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Willis Street??

  • Thread starter Thread starter thestudy2
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T

thestudy2

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Hi,
I need to track down the street name shown on this postcard. It is dated 5th Feb 1906 and my family at that time came from around Saltley, Aston and Nechells. Using other examples of his writing, Tom Caldicott seems to have addressed his card to his parents at either 4/97 Willes Street, or 4/9 Twilles Street, Ashted, Birmingham. None of the maps I've found show a street named anything like this - any ideas please?
 
Thanks, Cromwell - so where is/was Willis Street in Ashted?

I realise that maybe my post should have been in the 'place related enquiries' section, which I've just found - my apologies...
 
Here you are
 

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  • map Nechells Willis St.jpg
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Willis Street

Hi
Well done Cromwell

Yes 1901 Census shows the Caldicott Family at Willis Street

I presume the Card is from their Son Thomas aged 11 in 1901
strange how he spelt the Road wrong?
the rest of the card is well written.
He refers to a picture house and Squires on the
Washwood Heath Road plenty to go at here


Father Thomas aged 35 Iron Caster
Mother Harriet aged 33
Daughter Rose aged 11
Daughter Elsie aged 7

Adress the 2 Back 101 Willis Street
By 1906 they may have moved?

Mike Jenks
 
It could have been 4/99 Willis St because family's didn't move far in those days.

My Mother moves from 6/289 to 4/289 Newtown Row We moved because we were bombed out.

Gran moved from 1 Ashford St to 5 Ashford Street. Gran because she lost Grandad and she gave it up to a larger family.:)

Good Luck Study Great Postcard

Good work Mike & Cromwell
 
Hi thestudy2. My husbands grandparents marriage certificate at St Mary's Aston Brook 1898 gives one of the witnesses as Arthur Caldicott. William Partridge who married Sarah Stevens. William was a Brass Turner they lived at Back of 24 Phillips Street. The Partridge family all lived around the Ashtead area. I just wondered if there was a connection.
 
Willes Street

Hi

Bit of Luck on Squires.
It would appear to be a Photogrphic shop
next to the Cinema.
A certain Issac Squires specialised in the Colouring
of Photographs.
Have attached the reference from Roots Web.

https://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/ENG-WARKS-BIRMINGHAM/2004-06/1088450532
Tom is asking his Dad to go there and have his
Photograph Coloured at Squires.
I wonder if he is in the Army.
There is a reference to a certain Thomas Caldicott
Private in the Royal Warwicks.

Mike Jenks
 
My thanks to you both - I am just starting to do some family research and I guess like many folks, never asked the people who would have been able to answer the many questions I have. I thought you might like to see the front of the postcard. It shows Tom riding the bike - he looks older than 16?

There is a second card from Tom to 'Floss' (Florence) Wilson in St Clements Rd from Bisley Camp, posted on the same date.

Moma P - I haven't come across the name Partridge so far, but will let you know if I find any link - nice one, thank you.

Mike - the front of the cards answer your questions!

Blimey! what a response, I am glad I found you lot!
 
Mike - I just remembered a pair of WW1 medals I have - they are inscribed:

200559 S.SGT R.T.Caldicott Tank Corps. I don't know if that matches the cap badge on the photo?

Floss Wilson married George Simmons - I also have his WW1 medals.


Maybe a moderator could move this thread to the correct place, I don't want to get shouted at when I've only just joined... or perhaps I could just add a couple of maps to each post?
 
Willes Street

Hi

Need to re-group on this one.
The Cap badge is not the Royal Warks.
The Military experts will soon sought this one out.
From a little card how big the tree grows.
The Card is sighned Tom yet RT is the Initial.
I carry on and sought out what I can.
Is it Tom you are working from?.
Family History is a minefield of names etc.

Mike Jenks
 
Ok, thanks. The Caldicott's are of interest, if only to understand how they fit in to the family. It was the postcards that caught my eye, hence the original question.

This may be the wrong approach, but my family history is rather complicated, so I am going through all the easily accessible stuff first - photos, newspaper cuttings etc and drawing up what info we have. Then I will decide which branch to follow, although I have one section of the family I need to gather more information on - unfortunately their name was Smith.

I have discovered an Indentured Apprenticeship agreement dated May 1906 in the name of Robert Thomas Caldicott witnessed by his father, also Robert Thomas Caldicott. If he was an apprentice shopfitter in 1906 at the age of 16, (indentured to Richard Hunt of 104 Great Brook St), perhaps it was RTC senior in uniform in the picture. The first postcard, by the way, asks his father to go to Squires to 'fetch my other photos I have paid 2/6 on them. From your son Tom' Maybe Tom to differentiate him from his dad Robert?
 
