As btns is rather busy at present, he’s kindly agreed for me to make a posting about his finding with regard to 33 Clifford Street, Lozells, the address where J. R. Gaunt & Son supposedly had their first premises. In his account of the Firm’s history John R. Gaunt definitely says that his grandfather and uncle “bought a small factory in Clifford Street”, and that this was in 1884 - the apparent year of the Company’s foundation. However, btns recently found entries in
The London Gazette for the bankruptcy of a Theodore Page, tin plate worker, of 33 Clifford Street in 1887! This obviously shows that Gaunts could not have been at the Clifford Street address when they were first established in 1884, as has been previously thought. In this respect the following entry from
The Birmingham Daily Post, for February 1887, I have found helps to confirm the matter, as it clearly says Theodore Page moved to 33 Clifford Street in 1884:
At the end of 1887 the following advertisement appeared in the
The Birmingham Daily Post under ‘Business Premises to Let’ for the Clifford Street Works:
It would seem the lease was not taken up, as another avert was printed in
The Birmingham Daily Post the following February; though this time to “Let or Sell” the property:
Going by these advertisements then, it would appear likely that J. R. Gaunt & Son only moved to Clifford Street around 1888, but until I have had a chance to look at some relevant trade directories it is difficult to be precise about this. The implication of all of this, of course, is that they were actually somewhere else before this date, which would go against what was the established history of the Company, and so now we need to try and find out where? Hopefully they’ll be more on this the once I’ve had a chance to chase up the trade directories in Birmingham’s Central Library!!
Regards
Martin
P.S. Glad to see you’re enjoying following things Tinto. It’s good to know at least a few of the Forum’s members are finding all of this of interest, and perhaps of use? I do realise the nitty-gritty of the Forum are the badges themselves, but I personally find the history of the firms that made them an important part of things as well.