www.midlandspubs.co.uk
Pub Historian
This is later Mike. I have a postcard of these properties. The sale was March 1914 and the shop on the left is No.208 occupied here by the fruiterer Ernest Smith.
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Great Russell street
- Thread starter postie
- Start date
www.midlandspubs.co.uk
Pub Historian
It is the St. Matthias' Tavern Lyn
www.midlandspubs.co.uk
Pub Historian
I have this postcard and, being as I am doing a little on Great Russell Street, I looked into this image. The bill posters on the walls of the buildings show the property details for an auction of the row, the sale being held on 27th March 1914. The sale did not mean that the occupiers were moving on. However, they would have to pay rent to a new leaseholder following the sale.
These buildings were back-to-backs so there were 12 households here rather than just the six fronting the street. Lot No.1 was for the lower of the properties on the right of this photograph, numbered 203, 204 and 205. The Lot also included eight houses at the rear, 3 being part of the main block and a further five up the yard, numbered 1-5 back of 204. The annual rental income from all the households amounted to £109.4s. The auction was for a lease of 54 years with a ground rent of £20. Armed with these figures it is possible to calculate how much these would realise at auction based purely on a calculated return-of-investment and an annual income that generated an interest rate more favourable than that offered by a savings account or bank. This is how most investors did their sums and wished to spend as little as possible on repairs and renovations. Consequently, the properties degenerated over the years and was partly responsible for the mass demolition in the 1960s.
Lot No.2 included Nos.206, 207 and 208, on the left of this photograph, along with another eight houses to the rear. The annual rents collected each year for these properties was slightly higher at £111. The term of lease and ground rent was the same as that in Lot 1. No.208 was occupied by the fruiterer Ernest Smith. That is possibly his wife Leah stood on the doorstep. In 1911 this couple lived at No.7 Court 35, which was part of Lot.1 and
would have been one of the houses to the rear of the main block on the right. They had three young sons, Alfred, Samuel and Ernest.
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brilliant info kieron...the 54 year lease falls in nicely with the 1960s demolision...as you say landlords back then were never happy to put their hands in their pockets even for essential repairs...i was bought up in house built around the 1840s which had quite a few problems but cant recall any repairs being done but dad was very handy and we were happy...i do however recall the landlord knocking every week for his rent 
thanks keiron
lyn
thanks keironlyn
www.midlandspubs.co.uk
Pub Historian
Slight amendment .. a later map c.1950s shows Court 35 a bit lower but the 1889 map which is more accurate shows it was in fact the court to the rear of Lot 1. I have edited it accordingly.brilliant info kieron...the 54 year lease falls in nicely with the 1960s demolision...as you say landlords back then were never happy to put their hands in their pockets even for essential repairs...i was bought up in house built around the 1840s which had quite a few problems but cant recall any repairs being done but dad was very handy and we were happy...i do however recall the landlord knocking every week for his rent
lyn
www.midlandspubs.co.uk
Pub Historian
Lyn, you will not be interested in reading all of the page as it is a bit like "Angela's Ashes," but I have linked to the bit where I describe my father collecting the weekly rents at :
Cheers Kieron
www.midlandspubs.co.uk
Pub Historian
here you go dave this is a good one of the compasses pub corner of brearley st/gt russell st dated 1961
lyn
PEDANT ALERT : This is a Brearley Street pub!
www.midlandspubs.co.uk
Pub Historian
MURDER to the rear of the buildings on the left. See : https://www.midlandspubs.co.uk/birmingham/great-russell-street/index.html#Court-36
just going to read it KLyn, you will not be interested in reading all of the page as it is a bit like "Angela's Ashes," but I have linked to the bit where I describe my father collecting the weekly rents at :
Cheers Kieron
thanks
www.midlandspubs.co.uk
Pub Historian
I was only teasing! A lot of these corner pubs often had two addresses. However, the Compasses was generally listed in Brearley Street as in this 1947 TD entry :
www.midlandspubs.co.uk
Pub Historian
www.midlandspubs.co.uk
Pub Historian
Love this pic. Details of the shop can be found at : https://www.midlandspubs.co.uk/birmingham/great-russell-street/index.html#Chip-Shop but if you have memories please post.
brummy-lad
master brummie
brummy-lad
master brummie
I don't know if you have a map, but this is the house.
Attachments
Jayell
master brummie
Hi John - would you be able to show Court 26 in Gt Russell Street on that map? My 2 x Gt.Grandparents lived there from about 1851 until after 1871. Fingers crossed!
Thanks Judy
brummy-lad
master brummie
This is the only image I can find unfortunately.
Attachments
brummy-lad
master brummie
Hi Judy,
I think I have located it but the numbering is very small, just need to check it against the census, can you give me a name for a look-up please.
brummy-lad
master brummie
Had to go to an 1890 map to find it, not showing on the 1950s map.
Attachments
brummy-lad
master brummie
Yes, the images in post #171 are correct then.
Jayell
master brummie
Wonderful! Thank you John. It is great to see where the Court was. It looks as though Courts 26 and 27 were combined. I never knew exactly where it was before!! Much appreciated.
Judy
That's brilliant thankyou. I've been digging around as I've been given a box with my mom's birth certificate and marriage certificate and have addresses from which I can begin to piece some history together. Sadly mom died in 1985, but dad is still with us. Alive and kicking is how he'd describe himself!
brummy-lad
master brummie
This post is in reply to a query by member Turner64. Hi Paul, I have attached 1890 and 1950s map, I'm not convinced that there was a back of 86, 2 house, No. 86 as you say was 'Justice Inn'. Looking at censuses for 1881, 1891 & 1901 there are no back houses mentioned, looking at the map the buildings behind No. 86 do not appear to be typical houses, unless it was a private arrangement with the pub landlord to rent part of the pub but in that case they would still have to appear on the census.
Is there a possibility (given the style of handwriting) that it is '36' and not '86' ?
Incidentally, there were numerous Hill families in Gt. Russell Street including another Joseph at 9 house Court 38 (1911) but his wife's name was Martha.
Is there a possibility (given the style of handwriting) that it is '36' and not '86' ?
Incidentally, there were numerous Hill families in Gt. Russell Street including another Joseph at 9 house Court 38 (1911) but his wife's name was Martha.
Attachments
Hi John, thank you for the maps. No the baptism record is very clearly “ back of 86 2 house” and this Joesph Hill was married to Mary Ann Hill
Paul
brummy-lad
master brummie
It's difficult to imagine 2 houses at the back of Justice Inn unless they were actually part of the pub, perhaps other members can throw some light on this.
I agree it’s difficult to imagine. I’ve sat staring at the map trying to work out any computations that might possibly fit the record.
