Author Topic: Re: Charlotte "Hume" Butler  (Read 1287 times)

Donald F Butler

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Re: Charlotte "Hume" Butler
« on: January 07, 2014, 06:59:17 PM »
I would love to hear from anyone who knew my family who lived at 185 Golden Hillock Road, 101 Cooksey Road, and for a while at the Sydenham Hotel before her husband did a runner and left her with 7 Kids.


Her name was Charlotte "Hume" Butler, but was always called Jessie, she was a trained seamstress, when she married, Arthur Andrew Butler, she gave up her wish of the stage,
It appears that her father kiocked them out of a great home in islington middlsex, to go to birmingham.


I have included a chapter writen for the grand kids.
If you have any idea's I would be very grateful


Don



During the past 2 years I have been drawn closer to relations that I only know by a great deal of hearsay. however what with the use of new technology.available the art of genealogy, has become available to all those interested. I have found it takes very little work, but enlightening all the same.


To read about the working options of many of there relations. 100s of years ago, is a wonderful experience.
Errand Boy, Maids, Sawdust Sellers, Seamstress and Wig Makers, just a few of the many occupations,that the 19th century children faced.


However it has become a great after dinner debate to find that my grandmother was born to a household that consisted of a Cook and two Servants.


To go to Google Maps and trace the home from 1860s still as it was then, is a great way of putting meat on the bone, of a family's life. of course the majority of the homes have been decimated by time or wars,  But you can always  go to Image,s and try to trace them.


Take George Hume a soldier from Scotland who after moving to Portsmouth, met and married
Jane Laurence,  in December, 1860,. like many soldiers, of the period. he had dreams of bettering himself and his family.at the time printing was all the rage.
And Lithographic Printing a well paid occupation.
In this period Charles Dickens publishes the first instalment of Great Expectations in his magazine All the Year Round
For sportsmen it was the last major bare-knuckle boxing match in England ended in a draw. 
As a country we were still getting involved in other countries issues, by sending a commission to investigate causes of the massacres of Maronite Christians, committed by Druzes in Lebanon so we could say what changed?


Heating was a bigger problem than now, when the sixth coal mining disaster in Wales caused by an underground explosion killed 142 Miners, i


George and his young family, moved into a home in Islington, No 10 Elizabeth Terrace, with the head of the homes being his mother.now a widow.along with his wife Jane and 4 Lodgers.
This was certainly a substantial dwelling in a nice part of London.


The 1871 census show George. Jane and two children, Lydia and Charlotte "Jessie". 


It was part of the family hear say that Charlotte always known as Jessie was a Music Hall nut, she would spend hours at the stage door, requesting signatures from the stars.It was during the 1880s, when George had a contract to print some sheet music for members of a Music Hall. only a short distance away.


Fate played a part in Charlottes future life, for whist at the Hall she heard the Chorus practising for that nights show,
She was mesmerized by the music and the cast nearly all her own age.


That night the young girl was in her bedroom singing along using one of the printed sheets she had retained. The next night Charlotte walked the short distance to the Music Hall, to collect autographs from the stars.


That weekend she asked her father if she could enter a competition, with a view of joining the cast. there was no doubt that the girl had a beautiful voice.


Her father went crazy, not only refusing to allow her to enter the competition, she was refused to go any were near the Music Hall again.




Ir soon became known by all who knew her that she had a lovely voice.
When she asked if she could join the chorus. he dad went crackers. refusing to let her out of the house for months.


It was the words that fascinated the girl.


"I'm a young girl, and have just come over,
Over from the country where they do things big,
And amongst the boys I've got a lover,
And since I've got a lover, why I don't care a fig.
The boy I love is up in the gallery,
The boy I love is looking now at me,
There he is, can't you see, waving his handkerchief,
As merry as a robin that sings on a tree.
The boy that I love, they call him a cobbler,
But he's not a cobbler, allow me to state.
For Johnny is a tradesman and he works in the Boro'1
Where they sole and heel them, whilst you wait.
The boy I love is up in the gallery,
The boy I love is looking now at me,
There he is, can't you see, waving his handkerchief,
As merry as a robin that sings on a tree.
Now, If I were a Duchess and had a lot of money,
I'd give it to the boy that's going to marry me.
But I haven't got a penny, so we'll live on love and kisses,
And be just as happy as the birds on the tree.
The boy I love is up in the gallery,
The boy I love is looking now at me,
There he is, can't you see, waving his handkerchief,
As merry as a robin that sings on a tree.


Jessie brought to the household a great enjoyment even though her father never got the gist.
Every moment of the day the young girl  age 16 would be singing all the popular music of the time. having left school and training as a seamstress,
Even though she was descinated, by being  refused permission to pursue a job on stage, she realised her father word was law. she never questioned his authority.




It was a few years later when Charlotte met Arthur Butler a young printer who had taken up a job with her father.


It appears that It was love at first sight.
What caused the rift that was to alter the future of Charlotte was when her father realized that a relationship was getting serious. and was not impressed with there daughters choice, of a partner but as there relationship had tempered any thought of a stage career, Arthur had been accepted. as a better alternative, than a life on the stage.
After moving in with the Hume's Arthur was trained as a Lithographic Printer, so I assume he was a very skilled apprentice.
It was in 1890 Charlotte Jessie Hume aged 21 Married, Arthur Butler, 22, at some time during the next 4/5 years there was a falling out, between the families, and Arthur moved to Birmingham were he had been offered a job.


