1890/1900 - (R?) W Clapham - Rag Merchant?

[Gmanx]

This is a photo of my great grandfather, Walter Myers. I'm sure the location is Leeds, probably Wortley - but I've no idea where. Anybody get any clues from the picture? Does the roof writing help any?



It's likely that the entire location has been razed and re-built but it would be great to know where it was. Walter is pictured on his plot, which housed chickens and pigs. I think the whip (or switch) is to keep the dog in check.

[grumpytramp]

For the moment, I have no idea of the location but have to say that it is a cracker of photo!

[liits]

F W Clapham, [Frederick William Clapham] Rag and Flock Merchants was at Cad Beeston, off Cemetery Road. Quite a lot of the turn of the century housing still survives [plus a lot of additions] but having done a street view tour around the area I can't find the exact properties that are in the background - although a lot are very similar.

[mhoulden]

The closest I could find are these houses on Temple Crescent (formerly Tempest Crescent), but there are too many windows upstairs and the downstairs porches/bay windows are different. It's definitely somewhere around Beeston Cemetery/Cross Flatts Park and there's a map from 1909 here and one from 1932 here that might help to place the rag merchants.

[Gmanx]

Thanks for the kind words and help guys. I'll take a look at the maps and see how they relate to the modern site.

I'm making a short film about Walter's son Gilbert (my grandfather) and his experiences in WW1. As part of that I dug around and found this wonderful pic.

[TABBYCAT]

There is a post on this page that may be of interest, it includes the photo and gives the location as Wortley,

http://gilbertswar.blogspot.co.uk/

[Gmanx]

Hi Tabbycat - yes, that's my site about my grandfather Gilbert! I was told the photo was Wortley but it's not certain.

'm hoping to be able to match it up to the modern location - but I appreciate that's a long shot. The info I've got so far is excellent and I'm working through the old maps and google maps (and of course the picture) to have a go at it.

[mhoulden]

In the 1881 census there's a record for a 17 year old Walter Myers at Lower Wortley Road. His father was Benjamin Myers and his mother was Jane Myers. Family Search record at https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XQFH-K36. (More recent records are available for a fee). Most of the area was torn down during slum clearances in the 1950s. The Claphams are listed in an 1894 trade directory at 6 Cad Beeston but that looks nothing like the building in the photo. The same directory has Benjamin Myers living just around the corner from Lower Wortley Rd at 16 Dixon Lane which is the right hand house in this photo on Leodis:


Dixon Lane is here on Google Maps and near the big T of Wotley on the 1894 map. I downloaded the trade directory from here.

I don't know how accurate all this is but it should give you somewhere to start.

[Gmanx]

mhoulden that's excellent - thanks! I know more about Walter's offspring - so that is great news.

For those who might be curious here's Gilbert's 'Attestation' on joining the Territorials in 1915 - his address is listed as Oldfield Lane, Wortley. He went on to live out the war - taking part in the world's first major tank battle at Cambrai on November 20th 1917 where he was wounded, convalesced in Blighty and sent back to the front.



Here's a pic of the young man himself, younger in fact than my son is now.



...and finally, a wonderful picture (which I treasure) taken by my dad and featuring me, supported my my mum, and a proud Gilbert looking on.

[mhoulden]

Courtesy of Leodis, here's a photo of Oldfield Road. 13 is on the very right:


Most of the street photos on Leodis were taken just before they were demolished for slum clearances. In most cases the houses were structurally sound and just needed a bit of maintenance (and possibly an inside bathroom) but it was Leeds Corporation/Council policy to knock them down and build new ones. The Oldfields went in the early to mid 70s.