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I want to visit the Jewellery Quarter too. Lots of hubby's people there. I might have had time to sort them out by Vanessa's visit if she fancies it too.

Andrew are you anywhere near by now? Would you be interested if when Vanessa is over if she would like to, we organise some places to go or an evening in a Harvester somewhere?

Jan. Are you up for this too?

Jill

The Birmingham back to backs are always worth a visit if they are open.

Andy

Thanks Andrew. Brilliant bit of ephemera (is that what they call it?) and going into my records.

Vanessa.

I've just looked at the website and it's ten months until the new library opens.

In the meantime, there's always Dudley Records Office which might be useful to you.

Interesting question about GKN Sankey which I'll look to see if I can answer.

Why don't you meet up with myself and Jan when you're over here? We can go and explore some places together.

What's your area in Birmingham?

Nice to have some more Brummies.

xJ

Re earlier post. The No 11(Outer Circle) bus route started in 1926. I worked in an office on the route in 1976 when they had a celebration of '50 years of going round in circles'.

Andy

Just an aside from your thread Jan, I am deflated to hear that the research room is closed! I have a trip to the UK (Im in oz) in February, and as OH is staying behind, I had free time to go and play in the records!

Oh well, might have to be a different branch of the family and across the border to Staffordshire!

Makes me feel 'at home' reading this thread :-D

Also, along the No.11 bus route is/was GKN Sankey - were they involved in munitions during the war??

Fingers crossed your man turns up

Okay Jan. No worries. Just let me know when you can. It's brilliant to be able to plan to do something other than paint and decorate :-D

I'm looking forward to it too.

xxJ

OK, a picnic it is! I'll bring something too.
I'll double-check with the library tomorrow. Out all day but will get back to you well before the day.
Looking forward to it!
janx

Fine by me Jan. Shall I bring pasta salad for our lunch? I'm sure there must be somewhere we can sit.
xJ

Sounds good to me Jill.
The library is open 10-6 on Friday. I always get the train too, much easier.
How do you fancy the morning - 10.30 maybe?
jan

Hi Jan.

Meant to check earlier and get back to you.

Dtr says nothing on Friday for us as far as she knows.

R not got anything planned either.

Friday for us then?

Going to find where some of Sydney's art is. I'm certain there is something in the Town Hall and the Cathedral. I'd like to go and look at it if it's accessible.

What time does the library open? I'll come in by train. It costs a bit more than the bus which will be full, rough to ride and take an hour each way. Even if the train isn't straight through from Solihull (10 mins) it's only going to be 20 minutes. It's clean and comfortable and doesn't do my back in trying to counter being jolted all the time on the bus :-(

xxJ

Hi Jill, are you there? I was right - remembered from previous visit. The only days archives are open are Weds-Fri.
If you can make Thurs early-ish, or Friday, let me know. If not I feel I shall have to give it a go, but 2 heads definitely better than one in this case!
jan <3

Jill, I have a feeling the library archives have already closed Mondays, now I think of it?
Let me know re. Friday.
Off to bed soon, speak to you tomorrow.
Thanks for the input everyone. Told you it was a corker!
jan ;-)

Sorry Jan. I was still on page one and didn't spot your latest reply. Monday is a push but I can ask the family about Friday.

Talk about complicated; Yardley - Solihull Reg District - Worcestershire!!!! No one stands a chance if you think about it :-S :-S :-S :-S

Not sure if working in a munitions factory was a reserved? occupation. Isn't that one of the factory occupations that women took over doing. I'm sure I remember reading about the side effects they all suffered because of the 'ingredients' in the workplace atmosphere. It's the reason I'm not bad at quizzes. My head is full of vague pieces of information that would otherwise be considered a waste of space.

Just Googled and found this.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_would_happen_in_munition_factories_in_World_War_1

The female workers were called Munitionettes - with so many men in uniform, women became the bulk of the factory work force.

Working in munition factories in WW1 was dangerous, hard work. The workers were exposed to dangerous chemicals and poisons with little or no protection as well as explosives. Women in some of the factories were nicknamed canaries because their skin took on a yellow hue due to exposure of sulphur. Approx 400 women, who worked in the factories, died from handling shells with TNT in them, during the war. (The workers dealt with nitric and sulphuric acids, nitroglycerine and gun cotton and other ingredients that made the shells, bullets etc.)

