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Unett Street Newtown

P

padgo

master brummie
Does anyone remember the name of a firm who made wooden biscuit barrels back in 1954/5. They were at the top end of Unett St (St Georges Church end). I don't know when they started there, but they moved to Solihull in 1955. Dave.
 
hi dave, in kellys 1955 directory at 8/9 unett street there is a J. K. Simms, general woodworker. would that be the one you want?
 
Hello Shera, Im not sure, the name does'nt ring a bell although it was a long time ago and I was only there a few months. Would 8/9 be on the left hand side looking from the church. Dave.
 
And 4 more -first one looking to Mosborough Crescent from the quadrangled play are between this road and Unett St. Next two feature the Boys Brigade from the local Peoples Chapel, the last one includes the moon and Jupiter - yes we could occasionally afford to see the heavens, even in Newtown........ Photos also include those moronically stupid "Please Do Not Play On The Grass" signs that were concreted into every single bit of green stuff to persuade kids the roads were where to play football and ride your bikes........
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smashing photos mark taken when my family were living in uxbridge st...the block of flats at the end of unett st went a few years back now

lyn
 
Another photograph of the quadrangle between Unett St and Mosborough Crescent - taken from a poor quality 110-negative - this was after the play are in the middle had been upgraded and the old massive tree-trunk in the middle had been removed:-
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Mark Tooze said:
And 4 more -first one looking to Mosborough Crescent from the quadrangled play are between this road and Unett St. Next two feature the Boys Brigade from the local Peoples Chapel, the last one includes the moon and Jupiter - yes we could occasionally afford to see the heavens, even in Newtown........ Photos also include those moronically stupid "Please Do Not Play On The Grass" signs that were concreted into every single bit of green stuff to persuade kids the roads were where to play football and ride your bikes........
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Mark Tooze said:
Another photograph of the quadrangle between Unett St and Mosborough Crescent - taken from a poor quality 110-negative - this was after the play are in the middle had been upgraded and the old massive tree-trunk in the middle had been removed:-
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Mark Tooze said:
A few photos of Unett Street from the late 1970's (when we used to get snow occasionally....) - I have merged a couple together to give a panoramic view:-
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Hello Mark,
Great photos of Unett Street. I used to live in Tower Street around the corner and had a couple of friends who lived there early 60’s. Johnny Norton in Mosborough Crescent who tragically died at a young age and Ronnie (Summer Lane School) who lived in a block of flats at the end of Unett Street.
Also remember Patrick, Carol Hunt who lived in the masenettes at the top of Unett Street to Road on right and the churchyard grounds opposite where Moll had a small youth club.
 
sadly pre demo photos of this street are very thin on the ground however if you put unett street into our search box one or two may turn up on different threads...

unett st was named after thomas unett who served in the 19th regiment on foot during the crimean war

if mike or other members spots this post maybe they can post a map showing where court 10 house no 4 was for sue as shown on previous post

lyn
 
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The Crimean War started in 1853 and Unett Street is mentioned as early as 1836.

Thomas was born in 1800 and married in 1830 being second son of Mr. Unett of Birmingham. In 1831 he became Captain of the 67th Regiment.

So is it more likely that the street name is more to do with Unett Solicitor of Old Square ?
 
thanks pedro i guess that is possible but as thomas unett became captain in 1831 and unett st was mentioned in 1836 the street could have been named after him....cant be certain..who or what was unett solicitor of old square

lyn
 
“COLONEL Thomas Unett was a valiant soldier and a man who should be better remembered in Birmingham.

Born in 1800 at No 6, The Square - the Old Square -he was the son of John Wilkes Unett, a Lichfield man who became a solicitor here and a landowner around Aston and Hockley, hence Unett Street.”

