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Welsh Chapel Wheeler St

thanks mike thats great as it confirms that chapel yard was down the side passage....hopefully mikejee can post us a map...

lyn
 
Cannot find named a back chapel yard, but there were two houses in a yard behind the chapel, accessed via the alleyway shown. Below are two maps from c 1889 and c1950. The 1950 map (in very small print) puts them as 1/140 and 2/140 wheeler st, and this is how they are listed on the 1920 electoral rolls. A house that was one of the terrace in 1889 seems to have been absorbed into the chapel No 136 is the house to the south of the chapel , and has a yard described as court 20 , which is accessed via the archway to the right of the photo.



map_c_1889_showing__back_136_Wheeler_st_.jpg


map_c_1950_showing_136_wheeler_st_.jpg
 
I typed my reply ....but for some reason it didn't appear. It was as follows --

Thank you everyone for your reply. A special thank you to Mike for supplying the two maps. This has been a tremendous help to understand where Welsh Chapel Yard was located.
Looking at the Birmingham Rate Book (available on Ancestry), No. 136 Wheeler was owned by Charles Carrwithen. Back 1 & 2 by a Richard Edwards for Welsh Chapel.
 
Also, the No. 136's description was rated for Retail Shop and House (26 March 1901). Now where would this Shop be located .....at the back?? I'm not from the area, but that seems odd to me.
 
I have marked no 135 , the shop, in red on the c1950 map ( and tried to sharpen it up a bit) and reposted it below. In the 1900 and 1903 directories no 136 was Walter Wakefield, tobacconist

map_c_1950_showing_chapel_and_yard_wheeler_st_and_no_136.jpg
 
Yes, I did see Walter Wakefield as the occupier, but did not know the nature of his business. Now the location makes perfect sense (having access to Wheeler Street).

Would the following properties numbered 1 to 5 (behind No. 136), shown as Court No. 20, not be under 134 Wheeler Street.

I am a little confused. I understand my gt. grandparents lived at 136 Wheeler St., 2 bk Welsh Chapel Yard, but if they were behind the Church, why would the address be 136???? Would the terraces not reflect the address of the Welsh Church (either 138 or 140 Wheeler St). It certainly appears the case in the 1950's map, ie. the two remaining terraces are 1/140 & 2/140..
 
The buildings numbered 1-5 would be under court 20, and in the 1920 electoral roll they are so-described. On other occasions (to make things complicated) it might be described as back 136, as what they called it seems to vary on occasion.
As to your confusion. I agree it is somewhat of a mystery. That is why in post 50 I pointed out the difference between the two. Is there no possibility that they lived in both places at different times?
 
Mike, thank you for the explanation. Your maps show exactly where they lived (particularly the earlier edition), as they moved from Welsh Chapel Yard c. 1904.
 
I have remembered my friend from school, his name was Twamley, possibly Steven. I remember the inside of the house very well and have one memory of being outside with him. I seem to remember more than two houses and looking up the electral roll for the fourties, Edna Twamley lived at 3 back or 136. There are 5 houses on Mike's 1950 map which fits my memory better. So perhaps I did get to the house south of the chapel rather than the entry at the left of the chapel. It was a long time ago and memories do seem to make up there own stories. I do remember seeing his mom coming out of the entry, which ever one, but by memory focuses on her pushing a pram which she always seemed to be doing. In my memory of being outside the house with my friend he was showing me some very expensive toy that his father, who I had never seen, who didn't seem to live in the house and was not on the electoral roll, had bought him for Christmas. The inside of the house and he and his mom reflected significant poverty, however.
 
It does sound like your school chum lived in Court No. 20, where Mike's maps shows buildings 1 to 5. There size is comparable to the other terraces. So many sad stories amongst the once standing walls. My great grandmother died at Bk 2 Welsh Chapel (as well a couple of children). After her death, my distraught great grandfather was in Winson Green Ayslum, where he eventually years later. His children were separated and my grandfather was sent to Canada via Dr. Barnardo's British Home Children organization.
 
mikejee has just sent me this map pinpointing where the welsh congregational chapel was in wheeler st..now all we need to do is find a pic of it...according to the kellys directory it was still there in 1967

pectwal yes im sure that my arthur davies could well have known your family...

lyn

Welsh_congregational_chapelwheelerst1913mapstilltherein67.jpg
I believe that my ancestors worshipped there .. Thomas Jones and family lived at 106 Farm Street and my grandad always said they worshipped at "the welsh chapel"
 
hi rob...living in farm st i would think that it was that welsh chapel they worshipped at....nice that we have photos of it as well

lyn
 
hi rob...living in farm st i would think that it was that welsh chapel they worshipped at....nice that we have photos of it as well

lyn
I have only seen the map .. is there a photo :) I have one of the people's chapel but thats further down on Great King Street and my grandad was always very specific that it was the welsh chapel that his grandad went to
 
have you read this thread from post 1 rob ?? i posted photos of the chapel on posts 21 and 29

lyn
 
have you read this thread from post 1 rob ?? i posted photos of the chapel on posts 21 and 29

lyn
brilliant thank you .. I hadn't. my uncle Trev has recently died and I had taken over the family history research from him about 10 years ago, he would have been so pleased to see these :(
 
happy to help rob..just a little tip to always read the threads from post 1 as you never know what you maybe missing...enjoy the forum

lyn
 
Hi all, just found your postings. My wife Kay and myself were the last couple to marry at Wheeler Street Congregational Chapel on 30th July 1966 - the day England won the world cup. Our eldest son was the first to be christened at the new chapel in Loveday Street in 1970. Wheeler street was demolished in the late 1960's. We both grew up attending the chapel from the early 1950's
 
hi alan and welcome...thanks for your memories of the chapel on wheeler st..hope the photos posted gave you some happy memories..on the day you married i was living in villa st just a few mins away watching england win the world cup..what a day that was

lyn
 
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