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Road
Abbey Road Garage, George Hodgson.
Hodgson's Garage, Lower Gornal mentioned in a 1939 press advert,
the proprietor was George Hodgson.
1936-1938 Telephone Directory: "Hodgson G, Garage, Abbey Rd Lwr Gornal".
The Abbey Road Garage, although relatively short lived, the two buildings
have remained a very recognisable feature in the centre of Gornal Wood
and it is believed that one or more of these were the premises of
George Hodgson during the 1930s.
J.T. Egginton & Son was trading in Abbey Road, Gornal Wood in 1932 [Kelly's Directory],
and before that in Church Street.
Eggington & Son was already a well established business in Sedgley. Its possible that they shared the buildings in Abbey Road.
Egginton's Chemist is still trading from the building on the right,
whilst the other building is used as a storage facility.
Abbey Tyres were occupying the building on the left side during the 1950s and 1960s
before they moved to a premises in Kent Street around 1963.
Abbey Tyres advert c1960
George Hodgson
George Hodgson.
George Hodgson was born on 28 August 1908 in Battersea, London, although
his parents, George and Patience were from Carlisle in Cumbria.
George had early ambitions to join the clergy, and studied at Durham University.
How or why George came to Gornal is not clear, however
he married local girl - Rachel Maud Mary Evans at St. James, Lower Gornal in 1933,
and established his motor garage business in Abbey Road.
During his time at Gornal, George Hodgson describes himself as a 'Motor Engineer', and in 1939 and probably
before that time, he and Rachel lived at No.1 Temple Street
with Rachel's mother, Minnie Evans - Minnie Evans was a widowed grocer and general
dealer at that address.
Abbey Road Garage appears to have closed in 1939.
During wartime, George put his engineering skills to good use building Spitfires
at the Castle Bromwich works.
Dudley Chronical, 27 April 1933
The family moved to Dudley for a time before finally settling in Dudley Wood
where Rachel's mother originally came from, here they ran a shop "The Dudley Wood Stores".
After the war, George became a lecturer at colleges and universities.
Rachel died in 1959 and George died 1972, both are buried at St. James's, Lower Gornal.
Additional family information kindly supplied by M. Murray (nee Hodgson).
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