• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

cromwell arms pub

N

Nelly

Guest
Hello John,

In 1907 my Gt Gt Aunt lists her address as 146 Cromwell St. Birmingham.
I've just typed it in to the 1901 census, to see if she was living there then and it has come up as Cromwell Head Tavern- would this be the pub you lived next door to?

Does anyone remember this pub- I've tried googling it but nothing comes up. :eek:

Nell :albino:

Happy Easter!
 
Next door to the Cromwell Arms Pub was number 80.
and as far as I am aware a photograph of the pub does not exist as I have been trying to find one for 30 years. Anyone that can help will be well rewarded
The Chap that ran itfrom 1945 till it was knocked down was Michael D. De Vere and his wife was Kathleen De Vere the Pub The Cromwell Arms  was Number 79 Cromwell Street Nechells
 
This is the very pub that my eldest brother, Graham and his wife, Margaret use to going courting at in the 60s.
 
So it appears there were two pubs- the Cromwell Arms and number 79, and the Cromwell Head Tavern at number 146- lucky locals!! :D

I have googled both pubs with no results :(

Next time I'm at the central library I'll ask if they have any info on them.
Nell.
 
Nelly I have one page photostat of Elector roll ending at House number 144 which was School house so must check on that one as I have never heard of the Cromwell Head Tavern
Unless it was destroyed in the blitz
 
Cromwell Street
South East Side
6  William Ashley. Shopkeeper
8a  Arthur Howell. Plumbers
16  Arthur Fredrick Gibbs.Metal Worker
17  Tenco Products Electrical Apparatus Manufactures
17 Cromwell Garage motor engineer, William Findon Propr.
20  GUNMAKERS ARMS public house, Percy Gray
Here is Brighton Terrace
32  Shopkeeper Miss Lotty Sills
35  Rag Cleaning Supply Company
41  WHITE HART public House. Frank Gilliam
Here is Oliver Street
43  Coffee Rooms. Geoffrey Lewis
53  Shopkeeper Mrs Gladys Davies
66  Shopkeeper W.Adams
Here is Cromwell Square
67  Hardware, Miss Annie May Garrison
75 & 76   Scrap Iron  Dealer A.Matthewson & Son
79  CROMWELL ARMS public house Shelley Enos Jnr
83  Shopkeeper Mrs Lily Brookes
88  Fried Fish. Geoffrey Harrison
90  Newsagents. Mrs Ivy Leonard
Here are Rose Cottages
97  Tool Manufactures & Contractors. William Lees
98  Split Ring Manufacturers
99  Shopkeeper. Vincent Edward Kerr
Here are Marys Place & Williams Place
110  Shopkeeper. Miss Florence Rose
SOUTH WEST SIDE (over the road)
116  Hairdresser. Fredrick R.Brown
121  Duddeston & Nechells Ex.- Service Mans Club (R.Buckley Sec.)British Restaurant
CROMWELL STREET SCHOOL
127 School Caretaker. Arnold Cyril Thomas Brown
143  Beer Retailer Leslie H.J.Devine
144  Shopkeeper Joseph Billingsley
146 &147 C.B.Engineering Co. Precision Repetition Work
155  Shopkeeper Mrs Elizabeth Hawkins
164  Motor Haulage Contractors Jason Price & Sons
169  Boot Repairers. Gilbert Crump
171  Draper Mrs Helena Abrahams
172  Greengrocer. Howard Baker
173  Shopkeeper. Mrs Kate Parsons
178   Shopkeeper.  Mrs Edith Rote
184   Wireless Repairer. William Howard Clifford
185  Greengrocer. William Varley
Here is Oliver Street 
199  Pattern Maker. Robinson & Knee Ltd.
201  Shopkeeper. William Cottrill
204  Watch & Clock Repairs. John Green
210 Scrap Metal Merchants. Samuel Johnson
227 Drapers. Mrs Julia Preece
234  Builders. J. Wallace &Son
236  Shopkeeper. William Stephen Colder
237 Shopkeeper.  Mrs Ivy Elizabeth Rochell
 
Nelly
As you can see by the above list no Cromwell Head Tavern, this list is 1940-50 so if there was a Tavern it was before that time as the Engineering works where at No.146 &147 from the war years
 
My brother said, in the 60's The Oliver Cromwell Pub was situated at the top of Cromwell St and Rupert St, on Oliver St Nechells.
 
Earp
That was the new pub built when the old end was knocked down
 
Cromwell, have you seen the Carl Chinn Brummagen Magazine April 2006. An interesting bit on the Pub.
Adelaide.
 
No Adelaide, I have not, could anyone scan it to Word and send me a copy ? Was there a photo?
 
