Gorsebrook House
Gorsebrook House in about
1900. Courtesy of Miss A. Willetts of Smethwick. |
Whilst Gorsebrook might be regarded as
the family home once Richard had established himself in life, none of
his eight children was born there. Indeed it is possible that only four
of them lived at Gorsebrook. We do not know the exact date when Richard
and Ann moved into Gorsebrook. They were certainly not there at the time
of the 1891 census as a coal merchant by the name of Herbert,
together with his wife, five children, and servants, were in
residence at this date. |
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They were certainly there in 1900, but when did they move in? The
best guess is around 1894/5 following the departure of Thomas Parker to
set up his own company. There would doubtless have been some
reorganisation within the company as a consequence of this departure,
and maybe, Richard Jones became "Works Manager" at this time and moved
into Gorsebrook.
If this conjecture is correct, then, Lucy who
married in 1896 would have lived at Gorsebrook. We know from the
1901 Census that Henry (Harry) and his three younger sisters,
Alice, Anne and Florence were living there at that date.
| Charles would have been around 31 years old
at this stage and may well have married and moved into his own
home.
He was probably, however, still living in
Wolverhampton as he did not join the Metropolitan Railway until
1903. Emily had married in 1887. Edith, if still living, would
have been 22/23 and may well have married by this time.
Gorsebrook House was demolished in the 1950’s
and is now the site of The Wolverhampton Science Park. |
Another view of
Gorsebrook House. |
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The site of Gorsebrook
House - January 2002. |
Gorsebrook House was the centre of
family life for the Jones family over a period of 50 or so years,
Waterloo Road (no more than half a mile from Gorsebrook House), seems to
have been populated at one time or another by many of the Jones clan and
their Corns relatives.
Richard and Ann Jones lived at Lynwood, 150
Waterloo Road after they left Gorsebrook House. Samuel and Harriet Corns
lived at Myrtle Cottage, 18 Waterloo Road. |
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Harriet later moved to 86,
Waterloo Road and, after her death in 1914, Hannah Jane Corns, her
spinster daughter, inherited the property and lived in it until her
death in 1951. The family of Sidney Fletcher lived at 37, Waterloo Road
for a period during the 1930’s.
The Waterloo Road connection does not
end there. Henry (Harry) and Harriet (Cissie) Jones worshiped at
Waterloo Road Baptist Church, as did the family of Frederick Thompson.
Two of the Thompson daughters, Freda and Margaret, married two of Harry
and Cissie Jones’s sons at Waterloo Road Baptist Church – Ronald and
Charles respectively.
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