Joseph Briggs, of Milnshaw Lane, Accrington

Atarah · 20-05-2004, 07:32

Hi, are you all aware of the Accrington man, Joseph Briggs, of Milnshaw Lane, Accrington, who was responsible for the world famous collection of Tiffany Glass in Haworth Art Gallery?
Will include more details later, off to work now.

Mik Dickinson · 10-06-2004, 15:29

Was he not a personal secretary or something to Tiffany.There was something mentioned on the Antiques Road Show

Atarah · 10-06-2004, 21:21

Yes, he progressed from "brew boy" to being Tiffany's right hand man. Quite an achievement.

Weary Tourist · 11-06-2004, 07:12

Information on this post all relates to Joseph Briggs father, who was also called Joseph and was born abt 1843 in Accrington.
On 1851 Census he was a Scholar, living at St James Street, Accrington
On 1861 Census he was a Hand Engraver, living at 10, Dutton Street, New Accrington
On 1871 Census he was a Hand Engraver, to Calico Printer living at 3 Milnshaw Lane, Accrington
On 1881 Census he was Engraver In Calico Printers, living at 1 Milnshaw Lane, Accrington, Lancashire
On 1891 Census he was Foreman Engraver Calico Printer living at 1 Milnshaw Lane, Accrington, Lancashire
On 1901 Census he was Foreman Engraver Calico Works living at Sunny Bank, Church, Lancashire
Joseph Briggs married a girl called Elizabeth (maiden name unknown) probably before 1862.

They had the following children
*Richard Ashworth Briggs born 11 November 1862 (Apprentice Engraver in 1881)
*Robert Briggs born 13 February 1864 married a Clara Duff (Calico Printer's Engraver 1891) lived at 2 Milnshaw Lane and had a child Richard A Briggs
*Sarah Briggs born 28 August 1866
*Elizabeth Ellen Briggs born abt 1870
*Joseph Briggs (See photo at top of thread) Born 1873
*Alice Ann Briggs born abt 1877 married Albert Hoyle in 29 April 1896 at Church
*Martha Briggs born Abt. 1882

There are various passenger entries for Joseph's (senior) visit to his son Joseph (junior) in USA
8 October 1894 Etruria (Liverpool to New York)
6 August 1904 S.S. Campania (Liverpool 30th July 1904 to New York 6th Aug 1904)

Joseph (junior see photo above) married an american lass called Elizabeth
They had the following children
Joseph Ashworth Briggs born Abt. 1899 USA
Nola? Briggs born Abt. 1900 USA
On the 1901 Census the family lived at Sunny Bank, Church, Lancashire

OK so that's the boring family history bit out the way.
If anyone has additional data, please let me know

Weary Tourist · 11-06-2004, 07:29

So you think you know your Tiffany glass. Try out this Antiques Roadshow Quiz
*** http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/roadsh...e35/intro.html

Recommended Links if you want to know more :-
*** http://mkg-hamburg.de/ausstell/98_tiffa/tiffanye.htm
*** http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/Tiffany/listsgw.htm
*** http://www.accringtonobserver.co.uk/.../article_id=28
*** http://www.kaleden.com/articles/2577.html

Other links and exxamples of the stunning pieces they created:-
http://www.ruthannzaroff.com/Tiffany4.htm
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/pomegran...inedglass.html
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists...s_comfort.html

I am sure you can find more...

Atarah · 11-06-2004, 09:32

Hi, interesting stuff you have posted Weary Tourist. You mention the father Joseph living at Sunny Bank (which is still there, its by the approach road to the old Joseph Arnold factory, near the garage at the bottom of Dill Hall Lane). Here is a lovely family group photo taken outside that very house (c1901). It is understood that Joseph (Tiffany) was feeling homesick around this period and had come back to England on this trip with every intention of settling down, but ... they did go back to America after all. Their children were Joseph Ashworth Brigggs (who died at an early age) - Viola - Helen - Alice - Ruth and Joseph Ashworth II.
Between the late 1880's and 1918, Tiffany products were at the height of fashion. They were created by Joseph's boss Louis Comfort Tiffany and quickly became part of the "Art Nouveau" vogue. The glassware produced during this period ranks as some of the most technically brilliant work ever produced. After World War I views on art altered, and the superb work created at the Tiffany Studio was thought of as outmoded and even repulsive! Tiffany did not like the new trends, and in 1924 he handed over the running of his company to the Accrington born Joseph Briggs! In 1928 Tiffany withdrew his financial support and the production of Tiffany ended. In the early 30's Joseph Briggs had the unpleasant task of trying to dispose of the company's remaining stock, this is when Accrington benefited, for the sent three case loads of the glassware back home to Accrington - approx. 140 pieces were presented to the Corporation of Accrington. A similar amount were supposedly sent to relatives, but how true this is, no-one knows, although one piece did turn up on the Antiques Roadshow when it visited Accrington in 1995.
The collection is now recognised as one of the most important collections of Tiffany glass in the world.
One of the sons, Joseph Ashworth II, visited Accrington in 1992 and presented Haworth Art Gallery with family owned oil painting of his famous father. I was privileged to meet him.

