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Topic: Rock & Sons Hastings (Read 637 times)
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1909
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 7
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Rock & Sons seems to have been a significant presence in Hastings for most of the 19th century. Does anybody know what happened to them, and in particular any link with Rock, Hawkins & Thorpe in Tunbridge Wells?
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charlotteCH
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 3291
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Welcome to rootschat.
Sorry I can't give you info as an answer to your questions but maybe if you emailed the Hastings Library they may have a Local Studies section that will have the info you want.
Worth a try
Good luck,
charlotte
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HARGREAVES, HANSON, BAILEY, BURTON, HEWITT, JAGGER, LOCKWOOD, UTTLEY, RUDD, TAYLOR, HOLDEN, SHAW Halifax / Sowerby/ Southowram 18C+
GILL, Accrington, Blackburn, West Derby, Lancs, migrated USA 1891 to RI: GILL in SC: HOTCHKISS in RI: PELOQUIN in RI
HUMPHRIES, HILLIER, ALLEN, LYDBURY Nunney/Frome 18-19C
HUMPHRIES, JOYCE, HEWITT, ROBINSON, McMULLEN, SUFFEL, CARNEY, MARRON, COMPTON, FREEMAN Ont. Canada 1830+
PILSEN, Sask.
82nd Regt of Foot 1808-1825
1st WRY Militia 1780-1800
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1909
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 7
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Thanks Charlotte. That's a very sensible suggestion. Chris
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Chris in 1066Land
Moderator
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 6097
"Forever Searching, Forever Learning"
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Hi 1909
Welcome to Rootschat and especially the Sussex Boards - one of the best on here.
By Rock & Son were you referring to Rock & Son Carraige works in White Rock - if so, yes they are very famous in Hastings History and they won a Gold Metal at the Great Exhibition of 1851 at Crystal Palace with a new design of a carraige called 'The Diorapha'
Prior to the Crystal Palace Exhibition, a smaller exhibition of items was held at Messrs Rock and Sons carriage showroom at White Rock on 26/7 February. Children of Hastings Union Workhouse were taken to Crystal Palace by train on July 31.
They also had one of the first conveyor built production lines in history with raw materials entering the premises on the ground floor and gradually being added to as they rose up the three floors of the building in a lift (preserved and still working) until it got to the top where it exited as a complete carriage
Sadly the old building was converted to flats last year - but the outside is still the same
Chris in 1066
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charlotteCH
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 3291
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1909, You've hot gold with Chris in 1066's answer and all that info.
You8 should be able to get a pic of the outside of the buildings.. and maybe more at whichever planning authority gave permission for the new flats.
charlotte
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HARGREAVES, HANSON, BAILEY, BURTON, HEWITT, JAGGER, LOCKWOOD, UTTLEY, RUDD, TAYLOR, HOLDEN, SHAW Halifax / Sowerby/ Southowram 18C+
GILL, Accrington, Blackburn, West Derby, Lancs, migrated USA 1891 to RI: GILL in SC: HOTCHKISS in RI: PELOQUIN in RI
HUMPHRIES, HILLIER, ALLEN, LYDBURY Nunney/Frome 18-19C
HUMPHRIES, JOYCE, HEWITT, ROBINSON, McMULLEN, SUFFEL, CARNEY, MARRON, COMPTON, FREEMAN Ont. Canada 1830+
PILSEN, Sask.
82nd Regt of Foot 1808-1825
1st WRY Militia 1780-1800
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Chris in 1066Land
Moderator
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 6097
"Forever Searching, Forever Learning"
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1909
This is the building that was Rock & Son (The Archway that says White & Norton was the front entrance to the building/works) from an early 1900's picture.
White & North used to say Rock & Son
Also attached is a present day picture of the exit from the lift at the back of the building where the completed carriages came out.
In the cliffs at the back of the building (you can only get to them through the building) are some caves that were used by Rock and Co who as well as being a carriage maker was also an Inventor and he was experimenting in building Refridgerators.
Candle stubs are still in place in niches in the wall that he used to provide light whilst he worked. These pictures were taken as I had access to the building whilst they converted it to flats. Long thin tunnels lead to a wide open space with clear fresh water.
Hope that has helped
Chris in 11066
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Chris in 1066Land
Moderator
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 6097
"Forever Searching, Forever Learning"
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Hi again
Picture 1 is from an old album of Hastings and St Leonards and dates from about 1870 - the smoking chimney belongs to Rock & Son ( their furnace for bending metals) on the corner of Roberston Street (Stratford Place)
Picture 2 shows that same chimney taken from the road above during modernisation into flats. The Grey roof is the actual factory building and the lift was on the right of the picture. (factory was an L shape) The white/cream buildings are actually on the sea front and were showrooms and offices etc.
Picture 3 shows how sympathetic the conversion to flats was - allowing for the age and shape of the building.
Hope that helps to put everything into context
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charlotteCH
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 3291
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Chris in 1066Land,
Those pics are marvellous... and the first of Straford Place gives a real feel for it in early 1900s .
charlotte
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HARGREAVES, HANSON, BAILEY, BURTON, HEWITT, JAGGER, LOCKWOOD, UTTLEY, RUDD, TAYLOR, HOLDEN, SHAW Halifax / Sowerby/ Southowram 18C+
GILL, Accrington, Blackburn, West Derby, Lancs, migrated USA 1891 to RI: GILL in SC: HOTCHKISS in RI: PELOQUIN in RI
HUMPHRIES, HILLIER, ALLEN, LYDBURY Nunney/Frome 18-19C
HUMPHRIES, JOYCE, HEWITT, ROBINSON, McMULLEN, SUFFEL, CARNEY, MARRON, COMPTON, FREEMAN Ont. Canada 1830+
PILSEN, Sask.
