• 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

Parish Church Selly Hill Birmingham

tattybags

Brummie babby
Hi, I am researching my family tree and have recently found the only remaining (I think) photograph of my grandparents wedding. I wanted to know where they married so sent for a copy of their marriage certificate. To start with I was disappointed that I didn't get a copy of the actual certificate, I was hoping to see their actual signatures but maybe that's not possible. Perhaps someone may know the answer to that. They were married on 2nd August 1913 at "The Parish Church" in the Parish of Selly Hill, in the County of Worcester. I have no idea where this church was or is now and I wondered if anyone could help. The address they were living at, at the time of the wedding (were they living together I wonder?) was 55 Pershore Road but I think that there is now a petrol station there. Has anyone got any photographs of either the church or 55 Pershore Road. Would be so lovely to see them. My g.parents were Arthur Hawker and Marion Jessie Fray. Also I don't think my granddad went to war. Would he have been in a reserved occupation - he worked at Bellis and Morcom Engineering Works Icknield Park Road. Sorry so many questions. I am new to this and intended to start a new thread but I'm not sure I have actually done that - sorry if I have done something wrong!
 
St. Stephen,is the Parish Church at the junction of Serpentine Rd. & Selly Park Rd, Selly Park, Birmingham. Register Copies available Christenings 1871-1980 Marriages 1881-1969 Birmingham Central Library .
 
Thankyou so much for your reply it was very helpful. I couldn't envisage that area at all and I am now going down to have a look. May get back to you again Chris
 
Thankyou, that is really fascinating, and what a small world. All the help I am getting from this site is really going to aid in my research into this side of my family which up until now has been rather neglected, thankyou once again for taking the trouble to reply......Tattybags
 
I presume that you are already aware that Marion was a "Chocolate Creme " Runner at Cadbury's and prior to her marriage lived at 119 Heeley Road Selly Oak with her parents Charles and Elizabeth (nee Hudson)?
55 Pershore Road was occupied by the Bentley family, in 1911 and2 of the younger occupants also worked at Cadbury's.
(Pershore Rd had undergone some renumbering by 1920 and 55 became 1118)
 
Hi again,Thanks for that info you have really been busy. I had already got all the info off the 1911 census and discovered that she worked at Cadbury's. Actually I emailed Cadbury's and explained what I was doing and asked if they had any photographs of the working conditions at the time Marion was there. Not only did they do that but they searched their records and even found her work record card for me. It showed all the depts. she had worked in and what dates, it also had some of her writing on it where she had completed her name and address etc. and the Hospital Saturday Fund form that she had filled in. I was amazed. Now - I didn't know however who lived at 55 Pershore Road because I have never found out how to reverse the search process on the census and search for an address instead of a name. If that is how you found that out I would be really grateful for your help with how to do that. Also the re-numbering of the house is very useful and that gives me more info to look at. I really must that you for your help it's so exciting to find out a new bit of info even if it just a snippet. Bye the way I looked up St Stephens church on Google Earth and found out what a pretty little church it is, I really hope they got married there.
 
The other church near there is St Edwards, a Roman Catholic Church. Perhaps they had to give the Pershore Road address to marry in the Selly Hill Parish? Heeley Road may have come under St Mary's in Selly Oak and they preferred St Stephen's. Copies of the registers for St Stephen's are held at the Central Library. It may be worth a visit when that section re-opens? I used FMP to search address, then Electoral Rolls from 1912 onwards to see number change, using neighbours names as well just to confirm it as best I could! Glad to have helped, it's my "local" area!
 
hi ladylinda ;
How are you keeping fine i hope ;on the subjects of churches do you know the name of the little church down the right hand side of lodge hill cemetry
it is a very little chapel i beleive it faces the cemetry grave yar ; i am told they hopld spirityal meeting there would you know any think about it
and whether or not its still being used for such meeting as i am very much intrested intrying this out
best wishes Astonian; ;
 
Harbourne Christian Spiritualist Church
144-146 Weoley Park Road
Harborne
B29 5HA
Tel: 0121 427 4219
 
Last edited:
Good morning carolina ;
Any thanks for your help and for your replying to my request about the church i will contact them today
as i have heard so much about this little church
have your self a nice day best wishs Astonian;; Alan;;
 
To start with I was disappointed that I didn't get a copy of the actual certificate, I was hoping to see their actual signatures but maybe that's not possible.

To answer that part of your question: you must have ordered the certificate from the General Register Office (GRO). The GRO's registers are transcripts and don't bear the original signatures (or X marks). If you spash out another 9 quid and re-order from Birmingham Register Office you'll get a certificate with the original signatures on. See: <https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/cs/Satellite?c=Page&childpagename=SystemAdmin%2FCFPageLayout&cid=1223092615075&packedargs=website%3D4&pagename=BCC%2FCommon%2FWrapper%2FCFWrapper&rendermode=live>
HTH - Andrew
 
Back
Top