Nonsuch Farm

[Local History]

Thank you so much for the photos. My mother lived here for a few years from late 1920's to early 1930's when she was a young girl and has often spoken about the farm She will be thrilled to see them

WOW. would you/your mum like to provide the Bartley Green History Group with some of her memories? She would have been at the farm when the Thatchers were there (I think).

 

[Chilly]

Hi, mom is 88 now and not in the best of health , her memory can be a little on the vague side at times so not really sure she would be very reliable lol. I assumed from what she had said that my grandad may have preceded the Thatchers but that's only my opinion. The only other person who knew any thing about this was her aunt who often stayed with them who was the youngest sister of mom' s mother. She is now 98 so her memories are even more vague than mom's. I will try to talk to mom to see what , if any , information she may have and let you know .

 

[Local History]

[QUOTE I will try to talk to mom to see what , if any , information she may have and let you know .[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the reply, it was Alfred PEART who had the farm before the Thatchers.

 

[Chilly]

Hi the name Alfred Peart means nothing to me, my maternal grandfather was Thomas Brown. Have been trying to talk to mom about the farm , the only thing she knows definitely was that they were there during the snow of February 1932 because she remembers stories of how they had to use the horse drawn sledge to get to the church for her brothers christening. She is sure they left before her sister was born in January 1934. This should put the period they were there between 1929 and 1932/33. She has memories of the ducks on the pond at the back and obviously lots of horses as that was what her father business.

 

[Local History]

[QUOTE=". She has memories of the ducks on the pond at the back and obviously lots of horses as that was what her father business.[/QUOTE]
Have looked through our files. Thomas William & Alice Lorna Brown were on the Electoral Roll at Nonsuch Farm for 1930, previous to that a Daniels family and afterwards the Thatchers in 1933'4. I cannot find a baptism record for the brother at either St Michael & All Angels, California Chapel and St. Laurence, Northfield. I am assuming your uncle was named Kenneth, his birth registration was Birmingham North as was his sisters. It could be he was baptised at a church that we don't cover. The memory of ducks on the pond and horses is a welcome addition to our knowledge of the farm - many thanks. Maureen

 

[Chilly]

Hi yes Thomas and Alice were my maternal grandparents , Phyllis is my mother and Dorothy was the youngest daughter. Both Kenny and Dorothy died some years ago. I think Kenny was baptised at the church my grandparents were married at. My maternal great grandparents lived in Winson Green in Villier Street opposite the prison so I assume a church local to there would have been a likely setting. I think they used the sledge to get to Harborne to catch the tram for the rest of the journey. If any further details do come I will pass these on . Thanks for the details about the electoral register. Caroline

 

[BrumBum]

Bostin’ pics Mike, ta for sharing. Good en of the old Farmhouse, if a little skew-whiff! Whilst the other with everyone sitting on the wagon’s a real boster!!

Anyroad, thought I’d add this copy of the old nineteenth-century Ordnance Survey map to things, showing Nonsuch Farm more or less on the doorstep of all the brickworks at California:

Mind not many folk say California these days, which is sad, as I’m one who’s all for keepin’ the old names alive! Still, I’ve been rackin’ me mind tryin’ t’recall if there was ever any actual area signs for the district? I thought there were, but the more I think about it I en’t so sure – anyone out there remember?

I can't recall if there were any area signs for California, but as kids we would set out for 'Cally Dumps' by walking across planted fields (always sticking to the path of course). From memory, if you went one way from Cally Dumps you would arrive on Quinton Road West, another way Bartley Green, another way Selly Oak and the other way War Lane Harborne. Just across the road from Cally Dumps was some open land with a sizeable pond. We used to float planks across the pond and walk on them to get from side to side. You had to be quick and you had to be light, otherwise you got a ducking. Looking back it was dangerous, because not all of us could swim. Oh to be young. I bet those fields and farms are long gone.

 

[paul stacey]

This map does not show the "claypits", down, "Barns Hill", Weoley Castle, where the "California", pub was.? Paul

 

[Student]

John,
I am speechless. After 10 years we finally get to see what the farm looked like! Before I forget I found paperwork relating to that old friend - he said "that he used to play football with a lad called Sid Thatcher whose family ran a farm. Sid went to George Dixon's School". Jim was born in York Street, Harborne.
We only have a snapshot of the farm taken from the back garden of one of the houses in Stonehouse Lane and can just about see the roof of either the house or one of the buildings. We have an Open Evening on the 7th October at King Edwards School in Scotland Lane (Nailmaking) and will show the photo around. There is another who used to collect eggs from there in the 60s so it would be worth our while emailing him a copy to ask the question. What does look promising is the tree in the front garden. Some residents did say that the tree grew so big that they couldn't open the front door and the tree is still there behind the shop on the Woodgate Valley estate.
Will look forward to seeing the other photos you have. I will put your name on the photos as the holder of the originals. We can't thank you enough for sharing your photo album with us.
Regards
Maureen