WE HAVE another selection of wonderful old Black Country photographs sent to us by reader Derek Chambers, who now lives in Bryngwran, Anglesey, but has his origins in Langley. He has sent in these images of around a hundred years ago that show his mother and grandparents and other members of the family. Derek's ancestors were coal merchants with yards on the canal wharves of old Langley, and he has written with his recollections of these old days:
"I am writing to you about the Slades of Langley. They had two coal yards, one on Uncle Ben's Bridge and one in Whyley Street. They were owned by my grandfather William Henry Slade. William had a brother called Joe, who lived with his wife Olive in the Old Farm House in Old Park Lane, and another brother called David, who lived in Old Park Lane. When David died his wife remarried a Mr Gouth.
"William also had two sisters, Mary and Agnes. Mary married a Frederick Powell and they lived in a bungalow in Titford Road. Agnes married Frederick Billington, part owner of Rood End Foundry. Their son was Frederick Jnr., a chemist with quite a few shops and a warehouse in Park Lane. He sold out to Lloyds chemists.
"My grandfather William Henry was born 13th May, 1868, at the Gate, Whiteheath, and married Sarah Lees of 162 Canal Side, Tatbank, Oldbury. She was born in 1869. Their wedding was on 3rd August, 1891 in St Giles' Church, Rowley Regis. Their daughter Lilly, my mother, was born in 1894 at 1 Titford Road, Langley. Her brother William (Bill) was born 1899 brother Norman was born in 1908. Bill Slade married my Aunt Ethel and they had two daughters, Freda and Rita. I was told by my eldest brother that Aunt Ethel's cousin was Flight Lieutenant Webster, who won the Schneider Trophy in 1927. My mother's younger brother married Ivy Georgia Spittle of West Bromwich Street, Oldbury, and they had two children, Jean and Philip. My Uncle Norman was sadly shot down and killed in the last war. He was a Warrant Officer in the RAF and was a navigator with 161 Squadron."
Derek has supplied three photographs of his family. The first picture shows Derek's mother Lilly with her brother Bill. The picture was taken by Gerald A. Cooper, who had his photographic studio at 304 High Street, West Bromwich. Derek estimates the date of the picture to be 1904. The next photograph shows Lilly and Bill's parents, Derek's grandparents, Sarah and William Henry Slade. There is no date for this picture but it may be from around the time of the First World War. The last picture shows William Henry Slade's sister Mary and her husband Frederick Powell. The husband's military uniform would again suggest a date around 1914-18.
It is interesting to note the family connection, through Derek's Aunt Ethel, to Flight Lieutenant Sidney Webster, winner of the 1927 Schneider Trophy. The Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider, or Schneider Trophy as it was popularly known, was founded in 1911 by the French aviator, balloonist and philanthropist Jacques Schneider, to encourage technological advances in aircraft design. The competition was for seaplanes, with manufacturers representing their nation. The winning nation would then host the competition the following year. The Schneider Trophy soon evolved into a speed competiton, with nations competing to build the fastest seaplane. The trophy was contested 11 times up 1931, when Britain won the prize outright. In the 1927 Italy were the hosts and the competition was held at Venice. Flight Lieutenant S. N. Webster won, piloting a Supermarine S5, designed by Reginald Mitchell, powered by an 875hp Napier-Lion VIIB engine. Webster covered the triangular course at a speed of 281.49mph.