Salvation Army Working Mens Home 26 Loveday Street

[Annbee]

My great uncle, Thomas Richard Beach, was dwelling at the Loveday Street Working Men's Home in 1911. In many years of research, I have yet to find anything written about this particular Birmingham establishment, and very little written about the Salvation Army Working Men's Homes in general. Perhaps I am looking in the wrong places; I can only do online research as I am not in England.

Clearly, anyone residing here isn't doing brilliantly and my uncle described himself as 'Gentleman's Outfitter' (which I take to be retail worker in a clothing shop) (this was his 'career' from late teens). He had been married for 4 years and had 2 children, one living with the mother who was living with her sister's family in London while the other child was farmed out to another family. Thomas's immediate family, my great grandparents, were reasonably well off and perhaps could have helped their son - but seemingly weren't inclined.

Sadly, Thomas Beach was killed in France in 1916, just 2 months after arriving there with the 2/8 Royal Warwicks.

One of the reasons prompting me to do family research was the unfairness of how, in his immediate family, Thomas became labelled the 'black sheep' of the family and how it was a label that passed - unfairly as far as I can see - through to this current generation. Alcohol may have been a factor in Thomas's label; after he was killed in action his wife remarried to an alcoholic. She, her new husband and Thomas's now 3 children very sadly led a poverty-ridden life and she died too early, in an alcohol induced accident. 

In part, knowing more about the Loveday Street Working Men's Home might shine a light on why his own father seemed to turn against him. I would think it was like a lodging home/down-market-hotel where you pay board and get supper etc. I would assume that renting a home in Birmingham around that time might be prohibitive for lower paid workers.

I am curious as to the conditions of the place and its social implications. Was it shameful?

It might be a long shot, I know: can anyone point me to an online article (and a photo would be great) about the place - or ...? Has anyone else found their family members at this place?

[ciderdrinker]

Hi
Yes there is a photo on line.
Go to google and google images
Type in Loveday street working mans salvation hostel

A black and white photo of it was posted on twitter and it comes up as the first answer.

There doesn't seem to be a web address.
Two young men are standing outside.
It looks huge.

Ciderdrinker

[Comberton]

It was formally opened by General Booth on 6th January 1908.

[Comberton]

Scroll down for a map

www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=347.187

[Bearnan]

My great grandfather James Alfred Cattell stayed at the Salvation Hostel in Loveday Street for a time.My late father remembered being taken by his dad to meet him outside the hostel, this would be in the mid to late 1920's, dad had no other memory of his grandfather. This troubled dad later in life because he couldn't understand why family didn't taken him in. However, we found out that later on he was living with a daughter.

[Annbee]

A black and white photo of it was posted on twitter and it comes up as the first answer

Ciderdrinker, I found the photo - it's a beauty. Oddly I could only find it via my phone google browser and on my computer google browser the same search doesn't find it. I will post the pic here once it arrives via my incredibly slow email service

The photo lead me to the Salavation Army Archive twitter link where it originated and so that's a great find too; perhaps I can contact them at some point. Thanks.

[Annbee]

It was formally opened by General Booth on 6th January 1908

Thank you Comberton, your text description and map links are very helpful. The map reminds me of how my great grandfather may have looked down upon my great uncle's address at the Salvos; before my great grandfather left Birmingham (for just down the road in Worcester), his family had had a thriving merchant business in exactly the same area.

[Annbee]

This troubled dad later in life because he couldn't understand why family didn't taken him in.

Bearnan, it is troubling to think this. I'm glad you later found out a daughter had provided a home. Unfortunately, not so in my family's case. Worse still, my great grandparents failed to help their son's impoverished children. They were abandoned by my family more or less. Only recently have I been able to be in contact with a descendant of my great uncle, which has been an absolute thrill to have found someone in that family again.

[Annbee]

Here's the photo Ciderdrinker referred to on twitter.

Pic of the Salvation Army Working Men's - or Man's - Hostel, 26 Loveday Street, Birmingham. Date unknown. EDIT: according to the Victorian Photography List, the photographer Percy Wynne took over E B Mowil's Broad Street photography business around about 1927... So this photo is possibly late 1920's or so.

It's from the 'Salvation Army International Heritage Centre @SalvArmyArchive' feed.

Link: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLi_AdNXMAAIPcW?format=jpg&name=large