Lockmaking

[ronbolus]

Willenhall , Staffs was the centre of the world lock-making trade for most of the 19th and 20th centuries. It has a very good lock Museum which I highly recommend to anyone interested.
Does anyone know please of any records relating to the lock trade. My g x 2 grandfather and my great grandfather were both locksmiths in Willenhall.
Does anyone know please how I could find out to whom they were apprenticed in order to learn their trade. For example, my great x 2 grandad
(the first Bolus/Bolas to arrive in Willenhall) would have been apprenticed circa 1830s-------------he was a qualified locksmith by the time of the 1841 Census in Willenhall.
Any suggestions on lock trade records, apprentice records, how Bolus/Bolas family came to Willenhall after being orphaned in Aston, B-ham aged 7 in 1823 (Poor Law Resettlement ??). I can find nothing. Can anyone help me please. TIA...........Best wishes with your research.........Ron Bolus

[Fulhamster]

Hiya Ron,
I have no idea if this site might be of interest but if nothing else it might point you in the right direction as they have a 'query line'.

http://www.locksmiths.co.uk/

[ronbolus]

Thx for taking the time and trouble to look for locksmith data. Sadly the link you found is all about modern stuff------who to phone if you lock yourself out of your house LOL. It is about the association which i'm sure my ancestors would have belonged to. Thanks too for the Cdbooks site....
most interesting. Very best wishes.........ron

[Geoffers]

Willenhall , Staffs was the centre of the world lock-making trade for most of the 19th and 20th centuries. It has a very good lock Museum which I highly recommend to anyone interested. Does anyone know please of any records relating to the lock trade.If the museum doesn't retain records itself, then I'd suggest trying the nearest record office. County Record Offices sometimes have collections of information specific to industry which was locally important. It may be worth a phone call to check.


Does anyone know please how I could find out to whom they were apprenticed in order to learn their trade. For example, my great x 2 grandad The County Record Office is again the place to try, they may have a collecton of indentures; or possibly records of a lockmakers guild which has the information you want. On completing an apprenticeship, your chap could have been made a freeman, details may also be held by the County Record Office.

Geoffers

[ronbolus]

The title says it all-----thanks for taking the time to advise. I will do as you say---the Staffs Record Office is a long way from Suffolk----but who said genealogy was easy LOL. Thx again................Ron

[sonia bullock]

my dad owned one of the last original locksmiths in new invention willenhall.which was 175 yrs old when he retired in 1999 he has since died i have quite alot of info on the old lock trade in that area. drop me an e mail and i will try and help. loadofbullocks@blue yonder.co.uk


sonia bullock nee fletcher

[PenelopeCarter]

loadofbullocks@blue yonder.co.uk


this email address doesn't work