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Great Russell street

Lyn
Above the window next totthe shop there is a little white sign, which , if you magnify it,says Lot 4, and htere is another two houses down. The other big white patches you can't read, but are laid out as posters in an estate agents window. I reckon the row is being sold in two lots and the big white patches are posters describing the sale
Mike
 
My 2 x gt grandparents lived in Gt Russell Street in 1854, so these pictures are particularly interesting to me. I have no idea of the number though, the birth certificate does not show it.

What has happened to the brickwork above the windows - has the lintol been replaced or what? Puzzling that. If only pictures could speak..............
 
hi shortie..shop front removed..arches above the doors removed and bricked over..its a shame you dont have a number for your 2x gt grandparents..would they have lived there in 1851 or 1861 ??? if so you could check the census for the numbers..just a thought...

thanks mike..the info about the posters is very interesting...

lyn
 
No Lyn, they were in Cheltenham most of their lives, but much to my complete astonishment, they were in Gt Russell Street in 1854 and in Camden Grove in 1856, then they returned to Cheltenham. I think he may have come up here during the workhouse building days - he was a plasterer. It seems to conicide with the time it was built and maybe there was insufficient work in Cheltenham then? We shall probably never know. He returned to Birmingham in 1878 because his eldest son was very ill and later died- that was in Upper Cox Street in 1879. He had a further daughter born there, that is the only way I knew he had been back here. Certificates can often tell a very interesting tale, pity they are so expensive now. Drifted a bit here, sorry..........
 
no shortie ive enjoyed reading about this part of your family...you are probably right about coming here for the work..happened a lot..as it did with my family..
 
Lyn, I am now of a mind to think he came up here to plaster some of the houses - I think Smith Street was not built until the 1850's - I just wish I knew for sure. Lots of the JQ was not fully built by then too. I just wish I knew, but it's great to have a pic of the houses, at least I know what the street looked like, although I never saw it.
 
Shortie said:
Lyn, I am now of a mind to think he came up here to plaster some of the houses - I think Smith Street was not built until the 1850's - I just wish I knew for sure. Lots of the JQ was not fully built by then too. I just wish I knew, but it's great to have a pic of the houses, at least I know what the street looked like, although I never saw it.
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you are prob right shortie in those days they followed the work do you have an interest in smith st as well..pics are most important as they alone can tell their own stories...

lyn
 
Yes, Lyn I do. My family were at 66 and 68 if I remember rightly. They went from there to Key Hill.
 
sure i had an old pic taken on the corner of smith st shortie..will try and find it for you..
 
ive got 4 pics shortie..kindly sent to me by john houghton will start a new thread under streets section..
 
bringing to the top for new member lesdudley...my reposted pics start on post 88

lyn
 
bringing to the top for padgo....padgo ive reposted my pics and they start on post number 88....not sure if the compasses pub is among them...if not i will repost that one as well..

lyn
 
Hello Lyn, have had a quick look through, it looks like the compasses on the corner in #89 pic 2 and the fish and chip shop in #88 pic3. Would you happen to have a closer pic of the Compasses so that I can add it to my life story. Thanks so far, Dave.
 
hi dave i think ive got a better one in my files...will sort it out tomorrow for you...

lyn
 
here you go dave this is a good one of the compasses pub corner of brearley st/gt russell st dated 1961

lyn

 
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Hello Lyn. Brilliant, thanks ever so much, just as I remember it. In the distance on the next corner down is the Rose & Crown, brings back happy memories. Dave.
 
happy to help dave....yes the rose and crown corner of brearley st/hospital st....if you go to the hospital st thread there should be a pic of the rose and crown in a sorry state after being bombed and a one taken after repairs to it...far as i know demolished in the 60s..


lyn
 
I have loved looking at all the old photo's of Gt Russell St - they took me back to my childhood -- those steps up to the front doors I remember jumping off them with an umbrella pretending it was a parachute or something like that I was about 5yr I think --mom washing in the brew house in the yard on a Monday -- the row of shared loos and playing on the waste ground at the back that we knew as the bomb peck --the housed at the back of us had been knocked down and there was always big bonfires that everyone came to on Nov 5th chestnuts-baked spud-sparklers -dingle matches and toffee apples ---we lived at 236 Gt Russell st and our family name was Beresford not sure when we moved in there from Hospital St but we left in 1959 to Wheeler st - anyone out there remember us
 
Great russell st.jpgwe already have this on this thread but this has more clarity...thanks to wendy for this one..
 
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Hi Beresford,do you or your family have any connection with Marston Green as my husband knew a Beresford family in Marston Green before he left there in 1968. My husband lived with his mum and grandmother in Elmdon Lane. His grandmothers maiden name was Brookes and the family were living at 218 Great Russell Street on the 1891 and 1901 censuses.
 
angela burley said:
Hi Beresford,do you or your family have any connection with Marston Green as my husband knew a Beresford family in Marston Green before he left there in 1968. My husband lived with his mum and grandmother in Elmdon Lane. His grandmothers maiden name was Brookes and the family were living at 218 Great Russell Street on the 1891 and 1901 censuses.
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Hi Angela

no sorry we have no connection with Marston Green apart from my Niece being born there - my parents came from Belfast about 1939/1940 and apart from a short stay in Liverpool I think-- they only lived in Birmingham --sorry I can't help x
 
hello been a while since I saw this was commented on my Great Grandparents and Great Great Grandparents used to live on Great Russell Street there Names were William Henry Butwell, William Thomas Butwell whom married Gertrude Butwell. W. Thomas after Gertrude died married his brother wife Beatrice Chinn (after he died in WW1 his name was W. Arthur Butwell)

be nice to see if you heard or know of them?
thank
stewart
 
Hi Beresford, although I didn't live in Gt Russell St a lot of my friends did and I also remember the bonfires. Did you know Alfie Wheeldon or Maurice Millard. Dave.
 
Astoness said:
hope you spot this post mike..i wonder could i have a map of the street showing where number 22 would have been please..trying to work out if pic 4 on post 66 is anywhere near but i think it may prove difficult...

thanks mike..
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My GG grandfather, William Rooney died at 22 in 1877 (previously lived at 14 & 24), his widow, Mary Ann Tibbetts went on to marry George Jennings. They were still at 22 in 1881, moving to Sandpits by 1901. Any connection?
 
Astoness said:
hard to believe isnt it lynne....and yes i know which i would prefer too...may not have had much but boy were we happy enough

lyn
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Hi Lyn thanks for the photos which certainly bring back some fond memories. My wife lived at 4 back of 193 and her mother was actually born there circa 1901/2. Mother used to drink in the snug in the pub just up the road but unfortunately it's been too long for Vi to remember the name. She does remember that mother was a dab hand at births and deaths and could always be called on to do the necessary when the time came, that's beside playing the arrcordian when everyone had a drop too much. Happy days.
 
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