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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Renfrewshire => Topic started by: lindaangus on Saturday 12 September 09 16:07 BST (UK)
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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
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Hi Linda
Yes my wife's side did. Brooks from Woolwich married into Kerr's of Greenock.
Robin
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Robin
Thanks for that information will reply through Personal Mail but need to investigate how to do that!
Linda
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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
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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
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Linda,
I have been given a telephone no. for the MOD at Portsmouth where the records are kept, I have left a message on their answerphone and I am waiting their reply with interest. I'll let you know what happens.
I have seen Scottish Secrets, thanks very interesting. I have been trawling the National Archives for information about RNTF, Greenock and also torpedo testing at Loch Long and there are lots of files and workers records, you need to search Catalogue records ADM 290 and ADM 140. You can order certain details and others you can view by visiting.
Did you know that accomodation was provided for certain key personnel from Woolwich at a weekly rent of 9s, this was arranged by the MOD with the Scottish Garden Suburb Co.
John
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Hi
just noticed these postings this morning and I hope I might get some information from some of the contibutors.
I have been researching my family tree and have became 'stuck' with background to my mothers father Thomas (Tommy) Clarke.
Despite asking my elderly mother and her one surviving sibling, they know nothing of their fathers past.
I was 26 when my grandfather died but sadly never aked him anything of his background, he really was a bit of a quiet man anyway.
He joined the Salvation Army in Greenock in the 1920s.
Thomas was born in 1890 ,not sure where but thought to be England (he spoke with an English accent). He married my gran in Glasgow in 1918 and died in Gourock 1979.
I believe he worked for a time in the Torpedo Factory and I wondered if there was anywhere I could find out anything of his background from old records?
look forward to any replies
Tommy
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Wee bit of history of the Torpedo Works at Alexandria here
http://www.robertburns.org.uk/alexandria_scotland.htm
This industrialisation continued with the building of the Argyll Motor Works at the beginning of the 20th century. The motor works was an amazing project at the time. It was opened in 1906 when the Argyll Motor company moved to Alexandria from their Glasgow, Bridgeton premises. In it's day it was the most modern factory in Scotland and no expense was spared in its construction. The factory had a troubled existence not least because its main founder, Alexander Govan died suddenly in 1907. The factory continued in motor manufacturing until 1914 when it eventually went into liquidation. The plant was then taken over by the Admiralty who converted it into the Royal Naval Torpedo Factory (RNTF). This created stable employment for Vale people until 1970 when it was bought over by the Plessey electronics company, who closed it down after stripping it of its many assets.
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Hi Tommy
Going on the hunch that the workers for the torpedo factory all came from Plumstead (where they lived) and worked in Woolwich, I have looked up Thomas on Ancestry. I have a family in the 1901 census living in Ann Street (the same street my family lived at various times). When the census was taken Plumstead and Woolwich were in Kent, England but are now classed as London.
Head of the family is Charles Clarke- steal machinist aged 45
wife Maryanne 45
daughter Nellie 21
Maud 15
Mary 13
and Thomas aged 11.
My grandmother was 13 when she went up to Greenock with her family, so they may have been at school together.
Have you tried Scotlands people for the marriage certificate of Thomas's marriage which will give you lots of information. Unfortunately I am out of credits at present otherwise I would have checked it our, but anyway would need your grandmothers maiden name for confirmation. Marriage certicicates for that period can be viewed on the webpage.
Hope this helps.
Linda
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Hi Linda
many thanks for your reply. Sadly it is not my Thomas.
I have his marraige certificate, he married my gran (a Greenock lass) in Glasgow 1918.
The only info on their marraige cert is that the father of my Thomas was called William Clarke occupation Milk Salesman (deceased) and his mother Eliz(s)abeth Beaumont (deceased).
Tommy
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Tommy
Worth a try.
I will see if I can find anything else on the 1901 census with the parents names supplied.
Linda
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Just came across this old "New" Post. The houses for the torpedo factory workers were built on Nelson, Rodney, Grenville and Garvie Roads and are still there. When manufacturing moved to Alexandria, many were kept on at Greenock in the Research and Development dept. It finally closed in 1959.