Hello! I'm new to this, but I'm hoping someone might be able to help me. I'm an industrial archaeology student and I'm doing a project on the concrete houses on Queens Road. Unfortunately no-one seems to have kept any records on them, or on the company that built them, Hodkin and Jones (c.1900) and I'm having a bit of difficulty! Does anyone know anything about the site, or the company? How did they make the houses? (Apparently they used a product nicknamed 'Rockies' - like concrete bricks, but thats all I know!) Who lived there? Does anyone remember anything about the site, or know anyone who worked there? Cheers! Love Spiky x

I posted a thread on the main list, but I've just realised that it would probably have been better to post it here! Does anyone know anything about the concrete houses on Queens Road, or Hodkin and Jones (the firm that built them)? I'm an industrial archaeology student and I'm doing a project on those houses and the site, but finding any historical stuff on them is proving very difficult. Help! All I know is that they were built c.1900, using a product nicknamed 'rockies' - ie concrete bricks. Does anyone know anything else about how they were built, who lived there etc.? Cheers!

Try the RIBA library.

Threads merged.

theres a hodkin and jones on calleywhite lane dronfield try them

I should have read the thread more closely originally. Hodkin & Jones IIRC were / are latterly specialists in pre-formed plasterwork. They may have gone out of business, but then I may be confusing them with Troika who were similar. OTOH, I could be leading you up a gumtree! :)

I think you will find that 'rockies is an old name given to certain type of dressed stone much used by the Victorian builders.

The concrete imitations were probably made to the same style.

There used to be an old magazine published containing details of all projects in hand stating the starting dates, costs and materials and styles used.

I think the magazine was called, 'Carpenter And Builder' many of these monthly magazines were bound up in years.

You may find that the Central Library has copies but really you need to know the year or you will have your work cut out going through them.

I do hope this is helpful.

Good Luck!

like i said b4 they are now based at dronfield

Cheers! I've been doing a project on them, and their site on Queens Road, and I've managed to find a few bits and pieces. I did find the 'Builder' magazine in Sheffield Uni library (on stack 3 - the scary bit downstairs), which had a couple of descriptions in. The company were one of the pioneers of early reinforced concrete in this country, and the Havelock Bridge site seems to have been where they tried out some of their designs.There are a couple of patent documents for Herbert Hodkin's floors, which I think you can probably still find inside the Queens Road houses, in the records office. They're really interesting, and they're going to fall down soon by the looks of them (the main part of the row have already been condemned). Very sad )-: Well, I think so anyway! x

To Little Spikey

So glad you found the info in the central library and all the best with your project.

Pop T

I lived in the Hodkin & Jones houses on Queens Road. My father and uncle did the floors you mention. My grandfather and most of the male relatives worked for the firm in various departments. I knew most of the Italians who worked for this firm.
Hope this helps.

My Mrs. still works for H&J, and as previous posters have advised, they are now based on Callywhite Lane in Dronfield...01246 290890.

They've got plaster moulds in store from the year dot, but they're exceedingly busy these days, so whether anyone would frankly have the time to aid your research is questionable....worth a shot, though.

I recall the yard at Havelock Bridge, used to look into it from the upper floor of the circular bus on my way to school in the first half of the 1950's. It appeared to be a builders' merchants.

I recall the yard at Havelock Bridge, used to look into it from the upper floor of the circular bus on my way to school in the first half of the 1950's. It appeared to be a builders' merchants.

That's right too - Monks DIY.
John Monks owned H&J for while, but has nothing to do with it now.
They also had premises on Commercial Street until (I think) last year.
Overall, H&J have existed for about 150 years, so they do know what they're talking about!

Hodkin & Jones Havelock Bridge Works, Founded in 1884.
515 Queens Road. They had a Tiling. Concrete, Terrazzo & mosiac, and Plaster departments.

Extract from the history of St Barnabas parish by Mary Walton.

"One of the White Houses (there were cottages adjoining the White House itself, demolished some years ago) was in 1879 the residence and workplace of Herbert Hodkin, plasterer. In 1881 Herbert was still living there, but had been joined in the workshops by William Jones, and the well-known firm of Hodkin and Jones had been started. By 1898 the two had established premises in Blonk Street, London Road, Saxon Road, and in 1900 are first found listed at Havelock Works, Queen's Road. Here they carried on business as builders' merchants until 1962, when the firm was amalgamated with William Monks (builders' merchants) Ltd."

The White Houses stood on the corner of Bramall lane and Cherry street.

[QUOTEFounded in 1884.515 Queens Road. They had
a Tiling. Concrete, Terrazzo & mosiac, and Plaster departments.[/QUOTE]


My step-father was a Terrazzo worker for Hodkin & Jones. We always thought that his brother-in-law had a financial interest in the company, but I have no evidence of this.

Hi Cynthia, What is the name of your step - father and brother-in- law ?
I did know the manager of the depatment who did have a financial interest in the company.

Hi Cynthia, What is the name of your step - father and brother-in- law ?
I did know the manager of the depatment who did have a financial interest in the company.

My stepfather was Tony Antonini and his b-in law's last name was Stefanuti. I am gong back many years. My step father died in 1954.

