• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Hockley Provident Dispensary (Birmingham P D)

Jason Ellis

master brummie
I need help please. My great-great grandmother Mary Ann Jones (nee Shepherd) worked as a midwife from at least 1883 to 1901 and was connected with the Hockley Provident Dispensary, 360 Farm Street, Hockley. It later became known as the Birmingham Provident Dispensary. Mary Ann lived right next door to the building at 1 Maldon Place, Hockley.
I know that she was born 1835/6 St St John's Wood, London and married Henry Jones 20 Sep 1864 in Coleshill (where Henry's family were based). She died at 358 Farm Street, Hockley in 1906 of pneumonia. My late grandmother told me that Mary Ann's care for new mothers was particularly valued by the poor around Hockley.
I want to know more about her and the dispensary. Can anybody help with any information please.
 
you may already know but the dispensary building is still standing...below is google street view its the building on the corner...hopefully our map expert will be able to provide a map showing exactly where no 358 was...there should be old photos of the dispensary on the farm street thread.. and i am sure i have seen some info about the dispensary somewhere...i will see if i can locate that for you

lyn

 
Mary Ann Jones is listed in directories as a midwife at 1 Maldon place {later listed as no 358) from the 1883 - 1904 editions. The year is the publication date so it is usually considered to refer to the year before. There is no entry for 1883 or 1908
 
hi mike as you know farm st numbering went up in ones rather than twos so the hockley dispensary was on the corner at no 360 .. i have a photo here clearly showing no 358 to 359 as one large shop building right next to the dispensary.. photo taken in the 50s in shot is only half of the shop signage which says.".something and jones 358 to 359 farm st pawnbrokers drapery and footwear"..the reason i mention this is because i would have thought that where you have marked out no 358 on the map it may in fact have been no 357 with 358 to 359 being to the right of it butted next to the dispensary...just a thought...oh just as an aside this shop in the 60s was run by miss bunch..mom used to insist on getting our shoes from there...here are 2 photos if you zoom into the shop signage it does say number 358 to 359 the other photo is a long view of the shopfarm street..broughs.jpgfarmst2.jpg

lyn
 
Last edited:
The Hockley Provident Dispensary was part of the Provident Dispensary Movement, and was set up in 1878 on bequest of William Sands Cox (1802-1875). Sands Cox was a Birmingham surgeon and one of the founders of original medical school founded 1828, which then became the Birmingham Royal School of Medicine in 1836 and Queen's College in 1843.

William had also bequeathed money to set up dispensaries in Balsall Heath and Nechells, however the way to use the money for Nechells was not decided until 1896 when the Sands Cox Provident Dispensary, Nechells Ward, was set up.

Hockley Provident Dispencary was temporarily in Great Hampton Street and the foundation for the Farm Street Building was laid in May 1881.

OldMohawk’s then and now post...

William Sands Cox (1802-1875)
.

Provident DISPENSARIES
 
It seems to have been around 1900 that the Hockley and Balsall Heath Provident Dispensaries were amalgamated into a larger Birmingham Provident Dispensary.
 
hi mike as you know farm st numbering went up in ones rather than twos so the hockley dispensary was on the corner at no 360 .. i have a photo here clearly showing no 358 to 359 as one large shop building right next to the dispensary.. photo taken in the 50s in shot is only half of the shop signage which says.".something and jones 358 to 359 farm st pawnbrokers drapery and footwear"..the reason i mention this is because i would have thought that where you have marked out no 358 on the map it may in fact have been no 357 with 358 to 359 being to the right of it butted next to the dispensary...just a thought...oh just as an aside this shop in the 60s was run by miss bunch..mom used to insist on getting our shoes from there...here are 2 photos if you zoom into the shop signage it does say number 358 to 359 the other photo is a long view of the shopView attachment 147541View attachment 147542

lyn
Lyn, The dispensary is not numbered on any of the directories, but presumably must have been no 367, as on the other side of the villa st junction is a beer retailer at no 356. The dispensary comprised two parts (both presumably 357), the initial building, shown on the c1889 map, and the later addition (which is a blank area on the map. They are respectively covered by the red and blue lines on the photo below.
dispensary  building farm st 2016 showing original building.jpg

to the left of these would have been 358,359, which were later combined into one shop. The 1883 kellys is a bit confusing, as, due to a printing error it shows villa st coming out on both sides of the dispensary!! However it does show 4 houses to the west of the dispensary, 2 named as 1 & 2 Maldonplace and two others occuoied by a coppersmith and a builder. These correspond to the 4 houses to the west of the dispensary on the map

kellys 1883 around dispensary. farm st.jpg
 
Please note I have altered the title of the thread to show just the name of the Dispensary. I am nmoving it to another section too.

A very interesting thread, thanks Jason.

Viv.
 
Back
Top