ENOCH
EVANS
Bridge side of the offices of Hadens and where now (2006) stands the West Bromwich Building Society. Without doubt, in 1884, No 6 Bridge Street had no electric heat or light. There was no telephone system in the town and of course no intercom or phone from one office to another. Heating would have been by coal fire and light would I presume be from gas, oil or candle. No computers, word processors or even typewriters. Every letter and deed was hand written. I have Enoch‘s first two letter books with copies of his early letters. Letters would be written out and then placed in a hand press and a wet copy made for the letter book. That copy then had to dry. No carbon copy paper was available in those days. It had not been invented in 1884 and of course no photocopiers. I have arranged for one or two of the earlier letters to be reproduced in this book. I really cannot find anything of great interest in the earliest two books of letters written by Enoch to and on behalf of clients. I would merely say that he was concise and brief in what he said and it was clear as to what was meant. To-day similar letters written would, I fear, extend to a full page or so! The first will traced bears date 12 th January 1886. Please see copy in this book. It was very concise and brief and would not be accepted today as it failed to deal with any residue or anything else that Maria Arnold might have owned at the date of her death. I.e. it only dealt with Maria Arnold‘s Post Office Savings Bank account and the one Policy specifically mentioned and numbered. What happened when Maria Arnold died and when she died I have no idea. The other interesting thing I noted about the will is the second witness; Edwin Irwin Miller qualified as a solicitor and set up his own practice in the town. That practice was continuing when I qualified. It later became Slater Miller & Co. There have been no third, let alone, fourth generations in any other Walsall practice. The firm started by Enoch in 1884 still continues with a member of the fourth generation a Partner therein.
25