David Helmore Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 A few weeks back I had a meeting at the end of Commercial Road in London, so finally had the chance to check out the area where George Jones was born and where he worked for a large part of his life. So, I picked up a copy of Frank Butler's article 'The story of George Jones' and borrowed a couple of Victorian maps of the area and began the tour.... First stop was Spencer Street where George was born on Feb 29 1832. Spencer Street was one of a grid of 4 streets - Tarling Street, Sheridan Street, Spencer Street and Martha Street. Both Tarling Street and Martha Street still exist and enclose a housing estate. However, within this development there was a Spencer Way which looks like it is on the site of where Spencer Street once was. Next stop was to find 3 Crombie's Row - this was the site of the shop ruined by fire in 1861. In the article it mentions that it was at the junction of Jubilee Street and Commercial Road. To me it wasn't clear which side - although there was a Victorian pub on one side of this junction called 'The George'. I wonder of this was built where that shop once was - it would be lovely to think the pub was named after him!! Final stop was that of 2 Lucus Place/350 Commercial Road at the junction of Commercial Road & Lukin Street. I have seen a pic of a school on this site - now it's going through redevelopment yet again. As with a lot of London so much has changed but there are lots of things that remain. I wonder what George would think if he walked down Commercial Road today? Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wes williams Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 Nice one, Dave! ...Next stop was to find 3 Crombie's Row - this was the site of the shop ruined by fire in 1861. In the article it mentions that it was at the junction of Jubilee Street and Commercial Road. To me it wasn't clear which side - although there was a Victorian pub on one side of this junction called 'The George'. I wonder of this was built where that shop once was - it would be lovely to think the pub was named after him!! It was on the north side, and this directory entry shows where. Looks like you need to go slightly further westward, nearer Sidney St. Does that place it in today's London? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miikae Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 Nice one indeed Dave, but Wes what is known about the resident of number 3 Crombies Row one Mr Jabez Austin , Concertina Maker ? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miikae Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 Just had a seach and all is understood now as Jones took over form him upon his death in 1857 , are there any Austin concertinas known of Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wes williams Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 Jabez Austin concertina at Horniman Museum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miikae Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 Many thanks for that info Wes , so i take it that they are quite rare then, seeing as he was rather early in his field. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Helmore Posted December 17, 2008 Author Share Posted December 17, 2008 Looks like i've just missed it! Will re consult my Mum's old maps at the weekend - should hopefully make it back to Commercial Road before long! I think the biggest surprise for me was how close the 3 locations are to each other - a maximum 10 minute walk! What would be really good is if London recognised some of these and other concertina producer locations under their 'blue plaque' scheme. Maybe that's one for the future... I also made it to the Horniman museum for the first time a couple of weeks back and the concertina display was fantastic! All the best Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Callaghan Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 (edited) A few weeks back I had a meeting at the end of Commercial Road in London, so finally had the chance to check out the area where George Jones was born and where he worked for a large part of his life. So, I picked up a copy of Frank Butler's article 'The story of George Jones' and borrowed a couple of Victorian maps of the area and began the tour.... First stop was Spencer Street where George was born on Feb 29 1832. Spencer Street was one of a grid of 4 streets - Tarling Street, Sheridan Street, Spencer Street and Martha Street. Both Tarling Street and Martha Street still exist and enclose a housing estate. However, within this development there was a Spencer Way which looks like it is on the site of where Spencer Street once was. Next stop was to find 3 Crombie's Row - this was the site of the shop ruined by fire in 1861. In the article it mentions that it was at the junction of Jubilee Street and Commercial Road. To me it wasn't clear which side - although there was a Victorian pub on one side of this junction called 'The George'. I wonder of this was built where that shop once was - it would be lovely to think the pub was named after him!! Final stop was that of 2 Lucus Place/350 Commercial Road at the junction of Commercial Road & Lukin Street. I have seen a pic of a school on this site - now it's going through redevelopment yet again. As with a lot of London so much has changed but there are lots of things that remain. I wonder what George would think if he walked down Commercial Road today? Dave Dave Jabez Austin was my Gt Gt Grandfather and a few yeasrs ago I visited the Commercial Road to try and find his premises. Fortunately, I had the assistance of an old map which showed where Crombies Row was. I have attached a copy of the map plus a photo taken of the site of Crombies Row. Regards Mike Edited July 8, 2009 by Mike Callaghan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 ... are there any Austin concertinas known of Jabez Austin concertina at Horniman Museum Actually, I'm surprised to see the Horniman Museum being (seemingly) so confident in attributing theirs to Jabez Austin, seeing that it has no label - though it is stamped JA, in script, on the reed pans (which are what he specialised in making for Wheatstone's). However, I do have one with his label, also similarly stamped inside. Curiously (seeing that they seem