Date of this Photo

[cazza59]

Gareth

In honour of your retirement, very quickly one black looking belt!

 

[garethgriffiths]

Well done Cazza thats far more accurate now I think.  Great!
regards Gareth

[Pippakit]

Thank you everybody for your comments and the pictures.
Gareth as a fireman, can you tell me anything about the date of the uniform? I was going to ask about the odd looking tool attached to the belt, but I see that you have already had a guess as to what it was.
As to the dog, I hadn't thought about it being a 'mascot', I just assumed it was the pet of the fireman.
I can't find any history about the Chester fire brigade, which I feel this man must have been in. I wonder if the Record Office would have any information, must take a trip to Chester.

[tomkin]

Hi Pippa,
                 I googled it and found a description of the Chester volunteer fire brigade
and a photo. Be careful, there is also a Chester fire bigade in New Zealand that
also throws up old information and photo's.

Tomkin

[garethgriffiths]

Thanks for your comments Tomkin, that's interesting maybe Pippa has relatives in NZ?  As for the date Pippa the photo looks old enought to be pre 1890 to me however that would almost certanly have meant a brass helmet.

I think that as he has this black one I'd say around 1900-1920 but maybe Im wrong but st least the turn of the century.  I would be asking the other family members if one of them still has it as that does happen, passing it down, etc.  Ive just passed mine onto my grandson he was well chuffed.

Amongst your options I would advise you to contact either the fire museum at Sheffield and show them the photo or the fire museum in London, sorry I dont have addresses but maybe a Google apround could provide that for you.
Another alternative is to surf ebay for old postcards of firemen, you may get a dated postcard which provides an indication.  Head for one of the museums.
Gareth

[PrueM]

Erm...as for a date:

Hi Pippa 
Thanks for scanning the back.
The photo most probably dates from the early 1870s - is that any help in trying to find out who it is?
Prue

It's definitely not 1900s or even close.
Prue

[Necromancer]

If you look back you'll see I established when the chap was in Chester, and a period when he was documented at the address - so late 1860s at earliest ... 1871 onward deffo ...

[Pippakit]

As it happens, a member of my family did go to New Zealand in 1875, but I think this photo was taken in Chester, England. It is possible that it was this Fireman that emigrated. If this is the case, then none of his living descendants knew he had been a Fireman, so nothing, like a helmet, has been passed down. Pity. Also it would mean that the date of late 1860s or 1870s for the phot fits in with this. So I am now beginning to get an idea of who this might be in the photo. But his occupation was a Millwright, so he must have been a part-time fireman, which I suppose might have been the case.

Thank you everybody for your help. I will now get my New Zealand relatives (recently discovered via RootsWeb!) involved and see what we can come up with as to his identity. I was hoping it was my great grandfather, but it looks as if it might have been his brother (the one who emigrated).

[Pippakit]

Where abouts is Chester in New Zealand? My relative went to Timaru, North Island. Is it near there?