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Leopold Street

Neilythere

proper brummie kid
Hi there,

Further to obtaining details from the 1939 Register, I'm trying to pinpoint an address on any available period map of the locality - the address I'm interested in is written as: 6/50 Leopold Street, if anyone could point me in the right direction I'd be most grateful.

Many thanks
 
Hi Neilythere,

Leopold Street now runs from Moseley Road to Alcester Street in Highgate the house was in 5 court Leopold Street it is nest to the warehouse on this map. You should have no trouble lining it up on modern maps.

leopold street.JPG
 
Neilythere

Perhaps this might give you a better idea of the location.

Highgate Street Plan 1910 .jpg
 
Hi All,

I'm researching my wifes side of the family and she family that ran a shop in Leopold street from around 1890 to at least 1940 maybe longer as we believe the daughter of the family carried on after herr mum died.

The family name was Ody and the address was 40/41 Leopold street,in an electoral roll from 1912 it was listed as an off licence but in later trade directories she's listed as Mrs Jane Ody shopkeeper.

Any info or especially old photos would be fantastic.
 
Pedrocut if you have a subscription could you kindly search for 41 Leopold street please as there are a few results that mention it one I think is the sale of the shop and and another an incident with someone choking,also a possible advertisement.

Many Thanks if possible

 
The position of the shop is given on this c1889 map. It was still there on a map c1950.

map c1889 showing 41 Leopold st.jpg

From Kellys directories (the year is the year of publication and probably refers to the year before):

There is no entry in Kellys for the 1890 or 1892 edition, suggesting that it was not then a shop,

1895-1904 Samuel Whitehouse, shopkeeper

1908 Louis Adkins, shopkeeper

1910 - 1913 Mrs Emma Godrick, shopkeeper

1915 Charles William Ody, shopkeeper

1921-1940 Mrs Mary Jane Ody, shopkeeper

1943-1946 Mrs Violet Buswell, shopkeeper

1949-1963 Mrs Maud Ody,shopkeeper

In the 1964 edition (probably referring to 1963) there is no listing of no 41. It has probably been demolished or is about to be.
 
Many thanks for all the information!

The shop was run by the family then from at least 1915 to 1963 as Violet Buswell was Janes daughter.
She married a Leslie Buswell.
And Maud was her daughter in law who married her son Sidney.

The birmingham rate books have Charles Ody listed as a Beerhouse/offlicense at 40 Leopold street in 1912 the same building I guess?
 
Many thanks for all the information!

The shop was run by the family then from at least 1915 to 1963 as Violet Buswell was Janes daughter.
She married a Leslie Buswell.
And Maud was her daughter in law who married her son Sidney.

The birmingham rate books have Charles Ody listed as a Beerhouse/offlicense at 40 Leopold street in 1912 the same building I guess?


Interesting that on the 1911 Census at 41 Leopold Street there is a Mrs Goodrich, suggesting that at the time 40 and 41 were seperate.
 
In 1901 Chas was at 104 Emily Street (Back of) with his wife Jane with 5 children. Would this suggest they moved after 1901 to 40 Leopold St?
 
Looking again at the 1911 Census. Mrs Goldrich at N°41 was a grocery dealer. N°41 may have been the shop as shown in Mike's post 5.

As Chas Ody at No 40 is down as a house painter it may suggest that they acquired the shop after 1911 and used both premises?
 
Looking again at the 1911 Census. Mrs Goldrich at N°41 was a grocery dealer. N°41 may have been the shop as shown in Mike's post 5.

As Chas Ody at No 40 is down as a house painter it may suggest that they acquired the shop after 1911 and used both premises?

Yes possibly No 40 to live in and 41 as the shop
 
Hi there

I'm also researching a family tree, my dad lived in Leopold St from birth (1940) - family name is Fowler, in case anyone has any info. I understand that Thomas Fowler (my grandad, never met him, he died when Dad was 16) and grandma Bridie, or Bridget, came to no. 48 from about 1940-ish - they moved over from Dublin. They had three children: Thomas Patrick, Edward Joseph (my Dad), and Josephine. Dad would have been a few months old when they moved in.
Oddly, I remember Dad telling me about a Mrs Ody who ran the corner shop; he told me that she delivered Spitfires during the war. Does that help any? Also, I seem to remember Dad telling me about one of the new Corporation buses crashing into the shop window, because the driver had only recently switched from trams!
Again, I hope this helps.
 
Last edited:
Hi there

I'm also researching a family tree, my dad lived in Leopold St from birth (1940) - family name is Fowler, in case anyone has any info. I understand that Thomas Fowler (my grandad, never met him, he died when Dad was 16) and grandma Bridie, or Bridget, came to no. 48 from about 1940-ish - they moved over from Dublin. They had three children: Thomas Patrick, Edward Joseph (my Dad), and Josephine. Dad would have been a few months old when they moved in.
Oddly, I remember Dad telling me about a Mrs Ody who ran the corner shop; he told me that she delivered Spitfires during the war. Does that help any? Also, I seem to remember Dad telling me about one of the new Corporation buses crashing into the shop window, because the driver had only recently switched from trams!
Again, I hope this helps.
Thanks for that,always nice to hear stories like that,perhaps the bus crashing into the shop might be in the paper
 
The position of the shop is given on this c1889 map. It was still there on a map c1950.

View attachment 141005

From Kellys directories (the year is the year of publication and probably refers to the year before):

There is no entry in Kellys for the 1890 or 1892 edition, suggesting that it was not then a shop,

1895-1904 Samuel Whitehouse, shopkeeper

1908 Louis Adkins, shopkeeper

1910 - 1913 Mrs Emma Godrick, shopkeeper

1915 Charles William Ody, shopkeeper

1921-1940 Mrs Mary Jane Ody, shopkeeper

1943-1946 Mrs Violet Buswell, shopkeeper

1949-1963 Mrs Maud Ody,shopkeeper

In the 1964 edition (probably referring to 1963) there is no listing of no 41. It has probably been demolished or is about to be.
Thanks for posting the map - my mum was at 8 ct 11 - her mum & dad moved in there sometime between 1911 & 1920, with my grandfather's mother-in-law close by at 6 ct 11. They were definitely customers of the Ody's. Numbering the houses clockwise round the court, you can see that no. 8 is one of the back-to-backs that had no back; checking the house numbers on a later (1960?) map, the court 10 numbers are shown, but court 11 has gone.
 
What a terrific set of pictures, thank you for posting.

My Grandfather was born on Leopold Street in 1877, and his Father is listed as a house painter.
 
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