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Hope & Anchor pub Edmund St
- Thread starter JillJenk
- Start date
The following is from directories , McKenna’s Central Birmingham Pubs (Vol1) and electoral rolls
The Hope & Anchor opened 1762. Originally it was a two story Georgian house with a bow window in the front .When Ansells took pub over in 1893 the front was remodelled , but inside left as was. It had a Gentlemen Only bar , where councillors and aldermen met to discuss business (whether the term “gentlemen “was suitable for a place of machinations and dubious deals is open to question) . Eli Fletcher, a former alderman, held the licence for more than 34 years, and it was often known as Eli’s. McKenna states that the Fletcher family ran it for over 100 years, but this would not seem to agree with the landlords listed below.
Landlords and known dates (In some early years it is listed as “The Anchor” )
1841-45 William Pugh
1849-52 John Greenhill
1855-79 Thomas Jones
Here Edmund Street was renumbered, and the Hope & Anchor became no 19
1880-83 Thomas Jones
1884 William Britland Jones
1888-92 Henry Cutts
1895-97 Joseph Astle
1899-1903 George W.Webb
1904-21 Walker Fletcher
1950 Eli Walker Fletcher
1955-56 Ian Hurst Burns
The pub is not listed in Kellys directory after 1963, and no licensee is named for 1962-3, but McKenna states that the last licensees were the Wilson’s and that the pub closed the 27 th June 1965 when the (then) new library built.
The electoral rolls also show Eli listed as owning The New Inn , 191 Bromsgrove St in 1930. In 1939 he also owned the Old Red Lion , in the Bull Ring, while living at 95 Nursery Road, Edgebaston, with wife Hettie and Marjorie Patricia Fletcher (daughter?) , Eli disappeared from the electoral roll between 1950 and 1955.
Mike
The Hope & Anchor opened 1762. Originally it was a two story Georgian house with a bow window in the front .When Ansells took pub over in 1893 the front was remodelled , but inside left as was. It had a Gentlemen Only bar , where councillors and aldermen met to discuss business (whether the term “gentlemen “was suitable for a place of machinations and dubious deals is open to question) . Eli Fletcher, a former alderman, held the licence for more than 34 years, and it was often known as Eli’s. McKenna states that the Fletcher family ran it for over 100 years, but this would not seem to agree with the landlords listed below.
Landlords and known dates (In some early years it is listed as “The Anchor” )
1841-45 William Pugh
1849-52 John Greenhill
1855-79 Thomas Jones
Here Edmund Street was renumbered, and the Hope & Anchor became no 19
1880-83 Thomas Jones
1884 William Britland Jones
1888-92 Henry Cutts
1895-97 Joseph Astle
1899-1903 George W.Webb
1904-21 Walker Fletcher
1950 Eli Walker Fletcher
1955-56 Ian Hurst Burns
The pub is not listed in Kellys directory after 1963, and no licensee is named for 1962-3, but McKenna states that the last licensees were the Wilson’s and that the pub closed the 27 th June 1965 when the (then) new library built.
The electoral rolls also show Eli listed as owning The New Inn , 191 Bromsgrove St in 1930. In 1939 he also owned the Old Red Lion , in the Bull Ring, while living at 95 Nursery Road, Edgebaston, with wife Hettie and Marjorie Patricia Fletcher (daughter?) , Eli disappeared from the electoral roll between 1950 and 1955.
Mike
NicolaJane
New Member
Hi Jill. I am the great granddaughter of Eli Fletcher - his daughter was Marjorie Patricia Fletcher, my nan.
Radiorails
master brummie
This photo appears in post 1468 of the Pubs of the Past thread:
Nicola, it seems that Jill has not been here since 2011 so may not see your post. You could try a Private Message through the Forum. Click on Jill's name in her post and try a message to her.
Stewart Ritchie
New Member
Councillor E. W. Fletcher is listed for Hope and Anchor, 19, Edmund Street in the "Licensed Victuallers' Official Annual, 1935". Further research has shown he was councillor for Balsall Heath in 1936.
NicolaJane
New Member
Thank you Stewart. Eli W Fletcher was my Great Grandfather. There was also a street named after him in Birmingham - Fletchers Walk (although this has now gone under the new regeneration of paradise circus) but we have the plaque that was put up.
Stewart Ritchie
New Member
You're welcome Nicola, I am creating a public tree at Ancestry based on individuals in old publications, starting with those that have photographs. The aim being to share these with other researchers.
I'd appreciate it if you'd check my research (you may need the basic 'free' membership with Ancestry to be able to access this link, I think...
Eli Walker Fletcher
I'd appreciate it if you'd check my research (you may need the basic 'free' membership with Ancestry to be able to access this link, I think...
Eli Walker Fletcher
The Hope and Anchor in the 1950s. Good example of modern street lamp in front. Not long before this section of Edmund Street would disappear. Anyone know what was next door, to the right ? Looks like a building needing access to the rear by large vehicles. Viv.
MWS
from Bham
No. 15 is listed next to the Hope & Anchor on the 1950's map and 1940's newspapers give this address as The Electoral Registration Office. Wonder if it is rear access to no. 21 Paradise St which newspapers give the address as City of Bham Electric Supply Department Showrooms.
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Lay-bys ? Guessing. There also used to be cab ranks there at one time. Viv.
Just guessing though, can’t say for sure. Just happen to have seen photos with lots of taxis alongside the Town Hall on that side (and in earlier images, black cabs). There was also once a cabstand/cabman’s hut around the corner in front of the Town Hall on the Paradise Street side (as well as one in Radcliffe Place). I expect once Paradise Street became busier, the cabstand had to go or be moved. Viv.
The 1956 Kellys states that the department of extramural studies was then in the Mason building, so it looks like your wondering was correct
paulinehorton
master brummie
Just shows you how busy it was around there if they needed ‘lavs’. Probably no public ones in the (old Victorian) Library I guess.
Looking at her photographic work and being involved in the grid project it seems more likely now that as she worked near the Council House, she was getting prior notification of pending planning permission for demolition approval.
She photographed some building several times, always from the same viewpoint. I made an assumption that the developers had not got around to demolishing them as yet.
