Genealogy Forum UK

I've found a possible ancestor who seemed to have been bankrupt:
George Henry Jinks, 61 Moor Street, West Bromwich.
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/26426/pages/4243

My problem is that I can't definitely pin George down as living at Moor Street. Can anybody find the family in Moor Street? Here's what I've got:

1881 Census
RG11 piece 2850 folio 47 page 37
3, Mill St Terrace, West Bromwich
George H Jinks, Head, Mar, 25, Cutter Down In Iron Works, Warwicks Tamworth
Mary A, Wife, Mar, 22,
George H, Son, Single, 8 months,
Others born Staffs, West Bromwich,

1891 Census
RG12 piece 2269 folio 146 page 33
27, Phoenix Street, West Bromwich
George H Jinks, Head, Mar, 35, Iron Cutter, Staffs Tamworth
Mary A, Wife, Mar, 32,
Harry, Son, 10, Scholar,
Frank, Son, 9, Scholar,
Harvy, Son, 7, Scholar
Ada, Daur, 5, Scholar,
William, Son, 4,
Polly, Daur, 1,
Others born Staffs West Bromwich

1892 Kelly's Directory of Staffordshire
West Bromwich Section
Commercial
Jinks George H. Shopkeeper, 27 Pheonix Street


1901 Census
RG13 piece 2720 folio 115 page 29
8b, Claypit Lane, West Bromwich
George H Jenks, Head, Mar, 45, Cutter Down Iron Works, Warwicks Tamworth
Mary A, Wife, Mar, 43,
Frank E, Son, Single, 19, Imbecile From Childhood
Harvy, Son, Single, 17, Cutter Down Iron Works,
Ada, Daur, 15,
William A, Son, Single, 14, Holloware Caster,
Polly, Daur, 11,
John H, Son, 9,
Fred, Son, 7,
Annie, Daur, 5,
Charles, Son, 3 months,
Others born Staffs, West Bromwich

1911 Census
RG14PN17298 RG78PN1061 RD371 SD3 ED16 SN281
12 Claypit Lane West Bromwich
George Henry Jinks, Head, Mar, 55, Cutter Down In On Works, Kettlebrook
Mary Ann, Wife, Married 33 years, 13 children born, 11 children still living, 52, Staffs Great Barr
Ann Maria Barker, Mother, Widow, 79, Staffs Licfield
Frank Edward Jinks, Son, Single, 30,
Pollie, Daur, Single, 21, Jeweller Gold - Polisher Jewellry Manufactures,
John Howard, Son, Single, 19, Moulder Rice Bowl Maker Holloware Foundry,
Fred, Son, Single, 18, Moulder Rice Bowl Maker Holloware Foundry,
Annie Maria, Daur, Single, 15, Nurse Domestic,
Charlie, Son, 10, School
Ivy, Daur, 7, School,
Others born Staffs, West Bromwich

1912 Kelly's Directory of Staffordshire
West Bromwich Section
Commercial
Jinks Mary Ann (Mrs.), news agent, 12 Claypit Lane

1932 Kelly's Directory of Staffordshire
News Agents and Vendors
Jinks Mrs. Mary Ann, 12 Claypit Lane, West Bromwich

There is also a mention of the same George Henry Jinks "receiving orders" in the Huddersfield Daily Chronicle in the July of 1893. The wording is almost identical to the London Gazette, and I'm assuming that they got the info there. What strikes me, and makes me reasonably sure that it must be the same George Henry (other than the lack of other candidates on the census), is the wording of his profession "Cutter Down". Looking at the census I assumed that he was a cutter who worked down the iron works - now I wonder if he was a cutter down, whatever that may have been!
I wondered why it's George who's listed as shopkeeper in 1892, but later, once they've moved to Claypit Lane, it's his wife who seems to have the business. George died in 1940, and Mary in 1934. Their daughter Annie Marie Jinks (who seems never to have married) took over the shop, and appears in the trade directory in 1940. The listing in July 1893 is the only listing in the London Gazette, and as other ancestors who went bankrupt had many entries as the proceedings progressed, I'm wondering why? Did George manage to pay off his debts?

I should think it is him.



Publication:Birmingham Daily Post

Publication date:Saturday 05 August 1893

SUPPORTING A FAMILY OF NINE ON EIGHT SHILLINGS A WEEK
At West Bromwich County Court, yesterday afternoon, George Henry Jinks, More Street, West Bromwich, and formerly employed as a cutter down, came up for his public examination. the debtor attributed his insolvency to illness of his wife, bad trade, and being out of employment. It was stated that in the accounts which he had filed, he had put down household expenses for himself, wife, and seven children at 8s per week, and he said that was the reason he got so much behind. the Registrar enquired if the children were alive now. the debtor replied that theyw ere. the Registrar: I am surprised to hear it. The debtor said he could not give his wife more than that sum as he was trying to pay their debts and keep the bailiffs out of the house. The Registrar said it was a shocking state of affairs for a man to have to keep himself, wife, and seven children on 8s per week, and he was sorry for the poor man. The bankrupt was allowed to pass.

Not sure what a cutter-down did, but I found the term used as a synonym for a stocktaker in an iron works. Something to do with the production of the actual pig-iron.
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=QbxK ... er&f=false

Thanks Gardener, that's great. I'll ask my Dad if he knows what a cutter down was - he was a metallurgist, and knows a fair bit about the metal industries, if I ask the right questions that is!

Just been looking at Mary Ann's death cert - she died in 1934 at age 76 of Cardiac failure, Coronary thrombosis, and arterosclerosis. It does make me wonder if her heart problems started in the 1870's. It may of course be due to having given birth to so many children! The other thing is that Mary Ann's death cert has George's occupation as Gas labourer, and his as gas stoker, whereas up until 1911 he was always cutter down on the census. His son Harvey's marriage cert has him as a moulder in 1907; son William's marriage cert has him as iron worker in 1910; daughter pollie's marriage cert as cutter down in 1913 and finally son Charlie's marriage cert as gas stoker.
George Henry's father was a stoker, and his son Charlie was too.
My feeling is that the family had to move out of Pheonix Street due to their money problems, and ended up in More Street. Later they were at Claypit Lane for many years.

are you still working on this snoops?
or can it be archived

Can be archived -
can't get any more info on what a cutter down was - my Dad had never heard of it.

Thanks