to be the only known survivors of his production), they are both baritones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henrik Müller Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Looks like i've just missed it! Will re consult my Mum's old maps at the weekend - should hopefully make it back to Commercial Road before long!... ... I also made it to the Horniman museum for the first time a couple of weeks back and the concertina display was fantastic! ... ... Dave I did a similar "pilgrimage" when I was in London to see my daughter early last month. But I did a bit of "previewing" beforehand, with "Google Streetview". A couple of examples (parts of screen dumps from Streetview): The George Tavern: A bit more west, Sydney Street: This way you can do a survey and decide if something is worth a trip or not. Or simply check, beforehand, how things look, if you are new to a place. Charles Wheatstone's home can be seen this way (19, Park Cresent, Paddington, near Regent's Park tube). "Street View" is an extension of Goggle Maps, based on full panoramic photographs, taken approx. every 30 ft in all major (and even many minor) streets in most major cities in many parts of the world. Go to the Google Maps site, zoom to England, zoom in on London till you see Regnts Park tube station/ Marylebone Road. If you grab the little orange man on top of the zoom in/out lever and hold him in the map, all streets which are photographed will turn blue. Now drop him in Park Cresent, like this: Wham - you are there! Navigate by clicking the arrows (or use Up/Down keys). Pan by dragging the "world" with the mouse or the Left/Right keys. Page Up/Page Down keys will pan vertically. (The blue Wheatstone plaque is almost hidden behind the pillars you stand right in front). Here's a task: have a peek at the Lachenal address in Northington Street. You can't go there, it's too small, put you can look into the road from John Street. Have fun! == I did go to the Horniman myself. Brilliant concertina exhibition. Item 57 (Wheatstone baritone) intriged me: it had much wider horizontal spacing than all other instruments. Some nutter, like me, must have ordered it as a custom job... /Henrik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wes williams Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Actually, I'm surprised to see the Horniman Museum being (seemingly) so confident in attributing theirs to Jabez Austin, seeing that it has no label - though it is stamped JA, in script, on the reed pans (which are what he specialised in making for Wheatstone's). However, I do have one with his label, also similarly stamped inside. Curiously (seeing that they seem to be the only known survivors of his production), they are both baritones. I think the attribution is down to Neil Wayne, rather than the Horniman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Actually, I'm surprised to see the Horniman Museum being (seemingly) so confident in attributing theirs to Jabez Austin... I think the attribution is down to Neil Wayne, rather than the Horniman. Wes, Well Neil was actually rather more cautious in his attribution. At least, in the copy of his catalogue that I have it's described as: A JABEZ AUSTIN CONCERTINA C356. EARLY BARITONE ENGLISH, PROBABLY BY JABEZ AUSTIN Serial No. 161. English Baritone, Maker Unclear. No Label. Pans Stamped "161 JA" 7 1/4" diameter Flat Simple Rosewood Ends. Pine Backing. 48 Keys: 24 + 24, Ivory with Black Accidentals,Stamped and Bushed. No Straps or Metals, 2 Nickel Screws. Six-Fold Green Leather Bellows with Gold Star Papers, Silk Reinforced on Lower Sides. Square-End Brass Reeds, Pan Stamped "161 JA" possibly maker's initials? No Case. Though I guess he wrote most of the description before he attributed the instrument to Austin - indeed, where I've put JABEZ AUSTIN in italics, the name is written in by hand, like an afterthought or correction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 ... I did a bit of "previewing" beforehand, with "Google Streetview". Henrik, Coincidentally, I saw my first "Google mapping" car when I was on my trip to the SSI, in the vicinity of the Castle at Helsingor, though I've seen them in West Clare since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henrik Müller Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 ... I did a bit of "previewing" beforehand, with "Google Streetview". Henrik, Coincidentally, I saw my first "Google mapping" car when I was on my trip to the SSI, in the vicinity of the Castle at Helsingor, though I've seen them in West Clare since. Yup - I see saw one in Lund, a month ago. They've "done" some DK and SE cities/towns. But in West Clare? Ah - I can see it now: "Google Street View takes you to the End of the World" /Henrik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 (edited) ["Google mapping"] ... in West Clare? Ah - I can see it now: "Google Street View takes you to the End of the World" Or maybe they'd got lost? Edited July 10, 2009 by Stephen Chambers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Callaghan Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 Looks like i've just missed it! Will re consult my Mum's old maps at the weekend - should hopefully make it back to Commercial Road before long! I think the biggest surprise for me was how close the 3 locations are to each other - a maximum 10 minute walk! What would be really good is if London recognised some of these and other concertina producer locations under their 'blue plaque' scheme. Maybe that's one for the future... I also made it to the Horniman museum for the first time a couple of weeks back and the concertina display was fantastic! All the best Dave Hello again Dave Further to my earlier reply, I managed to get hold of a street directory for the Commercial Road for the time Jabez Austin had his shop at 3 Crombies Row, Commercial Road, London. It has enabled me to pin point his actual shop and have attached a photo. The previous photo was a general shot of Crombies Row. The shop is now called Money Transfer. When I visited recently, a lot of the buildings were beng redeveloped but luckily enough, 3 Crombies Row was still there. Although the frontage has changed, the building behind is the original from 1850. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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