Paul & Luckman families

My family on my mother's side originated in Coventry, moving to Birmingham between 1891 and 1901. I'd especially like to find out more about my great grandmother Mary Frances Luckman (1858-1940). She married my great grandfather William Henry Paul in 1879, and was apparently disowned by her family as the Luckmans were Jewish and the Pauls weren't. I've been told that one of the Luckmans had a kosher butcher's shop in Coventry. Does anyone know how I might be able to find out more? Many thanks Cheryl

Hi Cheryl, have you tried www.ancestry.co.uk, it is a brilliant site where I found out all about my great great great grandparents, like when they were married, how many children they had, I've not finished yet and I'm still going, it's worth a go

Hi, Yes I'm on Ancestry, but although I've found lots of information, I haven't been able to find anything about the Jewish community in Coventry in the mid/late 19th century.

The Jewish community was based in the watchmakers' quarter of Spon End either side of Barras Lane. There was a 'Luckman" listed in 1905 as a 'smallwares' dealer at 80 Spon Street, not far from the junction with Barras Lane and a butchers next door to it at 78-79 in the name of 'Samuel Bausor' which sounds as if it may have been kosher? There was also a "Mrs F.L. Luckman" listed as a ladies outfitter at 10 Gosford Street in 1939.

Many thanks for that information. My great grandfather William Henry Paul was a watchmaker, so I expect that's where the connection was made.

Almost every address in the area had a watchmaking connection of some kind. There is listed in the 1881 census at Number 2 Spon End "Ellen Elizabeth Paul", grandaughter of watchmaker Amos Mills and his wife Emma. This is possibly the actual building but I couldn't say who the woman is:

Amazing! I've got Ellen Elizabeth Paul in my tree (although she's not a direct ascendant, being a 2nd cousin twice removed) I had traced her mother as Hannah Elizabeth Mills, so certainly the same person.

When I lived in Charterhouse Rd in the early 50s there was a secondhand book shop at the end, his name was Luckman

The was a secondhand bookshop called Luckman's at bottom end of Gosford Street (before you get to Lower Ford St/Vecqueray St crossing. In the mid 1950s my mum used to visit there often, and we used to find the American super-hero comics we liked too. For many years he always had a wooden carver chair sat out front.

I well remember Luckman's in Gosford St, as I recall the building was on the left and at right angles to the general flow, so there was almost a square paved area, or part of one, in front of it and I seem to remember also a hand operated water pump in the vicinity. I must have passed it dozens of times on my way home to Stoke. My grandmother, Lizzie Atkins, was born (1882) nearby in a court of which there were many in Gosford St, I think further up the hill towards town next to the post office.

I went to Wyken Croft school, 1950/1960 with Sandra Luckman. Quite often went to her house after school, it was on the Ansty Road, the Hipswell Highway corner, first house after the Co-op and opposite the garage. I lived in Sewall Highway.