Genealogy Chat

I just googled for it - Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, 1800's

take a look - stacks of info on there

Ann X

Thanks - I'll email Sian too.

Really helpful - much appreciated
Alli

Goodness! Thanks so much Ann (assuming that's your name) - great background info. I've just found the Museum in the Jewellery Quarter so I'm going to email them direct. It would be really helpful to know where you got this info.

Many thanks for your time and effort
Alli

Sian Everitt
Keeper of Archives
Department of Art
Birmingham Institute of Art and Design
University of Central England
Margaret Street
Birmingham
B3 3BX

Email: [email protected]
http://www.biad.uce.ac.uk/archives/

By the mid-1800s, the jewellery trade was considered the most lucrative in the city with jewellers being some of the best paid workers in the city. There were also more people employed in the trade than any other in the city.[5] Boys were given apprenticeships at the age of 14 and earned four shillings on average. This would increase annually until they were 21 where would work from 8am till 7pm. Although, it was common for jewellers to work overtime. Apprentices generally did not require any qualifications but style became a study within the industry and one jeweller's firm required all apprentices to attend the Birmingham School of Art.[5] Families generally were not employed in the trade due to the cleanliness and careful manipulations needed in the crafting of certain pieces. Most families earned income as a result of the trade by producing leather or paper boxes which were used extensively by jewellers to protect finishes articles.[5]

By 1861, 7,500 were employed in the jewellery trade[11] and by 1880, there were nearly 700 workshops listed in a local directory.[12] The trade benefited greatly from the declining price of raw gold, from the 1880s onwards. It also benefited from the development and refinement of new processes such as electroplating which was invented by George Elkington at the Elkington Silver Electroplating Works on Newhall Street.[11] Also invented in the Jewellery Quarter was the first man-made plastic, Parkesine, by Alexander Parkes in 1862.[13]

In 1883, less than half of all silver jewellery made in Birmingham was of high enough standard to pass through Birmingham Assay Office. However, in the same year no less than 30 tons 17 cwt 4 lb 4 oz (32,363 kg) of silver jewellery and 3 tons 7 cwt 12 lb 3 oz (3,409.3 kg) of gold items were received bringing the total number of articles sent in for assaying that year to over 2.6 million.[12]

In 1885, Thomas Harman and Walter Showell wrote their Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham in which they document that at the time of writing the book, the trade was experiencing a downturn in business and that thousands of workers were surviving on part time hours with many finding themselves unemployed.[12] This depression was felt nationwide and lasted throughout the 1880s. Many manufacturers went out of business during that period and showed to manufacturers after a long period of growth and prosperity that the trade was susceptible to economic problems.[11]

Hi

I have several ancestors who were employed in the jewellery quarter in Birmingham. One in 1871 is described as a gun maker, one a sword grinder, one a mathematical instrument maker and another a jeweller. Are there any records where I can see if they served apprenticeships for these trades?

Thanks
Alli