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Hallam's Provisions, Soho Road, Handsworth

B

Brett

Guest
I have an envelope addressed to George HALLAM, Provision Merchant at this address, which was among the possessions of my gg-grandfather Henry PAYNE (1842-1907). On the reverse of the envelope was written 12 Oakland Terrace.

I have tracked down the HALLAM family through various census records, which shows that George was a grocer at this address at least in 1891 and 1901. In 1881 he was working as a Jeweller Setter at Kings Norton.

According to Dave Ogden (1998), Hallam's Provisions was situated near the junction between the Holyhead & Soho Roads, and the row of houses at Oakland Terrace was demolished some time after WW1 to make way for the Regal Petrol & Filling Station. He also said that until the early 1960s, all that was left was a horse block used for unloading transport.

I'd be very grateful for any information about either this family or the the shop and/or row of houses. A contemporary photo would be great, and I'd love to find out what happened to the HALLAMs. My gg-uncle Hallam and subsequently my brother probably owe their names to this man, and I'd like to find out what the connection actually was.

Regards and best wishes,

Brett Payne
Tauranga, New Zealand
[email protected]
 
Hallams Provisions

Brett............I will make enquires locally, to the information you are after.
I certainly can take a contemporary photo for you, but i may need more information to the exact location, if you have it.
Presently, Soho Road and Holyhead Road merge, as I assume they did in the late 19th/early 20th centuaries.......but did they merge at the same point as they do now??
If you.....or anyone else has an old map, or more details, it would be helpful to pinpoint the area. The only early maps I have, are of the farms in the area and bus routes.
Give me a few days......and I will investigate for you.
PaulJ or Rob Lowe may add to this when they see it.
Not that I'm suggesting that they were around at that time , you understand :oops:
Maybe you could write a piece for the Handsworth site, send to John or Rod, and include both pics? :D
 
Sue, travelling towards W. Bromwich, the place is on the right, a short distance passed Rookery Road. I think there's still a petrol station there. I believe the actual terrace (small road) leads to the Oaklands playing fields. (Or has the new fire station been built on them?) :?:

A note of caution: If you're in that area on your own with an expensive camera, be careful. There are a lot of neredowells who hang around there - sad but true, I'm afraid.
 
Thanks Paul for your concern..........I traverse the area many times a day, I will be sensible and careful........as I tend to be anywhere nowadays. :( Its the times we live in. I'm usually up at an hour that only the birds will recognise :wink:
Is it near what used to be Hudsons funeral parlour?
Is it directly opposite what used to be The Regal?
I think The Oaklands still exists.........although you are right the new fire station will have used some of the ground to the rear of Soho Road.
 
Hallam's Provisions

Dear Sue & Paul,

Thank you very much for you responses to my query, and apologies for the delay in picking up on them. I have further information regarding the location of Hallam's Provisions, which relates to an old one inch OS map of the area. I will scan a segment of this map and post the description shortly. I appreciate your kindness in offering to take a photo for me.

Regards and best wishes,

Brett Payne
Tauranga, NZ
 
Dear Sue & Paul,

Here is the image that I promised, taken from the David & Charles reprint of the 1834 one inch to the mile map of Lichfield & Birmingham:

https://www.freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~brett/payne/sohoroad.gif[img/]

The description supplied by Dave Ogden was as follows:
"The Holyhead Rd/Soho Rd is the large one that runs across the page. The section that you want is the bit between New Inn and the next road to run north (which is Rookery Rd and goes north towards Wilks Green). As you come down the Holyhead Rd (as it is there) from the New Inn past a No. 3 on the north side you'll see two field squares marked with buildings towards the rear. The first one that you come to is Oakland Terrace. Virtually opposite the second square is a road joining onto the main road, this is Booth St and marks the junction between Soho Rd and Holyhead Rd. You can just make out a building on what is now Soho Rd on the north side of this junction, and that was the building which housed Hallam's Provisions."

I don't suppose there's a chance of ever finding an old photo of this stretch of the road, including Hallam's Provisions? :wink:

Regards and best wishes,

Brett Payne
Tauranga, NZ :wink:
 
try again

Sorry I thought I was showing the image in the window. Let me try again:

sohoroad.gif
 
Sorry didn't answer part of your original question. Yes, of course I'd be happy to write something up on this family and the shop if and when I get more information.

Regards and best wishes,

Brett
 
MISSION COMPLETE

I have taken some contemporary pics of the area, so just let me know how to get them to u.......or if you do a piece on Hallams Provisions, for the Handsworth Site......we can both send our bits seperately to John or Rod and they will amalgermate them I'm sure. :D
 
I survived unscathed........I took my friend along.........she scares 'ME' half to death, so I knew I'd be reasonably safe :lol: I have taken pics along both sides of Oaklands Road....hope i have the correct area :?
 
Hallams Provisions, Soho Road

Dear Sue,

Thanks very much indeed for the selection of photos of this area. They do indeed help a great deal to get a sense of the buildings, even though things have obviously changed a great deal in the last century. Your help - and bravery - really is appreciated.

I still feel that I need quite a bit more about this family, before I can consider writing up the story for the site, but I won't forget.

Regards and best wishes, from a very cold and windy New Zealand day,

Brett
 
Hallams

In Kellys 1897 Directory, there is a refernce to Hallam George, grocer, 338 Soho Road. this would be in the vicinity of the photos I sent you. I will pop into the local library, when I get 5, and see if they have any info :D
 
Directory Entry for George Hallam

Dear Sue,

Once again, thank you for the lookup. That fits in well with the two census entries that I have for him at this address, the 1891 and 1901. I am particularly interested in finding out what happened to the family after 1901, so any directory entries or other info for the post-1901 period would be wonderful.

Funnily enough, I was just looking at your photos again when the notification of your posting arrived. I get the feeling, from your message accompanying the photos, that you were under the impression that I have an old photo of Hallam's Provisions, with which I was hoping to compare the new ones. Sorry, but that's not actually the case. Anyway, they are very interesting.

Regards and best wishes,

Brett
 
The mystery surrounding Hallams Provisions continues..........as I also have a listing on Rookery Road, a Road that still exists now. I think that Oaklands Terrace connected Soho Road to Rookery Road, and may well still do, in a sort of fashion. I will look in Kellys 1915 for you, regarding the business side of it.
:D and I did think that you had an older photo of the business........but having re read the posts myself, I realise it was my mistake, I misread what YOU were saying :oops: It seems my antennae let me down
 
Dear Sue,

Thanks again - I'd be interested to know the date of that Rookery Road directory entry. Also, was there a number provided?

Regards and best wishes,

Brett
 
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