!895 Jessie followed her husband to Brum causing a massive rift, between George and his daughter, although Jane the mother never forgot her daughter sending her money when ever she could.


In 1896 now living in 101 Cooksey Road Small Heath, Birmingham, the families first child was born also named Arthur.


During the next 15 years to 1910
Jessie was to have 7 Children,
Arthur 15
Gladys 11
Beatrice 8
Elsie 5
Alexandre 4
Phillip 2
Jessie. 1.
During the period 1910 and 1922 something catastrophic must have taken place for the family moved from 101 Cooksey Road, Small Heath, into The Sydenham Hotel a few yards away,
Not what you would call a big Hotel  and with 7 children, it must have been difficult to survive,
However As a trained Seamstress, it appears that Charlotte had no difficulty  in creating work. for the area consisted of a great many women workers, at the BSA munition works.


Unfortunately for the Family, Arthur the bread winner disappears, could have joined the army? but was never seen again


During the next 10 years. every one of the children moved away, several marrying well. so Charlitte did a great job, keeping them all together from there mothers apron  leaving only Philip John Butler my Father. after leaving school he worked at the Fruit and Vegetable Market in the city centre.
1933 who had met and married Edith Elizabeth Russell. during this period that her husband Arthur, disappears. from sight, Mother, Philip and Edith were living at 185 Golden Hillock Road, Small Heath. opposite the BSA main entrance.
http://www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2560.0;attach=10635;image<a href="http://www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2560.0;attach=10635;image"><img alt="" src="http://www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2560.0;attach=10635;image" class="alignnone" width="480" height="353" /></a>
Philip the only remaining financial help.had worked from 15 to 18 in the Market, well liked by the stall owner, he was seen as very conscientious. so much so that one winter, he had left home at 5.30 because the snow, had drifted  all over the place, he had arrived at the Market very early in case, the same drifting had caused problems at the main entrance, to there stall.


The stall holder was so impressed with the boy he offered him an extra job at Kings Heath Greyhound Stadium. to be trained as a tick tak, a Bookmakers price signaler. this was a skilled trade but Philip took to it like a duck to water. and with it a doubling of his wage.


In a short period he had become arguably the best tick tak, horse racing had, in the country.At the festival meetings, he could hold the five twist cards of other firms  and offer the service to all the midland bookmakers and other followed,
It appears that he had a photographic memory, and unlike others he did nit have to put the trades on paper they were in his head.


By 1933 he not only had a motor car of his own, at a time when very few had cars, and although it was only a Austin Rubie, he had also purchased for £1700 a home of there own. in a beautiful part of south Birmingham, and although people living at Warstock now may not agree at the time there was
two great advantages living so far from the city centre,


But by 1940 that was realized, with what was known as The Blitz. but that was still 7 years away.




This was a period in the family's existence that tilted the expectancy, not only for Philip and Edith, but in no time Charlotte, had moved in also.


By 1937/8 one of the Bookmakers who father worked for must have seen what was about to happen, on the world stage. for he arranged for Phillip to take a job during the day, at the Austin Longbridge,Works,  as a trainee Die Sinker, like every thing he did at the time he was a soon, brilliant at this trade. what with taking bets, as well as working on the possible war effort. as well as dogs every night,
But what gave him a great edge was when Rationing took place Phil new every body having worked at the Fruit and Veg market he also drank with all those in the meat market.
Every day he would arrive, with meat pies from Ireland, a luxury not available after rationing took hold.


He had the cash so what ever he wanted he could get, in the house at Loxley Warstock they had 20 chickens, laying eggs all over the place, a pantry with all the meat of the day hanging like a butchers shop.


No one went short, for not only had Philip the world at his feet, he was well known as a good touch, any one who wished to bet with him were allowed as much credit as they wished, this was a fatal mistake and one that would be the catalyst, that within a decade would send him into free fall.


Chapter Two. What a Life.

Phil

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Re: Charlotte "Hume" Butler
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2014, 08:36:31 PM »
Donald I have moved this post to it's own thread.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

Alan Michael

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Re: Charlotte "Hume" Butler
« Reply #2 on: May 09, 2021, 05:39:18 PM »
Hi Donald, I am very interested in your story. Although its been a while, there is definitely a connection here.

Alan Michael

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Re: Charlotte "Hume" Butler
« Reply #3 on: January 14, 2022, 05:36:21 PM »
Donald I have moved this post to it's own thread.


Hi Phil, you moved this to a new link some years ago, where can I find that link ? Regards Alan

Spud

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Re: Charlotte "Hume" Butler
« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2022, 05:45:39 PM »
Unfortunately Phil passed away a couple of years ago
The Only Free Cheese is in The Trap

mikejee

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Re: Charlotte "Hume" Butler
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2022, 09:59:15 PM »
Alan
I think the message from Phil meant that he had moved the first post on this thread from another thread so that it would stand out on its own, and possibly had little to do with the subject of the original thread


 

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