Thomas Kendrick Part 2

Around 1880, Thomas was approached by Harry, the son of Joseph Lucas, regarding the patenting of his bicycle lamp "The King of the Road."



This proved no problem, but, as related in Harold Nockold's book, "Lucas, the First Hundred Years", trouble was to follow. Here are some extracts.........

Thomas was apparently none too honest in his business dealings! However, there must have been a reconciliation of sorts, as the families became connected by marriage.

Bernard Steeley, an employee of Lucas, had two sisters. In 1884, Ada married Frank Spencer Kendrick, Thomas' son, and in 1886 her sister Kate married Harry Lucas. I like to think that the marriages healed the rift between the families.

Thomas was a flamboyant character and something of an artist. He liked to "dress the part" with flowing cloak and cane. In 1900, he had two paintings exhibited in the Birmingham Society of Artists spring exhibition; "On the Alne near Newham" and "A Warwickshire Lane, Gipsies Encamping." It isn't known what happened to the pictures.

His grandson, Sidney Wood, related that Thomas gave he and his wife one of his paintings as a wedding present. A few months later he asked to borrow the painting "to show to a friend". They never saw it again and assumed it had been sold.

I haven't yet established when Thomas died, but Marjorie, Sidney's daughter who was born in 1917, said he visited and saw her as an infant.

Thomas Kendrick Part 1

Thomas married in 1855 at St. Philip's Church, now the Anglican cathedral. His bride was Elizabeth Ann Lorton.
In 1861 the couple were living in Summer St. Edgbaston and had three children; Alice Ann (Annie) aged 5, Amy Agnes 3, and Frank Spencer 1. Thomas gave his occupation as Designer and Modeller.

By 1871 the family had grown with the addition of Minnie, born 1861, Claretta Louisa 1863, Henry Albert(Harry) 1865, and Ada Teresa 1868. By 1881, Alfred Leonard 1874 , had been added. His twin, Charles Vincent, didn't survive infancy and another daughter also died young.

In 1881, Thomas was still giving his occupation as Designer and Modeller but by 1891 he had become a Patent Agent. Apparently, he had an office near the Smithfield market in Birmingham, and was perpetually at war with the man on the floor above, who would push burning cabbage stalks through cracks in the ceiling. This gave rise to his catch-phrase "did I ever tell you how Lowbridge served me out?"

Thomas was also something of an inventor himself, although I have found no evidence that he invented Ladies' suspenders and the belt pull-up on train windows as family lore has it. Most of the inventions patented by him seem to consist of metallic bedsteads, knobs for door handles and the like.

(To be continued)