82nd Regt of Foot 1808-1825
1st WRY Militia 1780-1800
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1909
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 7
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Hi Chris in 1066 land,
Thanks for those great pictures.
The reason that I was asking about Rocks was that I was doing a little article about carriage makers in Tunbridge Wells. I've done it now, but I never did find out why Rock moved to Tunbridge Wells, and which member of the family it was. I have attached it to this post in case people are interested.
I am still interested in the subject - once you start on something you can never give it up completely, but I wonder how I indicate to readers of this forum that the urgency has lessened. Perhaps just by saying that.
Thanks again for the pictures.
Chris (1909)
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p_14-15.JPG (171.26 KB, 842x598 - viewed 73 times.)
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charlotteCH
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 3291
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Hullo again Chris 1909,
If you know about carriage makers, maybe you can tell me what a charbanc[spelling?] looks like please.
Someone told me deacdes ago that my forebears used to go off in one for picnics in 1890s in Yks dales... there were 9 kids so it must have been a capacious vehicle.
charlotte
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HARGREAVES, HANSON, BAILEY, BURTON, HEWITT, JAGGER, LOCKWOOD, UTTLEY, RUDD, TAYLOR, HOLDEN, SHAW Halifax / Sowerby/ Southowram 18C+
GILL, Accrington, Blackburn, West Derby, Lancs, migrated USA 1891 to RI: GILL in SC: HOTCHKISS in RI: PELOQUIN in RI
HUMPHRIES, HILLIER, ALLEN, LYDBURY Nunney/Frome 18-19C
HUMPHRIES, JOYCE, HEWITT, ROBINSON, McMULLEN, SUFFEL, CARNEY, MARRON, COMPTON, FREEMAN Ont. Canada 1830+
PILSEN, Sask.
82nd Regt of Foot 1808-1825
1st WRY Militia 1780-1800
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1909
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 7
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Hi Charlotte,
A charabanc was a sort of open-topped bus. I have attached a picture of one outside a hotel in TW in I guess about 1911. In the 1890's they would have been horse-drawn but I think that the concept was the same - rows of seats on an open cart.
Chris 1909
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charlotteCH
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 3291
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Chris1909, Thanks.
Would it have been a public vehicle or would the family have hired it for the picnic? They were not short of money .
The one particular outing about which I know was from Ilkley to Bolton Abbey, so was it door to door or wait on the bus stop?
charlotte
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HARGREAVES, HANSON, BAILEY, BURTON, HEWITT, JAGGER, LOCKWOOD, UTTLEY, RUDD, TAYLOR, HOLDEN, SHAW Halifax / Sowerby/ Southowram 18C+
GILL, Accrington, Blackburn, West Derby, Lancs, migrated USA 1891 to RI: GILL in SC: HOTCHKISS in RI: PELOQUIN in RI
HUMPHRIES, HILLIER, ALLEN, LYDBURY Nunney/Frome 18-19C
HUMPHRIES, JOYCE, HEWITT, ROBINSON, McMULLEN, SUFFEL, CARNEY, MARRON, COMPTON, FREEMAN Ont. Canada 1830+
PILSEN, Sask.
82nd Regt of Foot 1808-1825
1st WRY Militia 1780-1800
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1909
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 7
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Hi Charlotte,
My feeling is that they were hired for excursions, though probably by a group larger than a family. A pub in Tunbridge Wells for example, hired one (possibly two) in Sept 1909 for a day's excursion through the hop fields to Maidstone. I also get the feeling that local church groups and societies did do things on a shared basis more than we do now, and picnics were popular.
Chris 1909
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charlotteCH
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 3291
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Thanks Chris 1909,
it would probably have been my father's family and perhaps another family of freinds or two with appropriate baskets of food etc..
How I wish I'd asked when told about it... I just stood there at Bolton Abbey like a dumb bunny and my old uncle didn't want to bore me so didn't elaborate.. the stupidity and the wasted opportunities.  
charlotte
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HARGREAVES, HANSON, BAILEY, BURTON, HEWITT, JAGGER, LOCKWOOD, UTTLEY, RUDD, TAYLOR, HOLDEN, SHAW Halifax / Sowerby/ Southowram 18C+
GILL, Accrington, Blackburn, West Derby, Lancs, migrated USA 1891 to RI: GILL in SC: HOTCHKISS in RI: PELOQUIN in RI
HUMPHRIES, HILLIER, ALLEN, LYDBURY Nunney/Frome 18-19C
HUMPHRIES, JOYCE, HEWITT, ROBINSON, McMULLEN, SUFFEL, CARNEY, MARRON, COMPTON, FREEMAN Ont. Canada 1830+
PILSEN, Sask.
82nd Regt of Foot 1808-1825
1st WRY Militia 1780-1800
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Chris in 1066Land
Moderator
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 6097
"Forever Searching, Forever Learning"
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Hi again Chris 1909
Thanks for that article on Rock & Sons - pretty interesting.
I would like to obtain a copy of that picture of their showroom as seen in the article - can you please advise your source.
Just one interesting comment - The Diorapha was invented just prior to the 1851 exhibition, but the date on that picture is c1830 with parts of the dioprah hanging from the rafters some 20 years before it was invented - how can that be?
Chris in 1066
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