Thanks for the replies Chris - we crossed posts I think!
I suspect the Irish Alexander might be a red herring maybe. Interestingly though, just looking fat all Longfields in Ireland, they seem to be quite affluent on the whole. One of my rellies tells me that her mother (a child of Harry and Mary) recalled visits from a well-to-do Irish lady when she was a child.
If I had to speculate I would guess he was an illegitimate child of a servant, possibly to a Longfield, and she was shipped off to England to have him.
Or maybe not!!!
Jan

British Army Service Records 1760-1915
First name(s): Alexander
Last name: LONGFIELD
Calculated year of birth: 1878
Parish of birth: St Peter & Pauls
Town of birth: Cork
County of birth: Cork
Age at attestation: 18 years 6 months
Attestation date: 12 March 1896
Attestation corps: ROYAL MUNSTER FUS REGIMENT
Attestation soldier number: 2952
Discharge rank:
Discharge corps: Royal Munster Fusiliers - 101st & 104th Foot
Discharge soldier number:
The National Archives reference: WO96 / 1213 / 172

(address as 1901 Irish Census above, occ. Carpenter) No family names given.

Chris :)

edits (above also on Ancestry, where family are given, no mention of Harry, too young?)

Thanks Choccy.

Think I am going to have to list several properties either side of Cateswell Cottage and see if the library has a map detailed enough to let me plot the position of each one.

But I've just had another thought Jan. Solihull has maps too. It wouldn't matter that Hall Green now comes under Birmingham. Maybe they'd have the relevant ones for the time when it was part of Solihull.

I forgot. I'm sure I joined the Heritage website ages ago. I need to head for bed but will look to see if I can post a request for help on there.

Night.xx

I can't see that census on Ancestry Choccy. In passing, Mary's father was a carriage lamp maker, so maybe there was some connection there! But Harry remains as elusive as ever. No idea why he didn't sign up, unless as a worker in a munitions factory he was exempt?

I would quite like to have found the above family on another census, but not a sign.

Jill - that basically leaves Friday!! Or Monday at a push.

ADDED Aha! And interestingly there is a Cateswell House on the previous page.

1851 England Census

Name: Nora A A Holden
Age: 9 Mo
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1850
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: Howard A Holden
Mother's Name: Mary E Holden
Gender: F (Female)
Where born: Yardley, Worcestershire, England

Civil parish: Yardley
County/Island: Worcestershire
Country: England

Registration district: Solihull
Sub-registration district: Solihull

Howard A Holden 24
Mary E Holden 24
Nora A A Holden 9 Mo
John Kimnersley 70
Charles Anderton 20
Catherine Pactt 18


Jan x

Residents of a house 41.2 in Maylor Street (part of) (No.2 Urban, North Centre, Cork)
1901 Irish Census

Longfield Mary 53 Female Head of Family Roman Catholick Cork City House Keeper Read and write - Widow -
Longfield Frank 21 Male Son Roman Catherlick Cork City Conductor on Train Read and write - Not Married -
Longfield Agustin 19 Male Son Roman Catherlick Cork City Carpenter Read and write - Not Married -
Longfield Harry 16 Male Son Roman Catholic

(just adding above to the 'pot'!)

Chris :)

found this family in Green Bank Cottage in 1851


as you know the area, the original census return might help in locating where it is



1851

RG number: HO107
Piece: 2071
Folio: 87
Page: 28
Reg. District: Solihull
Sub District: Solihull
Parish: Yardley
Enum. District: 1F
Ecclesiastical District:
City/Municipal Borough:

Address: Green Bank Cottage, Yardley
County: Warwickshire


HOLDER, Howard A Head Married M 24 1827 Brass Founder & Lamp Manufacturer
Birmingham
HOLDER, Mary E Wife Married F 24 1827
Hereford
HOLDER, Nora A A Daughter F 0 (9 MOS) 1851
Yardley, Worcestershire
KINNERSLEY, John Servant Widower M 70 1781 Ag Lab
Monmouth
ANDERTON, Charles Servant Unmarried M 20 1831 House Servant
Solihull, Warwickshire
PALL, Catherine Servant Unmarried F 18 1833 House Servant
Oxford



doesn't help with finding Harry though!


I did wonder why Harry had not enlisted, as he was young enough to do so, I would have thought ?



Off to my bed now :-)

Eeek. I can't do Wednesday and can't do late Thursday afternoons for sure but pick another day and I'll check with the family.

Didn't remember you were born in KH. And as for Kings Norton. That plain makes your brain hurt. If you didn't have the local knowledge for the layout of how that worked as far as records were concerned.......... Are other areas of the country just as difficult? :-S :-S

R and I looked at a house in Coldbath. I say 'looked'. We were after our first place together and had a pile of estate agents bumf. We drove around to get the idea of all the houses and places. The house in Coldbath was on the go for about £5,000. Mind it was pre-1986 house price explosion but even so it was too, too cheap; even in the poor condition suggested. So I sat and read through the blurb again and suddenly realised what was missing. There was no mention of a bathroom or toilet. It was enough; we didn't ask for a viewing :-0