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Thorley's Market Traders

H

happa_lee_uk

proper brummie kid
Hi Smiler!

I just noticed you said you mom was known as Beatie Thorley, was her maiden name Thorley? as my Great Grandma was Ada Thorley and had a large family in Ashley Street and Hope Street before it was bombed, i know that her dad Reuben Thorley worked as a Fruit Carter at birmingham market during the late 1800's

Cheers,. Lee
 
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Hi,

Ralph John THORLEY b 1899, was my mothers Stepfather, her own father John Walter WALTON having died in the First World War, The father of Ralph John Thorley was Samuel Thorley b 1879 he died on active service in France 7/8/1917 m aged 38, and is buried in Mendingham Military Cemetery. His father was also Samuel Thorley b 1858, all in Birmingham.


The mother of Ralph John Thorley was Catherine Thorley nee O'Grady, she had 3 other children, Catherine b 1902 married Frank Clark 1928, Matilda 1903 married George Wright 1925 and Samuel Richard b 1908, the family lived at 18, Charles Henry Street for many years, due to the proximity to Ashley Street and Hope Street there is a real chance that they are related to your Thorleys, as all the family lived and worked in the Smithfield and Bull Ring markets for many years.

Do any of these names ring a bell?

Smiler
 
[

Hi Smiler!

Well you are not going to believe this, we are related!

Samuel Thorley b1858/9 was my Great great great grandfather!, he had a son called Reuban Thorley b1878 who in turn had my grandfathers mother Ada Thorley in 1905, and then my grandad Leslie Wareham in 1926.

Samuel had a sister Alice b1854 and Mary b1861 and their parents were Frederick Thorley and Mary b circa 1829, Fredericks mother was Ann, born in i believe 1788, and all from Birmingham.

Does this mean anything to you?

Cheers!

Lee
 
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Hi,

Wonderful!!

This is absolutely all new to me, really fantastic, now remember that I am only step related, but I will ask a lady who I am in touch with to contact you via this thread, because she is related to you and will take you to another part of your family that I dont suppose you know anything about!!! All in the Birmingham Markets.

Is this him? He only lived a few doors away from the rest of the family in Charles Henry Street in 1891.


Piece: RG12/2402 Place: Aston -Warwickshire Enumeration District: 2
Civil Parish: Aston Ecclesiastical Parish: St John
Folio: 36 Page: 18 Schedule: 105
Address: 8 Ct Hse 2 Charles Henry St



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Surname First name(s) Rel Status Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks
THORLEY Frederick Head M M 62 Meter Inspector(Em'ee) Warwickshire - Birmingham
THORLEY Eliza Ann Wife M F 52 Herefordshire - Much Cowarn
THORLEY Alice Dau S F 37 Dress Maker(Em'ee) Warwickshire - Birmingham
THORLEY Reuben Grnson S M 13 Scholar Warwickshire - Birmingham
SMITH Walter Percy Nrs-Ch - M 4 Warwickshire - Birmingham


I am off for some winter SUN tomorrow so will pick up this story when I come back off holiday!!

Smiler
 
Thats them Smiler! Yes Reuben was my great great grandad, by 1905 when his daughter Ada was born they were living in Ashley Street, she lived there till she married in 1922 and then moved in with my Grandads dad George at 38 Hope Street, Ada also had a brother Reuban who i believe was a sailer in the Second World War.

Its great isnt it! i really dont have any connections to this side of the family whatsoever, my Grandad died when i was 10 so i never got a chance to ask him all the questions i would have loved to have.

Step is fine! we are all family :-) thanks for passing this info on, its really exciting to learn more about them

Have a lovely holiday

Lee
 
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Hi Smiler,

We are related, Samuel Thorley who was killed in Action during the great war would have been a great half uncle, you see, his mother, Matilda Thorley, nee Bradbury, re-married on January 1st 1896, to Ralph Lees, who was my great grandfather on my father's side. Matilda was born around 1861 to Reuben and Sarah Bradbury,(nee Abbot), I had a feeling that Samuel had other siblings, he also had a sister called Sarah, who went to the Lees marriage with her mother, Sarah married Thomas Barnett, who was employed by great grand-dad Ralph, who was a fruiter in Smithfield Market, as was Matilda. Matilda died in 1917 but a few months before her son so she was spared this. I would like to see those photos how can I access them, and further more, my cousin, Jamie Evans is connected with Beatie and Jim Evans, Catherine Thorley, who married Thomas McQuale, and their son, Ralph John, lives in Kidderminster. Jamie told me about your thread and asked me to have a look, and I am thrilled because I have been giving what little info I had to my aunt, my late fathers sister. She will be thrilled to find there is more. Have a good holiday and christmas