Hi Cynthia, My father used to deliver the wages with Eric Stefanuti on Hodkin & Jones outside contracts, Eric lived on Edmond Road, Sheffield. I think Eric had one son and two daughters, the son also had a son who was a Dr in in Sheffield and died About 2005 ? in Sheffield.
Do you know where Tony Antonini came from ? I am researching my family tree and it may help.My grandfarther came from Santa Maria Oliveto, Italy in 1900.

Hi Cynthia, My father used to deliver the wages with Eric Stefanuti on Hodkin & Jones outside contracts, Eric lived on Edmond Road, Sheffield. I think Eric had one son and two daughters, the son also had a son who was a Dr in in Sheffield and died About 2005 ? in Sheffield.
Do you know where Tony Antonini came from ? I am researching my family tree and it may help.My grandfarther came from Santa Maria Oliveto, Italy in 1900.

I think that the Stefanuti that I mentioned was Eric's father, his name had been shortened to Joe. Tony's sister was married to Joe Stefanuti and they came from Maniago, Udine, Northern Italy.

I have an old friend, Ruth Lamb, now in her mid-70s, whose maiden name was Hodkin; her family part-owned the business. She does have quite an extensive archive; if anyone has specific queries I can see if she can help (PM me etc.)

Does Mrs Lamb know when the Italian workers started working for Hodkin & Jones? Is there a record of names, dates etc; also, does she know the whereabouts of the sample mosaic plaques designed and made by the Italian workers to demonstrate the range of expertise available. eg. religous figures etc; I last saw these in the workshop in the 1960's and I am interested in if they were donated to any particular place. My interest in these is because my grandfather made some of these plaques.

I hope to see Mrs Lamb over Christmas and so I'll ask her.

Rockies! Made thousands, by hand, semi -dry, beaten into a cast iron collapsable mould with a hard wood mallet. Good for garden walls, not houses. Also check out Ketton Avenue Sheffield . Ketton cement did something similar

Little spikey, PopT is correct about the name 'rockies' used by stonmasons or any bricklayer using that material. It follows on that something that looks like stone when it's laid gets the same nomenclature,that is, say, a block of concrete with a dressed face to look like stone, gets known as a 'rocky'.
However, I worked on a job, somewhere up Greenhill (actually it was the Greenhill Estate) and there was a gang erecting partition walls with slabs of 'Bellrock'. These were pre-cast sections of plaster, about a metre wide and 4'' thick (sort that out), the joints were covered, in traditional method, with scrim cloth. They were earning a fortune.

Does Mrs Lamb know when the Italian workers started working for Hodkin & Jones? Is there a record of names, dates etc; also, does she know the whereabouts of the sample mosaic plaques designed and made by the Italian workers to demonstrate the range of expertise available. eg. religous figures etc; I last saw these in the workshop in the 1960's and I am interested in if they were donated to any particular place. My interest in these is because my grandfather made some of these plaques.

Hi . I have tracked down two of the plaques my grandfather made.
They were donated to Granville Road R.C School. Approx 20 plaques still to find. Any help ?

There used to be a Hodkin & Jones at Darnall near the fire station. They used to make allsorts of concrete products there too.

I lived in the Hodkin & Jones houses on Queens Road. My father and uncle did the floors you mention. My grandfather and most of the male relatives worked for the firm in various departments. I knew most of the Italians who worked for this firm.
Hope this helps.

I remember a Mr. & Mrs. France lived, I think, in the H & J houses many, many years ago. Like the 1940's and before.

Would that be before your time?

Regards

I worked with a couple of terrazo layers Stan and Ernest for Spina and Pascotts in the 70s, they lived side by side in these houses, having previously worked for H&J, also Joe Pollogrena a polisher who got me my first job as a tiler. All great blokes and proper tradesmen the likes of which you will never see again.

On the subject of Italians I also remember Chic Rosso, Lol Saccomando. Steffanutti is a name mentioned by them as was Fantozzi, any relation LEN F ?. I forgot to say about Stan and Ernest unfortunately there surname escapes me, probably with sniffing too much grout dust.

Hi .Sliver, I do know of Stan & Ernest Swift (two brothers ) Ernest was my uncle ,also Chic Rosso, his son was best man at my wedding. Also Eric Stefanuti He was the head man at Hodkin & Jones. + the Saccomandos and Pelegrinos. I would love to know who you are Sliver.

Joe was from the same estate as me Woodthorpe.He knew my dad from way back when they both lived on West Bar around Copper street. I have some Italian blood in me as well. I remember him polishing the terazzo what a filthy job that was, and doing the coving by hand, proper graft, he was white all week and black at weekends as he swept chimneys for a bit of beer money. Chic was part time he must have been 70 odd and i worked with him putting nosings on about seven flights of stairs on a bank down the moor, he learnt me some italian mostly swear words. Both lovely fellas I often think back, in fact most of the tilers i worked with in Sheffield were a good bunch. Also Stan and Ernest (Swift) nice fellas too, I remember Stan had an old Hillman Husky always breaking down it was.

Hi Falls, My aunt still lives in the H & J houses but we cannot remember a Mr & Mrs France.

Hi Sliver, I did know Joe, I also worked with Chic. He also had a Husky. Are you conected to Joe ? I still would like to know who you are. Stan Swift died last year, I do know his daughter.