Businesses located at SVR stations

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Several coal merchants and other businesses had offices or depots at SVRSevern Valley Railway stations. This list also includes goods agents and independently run refreshment rooms.
Dates given are earliest and latest known references. Businesses may have been in operation before and after those dates.

Hartlebury

  • Miss M. A. Allard, refreshment rooms. 1879.[1]
  • South Wales and Cannock Chase Coal and Coke Company Limited, Railway station. 1879[1].

Stourport

  • Thomas Bantock, Goods Agent. 1879 to at least 1940.[1]
  • William Boycott, coal merchant, Railway wharf. 1879.[1]
  • Thomas William Thomson, coal merchant, agent for Bantock & Co., general carriers, Railway wharf. 1879.[1]
  • John William Powell, coal merchant, Railway station. 1896.[2] Powell was trading as a coal and coke merchant from York Street from 1855 with a later building from 1901, The Old Ticket Office, forming part of Stourport Heritage Rooms.[3] Also owned Private Owner wagons.

Bewdley

  • Neri (Levi) Wooldridge, coal and lime merchant, Wribbenhall; depot at Railway station. 1879.[1]
  • Elizabeth Wooldridge, coal & salt merchant, Wribbenhall. 1899.[4] 1891 and 1901 census returns suggest Levi moved out prior to 1891 and later retired, and Elizabeth continued the business with their sons George (coal merchant) and Charles[5].

Kidderminster

The offices of Pearson & Cº and J. & A. Findon in Kidderminster coal yard
Trader Business Earliest and latest known references Reference Notes
Mr. Done Refreshment rooms 1863 [6] Occupied the first and second-class refreshment rooms destroyed by fire in 1863
Andrew Hatton Refreshment rooms 1869 - 1879 [7][1]
William Thomas Martin Refreshment rooms 1892 - 1900 [8][2][9]
Thomas Bantock Goods agent 1870 - 1953 [10] Thomas Bantock expanded his cartage agreements with the GWRGreat Western Railway to include most of the Black Country goods yards including Bewdley, Kidderminster and Stourport.
George Ferrer Green Timber dealer and Iron and Worcester moulding sand merchant 1871 - 1879 [11][12] Railway yard. Also at Upper Mitton, Stourport and at premises in Hartlebury.[13]. Business liquidated in 1865 and 1875, although still listed in a trade directory 1879[1]
Benjamin Beach Coal agent 1876 - 1900 [1][8][2][9] Railway station. Agent for South Wales and Cannock Chase Coal and Coke Company Limited - see separate entry
South Wales and Cannock Chase Coal and Coke Company Limited Coal merchant 1876 – 1936 [1][13][14][15][16]
[17][18]
Railway station (Benjamin Beach named as agent 1879, see separate entry). Company based at Worcester.[19] Also owned Private Owner wagons.[20]
Henry Barrett Coal merchant 1892 - 1914 [8][2][9][21][14]
[15][22]
Railway station. Also owned Private Owner wagons[23]
George Bayley Coal merchant 1889 - 1921 [24][8][2][9][14][16]
[22]
Railway station
Alfred Davis Coal merchant 1886 - 1948 [8][2][9][14][15]
[16][22][25][17][18]
Railway station. Also owned Private Owner wagons[23][23]
John & Alfred Findon Coal merchant 1896 - 1905 [2][21] Railway station yard. Listed as John & Alfred Findon in 1896 and as A. Findon in 1905
Thomas Tandy Coal merchant 1896 - 1900 [2][9] Railway station yard
Pearson & Co. Coal merchant 1900 - 1948 [9][14][18] Station yard. Possible connection to B. Pearson & Co. (see separate entry). Arthur B. Pearson was fined during World War I for delivering an underweight load of coal, which he claimed resulted from a shortage of adult labour following conscription.[26]
B. Pearson & Co. Builders merchant 1914 - 1936 [15][17] Station yard. Possible connection to Pearson & Co. (see separate entry).
R. Woodward and Co. Coal merchant 1905 [21] Station Wharf
AustinJohn Austin GRA, renowned Bridgnorth-based member of The Guild of Railway Artists Brothers Coal merchants 1912 - 1948 [14][25][17][18] Station yard
Albert E. Bayley Isinglass importer 1912 - 1936 [14][17] Station approach. See separate entry for A. E. Bayley, brewer: isinglass is used in brewing.
Alfred Howell Coal merchant 1912 - 1936 [14][17] 28 Chester Rd. & Station yard
George Summers Coal merchant 1912 [14] Station yard
W. C. Caswell Coal merchant 1933 [25] Station yard
The Economic Coal Co. Coal merchant 1933 [25] Station yard. Also owned Private Owner wagons.[27] Several railway model websites have the same text, of unknown provenance: "The Economic Coal Company were a relatively unknown coal merchants from Kidderminster, who bought their wagons in 1910, but continued to trade until 1966, when it was wound up." In circa 1913 they also seemingly used a canal wharf in Wolverhampton.[28]
W. Field Sand merchant 1933 [25] Station yard
William Bowen & Son Coal merchant 1936 [17] Station Drive
A. E. Bayley Brewer 1933 - 1936 [25][17] Station approach. See separate entry for Albert E. Bayley, isinglass importer: isinglass is used in brewing.
Samuel P. Hunt Goods agent 1892 - 1900 [8][9]
Lunt Bros Coal merchant 1936 - 1948 [17][18] Station drive
Thomas. A. Winwood Coal & coke merchant 1936 - 1948 [17][18] Station Drive
Kidderminster Industrial Co-operative Society Ltd. 1936 [17] Station Drive
W. H. Smith & Son Booksellers & news agents 1861 - 1905 [29] The bookstall closed in 1905 after the GWRGreat Western Railway demanded a rent increase. A shop opened on Comberton Hill the following year.
Wyman & Sons Limited News agents 1912 - 1948 [14][16][17][18] Railway station
Pickfords/National Freight Corporation Road transport 1948 - 1985 Kidderminster goods shed, now the SVRSevern Valley Railway carriage works.
Charringtons Coal merchant 1996 [30] Vacated the coal yard in 1996, at which time GWR 57976 became SVRSevern Valley Railway property.

