Over time William Hutton had several premises in High Street, Birmingham (as well as homes he built at Bennett’s Hill House and Red House in Washwood Heath). The buildings in High Street were demolished a long time ago, but these notes I’ve drawn together may give readers a snapshot of Hutton’s surroundings in the 1770s.
High Street house dated 1567 - 1776
In the 1770s Hutton was living in an old house (actually two old houses of wood and plaster) number 90, near the junction of New St and High St. The entrance to New St from High St was, at the time, through a gateway under Hutton’s dining room. This building was demolished in 1776 because it interfered with traffic. By then it had been there for 208 years - built in 1567. (Source: Wm Hutton’s History of Birmingham)
Hutton thought the house foundations had originally been built with stones from the old Priory. It had used about 30 wagons of stone. Some of the Priory stones were highly finished pieces from porticos, windows, arches, some fluted, some ciphered, some ornamented.(Source: Wm Hutton’s History of Birmingham).
High Street house(s) 1775
His next venture was also located near the junction with New Street, building 3 houses numbered 24, 25 and 26 High Street. (Source: Catherine Hutton’s letter to Mrs Coltman 27/5/1775) One was used as his town residence and a paper warehouse for the Hutton business.
Some of the old Priory stones from the earlier house were re-used by Hutton in a fireplace in an under kitchen, the stones framing the sides of the fireplace in the front cellar.
Reconstruction in 1895 by John Sumner, Draper
The premises underwent reconstruction in 1895 for occupation by Mr John Sumner & Sons (having previously been at Bull Street, the move to High Street made necessary by the railway tunnel works). This reconstruction revealed several features from Hutton’s time including:
- one Priory stone was used as a decorative rather than functional piece by Mr Sumner; a red Hamstead sandstone stone which was inserted as a bracket in his office. It’s believed this was a rare piece of the old Priory
- a huge, whitewashed, oak beam, 16” square and 10’ 6” long. It was inscribed “1567” and “1775” - the dates of the older Hutton house and his second house. Mr Sumner re-used this beam over a doorway and also inscribed it with “1895 J S & S”.
- on the front of an alcove in Hutton’s bedroom was a tablet bearing his coat of arms. This was removed with difficulty by Mr Sumner. It was restored, particularly the bucks heads which had been chiselled off !
- a highly varnished door with painted shells and musical instruments.
- the reconstructed house was to be called “Hutton House”. The freehold remained with the Hutton family.
A publication “Birmingham faces and places, June 1889” describes some other features dating back to Hutton:
- a Georgian mantelpiece and fire grate of wood and gesso work in the style of Chippendale, with lateral supports of flouted columns with Corinthian capitals. These displayed the Hutton family arms on a shield with three buck’s heads. Each side of this were lyres with festoons of flowers. Panels over the columns had the crests of the Hutton’s; a coronet pierced with three arrows. The whole was supposed to have been removed to the Art Gallery. It’s thought the fireplace may have originally been installed following the damage from the 1791 Riots.
- an old black staircase with an inlaid Chippendale balustrade.
- a backroom fireplace with delicately modelled figures.
- a richly moulded ceiling and cornice above the main staircase pierced by a large oval skylight of 20 panes radiating from the centre. Mouldings were in the Adam or Chippendale style, featuring vases, festoons, egg patterns and lions heads. This had all been overloaded with whitewash.
As a reminder, today there is a Blue Plaque on the Waterstone’s building indicating Hutton lived in buildings on the site from 1772 until 1791.
Be good to see any drawings of the buildings mentioned if they exist. And does anyone know if the Georgian mantelpiece and fire grate made it into the Art Gallery Collection ?
Viv.
High Street house dated 1567 - 1776
In the 1770s Hutton was living in an old house (actually two old houses of wood and plaster) number 90, near the junction of New St and High St. The entrance to New St from High St was, at the time, through a gateway under Hutton’s dining room. This building was demolished in 1776 because it interfered with traffic. By then it had been there for 208 years - built in 1567. (Source: Wm Hutton’s History of Birmingham)
Hutton thought the house foundations had originally been built with stones from the old Priory. It had used about 30 wagons of stone. Some of the Priory stones were highly finished pieces from porticos, windows, arches, some fluted, some ciphered, some ornamented.(Source: Wm Hutton’s History of Birmingham).
High Street house(s) 1775
His next venture was also located near the junction with New Street, building 3 houses numbered 24, 25 and 26 High Street. (Source: Catherine Hutton’s letter to Mrs Coltman 27/5/1775) One was used as his town residence and a paper warehouse for the Hutton business.
Some of the old Priory stones from the earlier house were re-used by Hutton in a fireplace in an under kitchen, the stones framing the sides of the fireplace in the front cellar.
Reconstruction in 1895 by John Sumner, Draper
The premises underwent reconstruction in 1895 for occupation by Mr John Sumner & Sons (having previously been at Bull Street, the move to High Street made necessary by the railway tunnel works). This reconstruction revealed several features from Hutton’s time including:
- one Priory stone was used as a decorative rather than functional piece by Mr Sumner; a red Hamstead sandstone stone which was inserted as a bracket in his office. It’s believed this was a rare piece of the old Priory
- a huge, whitewashed, oak beam, 16” square and 10’ 6” long. It was inscribed “1567” and “1775” - the dates of the older Hutton house and his second house. Mr Sumner re-used this beam over a doorway and also inscribed it with “1895 J S & S”.
- on the front of an alcove in Hutton’s bedroom was a tablet bearing his coat of arms. This was removed with difficulty by Mr Sumner. It was restored, particularly the bucks heads which had been chiselled off !
- a highly varnished door with painted shells and musical instruments.
- the reconstructed house was to be called “Hutton House”. The freehold remained with the Hutton family.
A publication “Birmingham faces and places, June 1889” describes some other features dating back to Hutton:
- a Georgian mantelpiece and fire grate of wood and gesso work in the style of Chippendale, with lateral supports of flouted columns with Corinthian capitals. These displayed the Hutton family arms on a shield with three buck’s heads. Each side of this were lyres with festoons of flowers. Panels over the columns had the crests of the Hutton’s; a coronet pierced with three arrows. The whole was supposed to have been removed to the Art Gallery. It’s thought the fireplace may have originally been installed following the damage from the 1791 Riots.
- an old black staircase with an inlaid Chippendale balustrade.
- a backroom fireplace with delicately modelled figures.
- a richly moulded ceiling and cornice above the main staircase pierced by a large oval skylight of 20 panes radiating from the centre. Mouldings were in the Adam or Chippendale style, featuring vases, festoons, egg patterns and lions heads. This had all been overloaded with whitewash.
As a reminder, today there is a Blue Plaque on the Waterstone’s building indicating Hutton lived in buildings on the site from 1772 until 1791.
Be good to see any drawings of the buildings mentioned if they exist. And does anyone know if the Georgian mantelpiece and fire grate made it into the Art Gallery Collection ?
Viv.
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