West's non-medical friends and acquaintances
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NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
James Baldwin
Councillor in 1883, but had been mayor in 1853.
The Reverend Dr John Charles Blissard
First incumbent at St. Augustine’s church, Edgbaston. He was active in civic projects and charities outside the church which included a position on two committees and the chairmanship of the Board at Queen's Hospital. Even if West had not been a fellow Edgbastonian and member of his congregation, he would have known Blissard through these roles.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
Miss Dickens
Miss Dickens may have been one of eleven offspring of widow Ann Dickens of Mill Lane, Solihull.
Walter Newton Fisher (1844-1932)
Walter Newton Fisher, later Sir, was one of West’s executors. He was a highly successful chartered accountant and esteemed philanthropist. Fisher lived in Allersea house, Ampton Rd., Edgbaston, during West's lifetime, later moving to one of the district's grandest houses, Lawnfield, in Church Road. A devotee of Charles Dickens, Fisher delighted audiences with readings of Dickens’ stories in the style of the great author himself.
Charles Green (1844-1906)
Manufacturer of jewellery, friend and executor of West. Husband of Katarina Green. For his house, see here.
Katarina Green
The wife of Charles Green, one of West’s executors. She was aged 35 and had six children at the time. The Greens lived in Carpenter Road, Edgbaston.
Percy Harrison
West's references to 'Harrison' are presumed to relate to Percy Harrison. Harrison was a household name in Birmingham. He was responsible for the Birmingham subscription concert series popularly known as Harrison’s concerts established in 1871.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
William Holliday (1810-1898)
Mr William Holliday (1810-1898) lived in Augustus Road, Edgbaston. His business, based at Warwick House, was large and highly successful, but he also undertook municipal work, including that of Mayor and was involved in various of the town’s commercial and financial organisations. When West died, Holliday’s firm organised the funeral.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
Samuel Henry Hollingsworth
Mr Samuel Henry Hollingsworth was proprietor of John Hollingsworth Ltd., tobacconists, then located at New Street, Birmingham. When he died at the age of ninety in 1941, West’s granddaughter, Constance Margery, wrote the following on the newspaper obituary: ‘Grandfather brought his daughter into the world.’
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
The Hopwoods
Probably Benjamin (then 42) and Louisa (then 38) Hopwood of 11, Portland Road, Edgbaston.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
Mrs Hornsby
Mrs Hornsby was probably the wife of the Reverend John Hornsby who lived in Broad Lane, Acock’s Green.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
Edward Henry Howard (1829-1892)
Edward Henry Howard (1829-1892) was born in Nottingham. He was elevated to Cardinal in 1877. Further information about him is available here.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
Mr W Irwin
Mr W Irwin lived in Monument Road, Edgbaston and was a curate at St. Augustine’s in 1883.
John Jaffray
John Jaffray lived in Edgbaston and was a co-founder and one of the first directors of the Birmingham Joint Stock Bank established in 1862. He was a great philanthropist, particularly in respect of the town’s hospitals, going so far as to found a Suburban Hospital in 1888 which bore his name. Further information about him is available here.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
John Kershaw
West knew a John Kershaw in both London and Birmingham. They were presumably related. There is no way of knowing for certain which of the two is being referred to here. West gave his second son the middle name, Kershaw.
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Silverwood Lorraine (1842-1901)
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Silverwood Lorraine (1842-1901) was a close friend of West’s wife, Sarah. She lived in Wakefield, Yorkshire, the daughter of an independent minister and sister of a medical practitioner.
Peter Paul Mackey (1851-1935)
Copyright: The British School at Rome, Mackey collection, no. 1516.
Peter Paul Mackey, OP SMT, was a Dominican priest. The SMT - the highest award given by the Dominicans - was awarded to Mackey nine years after West met him in Rome. Mackey was a keen photographer as well as ancient historian and many of his original pictures survive in the British School at Rome. The picture above is captioned 'From Novara di Sicilia to Francavilla' and believed to date from around 1898-1900. Peter was the brother of Edward Mackey.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
Thomas Mills
Thomas Mills was a patient of West's. He was 57 years old and was a retired silversmith.
Madame Norman-Neruda
Madame Norman-Neruda was a virtuoso violinist and the wife of Charles Hallé, founder of the Hallé Orchestra.
The Reverend Henry Plattern
A representative of one of Birmingham’s many nonconformist faiths, Henry Plattern was minister of the new Baptist chapel, the Church of the Redeemer on the Hagley Road, Edgbaston, when West wrote his journal in 1883. He originally came to Birmingham in 1875 to take up a position as minister of Mount Zion Chapel, Graham St, Birmingham. West knew many of the town’s influential and inspirational nonconformists and, as is illustrated in the diary, frequented their services.
Frederick William Robinson
Opening page of his collection of stories, Women are Strange.
A novelist active between 1862 and 1898. He lived in London and was a close friend. Women are Strange was one of at least forty-seven works written by him.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
Mrs Talbot
Probably Emma Talbot (aged 37) of 9, Greenfield Crescent, Edgbaston. She was the wife of an architect and patent agent and was recorded as a mother of 5 in the 1881 census.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
James Baldwin
Councillor in 1883, but had been mayor in 1853.