Bridgnorth

  • Thomas Whitefoot, refreshment rooms. 1868. Also at The Crown, and Royal Hotel.[31]
  • Browning & Wealey, refreshment rooms. 1880 - 1895.[32][33][34]
  • Bookstall. The Official Guide to the Great Western Railway of 1890 mentions a bookstall and refreshment room with no further details. [35]
  • William Grantham, refreshment rooms. 1913.[36]
  • South Wales and Cannock Chase Coal and Coke Company Limited (Joseph Harry Ritson named as agent), Railway Wharf. 1866 - 1913.[37][38][33][34][36]
  • Joseph Harry Ritson, corn, cake, seed, salt, manure, coal & lime merchant, Railway station. 1891 - 1895.[33][34]
  • George James Eveson, coal merchant, Railway station. 1891 - 1912.[33][34][36]
  • Charles E. Pickering, agricultural implement agent, Railway station. 1913.[36]
  • George Thorpe (also known as ‘Elias’), refreshment rooms. circa 1965.

Berrington

  • Caswell & Bowden, coal merchant, Railway station. 1891.[33] Caswell & Bowden were coal merchants and brokers based in Birmingham. Also owned Private Owner wagons[39].

Other

1879 Advertisement for R. Johns, Railway Waggon Builder of Station Hill, Kidderminster
GWRGreat Western Railway plan of Hampton Loade Station showing Mr G.H.Glaze's tramway
  • Richard Johns, railway waggon builder and repairer, general wheelwright and implement maker, Station Hill, Kidderminster. 1879.[1]
  • George Brown, 'Lime, cement & builders' merchants, sculptors and slating contractors' of Station Hill, Kidderminster had a private owner wagon built by GRC&WGloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company in 1903. In 2009 The Erlestoke Manor Fund commissioned a George Brown and Sons limited edition 00 gauge model[40].
  • The GWRGreat Western Railway plan of Hampton Loade Station shows "Mr G.H.Glaze's tramway", possibly used during site clearance of the old Hampton Loade Forge. More information on Hampton Loade Forge, including a photo of an aerial ropeway used for carrying slag across the river to the station can be found on the Alveley Historical Society web site

Insurance agents

The first accident insurance policies were developed in the mid-1800s to cover railway accidents and steam boiler explosions.[41] Several Station Masters also acted as agents for insurance companies.

