The Majestic Cinema in Cradley Heath

[woody123]

Hi,

An elderly relation told me recently that an ancestor of mine once owned the Majestic Cinema in Cradley Heath. 

I cannot find any info on the internet to verify the information, but he is definitely connected to the Garden Cinema in Bewdley.

My ancestor's name was "Mark Noah Thomas Round" and he was a Timber merchant of Barrs Rd in Old Hill.  Mark died in Bewdley in 1924, but also had a son of the same name.

All I can find at the moment is names of directors or managers, and builders of the majestic but not the owners.  I did see somewhere some mention of a "Majestic group" as the owners so he may have been part of that.

He is also said to have owned the Majestic in Bridgnorth and a cinema in Bewdley.

Any help with the above would be much appreciated.

[ciderdrinker]

Hello
You say that your uncle died in 1924 but I'm afraid  the Majestic Cinema wasn't built till 1933.
Ned Williams has done an excellent book on the Cinemas of the Black Country which you might find at your local library.
In the meantime the Kinematograph Yearbook of 1942 does give the owner of the Majestic cinema as Majestic cinemas (Cradley Heath) Ltd Cradley road.
Bridgnorth Majestic the same year is owned by I Morris of Shaftesbury Road London but thats not to say your family didn't own it before or after that.
Indeed the Garden Cinema at Bewdley at  the time is owned by JR Smithson,Habbersley Road ,Wribbenhall.

The book is available on archive .org if you fancy a look and there is a volume for each year from 1909 but not on line.
The 1927 volume on there gives the owners of the New Garden Cinema at Bewdley as Bewdley and Bridgnorth Picture Houses which sounds more like it could be your family.
The Majestic Bridgnorth is not yet listed nor in the 1931 but perhaps they ere building it.The Palace at Bridgnorth is owned by them in 1935.

Does that help?

Ciderdrinker

[woody123]

Thanks very much for your reply and the info.

It certainly does help and gives me something more to research.

The Bewdley historical group are sending me a copy of their book where my great x 2 grandfather "Mark Round" gets a mention and is linked with the garden cinema.

They told me that he purchased land near to his home at Herne's nest house in Bewdley so I'm assuming that's where the cinema was.

I'm waiting for the book to arrive so I can read more about him.

I now think It could be his son "Mark Round" junior who owned the majestic in Cradley Heath, and will meet with my relative soon and see what she thinks or what more info she can provide.  Mark died in 1979!!

I did have a look at the book by ned Williams at the Dudley archives, but only quickly scanned through it as I was meeting someone.

I'll take a look on archive.org thank you.