Dennis Williams
Gone but not forgotten
Re: Some great men of Birmingham..
So, we have James Gillott who revolutionised printing and writing, Rowland Hill who invented postage stamps....so how do we tear them apart...enter George Muntz, who gave us perforations...
George Frederick Muntz (26 November 1794 – 30 July 1857) was an industrialist from Birmingham, England and a Liberal Party Member of Parliament (MP) for the Birmingham constituency from 1840 until his death.
His family came to England during the French revolution.
Muntz was a supporter of political reform and a member of the Birmingham Political Union. In his actions that led to the Reform Act of 1832, he was indicted for sedition as he tried to undermine the Duke of Wellington with a run on gold. He also was involved in a riot at Saint Martins in Birmingham in protest against the Church Rates which were levied at around 6d to 9d in the pound. He was sent to trial in 1838, but was acquitted on all but one of 13 charges. Whilst claiming to be a republican, his true character appeared to be that of an egotistical aristocrat. Edwards wrote in 1877 of a conversation about a speech he made:
"They won't be able to print Muntz's speech verbatim." "Why not?" said I. "Why my dear fellow, no printing office in the world would have capital I's enough".
His home was at Umberslade Hall, in Tanworth in Arden. His descendants still live in the area and operate Umberslade Hall Children's Farm
As an industrialist, he developed Muntz Metal.
He had seven sons and two daughters. The family business was continued by the eldest son, George Frederick junior together with Philip Albert Muntz, also a Member of Parliament who was created a Baronet in 1902 (see Muntz Baronets). George's brother, Philip Henry Muntz, was also an MP.
The Muntz family are remembered by Muntz Street, a tower block called Muntz House and Muntz Park, all in Birmingham.
Muntz Park is in Selly Oak, Birmingham and is situated between Umberslade and Gristhorpe Roads, overlooked by houses on three sides. On the fourth side is Raddlebarn Primary School.
Mr Frederick Ernest Muntz gave 3 acres of land to the district council on 20th May 1905 to be used as a park.
Mr F E Muntz was born on 14th June 1845. He grew up and later inherited Umberslade Hall in Tanworth in Arden. This is where Umberslade Road got its name from. The Muntz family still live in the area, at Umberslade children's farm.
The Muntz family was a prominent Birmingham and Warwickshire family. Originally from Lithuania, they moved to Germany and also held land in France. Philippe Frederic Muntz settled in Birmingham after the French Revolution, where he invested in a small commercial business which became Muntz Purden.
The member of the Muntz Family after whom the park is named if Frederick Ernest Muntz, but it is his grandfather, George Frederic, who is more widely known. He invented the yellow metal, Muntz metal, an alloy of copper and zinc which was successfully used to sheathe the wooden hulls of ships, protecting them from worm damage. In 1840 he became one of Birminghamís first Members of Parliament. He campaigned for the greater safety of ships at sea, and was also responsible for putting up the necessary capital to introduce the perforation of postage stamps.
His son, also George Frederick, bought Umberslade Hall near Tanworth in Arden, previously rented by his father. He had built, at his own expense, Umberslade Baptist Church, near Hockley Heath, where he is now buried.
Frederick Ernest Muntz succeeded to the Muntz estates in 1898. He was barrister at law from Cambridge, and like his father a JP and Deputy Lieutenant of Warwickshire. He was Managing Director of Horsley Iron Company, most notable for making the majority of the Midlandsí canal bridges. He tried his hand, unsuccessfully, at politics. He embellished the enlarged Umberslade Hall and its grounds and established a breeding stud of Shire horses. He died in November 1922 and was buried in Tanworth in Arden churchyard.
Now it just so happens that my lad has a house in Umberslade Road dead opposite Muntz Park. The land on which Muntz Park lies was once part of Selly Farm which stood at the corner of Warwards Lane and St Stephenís Road, owned by the Muntz family since the early 19th century but farmed by successive generations of the Worwood family.
However, from the third quarter of the nineteenth century, such areas of farmland, so close to the ever expanding Birmingham were being bought up for new housing. In 1904 approval was given for the construction of two new roads on Mr Muntz’s land, leading off Raddlebarn Road the future Umberslade and Gristhorpe Roads. (Cherington and Rissington were added after 1911). Housing soon followed the creation of these new roads.
Very soon after, on 20th May 1905 Frederick Ernest Muntz gave three acres of land to the district council to be used as a park. In 1907 and 1909 the council bought a further two acres from him, adjacent to their new school, Raddlebarn School, to make the five acres of park.
The park was used from its earliest days for music, dancing and games. In recognition of its use by local people, the Civic Society in 1923 gave a grant of £300 to re-landscape the park extensively. An amphitheatre of sorts was created with a paved central area for dancing, known and The Dell, a raised paved platform, provision for erecting a maypole and a further dais for use as a bandstand. Footpaths and rustic seats were added and the whole area was planted with trees and shrubs to create a charming sylvan setting.
The park has been used over the years for open air concerts and dances.
The hollow is the remains of a marl pit. Marl pits were common features in the 19th century (and earlier). Marl is a clay deposit particularly rich in calcium carbonate, formed, in this area, from glacial drift deposits. These clay sub soils were dug from deep pits by local farmers and added to light soils in a process known as marling. This increased the cohesion of the soils and in the days before chemical fertilisers, manure and marl were the most used means of improving the fertility of the soil.
