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Blakeland Street Little Bromwich

Trees

Brummie babby
The 1871 census shows a great number of the housholders in Blakeland Street were born in Sedgley Staffordshire and were Metal Dealers.
Does anyone know why they all came to this street?
Was there once a travellers camp here?
Was there a metal yard here?
Were the houses owner ocupied or rented?
When were the houses built?
Does anyone know where the beer house or off license was on the street?

I am particularly interested in one family on that census but notice several surnames there that have married into that family It looks like a tight knit community.
Hope I am posting in the right place
Thank you
Trees
 
You are certainly correct as to the number of scrap merchants. In the 1873 White's directory there are 11 listed (the 1872 PO directory does not list the road -possibly it was just outside the city boundary). I do not know if they were travellers. The two main firms, however were those of Mrs Hannah Aston and the Williams family. Both firms lasted well into the 20[SUP]th[/SUP] century, and Joseph Williams , describing himself as an “Old metal dealer” which presumably sounded more exclusive, occupied Lawn House, near the crossroads, from 1880-1905, after which his wife was in residence for another 10 years.
 
Many thanks for your reply.
If you follow the various people in the road on other censuses you will find they all claim to be metal dealers or travellers or metal collectors at various times.
This is an extract of the 1871 census. My Cousin's husband decends from one of Benjamin FLAVELL's daughters.
RG10/3160 fo38 p19

Sch 71 Five children of Benjamin FLAVELL Headed up by Elizabeth the eventual wife of Charles Lewis
next there are four houses each headed by a FULLARD from Sedgley.
sch77 James FLAVELL Traveller ...son of Benjamin and Jane (Nee LEWIS) married to Hannah STANDLEY daughter of David STANDLEY a Metal Dealer
sch 78 Mary LEWIS nee STANLEY widow of John Lewis a metal dealer
sch 79 Charles LEWIS a metal dealer with first wife Caroline daughter of Isaac WILLIAMS a metal Dealer . His second wife was Elizabeth daughter of Benjamin FLAVELL
Sch 80 the widow Hannah Aston with her traveller son Benjamin
sch 81 Thomas WILLIAMS a metal dealer born about 1910 Sedgley
Sch 82 Benjamin FLAVELL son of Benjamin Flavell married to Hannah Williams daughter of John Williams a metal dealer.

As you can see Benjamin and wife Jane are not home they are in a hotel in Uttoxeter listed as METAL DEALERs. You can also see here Hannah Aston has no occupation but her son is a Traveller, and Charles Lewis and Thomas WILLIAMS are Metal Dealers. In 1861 James FLAVELL was listed as a Metal Dealer but here he is a traveller. Mary Lewis's husband in 1851 was a metal dealer and in 1861 a metal collector.
Please can you tell me where I can find that copy of White's directory, I think it will be good to add to the family data, and how I can see the details of the Aston and Williams businesses. Maybe the history of those firms will explain the migration of so many Sedgley folk . Most seem to have been Sand men or nailers in Sedgley before turning up in Blakeland Street. Benjamin FlAVELL was a beer seller from Blakeland on his probate in 1884. In 1881 his Daughter is head of the household a general dealer her younger sister Mary Out Door licence Holder Beer Sellerand a brother Charles is a beer seller all in the same house I have failed to find Benjamin Snr on the 1881 census. Do these FLAVELLS appear in any trade directory you have acess to please?
Gosh this is building into an interesting story.
Many thanks again
Trees
 
Some directories are avaialable to search of (free) download at , but the 1873 whites was ob a CD from Midlands historical data (https://www.midlandshistoricaldata.org/). Remember that the date is the date of publication, and so is likely to be a year osr so out of date, sometimes in earlier directories even more. The extract is below:

