The Paul Moran Story
Famine, a cramped sea voyage to America, a wagon train journey, with the possibility of Indian
attack. Finally arriving at Oakland, California, then a gold rush town in the 1880’s. Where, if you
were lucky to have found gold, you could be shot and it stolen off you. In fact the sounds of gun fire
was a constant reminder of the dangers that surrounded the residents of this mud covered, lawless
mining community even though the mining was nearly finished by the time they arrived.
I have to say that the experiences that I have just outlined, did not happen to Paul, but they did to his
maternal grandmother, Kathleen O’Neill and her husband Jack who, because of the problems in
Ireland at that period, sold up the small piece of land that they owned and decided to travel to
America to seek out a better life.
It was whilst living in Oakland that Paul’s mother, Annie was born in 1893. Such were the hardships
and the dangers that the family continued to experience, the family returned to this country when
Annie was 12 years of age.
Annie would eventually meet and marry William Joseph Moran at St. Peter’s Church Broad Street,
Birmingham on the 8th July 1933. The Service was performed by Canon Reginald O’Reilly. They
would eventually have 4 sons, Liam, James, Joseph and the oldest Paul.
Before meeting and marrying her husband, Annie was trained in service. For a number of years she had been head house keeper for Judge Surtees living in the Derbyshire area. It was in fact where she was to meet William.
Paul Laurence Moran was born on the 8th June 1934 at Dudley Road Hospital. At that time his mother and father were living at 1/88 Broad Street. This was a canal cottage. Housing which was supplied to employees of the Canal and Water board. Paul’s father being employed at the Icknield Port Road basin.
In 1937 the family moved to 1 Canal Cottages, Chester Street, Aston. It was from there that Paul started at St Joseph’s in 1939. He recalls that he sat next to Pat Brierley, with whom he has been good friends with since, and Dennis Hill. He remembers that Miss Grundy was the teacher.
In September of that year the family had decided to go back to Ireland for their holiday. It was whilst on the boat on their outward journey, that they learned that war had been declared with Germany. As a result, a short holiday would eventually last 4 months.
Whilst Paul’s father returned to continue his canal duties, it had been decided that due to the likelihood of bombing raids on Birmingham, the remainder of the family would stay in Ireland. When it seemed, initially that the raids were not occurring as expected, they returned to Birmingham. Paul returned only to be informed that he would be evacuated. However before that could occur, Paul was diagnosed with a weeping appendix. He was taken to the Children’s Hospital, then in Bath Row, and the offending part removed.
This aspect of Paul’s life only takes on a more interesting scenario, when you find that at around this time, (remember there was no NHS and treatment had to be paid for in some manner,) Aston Villa Football Club, had decided to donate a cot to the Children’s Hospital. Because it was thought fitting that that an Aston child should be the first one to benefit, Paul was chosen.
He would later have his photograph taken with the Villa Chairman, Mr Joseph Broughton. The plaque identifying the cot can be seen in the photograph above the bed.
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Paul’s family paid 2s (10p) every week into a fund. This would hopefully cover them in case they needed treatment of any sort. The family Doctor was William Leslie. He had a surgery at the corner of Aston Brook Street and Aston Road North. He would later be assisted at the surgery by a Doctor Kelly. It was the norm of that time that Doctors would mix up your prescription in the surgery whist you waited. Many Doctors of this time were also surgeons and would often carry out small operations in their surgeries.
On his recovery Paul was evacuated to 2 Gates Tamworth. It would seem that Vincent Mortimer, who also attended St Joseph’s, was also evacuated to the same place. A fact neither of them realised until they began reminiscing at a recent reunion.
During his time in Tamworth, Paul remembers people looking at the night sky and commenting, “ Coventry is getting it again tonight”. Looking at the sky he could see the red glow from the direction that Coventry was in.
After about 1 year Paul came back to Birmingham and resumed his schooling at St Joseph’s. He recalls being in Sr Alfeida’s class. He said she was very strict. However so were his parents, so he did not have any problem with the discipline.
One of Paul’s best friends at school was Peter Kimberley who lived in Railway Terrace. He used to vist Peter’s house frequently and remembers his father as being a really nice man who was an officer in the T.A. ( I completed an article on the Kimberley family a few years back some of you will remember). Paul left the school in 1949. At around this time his mother, Annie, became seriously ill.
From that time onwards she was visited and treated every day by 2 Sisters from the Convent at 15 Greenfield Road, Harborne. Each day they would cycle all the way to Aston and remain with her through the day giving what support they could.
It soon became apparent that she was gravelly ill and a visit to Lourdes was considered. This however raised a number of problems before it could be undertaken. Annie had been born in Oakland California. No birth certificate was in existence. The American Government were unable or unwilling to supply the information that would enable Annie to get a passport to go to Lourdes. An approach to the Irish Government received the same response. After all she had never lived in Ireland. It was then that Doctor Kelly became involved.
Causing checks to be made in Oakland, it was eventually discovered that Annie’s parents had recorded her birth in Oakland. Armed with this information and relevant documents, Doctor Kelly went to the American Embassy and the passport that would enable Annie to make her pilgrimage was issued. Annie visited Lourdes in 1950. The picture shown includes Annie and also Archbishop Masterson.
Sadly Annie passed away on 16th May 1951. At first it looked like she would not be able to be interred at St Joseph’s as the graveyard was full. However, Fr. Slade, the then Parish Priest, allowed for Annie to be buried in a plot in an area that had been set aside for Nuns from the local Convent. He had permitted this due to the fact that both Paul and his brother Liam, had given so much support to the Church as altar servers.
When Paul left school he became an apprentice, printer with Dobson & Crowther Ltd, Aston Road. After 3 years he took advantage of being able to interrupt his apprenticeship, and completed his National Service. On completing this, he returned and completed his time.
He then worked for Lucas Engraving, Livery Street, City for nearly 3 years before moving to E.C. Osbourne Ltd. 138, Stratford Road, Sparkhill were he remained for 18 years.
He then went to Boxfoldia, Selly Oak and later Redditch from where he eventually retired.
Paul married Joyce Endsor in 1978 and they lived at Trent Tower, Duddeston Mill. They would eventually move to Kings Heath for a period of 12 years before moving to Sutton Coldfield, where Paul still lives. Sadly Joyce died 7 years ago.
Sadly Paul passed away in August 2009 and was buried in the same grave as his wife at Witton Cemetary, Birmingham.
