Kathy: if it is a steam roller it will have a single, cylindrical "wheel" across at the front; if it has two wheels it is a traction engine ... I THINK! This is female-who-avoids-all-things-mechanical speak! If a traction engine your next question is what was it used for. Some would be used for towing loads, some for agricultural work. So you might find him listed in Directories: carrier, agricultural contractor, etc. If a "roller" then I presume it would be used for road building. For the makers of the machine: the Museum of Rural Life at Reading has records of some agricultural manufacturers. It might be worth a trawl on A2A as well. There are clubs (and magazines) dealing with "steam" driven machines - and maybe somebody on the list can point you to a knowledgeable person who has local information about makers. Best of luck - you should be able to put a story together...eventually! Jacqui ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kathy Hill" <kathys@post.com> To: <ENG-WORCESTER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2005 12:07 PM Subject: [WOR] EDWIN DANKS & C OLDBURY LTD BIRMINGHAM > > Hi fellow listers, > > At Christmas time some of you helped me find my HILL lines. > Now I have another querry on the Worcester List . . . having > already posted it to the Warwickshire List a few minutes ago > > Does any one know of this firm above: > or about Steam Engines / Traction Rollers? > > > My G Grandfather William Richard Hill owned a Traction Engine > or Steam Roller. I'm not sure of it's exact name. > > On the right hand side of his Steam Roller / Traction engines that are > joined together I can see 2 signs with his name and address attached: > > On the back engine atached to the big oval drum is a roof with a overhang > that has his name: W R HILL WHITTINGTON WORCESTER and on the front > engine attached to the back engine by a bar is a Square plate on the front > right hand side of the engine with > > W R HILL > WHITTINGTON > WORCESTER > > with this firms inscription below on the side of the long big oval water > tank > barrel at the back called: > > EDWIN DANKS & C OLDBURY LTD BIRMINGHAM. > > Now as I'm no expert in these things can someone advise me where to look > up > to see if either of these names come up any where in any directory > records. > > William Richard HILL was born 30th September 1884 > @ 1 Osborne villa Barbourne, > Rego district was Droitwich Sub district of Claines County of Worcester. > > No idea where this place is. Anybody know if it still exists? > > So any time after 1900 for him but the firm may have been going longer. > > Now I will head back to my sick bed and await any helpful replies > tomorrow. > > THANK-YOU one and all. Your a great bunch. > > Kathy HILL > Committee Member > Welsh Interest Group > Transcriber FREEBMD > > kathysrequests@post.com > > -- > ___________________________________________________________ > Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com > http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm > > > > ==== ENG-WORCESTER Mailing List ==== > FreeREG Project: parish register database > http://freereg.rootsweb.com > > UK Census on-line > http://freecen.rootsweb.com/ > http://www.worcestershiresurnames.co.uk/ > > >