I created this blog in late 2019 to find a place to put the photographs inherited from my Dad, Rowland Bott, relating to his army service with Royal Signals in the 1940s during World War II, in Egypt, and afterwards, in Palestine. I wanted to make them available to researchers and perhaps others looking for their family history.
But there were also old family photos and records of his school, studies and his work so I created this and other pages to include them... and so the blog grew.
Here then are photos specific to Dad which are his personal history but non-army life and go from birth up to his new job in 1937 starting work with the PO in telecommunications in 1937.
There is also a
Family Album page where I will put photos of the wider Bott family which also will include more of him too.
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| Rowland Bott's Birth Certificate 1918 |
Rowland Bott, this blog author's dad, was born on 9th April 1918 in
Longton, one of the six towns of 'The Potteries' which now form the City of Stoke-on-Trent. This area was also known as
The Potteries and became the centre of the production of pottery exported all over the world.
Most of the Bott ancestors - men, women and children - were employed in the pottery industry. However, Rowland Bott did not work in the pottery industry but chose to train briefly as a chemist (pharmacist), then as an electrician and then into telecommunications which led to a long career in that field with the
Post Office later to become BT.
His father was
Roland Bott (1891-1947). The forename sounds the same but is spelt differently i.e. not Ro
wland as on the birth certificate above - it causes endless problems this
misspelling of the two versions of the same forename of father and son. To clarify Dad is Ro
wland with a w; and his dad is Roland without a w; but beware it is sometimes written wrongly on original documents.
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| Roland Bott, Despatch Rider, World War I c1917 |
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| Roland & Elizabeth Bott & daughter, Edith Irene c1916 |
Dad's mother was Elizabeth Bott
née Insley marrying Roland on 31st October 1914.
So, Dad, Rowland Bott (1918-1993) was the middle child of three - an elder sister Edith Irene (1915-1980) and a younger brother Stanley (1920-1922). Stanley died before he was 2.
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| Rowland Bott aged 3 1st Aug 1921 |
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| Elizabeth Bott with L-R: Rowland, Stanley and Edith c1920 |
SCHOOL
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| Rowland Bott, middle row 3rd from left early 1920s |
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| Rowland Bott, middle row 3rd from left 1920s |
Rowland went to Woodhouse School which became Gladstone Academy in 2004. You can see 2 school photos above.
Dad did not have a happy childhood. He told me some sad stories over the years. One of these was about when he was doing his final examinations at Woodhouse School. The teacher told him after he had finished his exam in the morning 'You can go now'. Delighted, my father left and took the afternoon off. The teacher's instruction should have included something like you can go now until you come back for the afternoon exam. So due to a misunderstanding he missed his final exam and was severely punished by his father, Roland.
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| Rowland Bott 1920s |
This photograph is taken in the 'back yard' of the Bott terraced house at 147 Anchor Road, Longton. I think it is 1920s. By 1939 (from call up documents) the family had moved to 7 Woodside Villas, Sandford Hill, Longton not far away but a posher house. Bott seems dressed up perhaps for school? The boots and socks match the style of his fellow pupils on the photo of Woodhouse School in the previous photo.
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| Edith Irene, extreme left top row early 1920s |
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| Edith Irene, 4th from left next to back row 1920s |
Dad's sister, Edith Irene, also went to Woodhouse School. You can see her in the 2 photos above.
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| Rowland Bott & Turk 1920s |
The above photo of Bott with his dog Turk is, I believe, outside Woodhouse School. The school was very near his home and this perhaps explains the less formal pose. He is in the same sort of clothes as the school photos but in shoes not boots.
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| Certificate for Swimming 1930 |
SUNDAY SCHOOL & CHAPEL
In Dad's Soldier's Service and Pay Book his 'Religious Denomination' is filled is as 'Cong.' which stands for Congregational. The image above shows a photo in a book which he annotated as 'My Sunday School & Chapel'. (Click on the photo caption to take you to the source of the photo.)
The description is:
'The churches and chapels were powerful agents of mutual improvement. Here [i.e. in the above photo] the pastor and teachers of Caroline Street Congregational Chapel prepare to feed a large number of youngsters who present themselves with empty mugs during the 1912 strike'.
There were many, many different non-conformist places of worship in The Potteries. You can find out a lot more
here>
ELIGIBLE FOR EMPLOYMENT
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| Eligible for Employment certificate 1932 |
Above is Rowland Bott's certificate stating he is eligible for employment. It was issued in 1932 he was 14 years old.
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| Fressons Chemists, right |
Dad's first job was with
Fressons Chemists (pharmacists). The Chemist shop was in Stafford Street (now The Strand) in Longton. Pharmacy was not what he wanted to do and he soon went on to begin his career in electrical installation before he moved on to a career in telecommunications.
In 2020 we are familiar with electricity and all its benefits and we also take telecommunications in its many forms that for granted. So it is worth a reminder that he was training and working at a time when this was at the forefront of new technology. Dad never lost his love for the wonders of new technology.
APPRENTICESHIP, WORK & STUDY
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| Apprentice Award 1937/1938 |
Dad's apprenticeship and second job seems to have been with Francis W. Harris. They were engineers supplying local companies such as the many pottery factories and associated industries in Stoke-on-Trent and mills in nearby Leek with both materials and expertise. One of their specialisms was belts for machinery.
Later they moved into electrical engineering too. I love the logo on the letterhead below. The premises exist still (2020) and were converted into a cafe.
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| Francis W. Harris letterhead 1937 |
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| Harris's Premises, Piccadilly, Hanley |
I believe these his studies would have been taken place whilst working and then attending evening classes at Fenton Technical School, Stoke-on-Trent and/or North Staffs Technical College. The resulting certificates, below, show well he did in his studies.
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| 1st Year Electrical Installation 1935 |
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| 2nd Year Electrical Installation 1936 |
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| 3rd Year Electrical Installation 1937 |
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| Electrician's Interim Certificate 1938 |
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| Francis W. Harris & Co Reference 1937 |
By late 1937 Dad was looking to spread his wings. The letter of reference, above, from Francis W. Harris & Co. Ltd. confirms that Dad worked for them between the 'ages of 15 and 19 years'. It also shows the work he was trained in and explains why he could mend everything at home!
What was the next move for this lad from Longton? He was about to embark on the career that would take him to great success and occupy him until his retirement in 1979/1980 - working for the
GPO in telecommunications. And also determine what he did as a soldier in World War II serving in Egypt and afterwards in Palestine. See
Egypt c1940-1945 and
Palestine 1945-1946
Now go to
PO/GPO/BT for the next stage in his career.