Willes Street

Hi

glad to have been of some help.
His Father would have been 40 in 1906.
both carry the same name but reversed.
His Father was Thomas Robert
Robert Thomas being his Son.
This would line up with your Medal
of Sergent RT Caldicott.
Best of luck on your Family Tree

Mike Jenks
 
Cap badges MGC... Machine gun Corps ...A pair of crossed Vickers machine guns with the crown above
 
Willes Street

Hi

Well done Cromwell this would explain Sergent RT Caldicott
in the Tank Regiment. As a Machine Gunner thats where his
skills were. The Motor cycle threw me a bit thought he may
have been a driver.

Mike Jenks
 
Thanks Mike and Cromwell. Their names were the same, not reversed according to the Indenture - it says Robert Thomas Caldicott son of Robert Thomas Caldicott and both parties signed Robert Thomas Caldicott. He started his apprenticeship on six bob a week - obviously overpaid...

I can post a scan of the indenture document if anyone is interested.
 
I have found this thread so interesting I would love to see a scan of the document. What a brilliant piece of detective work by Mike and Cromwell............facinating
 
Scan of the indenture as requested. Sorry it's too long to fit my scanner, so it's in two parts. If I was any good with the imaging program I could fit it back together, but I'm rubbish at it!

Ah, I have just noticed that the answer to my first post about the street name could have been solved if I had paid more attention to this document. Maybe I should take up golf instead of genealogy?
 
Thank you for posting the document its a lovely piece of family history and very interesting to me. Don't worry about missing the street name I do that sort of thing all the time.
 
willes street

Hi

Thanks for his indentures.
Had a go with Ancestory census from 1841.
tried to keep the Family intact with Dates of Birth etc
but the name Caldicott is mispelt by the census recorders
also some Birth dates change slightly.
Other than a few odd bits Robert Thomas can be traced
back to 1841.
his great Grand Father is recorded as a Miller? living
in Summer Row.
Certain dates I havent found but I have covered quite a few.
There is alway's a Health Warning with type of work
but I feel the Dates of Birth the Spouses Names are reasonably
accurate.
I have attached my work sheet taken from the Census.

Mike Jenks
 
A Caldicott from Saltley
and a bit from the Electoral roll 1920 which I have cause my family lived in the next street
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks Cromwell.

Just to complete the story a bit, on my original post with the pictures of the postcards, can anyone confirm that the '16' on the postmark meant 1916? Tom wrote the date as 5/2/6 and the postmark confirms 5th Feb but I think the year is 1916, not 1906.

The reason is that the cap badge in the picture is actually the Motor Machine Gun Corps or MMG and those letters form the lower part of the badge. This corps was only formed in 1915, so that would make the person in uniform RTC jnr not snr, who would have completed his apprenticeship and be aged about 25.

I have also found other pictures showing RTC jnr and his wife Madge (showing rather too much leg for the period I think) riding motorbikes after they were married, together with a Tank Corps Christmas card dated 1918 addressed to Madge.

RTC snr died 23/4/41 aged 76 as shown on the undertakers receipt, though I don't know yet what the Wiltshire connection is.
 
thestudy2, what fantastic family history you have, the photo's are just brilliant why don't you post them on the restoration section. I have done this the results have been amazing! There are some very clever people on this site who will help and no charge............thats why I love it!
 
Willes Street

Hi

Stamp Collecting is my Hobby as well.
Its what I call a massive error.
Its 1916
In 1906 Edward 7th was King.
The Stamp is the 2nd version of George 5th.
Clearly the Death details in 1941 confirm
the Senior Robert Thomas.
What an amazing ammount of detail you have.
Havent located Robert and Madges marriage details.
BMD records I have are just after the War1 so
Robert and Madge may have married well after the War.
Strange how Floss changed to Madge.


mike Jenks
 
Mike you make me smile....only firing on half power at the moment
But love the way you tackle something....well done..
 
Thanks again Mike.

Nothing strange about Floss changing to Madge - they were sisters. Floss married George Simons as I noted (and mis-spelt) earlier. I presume the postcard was nothing more than staying in touch with his (future) sister-in-law, the two couples remained close throughout their lives.
 
Moma P, thanks for the kind comments. The Caldicotts are very much on the edge of my family, but I was interested to understand more about them.

My main family history is quite complicated and somewhat er.. colourful shall we say, with a handful of assorted skeletons in interesting cupboards. If you have an hour or two over a coffee and a sticky bun I'll tell you all about them!

There is a great deal of work to do to establish exactly who was whose parent for example - I think I need Poirot to assist in the investigation.
 
hello Mike

Many thanks this is a most fascinating thread, I have enjoyed reading it.

Sorry to intrude but this a message to Cromwell,
do you have more on the Electoral list for the Saltley area. I am looking for James and Rose Jones.

Regards Pam
 
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