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Canals of Birmingham

I seem to remember that in the "who do you think you are" program on Patsy Kensit, her 4-greats grandfather , who was a vicar, once performed several marraiges on christmas day. This was, I think, explained as being due to a combination of the demand for marrages and when the people could attend
Mike
 
hi all just started scanning a few more pics of the canals from the transport book ive borrowed...

the first one is the rear of the birmingham canal office cira 1935.the large canal basins were later filled in and the whole site levelled to make way for the ATV house complex...

the second pic is of the same wharf looking towards the council house with the distintive clock tower..the date of this pic is sometime before the demolision of christ church at the top of new street.the spire of which can be seen on the right...if you click on the pic a couple of times it will magnify
 
farmers bridge locks on the birmingham and fazely...cirs 1913...

second pic is same lock and date but from a higher up the flight
 
this one is of saltley dock premises of morton.fellows and clayton...with the egypt in the foreground nearing completion...working on it are..r.a osborne..j.w. gold...and tom cox...dated 18th of dec 1903
 
gas st basin 1958


gas st basin 20 years later....in the centre foreground is the site of the james brindley pub and behind it ATV house and alpha tower...
 
Does anyone know if there's anywhere that keeps a record of lock keepers? I've recently discovered that my Great Aunt and her husband (Annie and John Brooks / Brookes) moved into the Lock Keeper's cottage off Crawford Street, Saltley, in 1916. Could they have lived there if John was not the Lock keeper? Any clues much appreciated.
 
ChristinaE,
Are you aware of the Birmingham Canal Navigation Society website? They may not hold any records that you are interested in but may be able to put you in touch with some possibilities. The website is bcn-society.co.uk.
Regards Ryan.
 
Re: Canals of Brum

jennyann said:
That's in my minds eye of seeing the barges and the horses just beyond Salford Bridge.
Just wondering about the Power Station...When was it built and when was it demolished? Can't seem to find any info on it. I remember it and my father used to call there.
Click to expand...

Building of the first power station at Nechells started in 1913,after the City of Birmingham Electricity Supply Department felt that their plant at Summer Lane might have been overtaken by increasing demand.

Work stopped when WW1 broke out,however,demand for electricity from the many munitions factories in the city led the Government and the Electricity Supply Department to construct a temporary power station in 1915 and which took just 9 months to commission.I think it stood just north of Aston Church Road.

Work resumed on the original power station after the war.It was named 'Princes' station after its opening in 1923 by the then Prince of Wales-later Edward III.The station wasn't actually finished until 1929.
In 1946,approval was given for a new power station which became 'Nechells B' (the one in the photo).

The old Princes station closed c1970,and the 'B' station closed about 1984 and is now the site of Star City.The old power station was noted for its wooden cooling towers,which demolition contractors managed to burn to the ground in about 1970!
I used to work at Nechells many years ago and have been doing a some research into the history of the site.

I found this website https://shoestring.zapto.org/film_locations/Painted Boats/index.html which shows locations used in the film Painted Boats and there are some interesting pictures of the Birmingham canals,including some of the canal serving 'Princes' power station on page 2.
 
The 'Shoestring' link is very fully and carefully presented, and deserves a lot of attention. I will certainly be looking at it again. It's a mine of information.
Peter
 
Re: Canals of Brum

O.C. said:
This photo was taken to the right of the above photo looking down the cut (B'ham Warwick Junction)
Nechells Gas Works on the right ( Photo took from the motoway before it opened .‚..June 1971)
Click to expand...

Would there be any chance of obtaining a print of this photo ?
I used to work at Nechells Power Station late 1960's and I think this photo shows the old A station (or Princes Station as it was also known) during demolition,and what I think were the remains of the temporary power station (built c1915) in the distance,as well as the gas works.

I also seem to remember being told that the wooden cooling towers at the A station (B station's cooling towers were concrete) accidentally burned down about 1970/1 when demolition contractors cutting out the water pipework in the towers managed to set fire to the woodwork!I was also told that the numerous fire brigades attending the blaze were more concerned about burning timbers from the towers landing in the gas works next door.
Does anyone remember the event?
 
Here is a link to a photo by my late uncle taken in the early 60’s on Panoramio of Gas Street Basin. If you read the commentary below it leads to a more modern view and a comparison before the Tap and Stile Pub. The buildings still have more or less the same shape.

https://www.panoramio.com/photo/29910350

Regards Pedro
 
Does anyone know if this initiative in the cutting of 1872 ever actually took place, and , if so, how long it lasted for ?
Mike
 
The writer that did a 4 page piece on me cycling in Flanders polders, Chris Sidwells, is going to do an article in Cycling Active Magazine on cycling along Birmingham canal tow paths and is looking for people who know the canals well and also their history. This was his message on Facebook:-

Chris Sidwells Birmingham has more canals than Venice. Does anyone who knows them and live there or nearby want to do a ride on the tow paths for Cycling Active magazine? Please contact me if you do.

Anyone here with the knowledge can get in touch with Chris through Facebook or I'll pass your messages on to him. Could be good publicity for Brum.

Graham.
 
The picture of Old Wharf is one I have not seen before, Topsy Turvey. It even gives a glimpse of its' neighbour Britannia Insurance, which no other photo has done, at least that I have seen. Thank you. My ggg grandparents lived in the left hand wing of Old Wharf so the photo means something to me personaly. I could not read the caption on the other pictures. Is there a clue as to exact location?
Thank you for the link to the film, Aidan.
 
Aidon , The caption seems to read on the other picture that it is the Bham Marina which links the bham and fazely canals with a row of boatmans cottages.
 
Re: canal boats

My Great Uncle George Henry Smith ( Boatman )Married Hannah Statham ( Boatman) who was the daughter of Eliza Stokes (Boatwoman) 1860 and William Statham (Boatman)
His Brother Soloman Smith Boatman Married one of the other Statham Daughters Mary . George and Soloman Smith and my Nan Sarah Smith were all Boatpeople .
Is Eliza related to Anne I wonder ?
Regards Jean :)
 
Re: Canals of Brum

Hi Folks
Since I have been a member of This wonderful site I have been lucky enough to unravel my family history in and around Brum . My Dads family were all Boatmen his generation being the first raised on land in Floodgate street .
I have some photos Id love to share with you all as I think Im so lucky to have pictures of them . It all started by me trying to find out where my nan came from . Sarah Payton ne Smith She raised me till I was 7 years old . As a youngster I slept in my clothes with her , I swore like the blazes ( Didnt know what it meant though ) I polished the brass bedhead and her stuff . But most of all she was a hard working woman , Still working at the age of 72 and she taught me to be a worker too .
pic 1 Is Sarah Payton or Sal as her friends called her .
pic 2 Is her mother Elizabeth Smith ne Daniels ( Her father Edwin Daniels was a boat man too )( She is seen on the Surrey with husband Tom Smith and children including my Gran Sarak 1910)
pic 3 George Henry Smith ( Sarahs Brother married Hannah Statham (boating family) and daughter of Eliz Stoked (Boating family )

There are photos more to come Georges Son George Smith is still alive and he is 95 !!! His divorced wife Sonia Married Tom Rolte and went on to write a book .
More to Come Jean
 
Re: Canals of Brum

My nan Sarah Smith married John ( Little Jack )Payton who was a boatman . His Grandmother was a lady called Jane Longmore whos family boatmen lived in the caves over looking the canal near Dudley . The Payton Side go right back to Buckpool Kingswinford and William Payton 1810 also Boatmen . I guess that I have learnt that the boating families were a very tight knitted community .
Here are some more pics
Jean
 
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