WASN'T THERE A LOT OF SHOPS IN THOSE DAYS?? Cromwell St seemed to have all sorts of shops :)

I can remember places like Cromwell St as a vague memory from childhood as we lived in Dollman St for a while before it was demolished - I'd forgotten how many shops there were in those days. It's a shame that all these little shops have gone now isn't it? Places just don't seem the same today as I remember from my childhood. I can remember shops in what would be peoples living rooms and they'd sell all sorts of goods - not like today at all.
 
Cromwell, I have a copy of the April 2006 issue and there is a photo of The Cromwell Arms - the article was written by John Bailey Brentwood who lives in Western Australia now, it was written in response to your brother? John Knight's article in September 2004.
If no one else can scan it for you, I will post the whole magazine to you and you can let me have it back with my photos. The photo isn't too good but at least you know it exists and perhaps Carl Chinn can let you have a better print.
 
Growing up around there I remember The Oliver Cromwell clearly.
Its still there but dead tatty and I'm not even sure if it's still there as a Public House (I'll look today) I do remember why I stopped having the odd pint in there though..one day I called in and there was a big sign above the Bar which read.
'Do not bring your own drugs in here'
Was that bad grammar or did they really sell their own over the counter?
Some pics I'd love to see if possible please..The Swan in Loxton St, The Pretty Ladies just off Bloomsbury St and The Train just by Duddeston Mill Station..
All my Dads old haunts and all places I'd love to see again.
 
Thanks Postie! brilliant..I remember when I was 11 waiting outside there for my Dad to bring me some crisps and a glass of pop.
 
Sylvia Great Picture thanks so much,bought back a flood of memories as I spent as much time in that pub playing as I did in my own house, I always use to go their for my Sunday dinner when the DeVere's were the landlords as I played with their kids Paul and Michael. They had a great dog who was my pal so when I went over the wall pinching all the empties he knew me and would not make a sound.
Who knows perhaps they might read this one day and get in touch.
 
House were I was born 80 Cromwell St and lived all my childhood (Marked red)
 

Attachments

  • cromwell st.JPG
    cromwell st.JPG
    125 KB · Views: 12
Cromwell, have you any idea where 116 Cromwell st would be on that map,? my Grandfather and Grandmother were living there on the 1891 census, think its a green-grocers shop.

Cheers Nick
 
Nick see repy 9 It would be right in the right hand corner of map
 
Cromwell street

so is that right you lived at 80 Cromwell street
Cromwell? are all the numbers in Cromwell street?
i,m confused if they are which way the numbers ran,
as you know i lived at number 3 what number would billy weirs the bookie been next door?
the Wallace's and the preece family were over the road next to the
Higgins shop.
did you know my aunts and uncles who lived down the st Dougy and Ada greaves and Johny and Dora bluck,also my dads mom Martha lived with the blucks she liked her cross doubles and 3d roll ups as did Ada kept billy weir in fags, that i fetched from butts for him.
i wait with baited breath if you can relate to any of this?
happy days regards Derek.
 
Signs

This is not a Birmingham query but I hope somewhere can help on the way to Shrugburgh just passed Lichfield I saw a sign for the "swan iwth two necks" this has intrigued me and I cannot work out what it could be I don't know if it was a pub because the sign looked similar to a brown heritage sight and it was pointing to a road of the main one/
anyone out there heard of this as it is giving me a headache trying to think how the name came about.
 
I THINK the name was originally Swan with two nicks" which referred to the practise of marking swans beaks. I maybe wrong though....I'll wait for someone to correct me!
 
The Swan with two necks is a pub name. It is a couruption of the Swan with two NICKS. It was custom to file nicks into the beak of swans to identify the owner. ( not all swans belong to the Queen )
 
Unbtil the early 1930s there was a big pub at The corner of Aston Road and Lancaster Place (as I think it was called before it was renamed Central Place), just where the late fire station still stands today.
Peter
 
Unbtil the early 1930s there was a big pub at The corner of Aston Road and Lancaster Place (as I think it was called before it was renamed Central Place), just where the late fire station still stands today.
Peter

The pub on the junction of Corporation St and Aston St, was the Swan with two Necks. It was demolished in 1933 along with the rest of the buidings to make way for the new Central Fire Station. This photo was taken in 1933 shortly before work started.

Phil

Swan with Two Necks 1933.jpg
 
Last edited:
Cromwell Street Pubs

I have my Gt Grand Parents living at The Builders Arms 234 Cromwell Street on the 1901 census. Does anyone have any information on this pub.

Luckeybrum
 
As far as I'm aware this is the only known photo of the Cromwell Arms in Cromwell St.
I lived in the house next door from 1940 until 1953, to the right is Mathewsons scrapyard.
The photo was taken in 1939 and shows the licensee,
a Mr Brentwood, whos son after seeing an article I wrote for Brummagem magazine sent it to Carl Chinn from Australia, and Carl sent it to me for which I am eternally grateful.

Lost photo replaced by what I think is the same as original

CROMWELL%20ARMS 1939.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top