Author Topic: Atkin & Sons Saw Company on Barford Street Birmingham mid 1800's  (Read 9547 times)

George

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Does anyone have information on Atkin & Sons Saw Company on Barford Street, Birmingham? I believe my grandfather worked there in the mid 1800's. I am also trying to determine if there is any relationship with the EC Atkins saw company in the US.
George

Phil

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Re: Atkin & Sons Saw Company on Barford Street Birmingham mid 1800's
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2011, 10:42:40 PM »
Hi George
 
Welcome to the forum, I can tell a little about Atkins, I think the were situated where they were in Bradford St for quite a while by the way it is Bradford St and not Barford St (which is nearby) were they were based originally at numbers 254 & 255 at least they were when I knew them. I believe that originally they were metal merchants.
 
We used to take our Mill Saw blades in the early 60's to be reset and sharpened. But we learnt to do them ourself after a while and we stopped going there. Later toward the end of the sixties a mate of mine had a hairdressing shop that was part of the old premises so the owner who was getting on by then must have sold out.
 
I came across this photo some time back of the chap who I always assumed to be the owner.
 
Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

George

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Re: Atkin & Sons Saw Company on Barford Street Birmingham mid 1800's
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2011, 11:54:52 PM »
Phil - thanks for the info
 
Here are the addresses I have for Atkin and Son/s Saw company that I am seeking information and history:
 
Atkin & Son Aaron 35 (96) Barford Street Birmingham 1835-1847
Atkin & Sons 58 Ludgate Hill and 116 & 117 Barford St (Sheffield Works) 1847-1900
Atkin & Sons Ltd Sheffield Works Rea Street South. Birmingham 1902-1966

George
 
 
 
 
 

mikejee

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Re: Atkin & Sons Saw Company on Barford Street Birmingham mid 1800's
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2011, 12:10:29 AM »
Atkin & Sons moved about a little. They made more than saws, also making planes,, files and other edged tools. In 1862 the main Partners listed in the directory were Edwin and George Atkin. 
1833 (as Aaron Atkin & Son) 35 Barford St
1839 (as Aaron Atkin & Son) Barford St
1841 (as Aaron Atkin & Son) 96 Barford St
1845 96 Barford St.
1849 58 Ludgate hill & 97, 115,116 & 117 Barford St.
1852 Sherborne Road
1855-1921 Rea St South, at a site which was named the Sheffield works
Between 1921 & 1932 they moved to 98 Bradford St , and in 1932 were described as Atkin & Sons (1931) Ltd . They remained there till at least 1946, but in 1949 they are listed as at 110 Bradford St, where they remained until at least 1973. the firm changed its name to Atkin & Sons (Birmingham) Ltd between 1956 and 1962.
Below is a map showing thesgeffield works, and an advert from the 1949 Kellys
Mike

George

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Re: Atkin & Sons Saw Company on Barford Street Birmingham mid 1800's
« Reply #4 on: May 23, 2011, 03:22:22 AM »
Mike - thanks for the great information. Do you know if there is any relationship between Atkin saw in Birmingham and Atkins saw in Indianapolis, Indiana USA? Both companies were thriving between 1860 to mid 1900's, made saws, both used the "Sheffield Works" as part of their name. I am researching my great grandfather and I believe he lived on Barford street and Bishop Street in Birmingmam in his early life in 1861 - 1881 and stated his occupation as a saw maker. I theorize that he worked for Atkin within walking distance to his home. He then moved to the USA and worked for Atkins Saw until his death in 1920. I am hoping to find some connection between Atkin and Atkins.
George

Phil

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Re: Atkin & Sons Saw Company on Barford Street Birmingham mid 1800's
« Reply #5 on: May 23, 2011, 08:24:18 AM »
Hey Mike
 
Well done as usual, I wasn't around in the 1930's before Atkins moved. I was only relating what I knew personally about Atkins & Sons. I suppose really I should have looked them up, but to be honest I though they had been in Bradford St forever. I think they moved at least once within Bradford Street in my lifetime because I think I can remember them nearer Moseley Rd in my younger days.
 
Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

mikejee

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Re: Atkin & Sons Saw Company on Barford Street Birmingham mid 1800's
« Reply #6 on: May 23, 2011, 11:20:33 AM »
George
I hsve no personal knowledge of the company, and had not heard of it until your post, so cannot help you about the USA. However a lot of British companies had subsidiaries in the US, and I undestand some of these were sold off during the second world war , so the US company could well have originally been a subsidiary, aprticulalry if they both used "Sheffield Works"

mikejee

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Re: Atkin & Sons Saw Company on Barford Street Birmingham mid 1800's
« Reply #7 on: May 23, 2011, 12:53:52 PM »
Have deleted my last post, as i made an error.
 
To add slightly more. Barford st renumbered (and lengthened around 1885, and so the numbering you have for the position of Atkins does not correspond to later numbering. Below is a map showing (on a c1889 map) where the factory was in Barford St in 1849 (115-117). though possibly not exactly the area covered in red, as the buildings probably changed.  No 96 was around where the map is marked in blue, but again, the area was probably redeveloped before the map here was drawn. Ypou will note that the red area is immediately behind the Rea St South Sheffield works. Whether the site of any of this was included on the Barford st site I do not know, but it does seem a coinceidence
Mike
 

akwiom

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Re: Atkin & Sons Saw Company on Barford Street Birmingham mid 1800's
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2014, 02:08:40 AM »
In 1955 Atkin and Son was run by 'Bill' Bailey who lived at 36 Selwyn Road, Edgbaston. He had a rather nice Daimler Conquest Century Car I recall, replacing his old faithful Ford V8 Pilot JON 808.  As well as Atkin in Bradford Street he had a wood yard and wood machine shop in Belbroughton Village. I married his step daughter Janet in 1960, so knew him very well.  I remember he was careful to tell me he was going to leave the business to the 3 people who worked there in management (making sure I was not a gold-digger?). It was busy place and had a useful sideline supplying B'ham Education Dept with geometrical instrument sets.  Bill died in 1963 after a very short illness with cancer and he kept his word to the managers- good for him.  Before Atkins he was a Policeman in Wolverhampton, then a Merchant Navy Officer and later was in the RAF in WW2. I suspect that was only part of the past for this interesting man. His wife Mabs died about 4 years after Bill and that was the end of his line. Life was never dull while he was about. I remember we had a massive party at Warwickshire County Cricket Club celebrating umpteen years of the Company, This was about 1957 and I am sure it was the 200th year of the Company, which might have changed name at some time.
A Keith Webb, Isle of Man, now retired from AKW Medicare Ltd that I founded 1988 and sold out in 2008.

Phil

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Re: Atkin & Sons Saw Company on Barford Street Birmingham mid 1800's
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2014, 09:00:21 AM »
Hi akwiom


Welcome to the forum, who was the chap in the photo as I was sure that it was in the 70's when we used the business for buying new blades and having out old ones reset and sharpened. I could have sworn that he was around then.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

akwiom

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Re: Atkin & Sons Saw Company on Barford Street Birmingham mid 1800's
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2014, 09:27:03 AM »
The photo is not Bill Bailey. Probably one of the two men who with one lady inherited the Company. I knew Bill but not the other people in the Company, all my contact except that one party I mentioned was social with Bill, Mabs and their friends. All contact ended after Mabs died. Because of the great age of the Company it is a delight to see it continuing, not an easy accomplishment. It always struck me that Atkins was old-world Brum with few flashy modern attributes in the marketing line and this spoke volumes to me about their real value to local industry.  Solid reliability of a type that seems less prevalent these days. Putting the customer first,l as I tried to later in my own outfit, which went from one man with an estate car and samples to 250 employees and sold 20 years after formation for an eight figure sum as I had no family to pass it on to.  Keith


 

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