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Oscott Colleges (old Oscott And New Oscott)

Thanks Lady P. Very interested in the history of the Oscott Colleges as I used to live off Old Oscott Hill. I know New Oscott is a fair distance away from the original college, but I'm very interested in the links they still retain.

Viv.
 
Thanks Pedro. Blimey, has the author "MM" never heard of a full stop?!! What very long and convoluted sentences.

Interesting for its suggestion that stained glass was making a come-back in 1838. (Wait 'til Burne-Jones arrives on the scene). Personally I love stained glass for the different light effects, but I expect the author was more concerned with the religious symbols in the glass pieces. Viv.
 
Hi all. For those interested in reading further background to the colleges I have transferred a long discussion we had on the Kingstanding thread to this thread. The posts are now included at the start of this thread. Seems more appropriate to have it all together. Some interesting detective work went on in trying to locate a cemetery linked to the old college. Viv.
 
Viv, I'll go back and read everything you've transferred. I have trouble reading the cuttings and have to transfer them to a Word doc so if they can be made much bigger can you let me know please? I've got a feeling that the windows at New Oscott were by Hardman and Co. I don't know much about Old Oscott so I'm looking forward to reading the posts.
New Oscott: I happened on another thread today with a post by Morturn. He confirmed what I was told which was that the 'spinney' at the terminus of the 5A (on Court Lane / Witton Lodge Road) was owned by the college. This fits in with the theory that the college owned a great deal more land than they do now. Besides the sports field I mentioned I remembered that part of the 1920's council estate had a road called 'Abbeyfields'.
 
Yes agree Dave. Think Old Oscott College was south of the cottage. Again, the cottage(s) most probably belonged to the college. As they were pushed for space before the New Oscott College was built, I expect they acquired several properties in the locality (or might even have owned the property before this). There was little else around this area. Viv.
 
With respect to the 'New College' - my brother tells me that he believes our dad was stationed at a 'barrage balloon' that was located in the grounds of the 'New College' during WW2 - since we lived at 123 Hurlingham Rd at the time this seems possible.
I've searched & searched but with no answers. Does anyone here have any knowledge as such. ???
I can't think what was being protected locally but then again he was also at Selly Oak for some time.
Given that the College is at the highest point in the area it would have made an ideal location.
 
Be interesting to find out about the barrage balloon.

This application for labourers cottages to built on the "Old Oscott Estate" in 1900 info suggests they would be on the Aldridge Road near Perry Bridge. If so, it marks out a very wide area of College land.

I also know Old Oscott College had a farm, don't know if it was Oldford Farm, but looks quite possible if labourers cottages were built on their land near to Oldford Farm. Viv.
image.jpeg
 
IMG_1870.jpg
Vivienne14 said:
Be interesting to find out about the barrage balloon.

This application for labourers cottages to built on the "Old Oscott Estate" in 1900 info suggests they would be on the Aldridge Road near Perry Bridge. If so, it marks out a very wide area of College land.

I also know Old Oscott College had a farm, don't know if it was Oldford Farm, but looks quite possible if labourers cottages were built on their land near to Oldford Farm. Viv.
View attachment 115167
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From 1917....and shows land being taken from Oldford Farm for Ammunition works.
 
Lyn was wondering if you still have the photos you took of Maryvale? They added so much to this thread. Viv.
 
Some missing Photobucket images from this thread. I will do them all if required using the special extension
Post#7
oscott college.jpg
oscottcollege1868.jpg
 
That's great Phil. Lyn put in a lot of hard work to get those photos. Happy to post them back to their original places if Lyn would like me to. Viv.
 
Ok Viv, I'll get them all tomorrow and put them in a 'Lost' thread to save complicating this thread.
 
All Astonesses missing Photobucket images are now back in their places. Thanks Phil for recovering them. And thanks Lyn. Been interesting revisiting this thread. It was another of our interesting journeys. I've posted a reference to this thread from the Maryvale Convent thread too. https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...s-college-old-oscott.12621/page-2#post-597540

Just one point, Lyn's original post for this thread seems to be missing. This might be due to the thread being created out of another thread. I've looked on the Maryvale convent thread but can't find it. So if anyone knows if it's whereabouts, please let ys know. Many thanks all. Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
Be interesting to find out about the barrage balloon.

