telephone exchange

[lorraineosborne]

Does anyone have any information about a small telephone exchange which was situated above a shop at 23 Market Street, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire round about 1911?

Lorraine

[lorraineosborne]

I have seen this mentioned on another site - probably earlier than 1911 - anyone know anything about this/

[Geoff-E]

You may have seen this https://tinyurl.com/y8csup79

[Palladium]

Maybe some help here? Good luck...

http://www.thg.org.uk/
http://www.lightstraw.co.uk/

Roger (...ex - manual exchanges/strowger exchanges/PABX's and electronic stuff...)

[Geoff-E]

In those days, internally you would have needed the connecting apparatus like you see in the old films, operators sticking plugs into holes.

The main requirement would be to get the connections from the local telephones.

This is a photo (snipped from a much larger photo) of the location in Lincoln c1900 - the National Telephone Co had space in the building of one of the banks which shows the infra structure involved.

[lorraineosborne]

Thank you so much - I have tried to find some information before but have always been told that this wasn't the case.  My great grandmother, Gharlotte Smith lived at the back of 23 Market Street on the 1911 census. My grandmother, Elizabeth Challinor and a lady living there were telephone operators. The link seems to be there but so far I have not been able to prove it.
Loz

[Geoff-E]

Sorry, I forgot to post this link. 

Obviously, it need not represent their total occupation of the premises https://tinyurl.com/y8csup79

1919 directory shows Liptons to have been at 23 Market St.
Charles HOBHOUSE was Postmaster General.

[lorraineosborne]

Thank you again - it is very interesting. 
1901 census Gainsborough - my ggrandmother, Charlotte E Smith was living at 23 Market Street, Gainsborough, with her husband, two grown up children and two lodgers. On this census my grandmother Elzabeth Challinor's occupation was a telephone operator. It stated in the margin that there was a lock up grocer's shop in front of their home.
1911 census at same address, Charlotte Smith, housewife, with husband, grandson and 2 lodgers, one of which was a telephone operator.
There is certainly a link to the telephone business but their place of employment is not known.
Loz

[Geoff-E]

1896 Directory, 23 Market St was John CURTISS, Grocer and tea dealer

1909 it was Lipton's, Provision dealers

Also in 1909 ...............