Blakeland_st_from_whites_directory_1873.jpg


I was mistaken saying that Blakeland st was not listed in the 1872 directory. It was listed, but under a general term "Little Bromwich". Looking for "Flavell" we get:
Flavell Benj. scrap metal dlr. Blakeland st. Little Bromwich
Flavell Charles, Green Man, 36 Coleshill street
Flavell Edward, gun implement maker, 4 Court, Bath street
Flavell Henry, farmr.Stonehouse frm.Northfield,via Quinton
Flavell James, pig dealer, Blakeland st. Little Bromwich
Flavell Job, beer retailer, 5 Gas street
Flavell John, gun & pistol polisher, 4 Court, Bath street
Flavell John, Sir John Falstaff, 58 Weaman street
Flavell Joseph, beer retailer, Woodgate, via Quinton
Flavell Matthew, confectioner, 111 Bristol street

In 1868 the only relevant one is Benjamin given as Scrap metal dealer , Blakeland St ,Small heath and as general dealer, Little Bromwich, Ward End. Charles is at The Vine, Lichfield Road.
In 1867 Benjamin is listed just as a scrap metal dealer at Blakeland St. Charles is at The Vine, Lichfield Road.
In 1862 Charles ( well not that one) and Benjamin are not mentioned.

Going forwards (only listed Benjamin and Charles unless in Blakeland St):
1876. Benjamin is scrap dealer, blakeland St ;Charles at the Rainbow Inn, 160 High St Bordesley ;. James Flavell is a pig dealer , Blakeland St .
1878 Benjamin is a beer retailer at Blakeland St ; Charles is at the White Horse Cellar pub 80 Constitution Hill ; Jas (James ?) is a pig dealer and shopkeeper , Blakeland St.
1879 Benjamin is a beer retailer at Blakeland St (there also is a Benjamin Flavell, builder, 3 court, Branston St - probably no connection) ; Charles is at the White Horse Cellar pub 80 Constitution Hill AND the Horse & Jockey, 120 digbeth. ; Jas (James ?) is a pig dealer and shopkeeper , Blakeland St
1880 Benjamin is a beer retailer at Blakeland St addition (there also is a Benjamin Flavell, bricklayer, Hingeston St- probably no connection) ; Charles is at the White Horse Cellar pub 80 Constitution Hill AND the Horse & Jockey, 120 Digbeth. ; Jas (James ?) is a shopkeeper , Blakeland St.
1882, 1883,1884 Benjamin is a beer retailer at Blakeland St (there also is a Benjamin Flavell, bricklayer, Hingeston St - probably no connection) ; Charles is at the Horse & Jockey, 120 Digbeth. ; Jas (James ?) is a shopkeeper , Blakeland St
1888, 1890 James, shopkeeper & metal dealer, Blakeland St ; Mrs Jane Flavell, beer retailer, Blakeland St.
(No Charles but also Misses Alice & Fanny Flavell , beer retailers at 115 Digbeth - which seems coincidentally (or other) close to Charles address at 120)
Only went up to 1890. If you have interest later ot other names, let me know
 
As a bit of a coincidence. i was in what was The White horse Cellars (now an off licence) yesterday collecting my wallet. you can still see what was presumably the bar, now a counter
 
wow that is all extremely interesting especially having Charles in two pubs at the same time maybe he held the licences but had a tenant in one of them.Thos has all been a big surprise to the cousin who knew nothing of this connection even though he grew up fairly close to Blakeland Street. I think it will be interesting to find out the history of the Street itself. I wonder if the houses were built or owned by a Sedhley person. I wonder who was the first to become a metal dealer and move to Blakeland Street. I wonder if the Record Office would have any record of the street being built.
Many thanks for your help with this fascinating part of the tree.
Trees
 
I wonder can you clear up another mystery about the street please? Was it in Small Heath or Little Bromwich? It seems a daft question but you have mentioned it here
"In 1868 the only relevant one is Benjamin given as Scrap metal dealer , Blakeland St ,Small heath and as general dealer, Little Bromwich, Ward End"
and I had already found it on two probates:
8 Dec 1884 "The will of Benjamin Flavell late of Blakeland Street Small Heath near Birmingham in the County of Warwick Beer retailer..."
1858 29 November

"The will of Isaac WILLIAMS .....John Williams of Blakenall street Small Heath near Birmingham Metal Dealer the Sons and two of the Executors"

