• 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

Mitchell's & Butler's Ltd.

Hi, Noticed your post regards the family. I am researching the family in the aim of also making a link with a member in our ancestry. It may be of course a Mitchell I'm looking for but not sure.

Any history you have would be appreciated: The story goes as follows...

Apologies if this gets complex!

Elijah Samuel Tranter b1886 (mother believed to be Jane Tranter 15-17 yrs at the time). Jane was said to have been working within one of the households as a servant of some kind(Mitchell/Butler). We believe Butler? The story goes that one of the sons took advantage and Elijah was born. It is said that he grew up within the Butler/Mitchell family until a grandmother took him back and I believe this would have been around age 4 ish. The condition being that he would no longer be an heir to anything. Elijah told my grandmother (his daughter) that he was taken back still wearing a velvet suit... and was always disgruntled that he had then been brought up in poorer surroundings. Also in later life when I believe Elijah died some of the butler/mitchell family offered to contribute to funeral costs on hearing of his death???

I suppose if you have any records of service (Jane Tranter) or any records of boarders in and around 1886 (Elijah). I would be greatful.

I suppose you know how family histories are and unless you have proof it still remains a story. Believe me I have plenty of stories I'm trying to find fact for!

Many thanks if you can help.
Lindsey Hall
GG Grand daughter (Elijah):)
 
hi Wendy
i was just clarifying really.Yes he was Williams son. William senior lived in Selly Park, his father was a hosiery manufacturer.
i work in Sir Williams house. i love the house and the Butler story.



Dj
Could Sir William be my Elijah Tranters Father? (eligit. birth) b to Jane Tranter later Ryder when she was about 15-17 1886 (said to have been a servant). Elijah was brought up with the family (so say) until about 4 when he was taken back by the Tranters. Ruth Tranter was mother to Jane and was said have brought about a private summons against a son who went abroud for a period to escape??? Again hearsay within the family (my grandmother Elijah's daughter in law). I am assuming it is the elder son otherwise they wouldn't have bothered to bring up a child who wouldn't have been an heir? i.e. Walter his younger brother??? Can you help?
Thanks
Lindsey
 
The Brewing industry has changed completely over the past twenty years,
it is now global, and mainly split between the Yanks and the Belguins.
I remember quite a few famous names in Birmingham, M+Bs Ansells, Dares, Beer at home Davenports, Atkinsons my Dad had shares in all of them!! Its the same in Burton the home beer, whos ever heard of Coors?? not
me. it Bass, Ind Coope, Everards, Trumans, times they are a changing.
Bernard
 
Good morning Astoness,
Yesterday evening I was able to get my two girls off to bed relatively early. Having time to fill in, I thought I'd enjoy myself doing some Microsoft "Painting". I hope you don't mind and approve of the result ..........

B_M_Brewers.JPG


Reinserted 10th January, 2010.
Reinserted 11th October, 2011. db84124
 
Last edited:
That's a lovely improvement on Lyn's great picture. I hope you don't mind I have saved it for my Key Hill Collection as William Butler is buried there.:)
 
brillient improvement and of course i dont mind....it was taken from a very old paper and the quality was not very good at all....

cheers

lyn:)
 
Hi All,

I don't know that part of the Dudley Road near M & B's very well,
but I remember my father in law telling me that M & B was situated at a crossroads, and the companies on all four corners had the initials M and B.
The brewery was on one corner, Marsh and Baxters on another, but I cant
remember the other two. Was it true, and if so, does anyone remember the other two?

Kind regards

Dave
 
As teenagers, my g grandfather William Arnold and his friend Henry Mitchell, use to brew beer in their back gardens as a hobbie in the 1850's.
Henry Mitchell . asked my g grandfather to go into business with him brewing their own beer, but william refused the offer, thinking it a silly idea!!!!
Henry found another friend called William Butler to go into business with .... and the rest is history.....
Today Mitchells & Butlers operates many of the UK’s leading licensed retail brands including Vintage Inns, Toby Carvery, Ember Inns, O'Neill's, All Bar One and Sizzling Pub Co., as well as some of the most famous pubs in Britain. It continues to evolve and develop its estate of pub and pub restaurants to meet the ever more discerning tastes of the British public, ensuring it remains at the forefront of the UK pub industry.

what a silly g grandfather i had??? ;-) :rolleyes:

Not silly at all; he probably prefered drinking Ansells, or Banks'.....I always did think that M&B had been brewed in someone's back yard; and now I've had it confirmed! ;)
 
William Butler was initially a hairdresser apprenticed to his uncle the relationship was not good so he moved to Birmingham. He went to work fo a Mr Stllitoe in his shop on the corner of St Martins place. The shop was three doors down from the Old Crown Inn on Broad Street. When the pub was busy he would go and help out in the bar. At the age of 22 he married the sister in law of the owner after meeting at the pub. The pub owner Mr Owen and his wife provided the means to purchase the London Works Tavern in Smethwick on his wedding day. After nine years he purchased the Old Crown Inn on the retirement of George Owen. Later he joined forces with Henry Mitchell and the rest is history.:)
 
thanks for that info wend...not a lot of people know that...well i didnt anyway:D

lyn:)
 
Hi Clare, have you researched your Grandad, William Arnold?My nephew Nick Harding has a really good job on my Mothers side of our family but I seem to know very little about the Arnolds! Some months ago I was promised some info by Dave but it is still forthcoming Cheers Bernard
 
I think I read it somewhere but typically can't remember where. The Stockland also became a Chinese a couple of years ago but I think the Travellers has been knocked down recently so it won't make the trio!
Bob
 
Yes,the old Stockland Inn is a Chinese restaurant called Modern China. I found out about it from our own Sylvia Sayers on this very web site. On my last visit i went with a friend for lunch. I was very impressed with the place and the food was very good. I took my brother for an evening meal and he liked it very much. He lived in Hong Kong for 15 years and I was confident he would like it. It was a sorry looking place over the last few years but I can remember it when it was in it's hey day with the bowling greens and was more of a local pub.

I also found out from a book that was written about Slade Road School, which a friend loaned to me whilst I was in Brum, that one of the teachers who taught at the school in the early years of the school, used to
reward her students who had done well with tea at her parents farm which was on the site of the Stockland Inn.
 
Hello Wendy
I am William Butler's great great grandson and recently saw your message re the hairdresser in Broad Street where he worked prior to going full time at The Crown. You mentioned a Mr Sillitoe??? Any more info and anything to do re the Butlers, M & B much appreciated. I am visiting Broad Street at the end of April and may go over to Cape Hill which I have been to several times now. Please see my message re Butlers etc.
Very best wishes

Mark Young
 
Hello Mark The info I have is gleaned from books and the web. This I did to collate information on those buried at Key Hill Cemetery. Sorry I don't have any info on Mr Stllitoe the hairdresser but I bet if you ask on the census thread someone will find something. Will you be visiting Williams grave as well?
 
I wonder if back in the 1950s anyone would have predicted that both M&B and Ansells would be but just memories well before the millenium?
 
Hi Bill, Same with Bass, who has ever heard of Coors?? Its all part of big business, and Global
enterprise, names count for nothing,remember BSA, Austin/Rover, even Dunlop, they conquerd the
Fort. I have always said, Its Accountants who rule the world, Bernard
 
Back
Top