Some Notable Family Members

For many years Samuel Lloyd II (“Quaker Lloyd”) lived at The Hollies in Wednesbury. His third eldest son, Wilson Lloyd, born on 3rd September, 1835 became a borough and a county magistrate, and an Alderman. In 1885 to 1886 he was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Wednesbury, and the town’s second Mayor from 1888 to 1890. In 1892 he was elected for a second time as the town’s MP, but did not stand again in the next election.

He married Margaret Underhill in 1883 and they had five daughters and three sons. He was Chairman of Wednesbury School Board, a member of Wednesbury’s Local Board, and an advocate for the incorporation of Wednesbury as a municipal borough. He lived at Myvod House, in Wood Green Road, Wednesbury, named after Meifod, the family’s old home in Wales. In later years he moved to Park Lane House, one of the oldest houses in Wednesbury. He died on 5th September, 1908 at the age of 73.

William Henry Lloyd.

He became Wednesbury’s fourth Mayor from 1892 to 1894, during which time his sister Anna acted as Mayoress. By that time he was living in Hall Green, Birmingham.

In 1895 he married Margaret Percie Chermside and they had five daughters and three sons.

He became a Borough Magistrate, and left Birmingham in 1899 to move to a 350 acre estate called Hatch Court near Taunton. He died in 1916.

Samuel II’s youngest son Francis Henry Lloyd, born in 1844 became a famous industrialist. After going to school at Southampton, he continued his education in Germany and Switzerland, followed by an engineering course at King’s College, London.

He joined his father at Old Park Works and took charge of the Bessemer plant, and the works at Monway Fields. When the firm went into liquidation in 1867 and was taken-over by the Patent Shaft & Axletree Company, he continued in the same role until 1874, when he became Managing Director at the Darlaston Steel & Iron Company.

In 1877 when the company went into liquidation, he bought a disused timber yard at James Bridge, and established a small foundry which eventually became F. H. Lloyd's James Bridge Steel Works, and Europe’s largest foundry.

He was a member of the board of the South Staffordshire Tramways Company, a member of Wednesbury School Board, a member of the County Council, representing the Suburban Division of Wednesbury, a Justice of the Peace, and one of the founders of the Wednesbury Society for the Relief of the Indigent Sick. He also became secretary of the Wednesbury Auxiliary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and was Chairman of the Weldless Steel Tube Company, Birmingham.

Francis Henry Lloyd.

Francis Henry Lloyd also became a director of the South Staffordshire Waterworks Company in 1895 and was appointed Chairman  in 1913. A post he held until 25th of March, 1915 when he resigned.

In 1867 he married Alice Howard, daughter of J. E. Howard E.R.S. of Tottenham, London. They had 5 daughters and three sons. His youngest son, Major John Lloyd of the North Staffordshire Regiment, was killed in action in June 1915. The family lived at Wood Green, Wednesbury until 1890 when they moved to the lovely Stowe Hill Mansion at Lichfield, which was built in 1745 and is now Grade II* listed. Alice died on 29th June, 1908.

Francis Henry Lloyd had an untimely death on 5th January 1916, which greatly shocked and saddened many people in Wednesbury and the surrounding towns. On that fateful day, he worked as usual at James Bridge Steel Works, then headed for James Bridge Railway Station to catch his train home. He always took a short cut across the London & North Western Railway lines, whilst on his way to the station. He was spotted leaving the factory and walking to the railway line by the L.N.W.R. signalman, William Reynolds. As he approached the railway, he noticed a locomotive moving towards him at walking pace, and hesitated. The driver blew his whistle and Mr. Lloyd got clear of the line. Within three or four yards of the oncoming engine, he hesitated, then decided to cross the track in front of the engine. The driver, Henry Carnell, immediately applied the brake, but by that time Mr. Lloyd had been knocked to the ground as the locomotive passed over him. The estimated speed was four miles per hour.

Francis Henry Lloyd was badly injured, and taken to the Queen Victoria Nursing Institute at Wolverhampton. It was found that he had a fractured skull, and so an operation was immediately performed. Although this gave him some relief, and he regained consciousness, he died during the evening. For some days his death became the main topic of conversation in the local towns, where he was sadly missed.

At the inquest the verdict was accidental death. His funeral was attended by a large number of mourners, including over two hundred members of his staff. He was buried beside his wife in the north east corner of St. Chad’s Churchyard, Lichfield. 

References:

History of Wednesbury by J. F. Ede, 1962, Wednesbury Corporation.

Ryders Annual 1909, Ryder & Son, Spring Head, Wednesbury.

Wednesbury Faces, Places & Industries, 1897, Ryder & Son, Spring Head, Wednesbury.

The Lloyds of Birmingham, with some account of the founding of Lloyds Bank by Samuel Lloyd, 1907, Simpkin, Marshall & Company Limited, London.