William Vawdrey civil engineer

[Morturn]

I am looking for information relating to the civil engineer William Vawdrey.

I know he lived at 130 Lichfield Road Aston (1871), Anglesey Villa Graverlly Hill Erdington (1881), and also at 18 Chad Road Edgbaston (1891)

Does anyone have any information, photographs of the houses or him or location maps of the houses he lived in or any other information please.

 

[Astoness]

hi mort i shall be at the library again next week..have noted down your info and will see what i can find for you including any photos unless of course you have already explored the library..

lyn

 

[mikejee]

Below are a large scale map showing 130 Lichfield road c 1889 in red , together with a smaller scale one of approx. the same time to show better where it was. On the census there are 3 Anglesea villas, and they must be the three marked in red, with your Anglesea the most northerly one on the road. No 18 Chad road is shown on the c 1889 large scale map in red. Pretty big house after small beginnings. Because of how I put the maps on, they are in reverse order, with lichfield road at bottom of the page.

 

[Morturn]

Lyn, have not been in the library yet, so if you do get chance, that would be great thanks.

Mike, thank for this, its a great start. Both the Chad and Lichfield Road houses are gone now, but it was nice to see how big they were. I think the Anglesey villas may well be still there, Ill take a drive out later in the week. He was the chief engineer, based in Birmingham, I have also found out that he is buried in Kings Norton churchyard.

Thanks again folks.

 

[mikejee]

Its Gravelly Road North now, Morturn, and the numbers are 63,65 & 67, There seem originally to have been plaques high up on the wall, but on google they look as if they have been smoothed, but would have said Anglesea villas at one time.
Below is a more recent picture showing no 130 lichfield rd. The map shows it next to the church.

 

[Morturn]

I have just realised I have made a mistake with the Lichfield Road address, I have used the schedule number 130 as the house number. It seems strange that there is no house number, although I would imagine this is a common problem.

Does anyone have any suggestions or thoughts about this please.

 

[mikejee]

Morturn
You won't be the first person to make that error.
White's 1873 directory lists him as having his office at 58 Union passage, and home at 1 Anglesea villas, Gravelly hill. The PO directory for 1872 also lists that address. The address in the census is confusing, as what is called "Lichfield road" would now be called Gravelly Hill and Erdington High St. If you look at the enumeratio district description (below in case you have FMP, who, I gather do not include it), then this becomes clear. Going forward a little, schedule no 155 is the Queens Head pub, which the 1873 directorydoes not seem to list by name, but later was at sixways.erdington. Schedule 146 , john wilson, brassfounder is listed in the 1873 directory as at The Elms, High St Erdington, 129, James Cooke is listed as Elm Villa, Gravelly hill, and 132, Alexander Parkes is listed as Anglesea Terrace, Gravelly Hill.
I think this indicates that in 1871 , he was in the same house as in 1881, but for some reason did not list it as one of the Anglesea villas, although one of hia neighbours was so-listed

 

[Morturn]

Mike

That is very helpful, thank you very much. I can't wait to take a walk and see in a day or so, I will keep you posted.

Thanks again.