I am doing some research into my family tree and have discovered that my Grandfather was born at 174 Albert Road which does not now exist. I was wondering if anyone knew why it was demolished and if maybe it was bombed during WW2 ?

The house was still there in 1974 as its in KELLYS DIRECTORY and a chap called Anthony Coddington was the tenant so you can discount that it was bombed in W.W.2 so it looks as if was just demolished by the council for some reason.

Maybe it was to make way for the housing association flats. Nest time I'm out I will have a look at the numbers for you.

Probably went with the rest of the area late 70's, house clearance.

The house was still there in 1974 as its in KELLYS DIRECTORY and a chap called Anthony Coddington was the tenant so you can discount that it was bombed in W.W.2 so it looks as if was just demolished by the council for some reason.

Excuse my ignorance but what it Kelly's Directory ?
I'm also doing family research... would this be of any help to me ?

Excuse my ignorance but what it Kelly's Directory ?
I'm also doing family research... would this be of any help to me ?

Kellys Directory is as indicated a directory of all the private house owners, council and private landlord tenants and businesses in Sheffield and Rotherham. It was printed every year, but I dont know if its still published.
The one I have is for 1974, every firm had one as it was a good way of checking that prospective employees lived where they said they lived.
Its a very handy book to have and it runs to 1,227 pages.

The publishers were KELLY`S DIRECTORIES
NEVILLE HOUSE
EDEN STREET
KINGSTON UPON THAMES
SURREY
KT1 1BY

Isn't kelly's also available on CD rom? or online?

Isn't kelly's also available on CD rom? or online?

I dont know if it is available on-line -- but -- if it is there are certain years I would like to have. I should have said in an earlier post that you can get one for practically every town and city in Britain.

I suppose you could ask them:
http://www.kellysearch.com/infozone/resources/order_directory.asp

I am doing some research into my family tree and have discovered that my Grandfather was born at 174 Albert Road which does not now exist. I was wondering if anyone knew why it was demolished and if maybe it was bombed during WW2 ?
If it was still standing in 1974 then it would have gone along with the rest of Heeley in the general clearance not long after.
I remember going back to look at the site of our old house, and thinking how small an area it actually covered.
When you think of all the people that lived in those little brick boxes, that made a fantastic community, the like of which we will probably never see again.

If it was still standing in 1974 then it would have gone along with the rest of Heeley in the general clearance not long after.
I remember going back to look at the site of our old house, and thinking how small an area it actually covered.
When you think of all the people that lived in those little brick boxes, that made a fantastic community, the like of which we will probably never see again.

I was involved in demolishing most of the area, can't remember if we did Albert Road, but we did all the area leading off Gleadless Road, Tillotson, and up as far as Kent Road.

I was involved in demolishing most of the area, can't remember if we did Albert Road, but we did all the area leading off Gleadless Road, Tillotson, and up as far as Kent Road.
I remember seeing it done, a wire rope fastened around a group of houses, drive the tractor off, down come the houses.
Spectactular but sad, even though we wanted the 'Brave New World'.
Look what weve ended up with, estates that are worse slums than the lowest of the old areas. And a youth that doesnt know wether its coming or going.

I remember seeing it done, a wire rope fastened around a group of houses, drive the tractor off, down come the houses.
Spectactular but sad, even though we wanted the 'Brave New World'.
Look what weve ended up with, estates that are worse slums than the lowest of the old areas. And a youth that doesnt know wether its coming or going.
Kids knew better than to get out of line in the old district.
The "bush telegraph" would have got word of their transgressions back to their parents in no time flat.Seemed like that anyway.
On the reverse side you had loads of people looking out for you.

Kellys Directory is as indicated a directory of all the private house owners, council and private landlord tenants and businesses in Sheffield and Rotherham. It was printed every year, but I dont know if its still published.

Although Kelly's seem to have had a monopoly from about 1920, there were also other firms producing directories before that, in particular, White's. I don't think they were ever that comprehensive, and by the 1960's they have much less useful information apart from the names and addresses.

Anyone doing family history should check out http://www.historicaldirectories.org/, which has a fantastic collection from all over the country, although they are all earlier than the period relevant to this thread. (Note that this site often seems to grind to a halt because of excess traffic). The directories are more or less complete and fully searchable.

Hugh

I am doing some research into my family tree and have discovered that my Grandfather was born at 174 Albert Road which does not now exist. I was wondering if anyone knew why it was demolished and if maybe it was bombed during WW2 ?

I'm not entirely sure why they went (as they are flats now) but I do know that quite a few houses on Albert road went into disrepair and the council (dangerous structures) has authority to pull some down. My house was one of them along with the ones either side but the council gave grants to people who were willing to put them right and some were refurbished. That was in the 80's.

Thanks for all the info everyone - it is much appreciated !

I spoke to the person who built my house (well reconstructed it) and he said that 174 was in disrepair and he looked to buy it before he bought mine. The extent of work needed though would have been be too costly though as it needed too much doing. In the end the council demolished it and flats were built there. That was in the 80's as I suspected.

I spoke to the person who built my house (well reconstructed it) and he said that 174 was in disrepair and he looked to buy it before he bought mine. The extent of work needed though would have been be too costly though as it needed too much doing. In the end the council demolished it and flats were built there. That was in the 80's as I suspected.
Thats really interesting thanks Titian x

Did your grandfather live there for a long time or did his parents move house?

He was born there - but in 1899 !! Its family tree research I am doing and when I went to Albert Road to see the house where he was born it had gone ! He must have moved out in 1921 when he got married but I dont know when the rest of the family moved away.