right lyn I did't mean child labour as such but just young, when you think I left school at 15, my dad at 14, his dad at 12 so yes as the leaving age is now 17 I believe it is that they do look young to me,
paul
 
hi chris...i agree they are brilliant for the age of them...

sorry paul i forgot to say i do hope you are well enough soon to visit the quarter...thank goodness there is still a lot of the old buildings and workshops left to see

lyn
 
i know what you mean paul.. compered to todays school leaving age they look like babies to me..

lyn
 
Lovely photo's Lyn I wonder if someone could have a look in the trade directories. It would be nice to find out more.
If you want to learn about the early jewellers I can highly recommend the Jewellery Quarter Museum which is amazing. It was originally the firm of Smith & Pepper who left the premises I think in the 80's. Its like the Marie Celest of the Jewellery Industry a real gem if you pardon the quip!

I love the area I had a couple of rings altered last week at G.H.Moore & Son 19, Vyse Street. The workmanship is excellent.
 
Lyn
I know it was a misstype , but it is 29 Augusta St.
E.J Trevitt & Son moved from 34 Spencer st to no 29 Augusta St sometime between 1890-1892 and were there till after 1900
Charles Peach is described in 1895 as a swivel maker (?), not a ring maker, rings not mentioned and is listed up to 1896. For 1897-1899 Peach is not mentioned (though the board might still have been up), but in 1900 it was W.F.Peach & Son at no 29
There for 1895 is a pretty good date for the photo
I have touched up the third one a bit.
Mike
 
The second photo of R.J,Wakefield is 48 Tenby St north (not Tenby st , which doesn’t seem to go that high). Wakefields were a silver Jewellers.

In the third , Evans is Jenkin William Evans, which later became J.W.Evans

Sorry Lyn,I missed out saying they are great pictures
 
thanks for all that info mike..and thanks for the corrections and the touch up of pic 3..ive edited..j w evans rings bells for me...i think they may have still been in business when i worked in the quarter in the very early 70s. wend .i may take a trip to see if any of the buildings are still standing and do then and now pics..

cheers

lyn.
 
Last edited:
Photos of JW Evans, Albion Street that I posted earlier this year. The grandson of the founder took us round on Heritage Weekend.
 
brilliant charlie...i thought it was still going..thanks so much for the piccies...

lyn
 
In my early days with my present employer I used to peddle polishing felts around the Jewellery Quarter and got to know quite a few of the firms. Never easy to sell to them, they always wanted 'discounts'. The felt I sold was British-made, but all of my business disappeared almost overnight when one of the wholesalers started selling Chinese felts at a fraction of the cost (and a fraction of the quality, too). I always liked the jewellery trade, partly because making jewellery is one of my wife's hobbies, and she's in the Jewellery Quarter most weeks. She took a bag of scrap to Cooksons Ltd (formerly Johnson Matthey Ltd) the other week and indulged in the usual haggle (and got nowehere!)

Great photos too, Lyn. I certainly haven't seen those before.

Big Gee
 
during late 50s when I worked for PO Telephones (now BT) I maintained the telephones systems in the Jewelry quarter and the state of nearly all the premises where terrible, dickensian toilets, no proper canteen facilities rickety wood stairs from one low ceilinged floor to the next (fire risk?), freezing cold in the winter , poor lighting,, some had poky litte mullioned windows with the odd pane missing - Health and Safety would have a field day, and even in them days it was all double lines and parking my van was a major problem. Eric
 
Paul they do look young, but you also have to remember that from the time of the Education Act 1870 until circa 1890 school, although compulsory, was not full time. I guess that most children worked part time to supplement the family income. In my own family, where about five were baptised at the same time in 1881, even the youngest, at about eight years old worked for the GWR at the Hockley Goods Depot. On the baptism records they were down as 'Railways Servants'.
 
Thank you for the video link Wendy.
My Grandfather worked in the Jewellery Quarter, in Albion Street (for a man called Paul Sharp) and also in Frederick Street, but I'm not sure where. He made Mum's Wedding ring and her engagement ring but it's too old and fragile to wear now. It was interesting to visit the Museum to see how he would have worked at those benches with the leather fronts.
 
Rosie was the shop named after Paul Sharp you could ask for a look up in trade directories. I had my mothers engagement and wedding ring melted together as they were thin and fragile. The ring is beautiful now and I wear it a lot. I had it done at Moore's on Vyse Street.
 
Hello Wendy and Mikejee

Thanks for the suggestion, unfortunately the setting is worn away, they said the stones could be re-mounted, but then it wouldn't be Grandad's work! I'm so sentimental!

It was a workshop near to where two premises are being renovated....Thanks to Mikejee too for that information!

rosie
 
Thanks Mike will take a look at 58 Albion Street next time I have a wonder round. Rosie I fully understand if your granddad made the ring I wouldn't change it either.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top