Corporation Cottages, Holbrooks

Hello everyone, I can find Corporation Street on the maps but not Corporation Cottages, were they near? Also where would the nearest church have been located. Many thanks.

Can I ask the source/object of your query, as I haven't heard of the north part of our city ever referred to as "North Coventry" - nor of Corporation Cottages Thanks

Hi Midland Red, I've attached the birth certificate with the details on it, my parents grew up in Coventry and they didn't know where the cottages were. Many thanks.

I found a reference to it being in Holbrook Lane but am unable to confirm that from old maps. LINK

Looks likely, D - if you Google "Corporation Cottages, Holbrook Lane", you'll some other family history-related references to that address

Hi all Talking to locals, it is possible that the term referred to munition workers' temp-houses that were built around Burnaby & Yelverton Rd, as well as Everdon Rd. I think that the subject has come up before on here.

No joy in Bedworth this morning, new one to everyone who I spoke to about this. Munition workers houses sound a good bet. Does anyone have a contact for the man who gives the White and Poppe talk, he might know as he is very knowledgeable about Holbrooks.

Wow thanks everyone for the response What were munition workers houses, were they like prefabs? The child's father was a bricklayer so I don't know if he would have lived in a munition workers house. All the input is much appreciated

Hi all It was my delight to meet a gentleman today, a high official, who is still part of the remnants of the one time Dunlop group, who puts my knowledge of Holbrooks industrial history to shame. It is my hope that after telling him about our site here, that he takes a look at our site & joins us as a member.

This cutting is informing the public of the relevant areas named for sugar-cards, 1917 They mention Colony and Munitions but no sign of 'Corporation' It's definitely on the birth certificate though, so it should have existed. On the certificate, I noticed an abbreviation below the address, but couldn't quite make it out, two initials, could be a clue? Edited by TonyS, 29th Sep 2012 9:44 pm (Image size cropped)

Hi Foxcote, The initials are R.D which I believe means rural district, pls correct if wrong.

I spoke to a old chap in Bedworth this morning who had lived around the Burnaby Road area pre-war. He thought (for what his memory is worth, his words) that they were in the Boston Place/Durbar Ave part of Holbrooks.

Well that's a lead, I'll put a search in the newspaper cuttings for the period for that area and see. This topic has opened my eyes about the First World War. I realised from the newspapers that people were required to 'man' the munitions factories and temporary housing was necessitated and obviously, they put a lot up in the suburbs near the munitions works. Before reading these articles, I only thought of the men fighting in France but wasn't aware of the upheaval and work going on here. They put up 'hutments' in military terms 'temporary buildings' for the munitions workers. I don't know how primitive they were but there are articles in the papers concerning them. We would describe them as pre-fabs now but I don't think they were as good as the WW2 ones. I have experienced relatives that lived in a WW2 pre-fab in the East End and thought them quite comfortable as a child, anyhow, I'll check the papers. The last census 1911 is too early for these temporary dwellings to show up.

Registration District

Thanks for that Midland Red, need some more specs, thought is was P.O.