Julia Henderson
 
hi,

We are connected through family links, Matilda Thorley nee Bradbury, remarried Ralph Lees who was my great grandad, I have yet to link everyone up, but Matilda was the mother of Samuel John Thorley, KIA 1917, who married Catherine O'grady. So, dont know how many times removed we are but family is family. Glad to make contact.


Julia
 
Lee this is wonderful, I have been trying to find out who Samuels parents were, and I knew he must have had siblings, this, of cause is technically my dads side of the family, because as I mentioned Samuels wife was my great grandmother through her marriage to Ralph Lees, I would love to know when Samuel died because Matilda is listed as a widow on her marriage certificate to Ralph Lees, and I would like to know what happened to Samuel Richard, any ideas. Thanks.
 
This is great news for all of you and very exciting. Will continue to read this thread as I have found a relative through this forum too. Jean.
 
The THORLEY/LEES families have been involved with the Smithfield Wholesale Market and the Bull Ring Market for over 100 years, as can be seen from the 1891 Census record of Matilda THORLEY a Fruiterer living at 17/6 Bull Ring with her son and daughter and a boarder.

Piece: RG12/2383 Place: Birmingham -Warwickshire Enumeration District: 19
Civil Parish: Birmingham Ecclesiastical Parish: St Martin
Folio: 81 Page: 17 Schedule: 96
Address: 17 Back 6 Bull Ring

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Surname First name(s) Rel Status Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks
THORLEY Matilda Head M F 29 Fruiterer(Em'ee) Warwickshire - Birmingham
THORLEY Samuel Son S M 12 Scholar Warwickshire - Birmingham
THORLEY Sarah Dau S F 4 Warwickshire - Birmingham
BIRBECK George Boardr S M 36 Revolver Finisher(Em'ee) Warwickshire - Birmingham

Through these family names I have recently made contact with Mata Hari (Julia), who is from the LEES side of the family who has posted on this thread and we have been exchanging what information we have to put together a family tree, at her request I sent her some photos of the Birmingham Markets that had been posted on the BHF site, one of the photos was published in the Birmingham Mail in 2000 and shows a group of people in Smithfield Wholesale Flower market in 1936.

Julia showed this photo to her mother who is 86 years old and living in Stechford and still as bright as a button, she immediately identified 2 of the people in this group, they are the lady on the right hand side with the broad brimmed hat facing the camera, this is Evelyn LEES later Green, the mothers Aunt and the man in the flat cap next to her is Ralph LEES the mothers Grandfather, a quite remarkable discovery. On closer examination of the photo, the lady on the left with the large fur collar on her coat, looks very much like one of the Henderson sisters who were all involved in Flower selling in Birmingham for many years.

I wonder if anyone else can add any other names to the picture?

Smiler
 
Is it possible someone might be able to help. Samuel Richard Thorley was born in 1908, to Samuel John Thorley(hero of the great war God Bless him!!!!!!!!!!!!) and Catherine O'Grady, but after his birth, Samuel seems to disappear off the planet, are there any decendants of that particular Thorley, lurking around, who might give us some information and connect us all up? Also, John Thorley, married Violet Horwood, and, in 1948, they had a little girl called Catherine. She married Paul King in 1972, anyone know anything about this branch of the family, could Samuel Richard have been John's father. Any information anyone could give would be more than helpful.
 
Acccording to the electoral roll, 1935 Samuel Richard Thorley was living with Katherine and John Thorley at 18 Charles Henry St. In 1950 a Samuel R. Thorley was at 348 Green lane,Saltley with a John and a Violet Thorley and in 1955 a Samuel R Thorley and a John Thorley was at 150 School rd , Hall Green
 
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