Mik Dickinson · 11-06-2004, 09:35

You was priveliged then.Nice piece Atarah.Just goes to show how far the reaching hand of Accrington gets around the world

Weary Tourist · 11-06-2004, 10:01

I must say that I enjoy your posts Atarah

I just noticed that I omitted another passenger entry for Joseph (Senior) to USA also thought it might be useful to show the sort of information that can be obtained :-

Ellis Island entry records Joseph Briggs as Complexion Fair, Hair Grey, Eyes Grey, Height 5ft 9 inches.
Joseph arrived with daughter Martha Briggs in New York on 28 Jul 1912 on board the S.S. Caronia departure from Liverpool on 20th July 1912, destination son Joseph Briggs Woodridge, N.J.

Tealeaf · 11-06-2004, 10:40

I'm going to stick my neck out here and put names to faces from that group photograph.

Thats obviously JB senior in the middle of the Piccy.....the question is, which one is JB the engraver....it could be either of the two guys on the back left or the two on the back right (we can rule out the middle two because there's no facial resemblane whatsoever to the piccy of JB as a older guy, above)..

So it's one out of 4..which? The answer is JB the engraver is the guy stood on the far right of the piccy, holding his own son, also JB, born two years previously...that's his wife Elizabeth sat in front of him holding his daughter Nola, born 1900.

I think I can name a few more, but I got to run for a hour or so...

Atarah · 11-06-2004, 10:50

Thanks for that description. Never knew that before. I have to say, I admire your family history knowledge, I didn't even know about Ellis Island Records. Martha was Joseph's aunt and I have a copy of her diary on that particular trip to see Joseph in America.

Atarah · 11-06-2004, 10:53

Tealeaf, you are GOOD. Yep, thats our Joseph at the far right of the photo, the daughter's name is actually Viola. You will know that particular building I assume?

Atarah · 11-06-2004, 10:53

Somewhere amongst my details I do have all the names of the people on the photo. I will look it up sometime.

Tealeaf · 11-06-2004, 12:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atarah

Somewhere amongst my details I do have all the names of the people on the photo. I will look it up sometime.

Atarah, before you name names on the piccy - let me have a go, based on the information already provided above.
Family or Group photographs in Victorian/Edwardian times usually followed a formalised set of rules relating to the status or pecking order of those in the photo..let me try and work out "who's who" and see if that matches with what you've got.

Like everyone in Church, I do know the house (from the outside)...interestingly, you wonder if such a photo would be taken now, given the fact the subjects would be staring into the side of the Express Gifts Monsterous warehouse.

Tealeaf · 11-06-2004, 12:48

OK Atarah...here goes:

Back row, reading left to right:

Richard Briggs - husband of Sarah Briggs - husband of Elizabeth briggs - Martha Briggs - Albert Hoyle - Robert Briggs - Joseph briggs.

Front row, left to right:

Wife of Richard Briggs - Sarah Briggs - Elizabeth Briggs - Briggs Senior - Elizabeth Briggs (wife of Briggs senior) - Alice Briggs - wife of Robert briggs - Elizabath Briggs (wife of J J.Briggs, junior)

Lots of brats at the front.

OK Atarah - see how many I got wrong!

Weary Tourist · 11-06-2004, 13:07

You can view original records for Ellis Island here :-
http://www.ellisislandrecords.org/

Signup is free, a donation is suggested.
I have used this database a lot for the Liverpool to NY run.
The nice thing is you get to know colour of eyes etc for your 'relies'.

I found care was required as a 'full' record is often a combination of two separate pages, or images. So you have to working out whether you need to go forward or backwards to get the other image. It's a bit like joining up wallpaper strips, if that makes sense.
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Of course http://www.cyndislist.com/ships.htm has a many links to passenger lists to other ports in different countries around the world.
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Nola Briggs was my interpretation of the handwriting. It would seem that Viola Briggs would fit the bill.
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Atarah you are very fortunate to have a copy of Martha's diary for the trip. Are you related in some way to the Briggs, I wonder ???