Greenock-" the English invasion"

[lindaangus]

I have recently visited the Watt Library in Greenock to do some research into my family history.  It was my first visit to Greenock, where my father was born.
His grandfather was one of the "English invaders" or "The Woolwichers" as they were called.  I was able to get some interesting information from the library including articles from magazines and the Greenock Telegraph, and to read what the locals thought of them!
The men and their families came from the Woolwich Arsenal in London as the Admiralty moved them up to Greenock where they opened the torpedo factory around 1910.

Are there any other families out there who had any connection to these "English invaders"?
I know some of my relations married Greenock spouses and lived and died there, raising their families in Greenock.

Regards

Linda

[robincoles2]

Hi Linda

Yes my wife's side did. Brooks from Woolwich married into Kerr's of Greenock.

Robin

[lindaangus]

Robin

Have you gt any oral history about that time.  From the little my Dad said I gather they were not very well off.

Do you know if the folk in the torpedo factory had to move again when the factory moved to Alexandra?

Regards

Linda

[robincoles2]

Hi Linda

I am going over to Greenock tomorrow to see the father-in-law I will ask him
as much as I can as he was born in 1936 he should no some history, his mother
was born in Woolwich in 1901 and her father was a painter in the Royal arsenal there
in Woolwich.

Robin

[lindaangus]

Robin

As I understand it most of the families moved up in August 1901. My great grandparents had their last child in Greenock in 1911, with a big gap between the previous one.  New home new baby they say!
My father was born to their daughter in 1914 in Greenock.

Any snippets of information to make the information I have already got come alive would be great.

Regards

Linda

[robincoles2]

Hi Linda

The Brooks came up from Woolwich in 1909, Frederick being an engineer who worked in there workshop in Woolwich was offered a post at the torpedo factory at Battery Park in management and in charge of all apprentices. There where apparently many Woolwich workers did come up to Greenock and they even had houses built for them and the area nick named the Woolwich Arsenal, they were, going from Gourock up the hill towards the hospital the roads leading of the Larkfield Road along to the end of them is where they were built, not sure if it was all the roads
but that’s where they were anyway.
Fredrick died in 1953 at 1 sharp street, Gourock. He did not go to Alexandra, I am not sure when the factory move.   
Two of Fredrick’s children were born in England but the other four where born here
in Scotland, his eldest son George also worked at the factory but move back down to
Hatfield in England where George’s only surviving son still lives. Margaret Fredrick’s
oldest married a local plumber Charles Kerr, Margaret died 1984 in Greenock.

Are you yourself from this area or the woolwich area

Robin

[lindaangus]

Robin

Thanks for that information will reply through Personal Mail but need to investigate how to do that!

Linda

[thebargee2]

Hi Linda,
My grandfather Fredrick Rogers left the Royal Navy in 1910 and joined the Royal Fleet Reserves, Portsmouth in the same year then moved with his wife, son (my father) and daughter to work in the Torpedo factory, Greenock.  My grandfather was a torpedo instructor but what wokr he did and ow long he was at the factory I do not know.  I am trying to find out what he may have done and if there are any records of his service that are still available.  Unfortunately I have no relatives alive who have any knowledge of the times and people.

My father William Rogers was well known in the area, he was a musician and worked in the theartre and cinemas before returning with the family in the mid 1930's possibly when grandad retired in 1935.

I am researching my family's time in Greenock and I have been fascinated reading your post and the replies you've received.

John Rogers

[lindaangus]

John

I have tried to get my great grandfathers employment records from the MOD.  I have been given two different addresses from the Heritage Center in Woolwich, where the records should have been kept.  Alas they have reported there is no trace of the records.

Most of my relatives seem to have been engineers: brass turners and fitters, or on later birth certificates of children born in Greenock Mechanics.

Have you accessed the torpedo factory write up on Scotlands Secrets website?  It was based at Fort Matilda.

Regards

Linda