Mansfield Telephone Exchange

This interesting article was featured in The Nottingham Journal 8th September 1928. Not only does it tell us about Mr and Mrs Ball celebrating their Diamond Wedding (quite an achievement back in 1928), but it also reveals some fascinating information on the Mansfield Telephone Company!

In 1880 there were nine subscribers, in 1893 there were 300 and by 1928  1,000 people/firms were telephone subscribers. Mr Ball and his daughter could never have envisaged how in another 90 years nearly everyone would have a house phone on a land line, and additionally people of all ages would be carrying  a mobile phone around with them.

I found this article while browsing the British Newspaper Archive on line when I was looking for anything on Sherwood Hall. As you can see while I did find a relevant snippet, that Mrs Ball was the daughter of the late Mr Cross who was chauffer to Mr Henry Wilson of Sherwood Hall, I learnt far more than expected.

For anyone interested in Local History Research the British Newspaper Archive is a good source.

Comments about this page

  • Amazing what you come across Pauline, Reminded me when we moved onto Brick Kiln Lane from Bradder Street in 1958.  We had been married  just 3 years. Bought the house from Mr. Boot. Also took over the phone in the house.  As there was a Dr. A.Curtis in Mansfield at the time, we received quite a few calls from people requiring his services.  When we moved to a small village in Cheshire, we had to share a phone line with someone further along the road.  Just one more memory jerker, we too will be celebrating our own Diamond Wedding this year soon.

    By Alan Curtis (06/03/2018)
  • Great to read the article about the local telephone exchange about Arthur Ball and as a retired telecoms man and history / collector of telephones/switchboards etc. it is yet another story to the many i’ve got

    By Peter Foster (03/03/2018)

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