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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Warwickshire => Topic started by: ardchronie on Friday 02 January 09 22:55 GMT (UK)
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As mentioned in my other query, I've found a family of glass blowers in my family tree.
James Bache (b abt 1824) was a glass blower, as I think was his brother William. At least two of his sons also followed their father into the trade. The family lived mostly in the Ladywood/All Saints area in Birmingham. The census says that James was born in Birmingham, but it's possible that his father came from Rowley Regis, although I haven't managed to confirm this yet.
I would like to find out more about glass blowing in Birmingham, but so far haven't found much.
Would anyone be able to point me in the right direction? Having followed the family through most of the census returns, I've grown quite attached to them, and would love to be able to put some flesh on the bones of what their lives might have been like!
Thanks very much, and happy new year to all.
Tessa
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Many of my Clulo family were glass blowers/makers in Birmingham.
I thought like you that I would be able to discover where they worked etc.
Not so!
They lived in similar areas to your family.
Sorry I can't offer any help!
I will keep an eye on this thread in case something interesting turns up!
Kooky
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Hi Kooky
Thanks for your message - looking at the census there were a fair few glass blowers about!
Have been googling to see what I can find and came across this little video of glassblowing - presumably this is what our ancestors were up to!
Here's the link
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/34274-industrial-revelations-birmingham-glass-blowing-video.htm
It's not much, but more than I knew before!
Hopefully something else will turn up.
Thanks
Tessa
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I have one or two glass blowing ancestors in Birmingham and a for a short spell in London.
Thanks for the link Tessa, it has helped to bring them to life and their surroundings too.
Pipkim ;)
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Tessa, thanks for that!
I have seen glass blowing at Sunderland Glass Centre. There was not much historical info there.
What I was always searching for were staff records and similar. No luck!
I visited Tutbury, where my gt gr father worked. The Tutbury Museum was interesting, but again no staff records.
[ I have been on another thread where Brian Hardyman was mentioned. He was compiling a list of glassmakers and their families in England and Wales. Unfortunately noone seems to have had contact with him since about2002. I was wondering what had become of his research.]
Kooky
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hi the blowers in this clip were making sheet glass a simmaler way can be used to make jars etc if you turn over any bit of glass ware and theres a small bit of glass stuck to the bottom of it it has had the opening opened by hand rather than by machine the mark is called the punty mark. The blowers mate would gather a small bit of glass on a punty iron this is just another blown iron stick it to the bottom of the work then the glass would have a bit of water dripped on the kneck on the end to be opened up the the two lads would turn the punty while the other lads would open the end with a damp brush shank when it cools a bit ,it was knocked of the punty the bit of glass on the bottom was then heated to flatten the punty mark it so it would stand up and not wobble .
if anyone wants anymore info about glassblowering let me know regards neil
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I've just been having a look at glassblowers in history and came across http://www.chancesglass.co.uk/ the Chance Brothers Glassworks in Smethwick.
Glassworks and big employers in Birmingham, also made glass for the Crystal Palace, Great Exhibition 1851.
I don't know how much infomation is on it but may be worth a look.
Pipkim
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Ardchronie,
have had a quick look at the Chance website. There is a mention of Arthur Bache in a note from Keith Gorman in the history section.
Kooky
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Thanks Neil, Pipkim and Kooky.
You are very knowledgeable Neil - did you or do you work with glass? Some great info - thanks.
Thanks for the link Pipkim and for the heads up about the mention of Bache, Kooky. I've had a quick look, but hope to have a longer look once the kids are back at school!
It's all helping to put flesh on the bones of the bare facts - thanks everyone :)
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hi ard i worked at cornings glassworks in sunderland for 15 years working on glass blowing shops working up learning the skills i also had a spell in the melting department.We used different ways to form our glass than shown on the clip we made things like dairy jaws and huge 200 litre flasks for chemical industry.If you use the roots search box ive wrote other bits about glassworking,
regards neil p.s if you want anymore info about glass let me know.
