Joseph Blackwell, Cycle Maker, Ashton Rd, Denton
Joseph Blackwell was born at Hyde in 1879 and he was the son of William Henry Blackwell and Sarah Minnis. By 1891 he was living with his parents on Manor St, Audenshaw, and by 1911
he was living with his family at 17 High St, Denton, employed as an iron moulder. High St was situated at the bottom of Edward St on the east side and is no longer extant.
In 1898 he joined the 2nd Battalion of The King’s (Liverpool Regiment) as 6160 Private Joseph Blackwell and in 1910 he was discharged on completion of his period of engagement. He then re-joined the army only to be discharged at the outset of the Great War in 1914 because he was no longer physically fit for war service.
In 1905 he married Annie Adshead at St Paul’s Church (Werneth), Compstall Rd, Compstall. His wife was born at Glossop in 1880 and the couple had three children, all born at Denton, Harold (b.1908), Sarah Alice (b.1910) and Andrew (b.1915).
Later on, he moved to Coventry for a while before returning to the district. He died at Ashton-under-Lyne in 1964, aged 84 years. His wife, Annie, died at Audenshaw in 1942, aged 62 years.
Three other Denton cycle makers are known. By 1903 Edward Sorton occupied the shop at 14 Hyde Rd, which was on the south side of the road near Crown Point, and by 1909 he had moved from 14 Hyde Rd to 17 Hyde Rd and before the end of 1914 he had vacated the premises to be replaced by Samuel Northend, a cycle maker. Slater’s trade directory for 1911 records that Edward Sorton was resident at 95 Howard Ln. He was born at Levenshulme in 1859 and he married Sarah Archer at St Paul’s Church, Stockport, in 1885. The third cycle maker was William Longden whose shop was on Manchester Rd on the corner of Ann St.
An employee cycle maker in Denton was Albert Sorton who was born at Hyde in 1881 and in 1911 he was living on Kynder St, Denton.
Cycle makers such as these obtained components from large manufacturers, typically from the Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA). This company was founded in 1863 and their cycle division opened in 1880.
Joseph Wych, Newsagent, Ashton Rd, Denton
Joseph Wych was born at Denton in 1842 to William Wych and Jane Dawson who were married at Manchester Cathedral in 1837. He married Alice Eyre at Ashton-under-Lyne in 1869.
In 1911 he was resident with his wife and family at his newsagent’s shop on the east side of Ashton Rd on the corner of Amelia St adjacent to the Co-operative Hall.
With him were his daughters, Jane (1871), Emma (1882) and Clara (1884) and granddaughter Clara Howe (1907), who were all born at Denton.
John Worrall, pawnbroker, jeweller and general outfitter, Ashton Rd, Denton
John Worrall was born at Newton, Hyde, in 1845 and he married Mary Hurst at St Paul’s Church (Werneth), Compstall Rd, Compstall, in 1869. His wife was born at Hyde in 1849.
By the time of the 1881 census, he was in business on Ashton Rd and he was still there for the 1901 census. He died at Cheadle on the 23 Nov 1901, aged 56 years, but it is likely that the business was continued for a while by his son, Fred, who was working as his assistant by 1901. The street directory for 1906 shows that the shop was still open in 1906. He also had a shop on Newton St, Hyde.
In order to accept goods into pawn a pawnbroker first makes a valuation of the goods. The customer and the pawnbroker then agree on the sum to be advanced. John Worrall's fee for pawning goods was a weekly payment of not less than one shilling in the pound (5%).
