W D Richards fruit & vegetable wholesalers

[Champion]

Hi I am new to the Forum.
I am looking for any information on a company WD Richards - which was a fruit and vegetable wholesalers.
Some of my family worked there and I can remember going to visit the warehouse in the 1960s.
Who was WD Richards - what was his full name? I have looked on the internet and cannot find any records apart from some market tokens for sale on Ebay, which have his name on them.
Would be grateful for any info. Thank you

 

[MWS]

There are number of adverts for staff in Bham newspapers, WD Richards, Smithfield Market.

 

[MWS]

Possible owners were George and Gwen Colville. There's a mention of a marriage in 1959 of the youngest daughter of Mrs Gwen Colville, chairman of W D Richards.

Gwen's death is mentioned in 1968, owner of a large wholesale greengrocery.

 

[Champion]

Possible owners were George and Gwen Colville. There's a mention of a marriage in 1959 of the youngest daughter of Mrs Gwen Colville, chairman of W D Richards.

Gwen's death is mentioned in 1968, owner of a large wholesale greengrocery.

Thanks for replying. I knew Gwen Colville - I am just not sure how she came to be working in this business and how she knew WD Richards. Gwen was widowed in about 1936 and carried on working in the business until she retired.

 

[MWS]

There are appears an article about the form of the company W D Richards Ltd, capital £3000 to acquire the business carried on at Smithfield. 5 Jan 1921 Bham Daily Gazette.

The search results are a bit garbled so the article may contain more details.

 

[MWS]

It appears that Gwen's father (Ernest Smith) was a greengrocer.

 

[MWS]

Hi I am new to the Forum.
I am looking for any information on a company WD Richards - which was a fruit and vegetable wholesalers.
Some of my family worked there and I can remember going to visit the warehouse in the 1960s.
Who was WD Richards - what was his full name? I have looked on the internet and cannot find any records apart from some market tokens for sale on Ebay, which have his name on them.
Would be grateful for any info. Thank you

W D Richards appears to have been William Dennis Richards b1872 in Cambridgeshire. He is living Wythall (mentioned in article in post #5) on the 1911 & 1921 census and on the 1911 census he is listed as a Fruit Salesman Agent and Commission.

He married Charlotte Davies in Salford 1894 and died in 1945. His death is reported in Bham Daily Post.

On the 1939 register William and Charlotte are living in Haywards Heath in a house named 'Wythywood' (name also mentioned in article post #5).

 

[Laurence]

I did some research of a 26mm brass 6d market token which reads WD RICHARDS BIRMINGHAM FRUIT & POTATO SALESMAN SMITHFIELD MARKET.
Trade directories:
1912 Wm D Richards, Smithfield Vegetable Market.
1915 Mentions additional premises in Allison St.
1925 Now WD Richards Ltd
1953 Mentions office in Coventry St.
1963 No mention of Allison St but gives 61/2 Smithfield vegetable Market.
Hope this is of use.

 

[Champion]

Thank you both for all this information. I have looked up WD Richards on Ancestry and will do some more research on him. Allison Street rings a bell. The info about Gwen Colville's father being a greengrocer was useful. I appreciate you spending the time to help me find out more about this subject.

 

[Lynn Wiseman]

Hi I am new to the Forum.
I am looking for any information on a company WD Richards - which was a fruit and vegetable wholesalers.
Some of my family worked there and I can remember going to visit the warehouse in the 1960s.
Who was WD Richards - what was his full name? I have looked on the internet and cannot find any records apart from some market tokens for sale on Ebay, which have his name on them.
Would be grateful for any info. Thank you

W D Richards was my grandfather. I am interested to have more information about his Birmingham Business too. My grandparents moved to Haywards Heath when Geandfwther retired around the age of 40 having made his most eye! He always said he retired to early - he only ‘wanted enough for bread & cheese, but didn’t know the cheese would become so expensive’. He became a property investor and built a house and huge garden in H.Heath. He dies when I was 2 so hard,y remember him. My grandmother a Charlotte lived until 106! I would very. Itch like to know more about his business activities in Birmingham. He had the fourth car in Birmingham and became obsessed with motoring...
any further info. About how he started the business and what has happen to the premises in Alison Street would be much appreciated.

