Brass Foundries in Birmingham Area

[Twigsnleaves]

Hello all:

I have a card regarding a great uncle, James Rush who was a Brass Founder, having learned the trade from his father, James Rush, in London - I haven't found their foundry yet but it may have been in Whitechapel.  James (Jr.)

About 1905 James Rush was working in Sheffield at Benton Brothers, Marsh Street, Paul's Square, Sheffield.

Then, about 1910, he moved his family to 311 George Road, Erdington, Birmingham.  His card reads "GOLD AND SILVER CASTER to the Trade.  All Kinds of Fine and False Cored Figure Work A Specialty; 57, Northampton Street, Birmingham. 

During WW2 he lost a leg in France which probably led to the loss of his foundry in Birmingham. 

Does anyone know of a foundry or Brass Business in Birmingham by this name?  Or know where I can go to look for this?

Thanks much.

[Colin Y]

Hi

George Road, Erdington I don't know but George Road, Edgbaston was a residential area on the Calthorpe Estate, easy access to The city centre/jewelry quarter but unlikely to be home for the foundry!

On the other hand Northampton Street is in the Jewelry Quarter and would have been at the heart of foundry work for small and precious metals.

Did you check 1911 census for the family?

Look for a street Directory of Birmingham with Northampton street like http://www.thelocalweb.net/loc/22/loc22_202.htm which illustrates nicely the type of work your family were involved in.

Good Hunting!

Colin

[Twigsnleaves]

Thanks Colin:

Yes, the Rush family (James Rush my great uncle) lived on 311 George Road in Erdington and his 'foundry' was downtown Birmingham.

Is there a directory of the places that worked metals in the Jewelry Quarter/Center during the 1925 timeframe? 

Evidently James made a lot of Brasses before he lost the business about 1925 - he died in 1942 - some went to his children (most lost or sold now) and some even were buried in the back yard of his daughter Florrie when she sent her alcoholic father to Hull to live with another son James. 

No, I don't have that address where the brasses were buried - I would love to know!

Thanks for the link to the Directory in Birmingham - unfortunately those seem to be too recent for mine.

Margie

[jim1]

I can tell you James Rush lived at this address until 1930,he is also on the absent voters list of 1918 as Pte.15517 RWRegt.
If you have Florence's marriage I can search the electoral rolls for B'ham & tell you where she was living.
Then you can go in the dead of night & dig up the garden.

jim

[jim1]

Can't find James' business in Bennett's Trade directory 1914.
Florence is living at 91 Gravelly Hill in 1935.

jim
Edit:living with Florence in 1935 is James Edwin,in 1950 he is living at 52 South Rd. Stockland Green in 1950 with Ada M Rush.

[Twigsnleaves]

Wonderful!!!   Am I ever so glad I stumbled onto this site!

Thanks so much Jim    This is much more than I have been able to learn even from my cousin who lives in the area!   

Yes, according to family stories, James Edwin Rush and his sister Florrie were 'thrown out' of the house - their mother, Catherine, died in 1925 and their father 'took up' with someone they called 'Poshy' - sorry, this is coming at you from a Californian who knows nothing about your slang.  Her last name may have been Young (married name?)

James and Florrie found a room to rent in a house in Gravelly Hill - they were both teenagers and James was still in school - nice lady who became their step mother - nice father to go along with her.  This James Edwin Rush (now we are on the 3rd James in line) moved to Hull during the war - he worked for the Electric Co I believe.  Then they moved back to Erdington or  Birmingham.  He married Ada.

Florrie married Arthur Watson about 1938 in Birmingham.  He was a Plumber and worked at Bovington U.S. Air Force Base.  They had twins and one died.

If I could get to Birmingham from California in the dead of night I WOULD go and dig up that garden.   

As you can see I was able to glean 'bits and pieces' but not enough to put the puzzle together.

 Thanks ever so much.

Margie - (*)

(*) Moderator Comment: e-mail removed in accordance with RootsChat policy,
to avoid spamming and other abuses.
Please use the Personal Message (PM) system for exchanging personal data.

New members must make at least three postings before being allowed to use the PM facility.
See Help-Page:  http://www.rootschat.com/help/pms.php

[louisemccrea]

http://www.oldcopper.org/Marks%20w-z.htm

The link above is for a site which shows the brassfounders marks from area.  I found my gt gt grandfathers there an elephant head his name was Thomas Sanders and he was a brassfounder from before 1850 by 1881 he had his own brassfounding business in Ladywood which many of his sons worked on the 1881 census it has him employing 16 men 37 boys and 10 girlsso the business must of been good it certainly seemed profitable as he had a very comfortable life with servants and left a small fortune in his will. The business was still going in 1946 but then ceased to trade. 
it is something i keep meaning to look into but never seem to get round to it maybe this will encourage me.

Louise

[jim1]

Brassfounding was a popular trade in B'ham as this is where modern brass was invented back in the 1820's.

jim

[GSXR1100]

Benton Bros. Brassfounders came to Sheffield c.1855 headed by Thomas Benton (1816-1865). They had their foundry at Rodley Lane, St Mary's Road, Sheffield. Their Birmingham addresses had been 1840 - Bath Row, 1841 - Great Colmore St, 1848 - Clement Street, 1851 - Camden Street.  To my knowledge there has never been a Marsh Street, or Paul's Square in Sheffield. Some error there. Benton Bros. operated in Sheffield 1855 to 1 January 1982 when it ceased to trade.  Roger Benton