The Reverend Dr John Charles Blissard
First incumbent at St. Augustine’s church, Edgbaston. He was active in civic projects and charities outside the church which included a position on two committees and the chairmanship of the Board at Queen's Hospital. Even if West had not been a fellow Edgbastonian and member of his congregation, he would have known Blissard through these roles.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
Miss Dickens
Miss Dickens may have been one of eleven offspring of widow Ann Dickens of Mill Lane, Solihull.
Walter Newton Fisher (1844-1932)
Walter Newton Fisher, later Sir, was one of West’s executors. He was a highly successful chartered accountant and esteemed philanthropist. Fisher lived in Allersea house, Ampton Rd., Edgbaston, during West's lifetime, later moving to one of the district's grandest houses, Lawnfield, in Church Road. A devotee of Charles Dickens, Fisher delighted audiences with readings of Dickens’ stories in the style of the great author himself.
Charles Green (1844-1906)
Manufacturer of jewellery, friend and executor of West. Husband of Katarina Green. For his house, see here.
Katarina Green
The wife of Charles Green, one of West’s executors. She was aged 35 and had six children at the time. The Greens lived in Carpenter Road, Edgbaston.
Percy Harrison
West's references to 'Harrison' are presumed to relate to Percy Harrison. Harrison was a household name in Birmingham. He was responsible for the Birmingham subscription concert series popularly known as Harrison’s concerts established in 1871.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
William Holliday (1810-1898)
Mr William Holliday (1810-1898) lived in Augustus Road, Edgbaston. His business, based at Warwick House, was large and highly successful, but he also undertook municipal work, including that of Mayor and was involved in various of the town’s commercial and financial organisations. When West died, Holliday’s firm organised the funeral.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
Samuel Henry Hollingsworth
Mr Samuel Henry Hollingsworth was proprietor of John Hollingsworth Ltd., tobacconists, then located at New Street, Birmingham. When he died at the age of ninety in 1941, West’s granddaughter, Constance Margery, wrote the following on the newspaper obituary: ‘Grandfather brought his daughter into the world.’
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
The Hopwoods
Probably Benjamin (then 42) and Louisa (then 38) Hopwood of 11, Portland Road, Edgbaston.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
Mrs Hornsby
Mrs Hornsby was probably the wife of the Reverend John Hornsby who lived in Broad Lane, Acock’s Green.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
Edward Henry Howard (1829-1892)
Edward Henry Howard (1829-1892) was born in Nottingham. He was elevated to Cardinal in 1877. Further information about him is available here.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
Mr W Irwin
Mr W Irwin lived in Monument Road, Edgbaston and was a curate at St. Augustine’s in 1883.
John Jaffray
John Jaffray lived in Edgbaston and was a co-founder and one of the first directors of the Birmingham Joint Stock Bank established in 1862. He was a great philanthropist, particularly in respect of the town’s hospitals, going so far as to found a Suburban Hospital in 1888 which bore his name. Further information about him is available here.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
John Kershaw
West knew a John Kershaw in both London and Birmingham. They were presumably related. There is no way of knowing for certain which of the two is being referred to here. West gave his second son the middle name, Kershaw.
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Silverwood Lorraine (1842-1901)
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Silverwood Lorraine (1842-1901) was a close friend of West’s wife, Sarah. She lived in Wakefield, Yorkshire, the daughter of an independent minister and sister of a medical practitioner.
Peter Paul Mackey (1851-1935)
Copyright: The British School at Rome, Mackey collection, no. 1516.
Peter Paul Mackey, OP SMT, was a Dominican priest. The SMT - the highest award given by the Dominicans - was awarded to Mackey nine years after West met him in Rome. Mackey was a keen photographer as well as ancient historian and many of his original pictures survive in the British School at Rome. The picture above is captioned 'From Novara di Sicilia to Francavilla' and believed to date from around 1898-1900. Peter was the brother of Edward Mackey.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
Thomas Mills
Thomas Mills was a patient of West's. He was 57 years old and was a retired silversmith.
Madame Norman-Neruda
Madame Norman-Neruda was a virtuoso violinist and the wife of Charles Hallé, founder of the Hallé Orchestra.
The Reverend Henry Plattern
A representative of one of Birmingham’s many nonconformist faiths, Henry Plattern was minister of the new Baptist chapel, the Church of the Redeemer on the Hagley Road, Edgbaston, when West wrote his journal in 1883. He originally came to Birmingham in 1875 to take up a position as minister of Mount Zion Chapel, Graham St, Birmingham. West knew many of the town’s influential and inspirational nonconformists and, as is illustrated in the diary, frequented their services.
Frederick William Robinson
Opening page of his collection of stories, Women are Strange.
A novelist active between 1862 and 1898. He lived in London and was a close friend. Women are Strange was one of at least forty-seven works written by him.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
Mrs Talbot
Probably Emma Talbot (aged 37) of 9, Greenfield Crescent, Edgbaston. She was the wife of an architect and patent agent and was recorded as a mother of 5 in the 1881 census.