Hi, Can anyone help me with my daughters school homework? She has been asked to complete a project on the area where she lives!!! We have an ordance survey map that indicates that there were a few companies in or around our road. We have a vinegar works, mineral water depot and an engineering company. The company "windsheilds" pops up when we talk to older residents. The Barbourne Inn looks like it has been around for 100 years. The area I am talking about is New Bank Street, Gregory Mills Street, Turral Street in Barbourne, Worcester. Any information would be gratefully recieved. TIA Sharon

Hi Sharon, I assume you're working from a 25" map - and (guessing) that it dates from around 1935-50. In the 1940s Worcester Windshields' main factory was at the Eastern end of Gregorys Mill Street (and may have extended down the East side of Raglan Street - but being on the 'wrong' side of Droitwich Road it was a bit off my patch). The company made aircraft windscreens etc during the war - or at least its subsidiary(?) Airscreens did - at the top of the Northwick Road (the only known source of decent rubber for making catapults...) I don't recall a vinegar works, but certainly "Corona" Soft Drinks had a bottling plant in the former Allen's Brewery - so perhaps a smallish vinegar-works could've operated in another part of the site. Robert Allen & Sons disappeared into Banks's around 1930. The Barbourne Inn was probably Allen's "Brewery Pub" - it's evidently been there a Long Time, as it was a purpose-designed pub with an Assembly Room upstairs if memory holds. You might try the 1:500 maps of the mid 1880s (around 10 feet to the mile) that are held as reduced copies in Worcester History Centre - who also hold the 25" Revision of c.1905 - to give a longer perspective. HTH Gus ----- Original Message ----- From: SHARON AUSTIN <sharon.austin@btinternet.com> To: <ENG-WORCESTER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, April 18, 2005 6:31 PM Subject: [WOR] Windsheilds Factory Barbourne, Vinegar Works Barbourne, > Hi, > > Can anyone help me with my daughters school homework? She has been asked to complete a project on the area where she lives!!! > > We have an ordance survey map that indicates that there were a few companies in or around our road. > > We have a vinegar works, mineral water depot and an engineering company. > > The company "windsheilds" pops up when we talk to older residents. > The Barbourne Inn looks like it has been around for 100 years. > > The area I am talking about is New Bank Street, Gregory Mills Street, Turral Street in Barbourne, Worcester. > > Any information would be gratefully recieved. > > TIA > Sharon > > > > ==== ENG-WORCESTER Mailing List ==== > Transcribers wanted for Worcestershire FreeREG > for more information see http://freereg.rootsweb.com > UK Census on-line > http://freecen.rootsweb.com/ > http://www.worcestershiresurnames.co.uk/ > >

Hello Sharon I have found an advert and article about Windshields in a 1951 Guide to Worcester. The company's headquarters moved to the Barbourne premises in 1930. The latter became home to mass production for the motor car industry. During WWII thirteen factories in the county were devoted to the Company's products. Lots more info. Will send you a copy off-list together with the details of the family who were living at the Barbourne Inn at the time of the 1881 census. Bill Gwilliam's book “Old Worcester: People and Places” mentions that Gregory's Mill was a grist mill built in 1369. Thomas Gregory rented the mill in the 17th century. It was still working in the 1914-18 War, but by 1950 it had been completely demolished. I do recommend that you and your daughter visit the Worcester History Centre, where you will be able to look at the above book and Trade Directories. The staff are most helpful and will also be able to show you where to look at the index of old photographs, which may contain images of the places you are interested in. Regards Jacquie