Heath Green House

[Pimpernel]

Hi everyone, I wonder if anyone can help, I couldn't find anything in the archives on this.
One branch of my family lived on the Dudley Road in Smethwick throughout the 1840's, the 1851 census shows them in a property next in the schedule to a "Heath Green House". I assume this would have been close to present day Heath Green Road.

I wondered what records/images of the area might have survived? I can't find a mid 19C map of the area, the early maps of Birmingham don't cover Smethwick. As it was clearly a separate town is there a history of the area? What are the earliest photo's of Dudley Road?

 

[MWS]

Here's an 1881 map...

https://maps.nls.uk/view/101597708

 

[mikejee]

Pimpernel
Below is a map c 1890 (probably surveyed about 1884) showing Heath Green House in Red

 

[mikejee]

On the map, the house nearest to Heath green on the right is Summerfield House, which , in 1862 is listed as the house of Robert L chance, of Chance Bros the glass firm. the house nearest on the left is called Beckencliff, but haven't found an occupant of that yet.

 

[rosie]

I didn't know Dudley Rd. was ever classed as Smethwick? The Birmingham /Smethwick border is at the bottom of Cape Hill now, where it joins Dudley Rd. My Mom was born just over the border in Grove Lane but she always thought of herself as a "Brummie"!!
rosie.

 

[Pimpernel]

Thank you everyone, this is exactly what I was looking for! Heath Green House seems quite a substantial building on these maps, with surrounding grounds, though the 1851 census only appears to list one small family there. As my ancestor Thomas Griffin worked as a servant, then gardener perhaps he worked there. Lots to think about!

Is the Dudley Road not Smethwick? I'm sorry if I was under a misunderstanding, I'm not familiar with the area at all, but my G-Grandfather John Griffin was born on the Dudley Road in 1847 and stated on subsequent censuses his birthplace as Smethwick, so, as the area is outside maps of Birmingham I'd seen from the time I naturally assumed!

 

[MWS]

Here's a map of the proposed boundary changes to Birmingham 1885. The double lines are the boundaries and the red are the extensions so in 1885 the border was exactly where Rosie said it was even then. Not sure if it'd changed since 1847.

https://www.londonancestor.com/maps/bc-birm-w-th.htm

 

[mikejee]

I do not immediately have the early borders to hand, but Dix's 1858 directory shows R.L.Chance at Summerfield House separately from the main Birmingham directory under Smethwick. Dudley road is nor listed at all in the Birmingham section of the directory.
The 1867 Post Office directory does show Dudley road under Birmingham

 

[pjmburns]

On the 1851 census - Thomas Griffin (gentleman's servant) is listed as just Dudley Road. Charles Cope is listed at Heath Green House. He was a brass founder.

Janice

 

[Pimpernel]

Could there have been a boundary change between 1858 and 1867 then? Surely there would be records in that case.

 

[mikejee]

I note that for census purposes it is listed s Birmingham all Saints

 

[Pimpernel]

There's an interesting feature about the decline of Dudley Road in the Birmingham mail https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/local-news/decline-dudley-road-birminghams-original-3916264 Both the pubs mentioned seem to be at the city end of the road, by the hospital. I wonder at what point in the 19th Century the road became such a hub, and how far this 'golden mile' stretched toward Smethwick in 1851.

Dudley Road was the first property occupied by my Griffin ancestors when they moved to Birmingham from Worcestershire in the late 1840's, so I'm just trying to get a picture of what they would have found there, I assume the area wouldn't have been as developed as later in the 19thC.