Now I thought one of these must be wrong I know Bejamin FLAVELL's family were in Blakeland St Little Bromwich in 1871 and I thought John Williams was also in the street in 1861 but looking at maps etc I didn't think Small Heath and Little Bromwich were close and I did find a Blakenall St. as well as a Blakeland St.
Do you think I am dealing with one street through out and there has been a transcription error some where along the way or what was going on. Help please I think this needs someone near the situation to unravel.
A rather confused old Trees
 
I think it must be one street. I am not particularly au fait with the details of these areas, but think that the terms were used a bit loosely. Below is a map which is supposed (it was drawn around 1960-70 not at the time) to show lile Bromwich. But I think that later small heath was used by many for parts of this. I stand to be corrected on this, as i cannot be certain. It would be a terrific co-incidenc though is one of the famikly lived in a street with such a similar name , and it is only mentioned once.

map342520little2520bromwich_1759.jpg
 
Many thanks that is a great map showing the earlier situation. My father was born in Stechford which I assume is the Stichford on the map
 
I think the Street was built between 1851 and 1857 calculated from the birth of the children of the Sedgley families and when the first child was born in Birmingham rather than Sedgley.
 
I was born in Blakeland St, an Aston. My Grandmas maiden name was Flavell and her Mother was a Williams. It seemed the scrap metal dealers married into other scrap metal dealers families in the street. I believe a great aunt married into the Lewis family. I would love to know who built the houses, the pub on the corner (Samson and Lion) and any other information. Why did they all upsticks and move from Sedgeley?
 
My ancestor John Fullard (from Fulwood/ Fullwod) was probably the first of his Sedgely family to move to Blakeland Street by 1860. He was a travelling metal dealer and his wife Hannah (nee Baines) carried on his business after his death in 1868 - she can be seen on that 1873 White's Directory. At one point his extended family occupied 73, 74 & 75 Blakeland Street. I'm interested to know why all these metal dealers chose Blakeland Street. If anyone wants Sedgely family history, I have extensive records and am probably related to almost every family - such as the Flavells of Darlaston!
 
It is a red herring to wonder if these metal dealers were travellers of the gypsy type. My Fullard metal dealers were from a long line of Sedgely nailers, screw factors etc - all based around Gornal for centuries and in the metal industry. All the Sedgely families were inter-related - it was a massive parish - so whoever came to Blakeland Street first presumably passed the word back that there were good opportunities here. As I understand it, they each had their base around Blakeland Street but travelled - like rag-and-bone-men - around to pick up their wares, bringing them home to the yard from which they sold them.
 
I remember the Fullards very well. In the 1950/60s I played with Carol Fullard and my older brother played with her older brother Tony. The 1861 Census shows that numbers 73 and 74 Blakeland St were occupied by the Aston and Williams families respectively. They seemed to move about within the street.
 
My ancestor John Fullard (from Fulwood/ Fullwod) was probably the first of his Sedgely family to move to Blakeland Street by 1860. He was a travelling metal dealer and his wife Hannah (nee Baines) carried on his business after his death in 1868 - she can be seen on that 1873 White's Directory. At one point his extended family occupied 73, 74 & 75 Blakeland Street. I'm interested to know why all these metal dealers chose Blakeland Street. If anyone wants Sedgely family history, I have extensive records and am probably related to almost every family - such as the Flavells of Darlaston!
I am also a descendant of John Fullard and Hannah Baines, through their daughter Betsy. My mom grew up in Bordesley Green, her grandmother (Betsy's daughter) lived in Blakeland Street, and she remembers the houses of her cousins with ample yards. She said that she had Flavell cousins. Hannah continued to run the metal yard after John's death, Blakeland Street was a hub of Sedgely metal dealers. Based on your comment, we are related, great to read, thank you. Do you know who Hannah's parents are?
 
Hi I am new to the forum and interested in finding out about my grandfather John Edward Williams Born 1907 who took over his fathers Scrap metal/haulage company in Birmingham in the 1940s with his brother
 
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