Hodkin and Jones

[Cynthia]

Hi Cynthia, My father used to deliver the wages with Eric Stefanuti on Hodkin & Jones outside contracts, Eric lived on Edmond Road, Sheffield. I think Eric had one son and two daughters, the son also had a son who was a Dr in in Sheffield and died About 2005 ? in Sheffield.

Do you know where Tony Antonini came from ? I am researching my family tree and it may help.My grandfarther came from Santa Maria Oliveto, Italy in 1900.

 

I think that the Stefanuti that I mentioned was Eric's father, his name had been shortened to Joe. Tony's sister was married to Joe Stefanuti and they came from Maniago, Udine, Northern Italy.

[hillsbro]

I have an old friend, Ruth Lamb, now in her mid-70s, whose maiden name was Hodkin; her family part-owned the business. She does have quite an extensive archive; if anyone has specific queries I can see if she can help (PM me etc.)

[Len.F]

Does Mrs Lamb know when the Italian workers started working for Hodkin & Jones? Is there a record of names, dates etc; also, does she know the whereabouts of the sample mosaic plaques designed and made by the Italian workers to demonstrate the range of expertise available. eg. religous figures etc; I last saw these in the workshop in the 1960's and I am interested in if they were donated to any particular place. My interest in these is because my grandfather made some of these plaques.

[hillsbro]

I hope to see Mrs Lamb over Christmas and so I'll ask her.

[Fretman]

Rockies! Made thousands, by hand, semi -dry, beaten into a cast iron collapsable mould with a hard wood mallet. Good for garden walls, not houses. Also check out Ketton Avenue Sheffield . Ketton cement did something similar

[Texas]

Little spikey, PopT is correct about the name 'rockies' used by stonmasons or any bricklayer using that material. It follows on that something that looks like stone when it's laid gets the same nomenclature,that is, say, a block of concrete with a dressed face to look like stone, gets known as a 'rocky'.

However, I worked on a job, somewhere up Greenhill (actually it was the Greenhill Estate) and there was a gang erecting partition walls with slabs of 'Bellrock'. These were pre-cast sections of plaster, about a metre wide and 4'' thick (sort that out), the joints were covered, in traditional method, with scrim cloth. They were earning a fortune.

[Len.F]

Does Mrs Lamb know when the Italian workers started working for Hodkin & Jones? Is there a record of names, dates etc; also, does she know the whereabouts of the sample mosaic plaques designed and made by the Italian workers to demonstrate the range of expertise available. eg. religous figures etc; I last saw these in the workshop in the 1960's and I am interested in if they were donated to any particular place. My interest in these is because my grandfather made some of these plaques.

 

Hi . I have tracked down two of the plaques my grandfather made.

They were donated to Granville Road R.C School. Approx 20 plaques still to find. Any help ?

[jennycakes]

There used to be a Hodkin & Jones at Darnall near the fire station. They used to make allsorts of concrete products there too.

[Falls]

I lived in the Hodkin & Jones houses on Queens Road. My father and uncle did the floors you mention. My grandfather and most of the male relatives worked for the firm in various departments. I knew most of the Italians who worked for this firm.

Hope this helps.

 

I remember a Mr. & Mrs. France lived, I think, in the H & J houses many, many years ago. Like the 1940's and before.

 

Would that be before your time?

 

Regards

[sliver]

I worked with a couple of terrazo layers Stan and Ernest for Spina and Pascotts in the 70s, they lived side by side in these houses, having previously worked for H&J, also Joe Pollogrena a polisher who got me my first job as a tiler. All great blokes and proper tradesmen the likes of which you will never see again.