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Erdington History

Hi Christine: What a wonderful collection of Erdington, Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham memorabilia you have. I have never seen so many postcards and photos of Erdington from that era. I attended Erdington Parish Church from the late l940's through to the late l950's and shopped initially with my Mother in "The Village" from 1945 on. I remember some of the buildings before they disappeared along the High Street. I spent a fair amount of time in the High Street this time last year. The painting of St. Barnabas is excellent. I had never seen a painting of the church before. I am assuming that the painting was in the church building at the time of the fire. Thanks very much for posting the link to your excellent site. Did you and Graham live in Erdington at one time?
 
Thank you for the link to your website. I have really enjoyed looking at all your pictures.
I am not familiar with Erdington but have become interested in it since I found some of my relatives lived there.
I am still searching for a picture of the Redlands - a large manor house where my family lived in Gravelly Hill.

Polly :)
 
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Hallo Jenny and Polly

Glad you enjoyed our bits and pieces. My Father in law was born in Gravelly Hill (literally under what is now Spaghetti Junction) early last century and when leaving the UK, the furniture was sent with all the contents of drawers etc., as is/was - he was a wonderful hoarder which has allowed me to add so much to the family history and it would be hard to throw out all those funny bits and pieces. (We have more and I may try to find the time to add other sections at some stage).

The 1961 versions of Erdington photos are when my husband returned to visit the UK and the later ones in 2005 when we were there ourselves searching St Barnabus Erdington for the family graves.

No the original oil painting wasn't in the church at the time of the fire but on the other side of the world and being one of those questions we never asked we assume it was purchased about 1932 as that is when my parents in law were married there. Checking recently I found that George Willis Pryce was a local painter, a Member of the Royal Society - images of two he painted of Handsworth appear on the Birmingham Museum and Art gallery website.

Christine
 
How wonderful that all these bits and pieces left the UK in the draws they were kept in!
What would we history fans do without lifes hoarders?

The painting is lovely (I had some Pryse relatives that lived in the Handsworth area but not Pryce).

Polly :)
 
Thanks for sharing your fascinating collection, Christine. I especially enjoyed looking at the Erdington mementos, as I was born there (9 Kegworth Road) in 1949. My maternal grandparents also lived there (37 Hidson Road) for many years.
 
Christine what a wonderful site with so much interesting items. I loved looking through them all. I often went to The Barley Mow in the early 70's when I lived in Sutton it was a lovely friendly pub. I was horrified when they painted it black! Some lovely old photo's and memories thank you for posting the link.
 
Hi Thylacine: Were yourmaternal grandparents called Strothers? I lived at No.40 Hidson Road growing up and 37 was across from our house. I am in touch with some of the younger neighbours from this street.
 
G'day, Jennyann!

My Mom's parents were Isaac "Ike" Strothers (1886-1971) and Ruby Strothers née Walters (1889-1959). They were both born and bred in Wolverhampton. They lived at 37 Hidson Road between 1934 and 1959. After Grandma died, we moved to a larger house in Sutton Coldfield and Grandpa came to live with us. We all emigrated to Australia in December 1964, and Isaac re-married in 1966 at the age of 80!

I remember their house in Hidson Road very well, but not much about the neighbours. My parents were married at Erdington Parish Church in 1945.

It's a small world, isn't it? Especially on the BHF. Thanks for your interest. Peter "Thylacine" Walford. ;)
 
Hi Peter: It is indeed a small world. I remember Mr. and Mrs. Strothers very well. They must have moved into their house around the same time as my parents. Those homes in Hidson were built starting in 1934. No.40 is still in our family. I only remember ypur grandparents having a daughter named Beryl. My father's family came from Wolverhampton. My father, whose main job was with MEB, did painting and decorating part time locally and did a few jobs for your grandparents. So your grandfather Issac ended up in Australia and got remarried. My parents may have known about Issac going to Australia. Sounds as though he lived a good life. Hidson Road is still very much the same as it was. I left to live in Canada in 1963 and my parents came to Canada several times to visit over the years.My fatherlived in Canada for a few years before he was married. I am in touch with one of your grandparents neighbours who lived at 35. Josie Parker was a good friend of mine. Her sister Brenda went to live and work in Mali in the l950's and Josie married a University prof from Brum and emigrated to the USA. She lives in New Mexico these days.
 
Jennyann, thanks so much for those memories! :)

Beryl Walford née Strothers (13 November 1922 Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton - 16 March 1998 Launceston, Tasmania) was my Mom. My Dad Kenneth George Walford (born 9 February 1917) is living in a nursing home here in Latrobe, Tasmania.

I seem to remember the name Josie Parker, but that's about all. I must ask my Auntie Betty about her. Elizabeth Mary "Betty" Strothers (born 18 September 1917) is Mom's older sister, and lives in a retirement village in Sydney. My Uncle Les (Leslie John Strothers 26 June 1916 - 11 July 2005) had seven children, six of them boys, so there are plenty of our Strotherses still thriving in New South Wales and the United States.

Peter.
 
Smashing website Christine many thanks.

Does anyone have any information on 'The Drive' or who lived there early on. Say 1850's. (Turn left off the top of Gravelly Hill go just past the Station/railway bridge and its on the left.

I'm guessing it was actually a drive that served a couple of 1820/30ish houses before some later victorian and inter wars development. Turned up a blak elsewhere and the grand houses have now gone.
 