So, we have James Gillott who revolutionised printing and writing, Rowland Hill who invented postage stamps....so how do we tear them apart...enter George Muntz, who gave us perforations...
George Frederick Muntz (26 November 1794 – 30 July 1857) was an industrialist from Birmingham, England and a Liberal Party Member of Parliament (MP) for the Birmingham constituency from 1840 until his death.
His family came to England during the French revolution.
Muntz was a supporter of political reform and a member of the Birmingham Political Union. In his actions that led to the Reform Act of 1832, he was indicted for sedition as he tried to undermine the Duke of Wellington with a run on gold. He also was involved in a riot at Saint Martins in Birmingham in protest against the Church Rates which were levied at around 6d to 9d in the pound. He was sent to trial in 1838, but was acquitted on all but one of 13 charges. Whilst claiming to be a republican, his true character appeared to be that of an egotistical aristocrat. Edwards wrote in 1877 of a conversation about a speech he made:
"They won't be able to print Muntz's speech verbatim." "Why not?" said I. "Why my dear fellow, no printing office in the world would have capital I's enough".
His home was at Umberslade Hall, in Tanworth in Arden. His descendants still live in the area and operate Umberslade Hall Children's Farm
As an industrialist, he developed Muntz Metal.
He had seven sons and two daughters. The family business was continued by the eldest son, George Frederick junior together with Philip Albert Muntz, also a Member of Parliament who was created a Baronet in 1902 (see Muntz Baronets). George's brother, Philip Henry Muntz, was also an MP.
The Muntz family are remembered by Muntz Street, a tower block called Muntz House and Muntz Park, all in Birmingham.
Muntz Park is in Selly Oak, Birmingham and is situated between Umberslade and Gristhorpe Roads, overlooked by houses on three sides. On the fourth side is Raddlebarn Primary School.
Mr Frederick Ernest Muntz gave 3 acres of land to the district council on 20th May 1905 to be used as a park.
Mr F E Muntz was born on 14th June 1845. He grew up and later inherited Umberslade Hall in Tanworth in Arden. This is where Umberslade Road got its name from. The Muntz family still live in the area, at Umberslade children's farm.
The Muntz family was a prominent Birmingham and Warwickshire family. Originally from Lithuania, they moved to Germany and also held land in France. Philippe Frederic Muntz settled in Birmingham after the French Revolution, where he invested in a small commercial business which became Muntz Purden.
The member of the Muntz Family after whom the park is named if Frederick Ernest Muntz, but it is his grandfather, George Frederic, who is more widely known. He invented the yellow metal, Muntz metal, an alloy of copper and zinc which was successfully used to sheathe the wooden hulls of ships, protecting them from worm damage. In 1840 he became one of Birminghamís first Members of Parliament. He campaigned for the greater safety of ships at sea, and was also responsible for putting up the necessary capital to introduce the perforation of postage stamps.
His son, also George Frederick, bought Umberslade Hall near Tanworth in Arden, previously rented by his father. He had built, at his own expense, Umberslade Baptist Church, near Hockley Heath, where he is now buried.
Frederick Ernest Muntz succeeded to the Muntz estates in 1898. He was barrister at law from Cambridge, and like his father a JP and Deputy Lieutenant of Warwickshire. He was Managing Director of Horsley Iron Company, most notable for making the majority of the Midlandsí canal bridges. He tried his hand, unsuccessfully, at politics. He embellished the enlarged Umberslade Hall and its grounds and established a breeding stud of Shire horses. He died in November 1922 and was buried in Tanworth in Arden churchyard.
Now it just so happens that my lad has a house in Umberslade Road dead opposite Muntz Park. The land on which Muntz Park lies was once part of Selly Farm which stood at the corner of Warwards Lane and St Stephenís Road, owned by the Muntz family since the early 19th century but farmed by successive generations of the Worwood family.
However, from the third quarter of the nineteenth century, such areas of farmland, so close to the ever expanding Birmingham were being bought up for new housing. In 1904 approval was given for the construction of two new roads on Mr Muntz’s land, leading off Raddlebarn Road the future Umberslade and Gristhorpe Roads. (Cherington and Rissington were added after 1911). Housing soon followed the creation of these new roads.
Very soon after, on 20th May 1905 Frederick Ernest Muntz gave three acres of land to the district council to be used as a park. In 1907 and 1909 the council bought a further two acres from him, adjacent to their new school, Raddlebarn School, to make the five acres of park.
The park was used from its earliest days for music, dancing and games. In recognition of its use by local people, the Civic Society in 1923 gave a grant of £300 to re-landscape the park extensively. An amphitheatre of sorts was created with a paved central area for dancing, known and The Dell, a raised paved platform, provision for erecting a maypole and a further dais for use as a bandstand. Footpaths and rustic seats were added and the whole area was planted with trees and shrubs to create a charming sylvan setting.
The park has been used over the years for open air concerts and dances.
The hollow is the remains of a marl pit. Marl pits were common features in the 19th century (and earlier). Marl is a clay deposit particularly rich in calcium carbonate, formed, in this area, from glacial drift deposits. These clay sub soils were dug from deep pits by local farmers and added to light soils in a process known as marling. This increased the cohesion of the soils and in the days before chemical fertilisers, manure and marl were the most used means of improving the fertility of the soil.
