Genealogy Chat

I am trying to find out a little about the areas where my ancestors were born. I am looking for Barker street in wolverhampton and this may sound strange but also the canal near gasworks in kidderminster. I have tried googling both of the above but it does not give me much info. What i would like to know is what type of areas they were, poor or middle class etc. The reason i am asking is because when i looked at another of my ancestors street of birth.. i found that it was one of the poorest areas with approx 150 houses to house 1000 people and i found it intresting because my ancestor was born in such poverty but went on to own several properties himself. Many thanks in advance Julie

I live in Kidderminster. Have only been here five years and there are lots of canals - but I don't know of any gasworks! Do you have a specific address? Cindi

Hi cindi, No i don't unfortunatly. On the birth cert it states where born as kidderminster, canal near gas works. I think my ancestors may have been gypsies which would explain the strange place of birth. Her fathers occupation was labourer on canal which narrows it down quite nicely... i don't think lol.

The gasworks at Kidderminster are being remediated as part of a industrial site redevelopment in the town. It is between the River Stour and canal. I can check their exact location at work tommorrow if you haven't heard by then

Thanks k, By any chance you wouldnt happen to know the name of the canal would you? Julie

It is the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal , both this and the River Stour wind through the Town Centre

My great great great grandfather was a boatman and his address in 1841 was given as 'On Towing Path' Checking the census record for Birmingham, it would appear to be in the Ladywood area. Maybe your folks were Boat People? Fortunately, he went on to run a pub by the 1851 census, which made it a little easier for me!! Sorry I didn't know there were Gasworks in Kidderminster, but so much of it is being redeveloped. Cindi

hi My dads side of the family all worked in kidderminster in the carpet factories all gone now im afraid , kidderminster canal area has now been totally modernised factories have turned into wine bars and shops, It was once a busy industrial area . the gas works where in the town centre and have now been pulled down, would imagine it was a working class area. The canals were used to transport goods to cities such as birmingham which also have a lot of canals more than venice apparently. lorraine

found this explains history of kiddy Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately twenty miles south-west of Birmingham city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town. The town is affectionally known by locals as Kiddy. The town is twinned with the town of Husum, Germany. The town centre area has undergone substantial redevelopment in recent years, with the commercial retail area of 'Weaver's Wharf' attracting many visitors and shoppers. 'Slingfield Mill', a Grade II listed building, has been converted into a retail outlet and incorporated into 'Weaver's Wharf'. A parliamentary report of 1777 listed Kidderminster Borough as having a parish workhouse accommodating up to 70 inmates. Under the so-called Gilbert's Act of 1782 Kidderminster Union was established for the purpose of relieving the indigent poor. Kidderminster has two so-called 'Commissioner Churches'. The first was St George's church, on Radford Avenue. This was designed by Francis Goodwin and built in 1821-1824,[1] finally being consecrated in April 1824. It had the third largest grant by the Commission, of just over £17,000.00, of any church outside London.[2] The second church was St John's church, on the Bewdley Road. This church was built in 1843 and the architect was Gordon Alexander, although the grant in this case was just over £4,000.[2] Under the Local Government Act 1972, it was proposed for Kidderminster to be part of the West Midlands metropolitan county, but it was scrapped after the proposed county boundary was trimmed back to Stourbridge. [edit] Geography The River Stour and the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal both flow through Kidderminster town centre. [edit] Economy The modern carpet industry was founded in the area in 1785 by Brintons, and the carpet industry became extremely important to the local economy, so much so that the local newspaper is still named the Kidderminster Shuttle after the shuttles used on the carpet looms. Although much declined in recent years, the industry is still a significant employer in the area, with Brintons still employing several hundred people. Kidderminster is also the home of Victoria Carpets plc which is the manufacturing base in the UK for high quality carpets. The 'Vic' has factories in Munster Ireland and in Dandelong Australia and is a worldwide exporter of bespoke carpets for hotels and large commercial venues. Next time you are in the Eiffel Tower have a look down to your feet - the carpet in the tower is from the Vic in Kiddy! The only commercial radio station located in the town is The Wyre, which started broadcasting on 12 September 2005. It competes alongside Wyvern FM, Classic Hits, and BBC Hereford & Worcester, who also target the town. There are several things which are key parts of the unique make-up of the town, one of these are the huge former British Sugar Corporation silos sited in their now redundant site on the Stourport Road, these silos can be seen from the Malvern Hills, nearly thirty miles away. There is Co-op on Franche Road (A442) in Franche, a Morrisons on Oxford Street in the centre of the town, a Sainsburys on Carpet Trades Way near the river, Tesco and Aldi are in the town centre on either side of New Road. On the outskirts of Kidderminster is the ROXEL site where solid rocket motors are manufactured. The site has manufactured the motors for the Rapier, Seawolf, Starstreak and ASRAAM missile systems. Over the years the site has been owned by IMI, Royal Ordnance and British Aerospace but is now part of the Roxel Group with its sister site located outside Bordeaux in France and HQ in Paris, France. The SEALINE yacht company manufactures fine, high quality boats for the luxury market. [edit] Politics

Thank you to every one who replied, Sorry i have not answered sooner but ive been hooked on the free family tree maker that i got with the sunday times today... is the canal still used for transportation today? I think it is a possibility that my ancestors were boat people, does that mean that they worked and travelled the canals? Julie

As I said, my family's address was given as Towing Path and yes, they were boat people. They worked on canal boats from Leicestershire to Birmingham and the children were born at various stops on the way, so they probably lived on the boats as well (in fact gt grandfather was born in Wolverhampton - snap!!) The canal use for industry has more-or-less died out now, it was the coming of the railways that did that. Canal use for leisure is a growing pastime though, and more people are living on houseboats because of the increase in housing costs. If your family lived near the canal in Kidderminster, I would imagine it was quite a poor (industrialised) area - mostly, as someone said, with the carpet mills fronting both canals and the River Stour - but it's possible the family OWNED the boat, that would take them a few notches above. Good luck in your research. Cindi

On the old 19th Century maps the gasworks and adjacent canal are south of Lower Mill Street in Kidderminster on the west side of the town centre. The canal flows north/south and forms the western boundary of the industrial area and gas works, with carpet mills to the south of the gas works. There would have been few places to live along there if they didn't live on the water. Best Wishes Kay

Hi Julie I have a book of old Wolverhampton maps from the library. Do you know which area Barker St is in or if it was on census which neighbouring streets were? Clare

Hi Clare, I think it was no 5 Barker Street. Thanks Julie

Hi Julie I really need to know neighbouring streets or area of Wolverhampton to look it up. Was it from a census if so let me know ref no and I can look it up. The maps are mainly the centre of Wolverhampton and Wednesfield area Cheers Clare

If you put boat people/canal into the search box you will find some helpful advice. Jeanie A

Hi Clare, It was on my G Grandfathers birth cert, he was illigitimate and his mother married the year after he was born, and it would seem they travelled all over the place there after. the parson to register his birth was a Sarah Gutteridge occupies 5 Barker Street. Wolverhampton Eastern. Unfortunatly that is all i know. Sorry, Julie

Hi Julie, I can remember teenage courting down by the canal in Kidderminster (we always said Kiddy) at the back of the factories. Bit of a grotty place! Good job my mum never found out, she would have killed me! LOL Happy hunting, Vanessa

Hi Julie I've found Barker Street. It appears on 1898, 1901 and 1914 maps in book I have then the next map of the same area is 1986 and it looks like it and adjoining streets have been cleared for a depot. The only existing street nearby is Chillington Street in the Monmore Green area. If you want further information PM me your email address, Cheers Clare