Remember the Crimean R War's valiant colonel. - Free Online Library

Free Online Library: Remember the Crimean R War's valiant colonel. by "Birmingham Mail (England)"; News, opinion and commentary General interest
www.thefreelibrary.com
 
How does the court number and house number work in Unett Street? Some addresses say "back".1638601986090.png
 
hi sue lots of streets had courtyards and within the courtyard were so many houses...

back means they were back to back houses...meaning the wall of those houses backed onto the wall of the houses on the street..so the houses on the front only had windows looking onto the street (no back doors) and the houses that backed onto those only had windows looking out onto a yard...the entrance to the back houses was down an entry...i was born in my nans back to back house..1 very tiny living room..1 bedroom and 1 attic...no kitchen just a cooker in the living room at the bottom of the stairs and a small scullery for washing up etc...and just 3 windows..the living room window the bedroom window and the attic window

i will ask mike to post you a map showing your court 10 house 4

lyn
 
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Astoness said:
hi sue lots of streets had courtyards and within the courtyard were so many houses...

back means they were back to back houses...meaning the wall of those houses backed onto the wall of the houses on the street..so the houses on the front only had windows looking onto the street (no back doors) and the houses that backed onto those only had windows looking out onto a yard...the entrance to the back houses was down an entry...i was born in my nans back to back house..1 very tiny livining room..1 bedroom an 1 attic...no kitchen just a cooker in the living room at the bottom of the stairs and a small scullery for washing up etc...

i will ask mike to post you a map showing your court 10 house 4

lyn
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Thanks for that. Yes they were really awful living conditions, from the pictures I've seen and your description of your family's house. We really are lucky these days. Here in Australia, we live on a large block with a huge garden and a modest house. Lots of windows, lots of birdlife, lots of sunshine.
 
thing is sue housing conditions back then was bad all over the world...we have come a long way since then but i do have to say that most people tried to keep their houses clean and tidy and took a pride in the little they had...and my memories of living at nans are only good ones...she had lived in that house for the best part of 70 years and when the time came in the late 1960s to demolish them she did not want to leave and was never happy where she moved to even though it had all the mods cons

lyn
 
Astoness said:
thing is sue housing conditions back then was bad all over the world...we have come a long way since then but i do have to say that most people tried to keep their houses clean and tidy and took a pride in the little they had...and my memories of living at nans are only good ones...she had lived in that house for the best part of 70 years and when the time came in the late 1960s to demolish them she did not want to leave and was never happy where she moved to even though it had all the mods cons

lyn
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Thanks Lyn. I'mso glad you had great memories. I didn't know my grandmother as she passed away quite young in the 1940s. My 89 year old mother, now in aged care, didn't want to leave her house either. It needed repair and was old but she has brought up her family there. I shed a tear yesterday as I've found out that that house has recently been demolished. I have lots of good memories there.
 
and they cant take away our memories sue...was it your grandmother that lived in unett st

lyn
 
Astoness said:
and they cant take away our memories sue...was it your grandmother that lived in unett st

lyn
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Yes it was my grandmother on my father's side, Beatrice Wakeling, lived there as a child with my greatgrandparents and her sister. She passed away in 1939 when dad was 9. I don't know the circumstances. He seemed to have moved to Icknield Port Road (Kenilworth Place) then Shenstone Valley Road and then he remarried in 1942.

Before Beatrice was born her parents also lived in Unett Street (in 1901) (different house). Before that (1891) her father lived at 10 Bk 71 Warstone Lane, then (1881) Lower Tower Street. These addresses all seem to be back to back houses.
 
The Warstone lane house was still there in c1950, as seen in red below and on map c1889 below. not technically a back to back, in that it did not back onto another house, but would have been similar in design

map c 1950s showing no 10 back 71 warstone lane.jpgmap c 1889 showing no 10 back 71 Warstone lane.jpg
 
unett11 said:
My grandmother had a green grocers shop in Unett Street 1911. Her name was Eleanor Elizabeth Wood. She lived there with her six children
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hi and welcome...just trying to find her on the 1911 what year was she born...i can find an elizabeth wood with husband john aged 50 but with just one daughter minnie aged 22 living with them ... i think at court 27 house 4 in unett st but not sure is that is your grandmother

lyn
 
Astoness said:
hi and welcome...just trying to find her on the 1911 what year was she born...i can find an elizabeth wood with husband john aged 50 but with just one daughter minnie aged 22 living with them ... i think at court 27 house 4 in unett st but not sure is that is your grandmother

lyn
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Living on Unett St, Smethwick Lyn.
 
Thanks all for getting back, this is great.
I didn't know there were two Unett Streets, my grandmother would have been attached to the Smethwick one.
Eleanor Elizabeth Wood nee Allen born born about 1869 Walsall
 
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