Robert , The area was really country back in 1820/30's. I can't see a street in my old or modern maps actually called 'The Drive' - do you have any more information?

Do you have particular names you are after as I could look and see if I could find anyone? Christine





Christine
 
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Hi Christine!

I've just been reading the fascinating Gravelly Hill reminiscences of Arthur Ellis on your website. Thanks indeed for pointing us to these wonderful memories! :)

One of my main interests is the history of public transport in Birmingham and the Midlands, so I was particularly interested in Arthur's account of cab proprietor Mayner of 41 Gravelly Hill. The description of the vehicles and the "pub crawl" outing is absolutely priceless!

The Mayner family were involved in horse-drawn transport in Birmingham from a very early date. William Mayner started a Birmingham - Handsworth bus service in 1853, and in the 1860s he and his son (also William Mayner) ran buses in furious competition to Handsworth and Lozells. William Mayner junior moved to Brighton circa 1877, having done very well indeed from the bus business. By 1908 he was living in retirement at Hove, where he established the Anti Dangerous Motor League! The Mayner cab business at Erdington must have been run by a branch of the same family. Do you happen to know the full name of the proprietor?

I am in the process of preparing a detailed account of the Mayner family's involvement in public transport, which I will post in the "Buses" section of this Forum. I'll provide a link here when it is finished. Would you be so kind as to allow me to quote from Arthur Ellis's reminiscences? Such a colourful account would really brighten up my article.

Any additional information about the Mayner family would be most welcome. A picture would be the icing on the cake! ;)
 
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Hello Christine

Thanks for the reply. I attach a modern street map to show where The Drive is. The name of the road that escaped me is Hunton Hill. Going out of town, turn left onto Hunton Hill, over the railway bridge past the station on the left and its on the left.

Looking at google earth its clear that the much of the victorian development has gone, the houses that I'm interested in went to provide the new development around the loop at the end of the road. (The interwar houses still remain) Sorry I dont have names I'm looking for, I'm hoping these are bound up with the early development.
(Replacement map )
 

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Hallo Robert
Now you listed Hunton Hill I can now see The Drive on my modern map. I have attached a 1902 map of the area and it would appear that the un named road is what is now called The Drive (in red) Now I have located it I will try and see if I can find the occupants of the houses for you. - Christine
(Replacement map) Original map in post was originally incorrectly dated 1902. this was later corrected in post 25 to c1914
 

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Hallo Thylacene ( what an appropriate non de plume for someone living in Tasmania! )

Glad you enjoyed my Father in laws jottings and we are happy to allow you to quote from his reminiscences about the Mayners - I can send you a plain typed copy if you wish. With your interest in public transport I don't know whether you got as far as the 'Erdington & surrounds section'on the website and the pages from the book commemorating the opening of the Erdington by-pass in 1838 with the picture of 'shewing the congestion' at the village green High Street Erdington! Makes you wonder what they would think if they could see the traffic these days.

Anyway to the Mayners - I did some checking for you and I notice that William Junior did run buses in Sussex after leaving Warwickshire which you obviously know and I presume from the census entries he retired sometime after 1881 - I presume you know he died in 1924.
The Cab Proprietor living at Number 41 Gravelly Hill is George Mayner born abt 1868 in Handsworth (died 1927) and he is the nephew of William Junior being the son of Williams' brother George. (Most of George's siblings were born in Aston)
Next door to George at number 39 is his brother Wallace who is a cycle manufacturer toolmaker. Interestingly George appears to be a late comer to the transport business as in 1901 he is a Engineers Turner.
Their Father George (born about 1846 is a Cab Proprietor/Omnibus driver on various census (he dies in 1905). John (born abt 1837), elder brother of William Jnr and George (1846) also dabbled as a Cab proprietor at one stage. Let me know if you want more detail.

Christine
 
Robert a bit more information for your quest. Surnames of the eight houses in The Drive Hunton Hill circa 1911
1 Read
2 Smith
3 Read
4 Madeley
5 Sharp
6 Holland
7 Uninhabited
8 Perry

Hope they help - Christine
 
Christine,

Many thanks for your permission to quote, and the additional facts about the Mayners (almost all of which are new to me).

It seems that William Mayner senior was "a bit of a lad". In March 1855 he was caught red-handed melting down jewellery and convicted of receiving stolen property. He was sentenced to five years in prison, though by 1858 he was back "on the buses" in partnership with one William Tolley. I would love to know more about the elder William. Do you happen to know his dates of birth and death?

And here's a juicy piece of news about William Mayner junior. On 17 May 1898 he was granted a "decree of nullity" regarding his marriage to Charlotte Ann Matthews on the grounds that she was "his deceased wife's sister". He had originally married Louisa Eastman on 5 February 1867 at St Pauls Church in Aston. Louise died in 1887 and William junior married Charlotte Matthews on 15 December 1888 at Lambeth (Charlotte's previous marriage to a Mr Matthews having been dissolved). I'm pretty sure this bit of "gossip" relates to WM junior. Can you confirm any of these facts? And WM junior's date of birth would be useful if you happen to have it handy.

I now have to sort through my collection of Mayner facts and assemble them into some kind of coherent narrative. Thanks again for your help: in future I will perhaps communicate with you by "Instant Message" rather than clutter up this Erdington thread.

Peter "Thylacine". :)
 
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