Please Help - SINGLETON/EASTAFF

[Reg Singleton]

London to Solihull and Malvern
Can you please help? Walter Gustave Noel Singleton, born 1893 Wandsworth, London. move to Solihull and had a hardware-ironmongers type of shop in Solihull. He was the brother of my grandfathers William Charles born 1889. Is there anything like a Kelly's or Pigot's trade directory, which covers Solihull in the late 1930's, or between 1940-42? This was the period when my grandfather visited the property to avoid the bombing in London. Hopefully this would list Singleton as the proprietor of the shop, with an address so that I may be able to obtain old photographs.

I have been informed recently that Walter Gustave Noel Singleton's wife's name is:
Ethel Ellen Eastaff born1890 in Luton, they married in 1915 and had a daughter Mabel E Singleton born1920 Edmonton.
Ethel Ellen Singleton died 1988 Registration Malvern, Worcestershire Vol. 29 Page 647
Would anyone have any information on Walter Gustave Noel Singleton his wife Ethel Ellen Singleton or the daughter Mabel E Singleton (name changed if married)
Thank you,
Reg

[cathymcc]

Reg

Ethel appears in Cardigan Street [Luton] with her widowed mother & a maternal maiden Aunt in 1891

Piece: RG12/1271 Place: Luton-Bedfordshire Enumeration District: 10
Civil Parish: Luton Ecclesiastical Parish: Luton
Folio: 134 Page: 26 Schedule: 157
Address: 53 Cardigan St
T
EASTAFF   Elizabeth   Head   W   F   32       Bedfordshire - Pulloxhill
EASTAFF   Ethel E.   Dau   -   F   1       Bedfordshire - Luton
BONE   Mary   Sister   S   F   35   Straw Hat Machinist(Em'ee)    Bedfordshire - Pulloxhill

The Directories on line do not carry on as late as the 1930s [see: http://www.historicaldirectories.org/
]

You will need to ask the local history librarian at Solihull I think [who will have copies of later Trade Directories]?

See: http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=2089&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=10468

cathy

[Reg Singleton]

Hi cathy, thank you for your help.
Reg

[cathymcc]

Reg

I had another thought...the old lady [Ethel Ellen] who died in 1988 ...if you go to your local records office the Probate Register should tell you who Probate was granted to?  Mabel?

But they may be able to advise you a Mabel may still be alive [aged about 86]

cathy

[Reg Singleton]

Hi cathy,
Good thinking, I'll try contacting them as I live in Kent, UK
Thanks again,
Reg

[Tricia_2]

Do you know if this is likely to be Solihull Town Centre, or might it be elsewhere in Solihull?

[Reg Singleton]

Thank you for your response,

 Someone recently advised me, that in the1950’s a Walter Singleton lived at 36 Gotham Road, South Yardley, which used to be part of Solihull.

Is this a shop or a house?

This could be the Walter Gustave Noel Singleton, the shop or their private residence, I don’t know.

Further information obtained, true or not, is that an aeroplane may have come down in a park or open area opposite the shop during 1942?

The properties seemed to be reasonably new in the area of the shops 1920/30's and the shops included a butchers and a greengrocers on what seemed a wide road then.

Would anyone have access to the electoral roll, or any advice on tracing these family members? 

 Thank you for any help,

Reg

[Tricia_2]

Gotham Road is close to the border between Solihull and Birmingham. I suppose it's possible that it was once on the other side of the border??

If you look on Streetmap.co.uk, you will see what I mean.

If I'm over that way, I'll have a look. I do pop over there occasionally ~ though someone else on here might be passing first.

It's interesting that your relative went to Yardley to escape the London bombs, because children were being evacuated from Yardley, to escape the bombs in Birmingham.

[Reg Singleton]

Hi,
I think my grandfathers house in Wandsworth had been bombed, so they went and stayed with his brother.
That stay ended up will my grandfather living about three years in Dudley doing bomb repair work.
Where in Dudley I don't know.
Thanks for your help,
Reg