 

[Lynn Wiseman]

Thanks for replying. I knew Gwen Colville - I am just not sure how she came to be working in this business and how she knew WD Richards. Gwen was widowed in about 1936 and carried on working in the business until she retired.

I’m WD Richard’s grandaughter. The name Gwen Colville rings a bell. But can’t remember exactly who she was and the connection. Think she might have been a relative.

 

[Lynn Wiseman]

I did some research of a 26mm brass 6d market token which reads WD RICHARDS BIRMINGHAM FRUIT & POTATO SALESMAN SMITHFIELD MARKET.
Trade directories:
1912 Wm D Richards, Smithfield Vegetable Market.
1915 Mentions additional premises in Allison St.
1925 Now WD Richards Ltd
1953 Mentions office in Coventry St.
1963 No mention of Allison St but gives 61/2 Smithfield vegetable Market.
Hope this is of use.

I’m W D Richards granddaughter. The Alison St. Premises were inherited by my Uncle who very foolishly sold the premises some time in the ‘70’s. I would be interested to know what has happened to those premises now. Think they were bought by someone carrying on WD Richards wholesale greengrocers business. What’s there now? Anyone know please?

 

[Lynn Wiseman]

Thank you both for all this information. I have looked up WD Richards on Ancestry and will do some more research on him. Allison Street rings a bell. The info about Gwen Colville's father being a greengrocer was useful. I appreciate you spending the time to help me find out more about this subject.

I haven’t actually looked at my Grandfather, WD Richards on My Heritage yet. If you turn up more info on Ancestry, I would be very grateful to know more about his parents. Think they lived in March. He met my grandmother in the fens - think they went skating on the frozen fens. They then went to Manchester where they got married.

 

[MWS]

William Dennis Richards born Chatteris, his parents are living with him on the 1911 census - Robert Richards b1839 Doddington, Cambs and Jane Advent Berry b1836 Huntingdon.

 

[mikejee]

I’m W D Richards granddaughter. The Alison St. Premises were inherited by my Uncle who very foolishly sold the premises some time in the ‘70’s. I would be interested to know what has happened to those premises now. Think they were bought by someone carrying on WD Richards wholesale greengrocers business. What’s there now? Anyone know please?

It looks like they initially became John Dennis, potato merchant. Unfortunately I cannot find an actual number for their premises there. However it was between Orwell passage (no longer extant) and Well lane. The building is shown in red on the map below. The viw of the front of it now is at:

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

goo.gl

 

[Lynn Wiseman]

It looks like they initially became John Dennis, potato merchant. Unfortunately I cannot find an actual number for their premises there. However it was between Orwell passage (no longer extant) and Well lane. The building is shown in red on the map below. The viw of the front of it now is at:

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

goo.gl

View attachment 171621

It looks like they initially became John Dennis, potato merchant. Unfortunately I cannot find an actual number for their premises there. However it was between Orwell passage (no longer extant) and Well lane. The building is shown in red on the map below. The viw of the front of it now is at:

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

goo.gl

View attachment 171621

Thank you so much. We did drive down there about 25 years ago. This area obviously still hasn’t reached it’s full potential. Interesting to know what happed behind those shops - the site seems to run quite far back. If you come up,with any more info. I’d be interested to know. Thank you.

 

[Lynn Wiseman]

William Dennis Richards born Chatteris, his parents are living with him on the 1911 census - Robert Richards b1839 Doddington, Cambs and Jane Advent Berry b1836 Huntingdon.

Thank you very much for this info. Knew there was a Berry in the family somewhere. This confirms he was born in Chatteris. Did WD Richards have any siblings?

 

[MWS]

It look like he had 3 brothers - John Berry b1870 d 1946, Herbert Ernest b & d 1874 and Herbert Edward b 1877 d 1884.

John Berry married Sarah Chambers in 1893 West Gorton, Lancs and had at least one daughter, Margaret Mary. In 1911 they were in Matlock, Derbys.

 

[Lynn Wiseman]

It look like he had 3 brothers - John Berry b1870 d 1946, Herbert Ernest b & d 1874 and Herbert Edward b 1877 d 1884.

John Berry married Sarah Chambers in 1893 West Gorton, Lancs and had at least one daughter, Margaret Mary. In 1911 they were in Matlock, Derbys.

Thanks so much for this info.:Really interesting to know there were siblings. Not sure I ever heard of them ...