  • 1867, Mr J. N. Hunt was listed as an agent for The Railway Passengers Assurance Company at Bridgnorth Station. The stationmaster at that time was Isaac Norris Hunt, so this may be a typo, although if so, it was repeated in several adverts without correction.[42]
  • 1879, Kidderminster Station Master, John Mayers, was listed as an agent for Imperial Union Accident Assurance Co. Ltd., London Assurance Corporation (Fire And Life) and Queen Insurance Company.[1]
  • 1879, Bewdley, 'The Station Master, Great Western Railway station', was listed as an agent for Imperial Union Accident Assurance Co. Ltd.[1] Thomas Appleton was Station Master at that time.
  • 1879, Stourport, 'The Station Master, Great Western Railway station', was listed as an agent for Imperial Union Accident Assurance Co. Ltd.[1] (George) James Simms was Station Master at that time

See also

References

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 Littlebury's Directory & Gazetteer of Worcester & District, 1879
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Kelly's Directory of Worcestershire, 1896
  3. Stourport Heritage Rooms webpage
  4. Bewdley Bennett's Business Directory 1899
  5. RootsChat.com forum (Retrieved 22 May 2021)
  6. Kidderminster & District Archaeological & Historical Society Building Record of Kidderminster Railway Station
  7. Kidderminster Times and Advertiser for Bewdley & Stourport - Saturday 13 November 1869 on the British Newspaper Archive
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Kelly's Directory of Worcestershire, 1892
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 Kelly's Directory of Worcestershire, 1900
  10. Post Office Directory 1870 (Kidderminster Section)
  11. Worcester Herald - Saturday 02 December 1871
  12. Worcester Journal Saturday 6 March 1875 on the British Newspaper Archive
  13. 13.0 13.1 Post Office Directory of Worcestershire 1876
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 14.8 14.9 Kelly's Directory of Worcestershire, 1912
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Bennett's Business Directory for Worcestershire, 1914
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Kelly's Directory 1916 Kidderminster Section
  17. 17.00 17.01 17.02 17.03 17.04 17.05 17.06 17.07 17.08 17.09 17.10 17.11 Kelly's Directory 1936 Kidderminster Section
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 18.6 Midland Counties of England Trade Directory 1948-49
  19. Worcester News, 16 May 2001 (Retrieved 21 May 2021)
  20. Turton, Keith, 'Private Owner Wagons: A Third Collection' Lightmoor Press (2004) ISBN:9781899889167, 1899889167, p. 88
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 Bennetts's Business Directory for Worcestershire, Kidderminster section 1905
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 Kelly's Directory 1921 Kidderminster Section
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 Kidderminster Shuttle Industrial Number 1903
  24. Broadfield Guide to Kidderminster 1889
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 Cope's Directory & Buyers Guide for Worcestershire Kidderminster section
  26. Kidderminster & District Archaeological & Historical Society, Great War Britain Kidderminster: Remembering 1914-18, The History Press, 2014 via Google Books (Retrieved 20 May 2021)
  27. Peco
  28. Wolverhampton History and Heritage website (Retrieved 19 May 2021)
  29. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 94, article by David Wilcock
  30. SVRSevern Valley Railway Stock Book Ninth Edition p. 76.
  31. Slater's Directory of Glos, Herefs, Mon, Shrops & Wales, 1868
  32. Slater's Directory of N & S Wales etc., 1880.
  33. 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 Kelly's Directory of Shropshire, 1891
  34. 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 Kelly's Directory of Herefordshire & Shropshire, 1895
  35. The Official Guide to the Great Western Railway (1890) on Google Books
  36. 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 Kelly's Directory of Shropshire, 1913
  37. Bridgnorth Journal and South Shropshire Advertiser. - Saturday 20 January 1866 on the British Newspaper Archive
  38. Cassey & Co.'s Directory of Shropshire, 1871
  39. Postcard on eBay (Retrieved 21 May 2021)
  40. 'Manor from Heaven' webpage, Erlestoke Manor Fund website (Retrieved 23 May 2021)
  41. A History of UK Insurance, Swiss Re, 2013
  42. Bridgnorth Journal and South Shropshire Advertiser. - Saturday 19 October 1867 on the British Newspaper Archive.