Now I am not going to offer up the surname of the family who changed their name, other than to say that in 1943, Albert went before a Commissioner for Oaths and changed his name by deed poll.
It was a formality because he had been using the surname from at least 1939, and that might just suggest a reason, because his original name was Jewish.
He had been born in 1895 in Newton Heath, but by 1925 was living in south Manchester and in that year married Jessie in Hulme.
Two months earlier he had bought a house from the builder Joe Scott and continued to live in the house with his wife until his death in 1951.
Now, some of this I know because Liz who now owns the house, shared the deeds of the property.
She like me was intrigued by the name change, and while there is an obvious possible reason given that this was the 1930s, it would be wrong to jump to conclusion without more evidence.
One thing I will do in time is track back through the directories for the house to look for the moment when Albert began using his new name.
For now, I am left reflecting once again on how the deeds of a property can unlock so much history.
It begins with that original document couched in dense legal language which none the less off up so much, including who originally owned the land, when it was sold and for how much, and ofcourse the name of first the land purchaser and all the subsequent house owners.
Along the way there may be other treasures, which might be a will, other legal papers and maps.
In our case there are a number of documents relating to Joe Scott who has a special place for me, as we live in his old house which he built in 1915.
Joe also built a lot of the smaller terraced properties in Chorlton during the first two decades of the last century before embarking on grander semi detathced properties.
And here are two relating to Albert’s house, one of which carries Joe’s signature, which I grant you may not appear to be the most startling of documents, but is. Not least because I write this in the room Joe may have used to sign some of the documents in full view of the site behind us where he had his office.
But setting aside this personal aspect, one of the signed documents contains the agreement between the two men, with Albert agreeing “to buy the plot of land and dwelling house [for] the aforesaid price of Four hundred and ninety pounds, subject to Annual Chief Rent of Five pounds …… and agree to pay the said Joseph Taylor Scott the sum of 15 shillings from the date on which possession of the said dwelling house is given to [Mr Scott] until payment of the balance of the purchase money”.
I also know that the City Council informed Albert in 1935 that his share of “draining levelling flagging and paving”, the road outside amounted to £1,169 5s 9d of which his share was £26 2s 10d.
Added to this we can also date the whole row of houses along Albert’s Road which had started with his group built in 1925 and the remainder built closer to Beech Road which were completed in 1937 and resulted in a renumbering of the entire eastern side of the road.
And that in turn revealed the date of the demolition of the farm house which had been known as Bowling Green Farm and dated back to the 18th century.
All of which bears testament to the importance of the deeds, but they were only the starting point, and from them I wandered off and discovered more about Albert’s family, his occupation as an apprentice tin smith and his eventual career as a wood machinist making furniture.
Nor was that all, because their marriage certificate revealed that both their parents were dead, which for Jessie appears to have been a greater tragedy.
She was born in 1890 in Chorlton-on-Medlock, was resident in the area, eleven years later, but by 1911 was in the “Orphan’s School” of the Workhouse in New Bridge Street, in Strangeways.
There will be more to uncover, but for now I shall close with returning to that name change.
I have no idea why it was made but its discovery comes at a time of growing anti semtism when some profess a blindness to the rise of such prejudice.
Location; Chorlton
Pictures; Joe Scott's house, 2016, from the collection of Andrew Simpson, and the house in 1974 courtesy of Lois Elsden, South of Beech Road in 1907 from the OS map of Manchester , 1907, looking south from Beech Road, 1934, from Geographia Street Plans, 1934 courtesy of Digital Archives Association, http://www.digitalarchives.co.uk/ Neale Road with some of Joe Scott’s houses in the distance, 1958 R.E. Stanley, m18135,, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass
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| Joe Scott's house 2016 |
He had been born in 1895 in Newton Heath, but by 1925 was living in south Manchester and in that year married Jessie in Hulme.
Two months earlier he had bought a house from the builder Joe Scott and continued to live in the house with his wife until his death in 1951.
Now, some of this I know because Liz who now owns the house, shared the deeds of the property.
She like me was intrigued by the name change, and while there is an obvious possible reason given that this was the 1930s, it would be wrong to jump to conclusion without more evidence.
One thing I will do in time is track back through the directories for the house to look for the moment when Albert began using his new name.
 |
| Joe's house in 1974 |
It begins with that original document couched in dense legal language which none the less off up so much, including who originally owned the land, when it was sold and for how much, and ofcourse the name of first the land purchaser and all the subsequent house owners.
Along the way there may be other treasures, which might be a will, other legal papers and maps.
In our case there are a number of documents relating to Joe Scott who has a special place for me, as we live in his old house which he built in 1915.
Joe also built a lot of the smaller terraced properties in Chorlton during the first two decades of the last century before embarking on grander semi detathced properties.
And here are two relating to Albert’s house, one of which carries Joe’s signature, which I grant you may not appear to be the most startling of documents, but is. Not least because I write this in the room Joe may have used to sign some of the documents in full view of the site behind us where he had his office.
 |
| Looking south from Beech Road, 1934 |
I also know that the City Council informed Albert in 1935 that his share of “draining levelling flagging and paving”, the road outside amounted to £1,169 5s 9d of which his share was £26 2s 10d.
Added to this we can also date the whole row of houses along Albert’s Road which had started with his group built in 1925 and the remainder built closer to Beech Road which were completed in 1937 and resulted in a renumbering of the entire eastern side of the road.
 |
| Neale Road, 1958 |
All of which bears testament to the importance of the deeds, but they were only the starting point, and from them I wandered off and discovered more about Albert’s family, his occupation as an apprentice tin smith and his eventual career as a wood machinist making furniture.
Nor was that all, because their marriage certificate revealed that both their parents were dead, which for Jessie appears to have been a greater tragedy.
She was born in 1890 in Chorlton-on-Medlock, was resident in the area, eleven years later, but by 1911 was in the “Orphan’s School” of the Workhouse in New Bridge Street, in Strangeways.
There will be more to uncover, but for now I shall close with returning to that name change.
I have no idea why it was made but its discovery comes at a time of growing anti semtism when some profess a blindness to the rise of such prejudice.
Location; Chorlton
Pictures; Joe Scott's house, 2016, from the collection of Andrew Simpson, and the house in 1974 courtesy of Lois Elsden, South of Beech Road in 1907 from the OS map of Manchester , 1907, looking south from Beech Road, 1934, from Geographia Street Plans, 1934 courtesy of Digital Archives Association, http://www.digitalarchives.co.uk/ Neale Road with some of Joe Scott’s houses in the distance, 1958 R.E. Stanley, m18135,, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass
Was it because the name was Jewish or because it was German, reflecting their origin before being in England
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