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Beldam group photo

This photo of Beldam's workforce is from Julie Jakeway, who dates it to around 1912. It was taken by Wakefields of Chiswick & Brentford and is mounted on card, the whole measuring 18 by 14 inches.Julie is willing to send the original photo to anyone that has a connection with Beldam's (it has been offered to the local archive). Please get in touch if you are interested.

There are 49 males in the photos, arranged in four rows on a rough grassy patch, with presumably their Windmill Road workplace in the background. I'd guess it was taken in the summer, looking at the grass and bare arms.

There are 20 caps of various designs and a hat in the photo, but that is a digression. The seating plan places Beldam prominently in the centre, with perhaps his works' manager on one side and financial or sales manager on the other. The front row is mainly youngsters, some barely 12, perhaps apprentices.

See link below for more about the company.

George William Beldam

The centrally-seated, dapper man with bow tie is a good match to the wikipedia photo of George William Beldam, founder of the company, which produced tyres and runner goods. He was a talented cricketer too. See link below for more about him.

The 1911 census finds him at Boston Lodge, Windmill Road, near the works which were between Boston Manor Road and Windmill Road. There were eight others in the 1911 household: family members were his first wife, Gertrude, 46; daughter Kathleen Gertrude Beldam, 13 and nephew, Arthur Caspar Stevenson Cottam, 21, a dental student born Bridgwater, Somerset. Kathleen was born in Ealing and the 1901 census shows the smaller Beldam household at Boston Lodge. Beldam was born in New Cross, Kent.

There were two visitors in 1911, Catherine Harrison, 16, born Sunderland, no occupation; and Algernon Hamo Binyan, a consulting engineer, 39, born Capri, Italy. The family and their visitors were looked after by Emma Louisa Glaysher, 36, cook, born Constantinople, Turkey; Harriet Louisa Leach, 18, parlourmaid, born Alconbury Weston, Huntingdonshire; and Frances Emma Guthrie, 21, housemaid from Chiswick.

Links

Boston Lodge, home of George William Beldam in 1911, was by The Ride, at the top of the map. This also has references to local history books that mention Beldam.

Wikipedia link for George Beldam entry.

Grace's Guide to British Industrial History has more about the Beldam Tyre Co..