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Hi
Just signed on to this site noticed your posting about Bache and glass blowers, my great grandad was Henry Bache from Birmingham and he was a glass blower and his father was James Bache so I think we are related. My grandma was a Bache.
I might be able to fill in some gaps for you on the Bache side of the family
Anne
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Hi, I've just found the messages about Birmingham glass blowers. My g/g/grandad (Edward Tatton) and his brother were glass blowers in Birmingham in the 1850's. However in the 1861 census onwards my g/g/gr and wife had "emigrated" to Edinburgh where he continued to work as a glass blower and so did his son.
Does anyone have information on glass workers moving from B'ham to Scotland at this time? Or info on this Tatton family?
Thanks Grogan
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hi grogan ive had a look at edinburgh glassworks ive found 2 were your rellie could have worked edinburgh cystal and the bathgate glassworks the 1st as the name suggested made good cystal the 2nd made lesser household wears but bathgate did not open untill the mid 1860s so that one may be out but making cystal is slighty different in the methods its easier to go from working with cystal to other types of glass so it would take a bit of getting used to the work.No doubt there would have been a number of other glassworks in the area so hopefully someone with local knowledge could help better
if you need any info on the glass industry use the search box on roots theres other bits on glassmaking.
regards neil
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Thanks Neil,
I believe they worked at some time at a glassworks in Edinburgh called John Fords. Have you heard of it? Regards Grogan
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hi just searched for john fords glassworks it was called the hollyrood flint glassworks owned by john ford.i will have a bit more of a dig about when i have time.
regards neil
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My great-great grandmother married into a family of English glass bottle blowers following the death of my gggd. I found 3 families of the same name (Gee - related?) and one other family in the same street on the 1861 census; all were from England and were glass bottle blowers. Not directly related to me, but I am interested in the 'emigration' to Scotland of the Gee family and their glass bottle blowing.
Stuartroxy
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Hello Stuartroxy
Funnily enough I have only just noticed that the marriage certificate of my great great grandparents (Matthew Plant and Louisa Bache) was signed by Emma Gee as one of the witnesses. Is she one of yours? This was in 1868 in Birmingham at St Philips.
It's probably not much help in your search, but I was struck by the coincidence, as I've only been going through the certificates very recently before a visit to my uncle, so if you'd asked a week earlier I probably wouldn't have noticed the name! At least it shows the Gees (or some of them) were still in Birmingham in 1868!
Regards
Tessa
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Hi Tessa,
I'm not sure if Emma is part of my(!) Gee family; I'm not even sure if they were from Birmingham; however, it is a huge coincidence isn't it ;).
If I find out anything, I'll let you know.
Stuartroxy
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My Clulo glassmaker ancestors originated in Birmingham and eventually settled in Manchester.
My Kay " " originated in Tyneside and moved to Edinburgh. Some stayed there and one moved to Manchester via Staffordshire.
I would be interested in any info. about glassmakers in Edinburgh.
Kooky
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hi cookie theres a few bits about edinburgh glassworks/houses on roots
neil
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dont know if any interest but my greatgrandfather walter evans and three of his daughters were glass bevelers.
they worked for a firm called pearce and cutler in birmingham.
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Hello Grogan,
Edward Tatton's son John William Tatton married Jessie Mc Lellan in 1878. Jessie was my 2 x great grand aunt. They had one son Edward born 1879. John, like his father was a glassmaker. I would love to make contact. Jessie unfortunately died in 1879.
kind regards from a cold and wet Melbourne Australia.
Christine
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hi christine welcome to rootschat
neil
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There's a new book which may interest some:
http://www.scotlandsglass400.co.uk/data/book.html
and an older but very detailed work:
British Glass 1800 - 1914 by Charles R Hajdamach (Antique Collectors Club, 1991).
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thanks imber
neil
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Just found this, I'm also interested in glass blowers / makers in Birmingham. My 4x great grandfather William Price was a glass blower around the 1820s and 30s. He may have come from the Colwich, Staffs area.