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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Rutland => Topic started by: ValJJJ on Thursday 19 January 23 13:12 GMT (UK)
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Apologies if this is in the wrong section but not really sure where to post it.
I have a photo of an ornamental wrought iron gate made by my ggfather Billington based in Wellingborough. On the back it has his business stamp and someone has pencilled in Uppingham.
As you can see, 1930 is incorporated into the design. Uppingham local history soc have asked their contacts, including the archivist at Uppingham school, but no success yet.
The archivist suggested that it was a gate to a tomb or vault, based on the stonework behind.
Is there an initial on each side? The fancy work doesn't look identical. Perhaps A on the left but not sure about the right.
Ggrandfather Billington was well known locally for his ornamental wrought ironwork, and he completed many ecclesiastical commissions locally and further afield, and domestic work, including gates, lampholders, sign holders, rood screens, plus ordinary items such as railings. Two of his sons worked with him later on and by 1930 he was in his 70s so I guess his sons did most of the work. The family has a lot of material about him, including an article published in the Northampton County Magazine c1930, plus a handful of photos of his work although without locations.
He didn't always mark his work, but if he did, it was with his initials - either GEB or EGB (because he called himself George Edmund but his name was registered as Edmund George and he traded as EG Billington).
Anyone have any ideas? Did someone wealthy die in 1930 or a year or so earlier so a special gate was made for their tomb?
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It took me a while to spot the 'A', but I think the letter opposite is 'M'.
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Ah that's what the 8 is! Not 8 at all.
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Yes, A and M I think.
It does look like it’s in a church interior.
It’s a lovely thing.
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I can find two deaths in Uppingham 1930 +/- 2years
Alfred W Middleditch in 1928
Albert E Muggleton 1930
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Beat me to it - I've just been looking for possible AMs.
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Me too - there's also Elizabeth Ann Brown Mould in 1930.
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Looking at these three AMs, none seem to be from a background where the family would have commissioned a gate.
Perhaps AM didn't die in Uppingham but had connections there [edit: or buried there]. I found an A Moncton headmaster of Uppingham school on the 1911 census but don't think it's him either.
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In terms of the photograph, are we sure that the photo was taken in it's ultimate location. Because it looks to me like the gate is propped up on little pieces of wood.
Maybe this was before it was installed, perhaps in the studio?
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I wondered that too as there is a strip of wood at the top isn't there? I think it is partly installed as it would have been made in the forge and workshops at the ironworks. There was certainly no dressed stone there.
Alternatively it could have been propped up against a studio backdrop for the photo I suppose. However there is no photographic studio stamp on the back of the picture and no photographer name on the front either.
There is another gate photo and other item photos published in the magazine article I mentioned in the OP and they are all credited to S Powell, Wellingborough.
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Sorry for confusing things, when I said studio I meant the studio that your GG worked in. Not a photography studio. I should probably have said workshop as that would have been more accurate.
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It's food for thought though. Did the photographer bring a backdrop to the forge? This gate must have been heavy and perhaps is still partly on its wooden frame to prop it up for the photo - wherever the photo was taken. That stonework could be a red herring couldn't it? Or it could be partly installed.
However other photos I have are on a plain background. So I imagine the local photographer brought a plain backdrop with him to the workshop (I found Samuel Powell, photographer, in trouble in court in 1919 for cutting out an ad from a newspaper in Wellingborough library reading room). There are photos of a gate in Sittingbourne (so must have been photographed before being transported there) and a lampholder for a church in Dorset. GE worked to architects' designs which is probably why his work is all over the country.
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Looks like it’s in situ to me - I think what looks like wood might be stone, and the metal sides of gate look to be imbedded in the stone. If there is wood it could be because the photo was taken during installation perhaps?
Have you considered contacting the churches in the area in case there is a “friends of” group or someone who can help you?
The AM could be initials of first name and surname, or may be two people, one with name starting with A and the other M.
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Good thought re two names.
The Uppingham local history soc are on the case and I would have expected them to be considering churches.
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Just a thought.
I have installed gates at home on a couple of occasions, and the best way to keep them in place whilst fixing them, is to use blocks of wood underneath. Also, it is unlikely to find a temporary position with exactly the same width.
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Please keep us updated Val. :)
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Uppingham local history soc has suggested contacting Lyddington history soc so I’ve done that. Let’s see.