Joseph Tomlinsons Sheffield

[Person6 10]

Dear all, My wife purchased 35 Bedford Street a number of years ago and I am trying my best to trace its history. I believe this property was right opposite Joseph Tomlinson & Sons Ltd and wondering if this is where Hazel's grandmother used to live? Since the street is really unrecognizable would anyone have any photos of the property to see what the house and surroundings looked like throughout the years? Thanks

 

There are pictures of Cross Bedford Street on the picturesheffield website

 

http://www.picturesheffield.com/

[James Sexton 10]

Person6, yes the photo's on that site were very clear and useful. I obtained a large number from that site over the last week or so and a few on here. I think I need some family photo's from inside the pathway, but honestly that would be a needle in a haystack. Thanks again

[retep 68]

Thanks retap, that picture did not come up on my research, but I found other aerial photos from the 60's and 70's. Also found pictures of Bedford Street, but in every picture, it is very difficult to see any real detail of the house and surrounding land.

 

You have to join (free) to zoom in on the pics.

 

---------- Post added 05-07-2017 at 17:25 ----------

 

Barry, that is very interesting and explains a lot. My wife's house has a wall with a gate next to it that is used to access a small strip of which leads to the back garden. However, according to the land registry, it does not belong to the house. Do you know who owned this passageway?

 

Thanks, James

 

 

 

As I remember Stevenson's coal had a place behind there.

[BarryL 10]

Hi James

There was no 1 house. All were terraces and each set shared a yard. From memory they were all demolished in the late 60s. I thought a number of small businesses replaced them. You will be interested to know that an end of WW2 party was held directly outside my great grandma's front door

[hillsbro 28]

In case it's of interest to anyone, here is a link to a large-scale OS map on the sheffieldhistory.co.uk site. Click near the top left corner to show the Bedford Street area - here is a screenprint.

[jaffa1 10]

I don't recall any gardens being in Bedford Street area it was all yards and outside toilets

I remember an old lady who used to live below Tomlinsons on the next block who always dressed in a long black dress and wore a fez. As children we could never understand this but looking back she may have been of a different nationality.

Across the road from Tomlinsons lived a lady called Mrs Tyler, we used to play up her yard where there were a row of court houses which backed onto our court houses in Montgomery Terrace Road. There were times when we got mice in our homes and you heard the neighbours say that they had come through from the other side , meaning Bedford Street.

 

Our home consisted of 1 attic, 1 bedroom and a kitchen that served as a room, with ten of us it was pretty cramped.

Five boys slept in the attic, 2 boys in 1 bed and 3 boys in another with the youngest at the foot of the bed. Three girls and mam and dad in the bedroom with 2 girls in a bed and myself in the bottom drawer until I got too big for it then I slept between mam and dad, there were no more children after me lol.

 

We all had a shared outside toilet but even though we hadn't got much we were never bored.

We used to play on " bombed Blanchards " which is now the car parks to Winsors shoe shop.

[hillsbro 28]

... Was your grandma called Ruth Strickland. She was my great grandmother...

Hi BarryL - here is a scan from the 1954 Kelly's Directory showing your great-grandmother at No 19. Bedford Street people may recognise some of the other names. Directories from 1930 to 1950 show "John Thomas Strickland, engine tenter" as the householder of No 19.

[James Sexton 10]

Hi James

There was no 1 house. All were terraces and each set shared a yard. From memory they were all demolished in the late 60s. I thought a number of small businesses replaced them. You will be interested to know that an end of WW2 party was held directly outside my great grandma's front door

 

Sorry, I have been a bit distracted with project deadlines and been unable to carry on this important research. Thanks for the useful information and interested if you have any photos of this party after WW2?

 

I have also looked at the 1890 and 1952 OS maps and agree that there were yards. Do you know if these yards were co-owned between the adjoining properties or was there some other arrangement? Many thanks

 

---------- Post added 10-07-2017 at 10:21 ----------

 

Thanks Jaffa, hope the mice didn't come from number 35:).

 

Hillsbro, that 1954 list is also very useful. I will be looking into the name there the first opportunity I get. Thanks

[jaffa1 10]

Sorry, I have been a bit distracted with project deadlines and been unable to carry on this important research. Thanks for the useful information and interested if you have any photos of this party after WW2?

 

I have also looked at the 1890 and 1952 OS maps and agree that there were yards. Do you know if these yards were co-owned between the adjoining properties or was there some other arrangement? Many thanks

 

---------- Post added 10-07-2017 at 10:21 ----------

 

Thanks Jaffa, hope the mice didn't come from number 35:).

 

Hillsbro, that 1954 list is also very useful. I will be looking into the name there the first opportunity I get. Thanks

 

No it looks like you were at the fore front on the main road we were up the yards with the court numbers as in 1/2, 2/2 3/2 etc. these were the back to back houses.

[James Sexton 10]

No it looks like you were at the fore front on the main road we were up the yards with the court numbers as in 1/2, 2/2 3/2 etc. these were the back to back houses.

 

Yes thanks, that agrees with the OS, although I think 35 Bedford Street links to Court 5, and agrees from the 1954 Kelly's Directory posted by Hillsbro. The only access seems to be through a yard at the side. Not sure though if this belongs to 31,35, combination or someone else. It is a bit of a mystery, especially since the original title deeds were lost in the late 1990's and I have very limited information.

[hillsbro 28]

...Hillsbro, that 1954 list is also very useful...

Here is a scan from the 1965 directory. I also have earlier ones back to the 1920s. To judge from entries in directories, the houses on the south side of Bedford Street (except No 35) were demolished in 1970-72, and No 35 + those on the north side in 1972-73.

[jaffa1 10]

If you go back even further in the 1911 directory there seems to be two number 31s and no number 35 whether this is a misprint I don't know but the numbering in those days were a bit unreliable.

 

Bedford Street

Court 5

 

31 Simpson Edward. Wright. manager

31 Swallow Frederick & Sons Ltd. Coal Merchants

Billinghay & Lait, Coach Builders.