I am humbled, yet again, by another great contribution from the readership. The wonderful photograph below was scanned and sent to me by reader Caz, longstanding reader and contributor to the Brownhills Blog. I haven’t got anything to add, Caz has written this up beautifully, but I’d just like to say that I think the girl seated second right has a really cheeky smile.
The Cole family, circa 1903. There are few more children in this image than you originally think. Thanks to reader Caz for the photo.
Hello Bob,
I hope you don’t mind me sending you this picture, but I think it’s a wonderful photo of a typical Brownhills family taken about 1903. I don’t know whereabouts in Brownhills it was taken but all of the children lived and died in Brownhills and I know some of their children still live in Brownhills – I’m hoping they won’t mind me sharing the photograph with you. I’m sure there are many grandchildren, great grandchildren and probably great great granchildren who live in the area but who know nothing of the existence of this picture. If you decide to post it, and any of them see it, I hope they will enjoy it and love it as much as I do. I don’t know where or who it came from, but I was extremely grateful to be given a copy in 2006 by a cousin who was researching our family tree.
The picture is of Elizabeth Cole (nee Davis), my great grandmother, who lived in The Avenues, and some of her children.
From left to right, I believe they are Jane (known as Gin) who married ‘Teddy’ Edward Turner and they lived in Chase Road, near Ogley Corner.
Next is Gert Cole who is a bit of a mystery as she isn’t listed on the 1901 census but I recall my Gran talking about her and one of my Aunts was also nicknamed ‘Gert’ – Possibly after her Aunt?
The youngest child on the horse is Arthur Cole who lived in Bricklin Street.
The older boy is Edward ‘Ted’ Cole who lived in Great Charles Street.
Next is my Grandmother Florence Isabella, who was known as ‘Bella’ and she married John Carpenter. they lived in various homes around Brownhills, including Chase Road, Lichfield Road, Castle Street and last but not least is Ethel May who lived in the Avenues with her husband William ‘Bill’ Pickering.
There were other younger children including Percy and Harold, who both died young, Alfred and Charles Victor, known as ‘Vic’ who many ‘Brownhillians’ will remember from Poxons butchers as the white haired man who worked there well after retirement age and the baby of the family was Francis John, known as Jack.
Best wishes
Caz
Please be assured that I use all such contributions here on the blog – if you take time to send me material, I will use it. Photos like this are part of our collective history, and getting them out there to as many folk as possible is why I do this. If you have anything to add, please comment here, or send your contribution to brownhillsbob at googlemail dot com. It’s all valuable, however insignificant it may seem.