Horace Davies

My maternal great-grandfather Horace Davies was born in Wolverhampton on the 18^th March 1895, to Robert; a journeyman tailor originally from Llandudno, North Wales and Elizabeth (nee Jones), originally from Churton, Cheshire. He was the youngest of 10 children.

The Davies family in the 1911 census

By the 1870’s the growing Davies family had moved to Wolverhampton, via Oswestry, and in the 1911 census were living at 3 Rainbow Street. Horace’s occupation is listed as a ‘carriage trimmer’ for a coach builder.

This essentially meant that he would be upholstering motor vehicle seats, lining their roofs, floors and door panels. As will be seen in later documentation, Horace’s job would eventually be termed ‘motor trimmer’.  Although automotive frames were originally manufactured separately before being sent to the trimmers, eventually trim shops were brought in-house by motor manufacturing factories as part of the production line.

Shortly after war broke out (click here for more information on Wolverhampton during WW1), Horace married Harriet Foxall on the 6^th October 1914 at Wolverhampton registry office. They moved to 4 Lime Street and their marriage certificate lists Horace’s occupation as motor trimmer. This is also the occupation listed on the birth certificate of his first son (my grandfather, also named Horace) in 1916.

Being a young man, it is feasible that Horace could have joined the armed forces, but neither I, nor the team at the Wolverhampton Archives (who have added a small page about Horace on their Great War website) can find any evidence of military service. Nor is there any family lore about him doing so. Possibly he was unable to enlist due to health issues.

Horace and Harriet's marriage certificate

I initially thought that Horace could have worked for Sunbeam Motors (Lime Street being situated nearby), but the 1921 census states that Horace (now living at 68 Knox Road Wolverhampton), while currently unemployed, previously worked as a motor trimmer for A. Harper, Sons & Bean at their works in Hall Street, Dudley.

A. Harper, Sons & Bean was formed in 1826 to make fire grates and iron shot, but by WW1 were forging parts for the motor industry. During the war, they turned to producing shrapnel and shell cases. Perhaps Horace's part for the war effort was doing this work?

At the end of the war, the company opted to manufacture motor cars, buying the rights to the Perry car and visiting the United States to investigate methods of mass production. However, after being incorporated with a number of other firms to form Harper Bean, the company went into receivership in 1920. Perhaps this is why Horace was out of work in the census?

Bean Motors factory, Hall Street Dudley (from Google Maps)

But would being a motor trimmer (e.g. working with upholstery) be classed as a job vital to the war effort for a young (and presumably fit) man? Possibly not, but there is evidence in later documentation that Horace could also have performed other roles.

In 1939, as war loomed once again, the 1939 register shows Horace; now living at 69 Knox Road, Wolverhampton with Harriet, his son Horace and two younger sons Geoffrey and Clifford. His occupation is listed as ‘milling machine setter and operator’. A year later his son got married (to my grandmother) – their marriage certificate shows Horace’s occupation as ‘engineer (inspector)’. More tellingly, in 1943, Horace’s death certificate gives his occupation as ‘motor trimmer (aircraft components)’.

Horace & family in the 1939 register

So we know that during WW2 (click here for information on the Wolverhampton home front), Horace was making components for aircraft. Was he using skills he learned during WW1? Either way, whether he worked in motor upholstery or aircraft engine manufacture; at Sunbeam, Harper Bean or one of the many other factories in Wolverhampton, he did his bit during both world wars.

As mentioned above, Horace died on the 21^st September 1943. The cause of death was pulmonary tuberculosis; developed, so family lore has it, by breathing in the horsehair fibre used by the factory to stuff car seats. He was 48 years old.

Horace (top left) and Harriet (to his right) at my grandparents' wedding

As an aside, Horace’s son Horace (my ‘Grandad Horace’) was also employed in war work during WW2 – making tank parts at the Henry Meadows factory, before clocking off his shift to guard the factory with the work's Home Guard unit each evening.