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White Family/White’s Garages

N

NickyL

proper brummie kid
Hello everyone
I’m looking for any memories, photographs etc relating to my Dad’s family, the White’s who owned White’s Garages - one in Belgrave Road (site now unrecognisable as it sat above where the underpass is) and one in Moseley Road (on the site of Birmingham Car Auctions, near the fire station).
Fingers crossed!
 
got a couple of garage pics on moseley road one of them is timms garage but not one of whites...will check my belgrave photos next..what years are you talking about

lyn
 
Astoness said:
got a couple of garage pics on moseley road one of them is timms garage but not one of whites...will check my belgrave photos next..what years are you talking about

lyn
Click to expand...
My Grandma was born in 1917 and we have photographs of her, as a child, at the garage on Moseley Road. They also had another, more modern (1930s) garage on Moseley Road, roughly opposite where Dixon’s (wallpaper/paint) shop was. The Belgrave Road garage was there, as far as I know, up to when the road was redeveloped. I need to check dates with my Dad. Thanks for trying Lyn.
 
Bob Johnson said:
There was a 'White's garage and removals' in Great lister st.
Click to expand...
Thank you Bob but I don’t think that’s connected. I know that my Great Grandfather also had a haulage company but we don’t have much information about that side of things - other than a photo/postcard showing the aftermath of a collision involving one of his vehicles and a house!
 
NickyL said:
My Grandma was born in 1917 and we have photographs of her, as a child, at the garage on Moseley Road. They also had another, more modern (1930s) garage on Moseley Road, roughly opposite where Dixon’s (wallpaper/paint) shop was. The Belgrave Road garage was there, as far as I know, up to when the road was redeveloped. I need to check dates with my Dad. Thanks for trying Lyn.
Click to expand...
so they are quite old photos we are looking for then...no luck so far but never say never

lyn
 
So…I’ve been digging through old boxes and found this. It’s the original Moseley Road garage. I’ve photographed it in its frame, so it’s not the best quality image. This was on the site that became Birmingham Car Auctions.
 

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I done a quick edit on the photo in #7 to show the double gable ends and I have circled what could be the garage building in an aerial view dated 1946.
Whites Garage.jpg
With more time I could improve the above image if required

Note 'double gable' on building in the circle on view below. Moseley Rd runs across the view from near right top right. Click to enlarge and use zoom button.
!946_MoseleyRd.jpg
 
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oldMohawk said:
I done a quick edit on the photo in #7 to show the double gable ends and I have circled what could be the garage in an aerial view dated 1946.
View attachment 157484
With more time I could improve the above image if required

Note 'double gable' on building in the circle on view below. Moseley Rd runs across the view from near right top right. Click to enlarge and use zoom button.
View attachment 157485
Click to expand...
OldMohawk, GREAT work and pictures! Really bought things in focus (no pun intended).
 
oldMohawk said:
I done a quick edit on the photo in #7 to show the double gable ends and I have circled what could be the garage building in an aerial view dated 1946.
View attachment 157484
With more time I could improve the above image if required

Note 'double gable' on building in the circle on view below. Moseley Rd runs across the view from near right top right. Click to enlarge and use zoom button.
View attachment 157485
Click to expand...
oldMohawk said:
I done a quick edit on the photo in #7 to show the double gable ends and I have circled what could be the garage building in an aerial view dated 1946.
View attachment 157484
With more time I could improve the above image if required

Note 'double gable' on building in the circle on view below. Moseley Rd runs across the view from near right top right. Click to enlarge and use zoom button.
View attachment 157485
Click to expand...
Thank you so much! That’s great :)
 
Hi, NickyL,
my Dad (William White) passed away in January aged 96, and left his memoirs for us to read. Dad mentions his Uncle Walt who owned one of the first garages in Birmingham, Belgrave Garage. Apparently, he had the contract for Carr's biscuits and all their big Maroon vans had his uncle Walt's name on the side 'Walter White'. It gets a little bit confusing, as Dad had an Uncle Walter White, who was his Dad's brother, and also an Uncle Walter Timms, who was his Mom's brother, who also seems to have had a yard where they did car maintenance at Hargate Lane where my Dad's family and grandparents lived.
Sorry, I have no photos of the garage, but I thought you might find this interesting, especially if we happen to be related. Gill x
 
There are some adverts looking for staff in the newspapers for White's Garages, mostly listing 12 Belgrave Road but some for 14 Essington St.

Not a lot to go on but there doesn't seem to be a connection between your Whites, Gill and Nicky's White.

I think your Whites (William James & Walter Frederick) were born in Dudley.

Nicky's Whites (2 branches) I think were from Cheltenham (Thomas Adolphus, garage owner) and Birmingham (John).

Obviously, mistakes are possible.
 
The Belgrave Garage was definitely without a doubt owned by my Dad's Uncle, as my Dad clearly states in his memoirs 'Uncle Walt had one of the first garages in Birmingham, Belgrave Garage, and had the contract to Carr's Biscuits, all the big maroon vans had his name on the doors. He lived at Hatton Hall (Warwickshire)'. Are you sure my Whites were born in Dudley, or could that be Dudley Road hospital, now called City Hospital, Birmingham, where all of my family were born?
 
No, not sure. I've just worked things out from the info you gave to be confirmed or refuted.

You said your dad was William, died this year aged 96. An uncle Walter White and an uncle Walter Timms.

So, there is a birth registration for a William Henry White, mmn Timms, Dec qtr 1924 West Brom.

There is a marriage for a William J White and an Alice Timms registered 1913 West Brom.

On 1939 William Henry and other White/Timms children are with father (William J) at 13 Clive St. William J White born 1889.

There is a William James White b1889 Dudley living with parents in Wednesbury (West Brom) in 1911. He has a brother Walter Frederick b1892.

There is an Alice Timms b1890 West Bromwich, she had a brother Walter.
 
Going back to the garages.

It seems that it's just a coincidence that White's Garage was at 12 Belgrave Road and your uncle Walt owned Belgrave Garage. There appears to be a Belgrave Garage on the Bristol Road and there may well have been others.
 
Further search shows that a George Frederick White is listed in the 1921 Kelly's Directory on Belgrave Road. Possibly at 207, the search results are a bit garbled and I'm unable to access the actual record.

As the numbers suggest 12 and 207 appear to be towards opposite ends of Belgrave Road.
 
In 1932 Thomas White is listed at 12 Belgrave Road. Can't see any listing for Moseley Road but 302 and 304 are listed in 1939 directory.
 
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  • Appreciate
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Thanks, it was George Frederick White at 207 (possibly) Belgrave Road that I think could be Gil's relative.

Thomas Adolphus White (unrelated), the original subject of the thread, was the owner of White's Garage at no 12.
 
NickyL said:
Hello everyone
I’m looking for any memories, photographs etc relating to my Dad’s family, the White’s who owned White’s Garages - one in Belgrave Road (site now unrecognisable as it sat above where the underpass is) and one in Moseley Road (on the site of Birmingham Car Auctions, near the fire station).
Fingers crossed!
Click to expand...
Hi, is this the same family that owned E C (Bunny) Whites garage?
 
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