This application for labourers cottages to built on the "Old Oscott Estate" in 1900 info suggests they would be on the Aldridge Road near Perry Bridge. If so, it marks out a very wide area of College land.

I also know Old Oscott College had a farm, don't know if it was Oldford Farm, but looks quite possible if labourers cottages were built on their land near to Oldford Farm. Viv.
View attachment 115167
Click to expand...
The cottages were completed and still exist today in Holyfield drive which used to be the entrance to kynocks/ICI/ImI

my father was born in 1927 in one of them

the request to the college was because Farmer Baines my great great uncle was losing cowmen because he had nowhere to house them

the college agreed to the two cottages as you see in the plans and the instruction was they were “to be as plain as you like because they will be facing nowhere!!”

at the bottom of the gardens was also built at the same time a tennis court to Wimbledon standards because one of the daughters of Baines was good enough to play doubles at wimbledon

Oldford Farm was originally purchased around 1770’ish exact year escapes me as all my records are boxed up ready for a move - the farm was to house the anew Oscott College- however the farm called Buggins farm became available and so the New Oscott College was built where it stands today and the rest of Buggins farm became known as College farm

Around 1780 the last windmill I birmingham (not birmingham until around 1920’s ish) was demolish and I have the two stones one used one brand new that used to grind the corn in those windmills …

1780 one of my distant family took over the farm - the farm apart from one short period if memory serves me correct remained in the family until 1969

via a combination of Wells/Baines/Parkes

we finally left in 1969

I have the original college account books from 1780 -1812 when I believe the benson family took over for a while

after a few years A.L. Wells along with cousin A.L Baines took on the tennancy then they left it on the death of Baines in 1939 to Baines son Bernard Baines

sorry if I waffled on a bit smiles

by the way I have for a number of years been writing a book about the history of the farms and farmers of Perry Barr
 
Welcome to the forum Queslett, and thank you for that interesting information. Please feel free to provide any other information that you feel able to, as I am sure many of our members will be interested
 
I have recently come across members of a Ford family who have an address on Chester Rd (Oscott brewery). Would that possibly be related to the College? 1891 census.
 
Vivienne14 said:
If I've got this right, going a bit further back in time, these seem to be the key points in the timeline - quite long history:
- a mission was set up on the slopes of Oscott Hill in the17th century by Father Andrew Bromwich who bequeathed his home, Oscott House, to pay for a priest in the area,
- the house was re-built in 1752 as St Mary's Institute,
- 1794 it became a college for boys and ecclessiastics,
- by 1837 the college and school had outgrown the Old Oscott site so a college - I assume for the ecclessiatics - was built at New Oscott (so named to distinguish it from Old Oscott. It was near to the Chester Rd/College junction, built on the site of Holdford Farm),
- in the 1860s the Old Oscott school had outbreaks of sickness.

So I wonder if that's a factor in the cemetery being marked on the map. I see there's a hospital marked on there too, so I expect that might also be a reason.

I too remember fields around the church at the top of Old Oscott. Viv.
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You quote Oscott College being built on Oldford Farm - it was originally purchased for that but because Buggins farm became available the College was built there
 
Dave M said:
Viv no closed to the public, Viv in your pic the graves are also 11 o`clock,, marked with all the paths Dave, will look if I have a general pic of the Grave area.
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On a Sunday you can go to a service on an evening but only when the students are in residence - it’s an amazing place the architecture the artwork- the stain glass windows - if you contact to find the times the students are there - usual College/university periods well worth going
 
Pedrocut said:
Bit confused here. Do you mean Holford Farm and Holford Drive ?
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No it as Oldford Farm - and holdford drive

it is very confusing because further across adjacent to Oldford was another farm called Holdford or Holford which is where kynocks/IMI was based

The cottages are based in Holford (holdford) Drive

Hope you are safe and well that clears up any confusion
 
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