• 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

Percy Shurmer

phil. i will be honest here. when i first saw the thread entitled percy shurmer i thought to my self who was he? footballer -singer -famous shopkeeper? i was gobsmacked when i read that he was an MP. cant imagine todays MPs drumming up support in percy fashion. wales.
 
Wales,

Percy was a "one of" and I don't think he will ever be repeated.

Phil
 
i echo your sentiments phil. what hope he must have given folk in such hard times. must ask mom and dad to recall their accounts of him. im sure they must have some. wales.
 
As a boy I lived at 61 Kyotts Lake Road,Sparkbrook from 1946,when I was 8, until 1953 and went to Christ Church School on Stratford Road until I was 11.Percy Shurmer,s Christmas party at the town hall was the highlight of the year and I went to several of them,what a fabulous time we had.We were the poorest of the poor,but Percy had a smile and a kind word for everyone.A truly wonderful man who should never be forgotten.I got plenty of his hobnail boots as well,collected from the dungeons at Digbeth Police Station.
 
Who said that only pop stars got mobbed by teenagers. Here's our Percy outside the House of Commons in 1956 being mobbed by autograph hunters.

Phil

Percy Shurmer outside Parliment 1956.jpg
 
Last edited:
At last something is being done to honour this great son of Birmingham, Plans are afoot to unveil a blue plaque honouring the man and his deeds at the school that was named after him in Balsall Heath.

All I can say is about time, details are in this article I have borrowed from todays edition of the Birmingham Mail. If you open the original and enlarge it you should be able to read it.

Phil

Percy Reunion .jpg
 
Last edited:
Phil, thanks for posting that bit of news.

Being (poor) kids from Sparkbrook, I lived there right through Percy's reign 1944-1959, we knew all about Percy and we went round the streets chanting his election song, "vote, vote, vote for Percy Shermer..." and although my mother always voted for him, we never seemed to get an invite for his Christmas party. I think that my mother didn't let us go as she was a very proud person and looked upon the help he offered as charity.

Graham.
 
graham...you may like this one...percy meets the birmingham tigers...1951...its great to hear that at long last he is being recognised....

lyn

pic courtesy of carl chinn birmingham lives
 
Lyn

This is a long awaited official recognition of what the people of Balsall Heath, Sparkbrook and Highgate already knew. Percy was a great champion of the working class and I don't think even his political opponents would deny that.

Phil
 
phil..like i said in my 1st post i did not know who percy was but have taken the time to read up a bit on him..he just seemed to me to be an honest genuine guy who did all he could to ease bad times for folk...he also got out and about to meet the people and children...ive seen pics of the childrens parties he organised and the look on the kids faces says it all....if we are informed of the date of unveiling i shall make it my business to go along to it....its also nice to have a bit of good news..

lyn
 
graham...you may like this one...percy meets the birmingham tigers...1951...its great to hear that at long last he is being recognised....

lyn

pic courtesy of carl chinn birmingham lives

Lyn, thanks for the photo.

My sister remembers hanging out in the 50's with dirt track cyclists from the bomb site in Alfred Street/Stoney Lane, Sparkbrook. Also reminded me of the time in the 50's when I bought a pair of those 'cow horn' dirt track handlebars from Roger's Cycles on Stoney Lane and bent them into a shape so that I could ride in a 'Superman' position enabling me to cruise at 30 mph! That position on the bike was only first adopted in the 70's and caused many world records to tumble. In 2000 that bike position was banned and said to be unfair!

And you're quite right Percy's recognition has long been overdue. I'm sure you'll get some photos of the event and keep us posted on BHF?

Graham.
 
Lyn

The unveiling of the plaque is on June 5th this year. The 50th anniversary of Percy's death. It will be at The Percy Shurmer School , Sherbourne Rd Balsall Heath.

Phil
 
lol graham... i can just imagine you bending the handlebars...glad you liked the pic.....

phil...thanks for the info of the unveiling day...ive noted that down in my diary and will do my utmost to be there on the day armed with me camera....i am asumming that the general public are allowed but i think i will make enquires and let you know just in case any other members may want to go along...

lyn
 
Great and long overdue news!
I have noted the date and hope to make the journey.
I can see some Forum members being able to put faces to names - if we get some sort of free and simple badges.
Ted
 
I hope nobody minds If I post this little tribute to Percy Shurmer. I do this because some time ago I tried to use the internet to find out some facts about his life and his times as a Councillor and M.P. for Sparkbrook and Birmingham South. I thought with such a well known Brummie it will be no problem. That is when my problem started I could find very few facts about him anywhere. Put his name into a search engine and it will throw up schools and parks named after him but nothing about the man himself. My next step was to get in touch with the library. No books have been written about him or were written by him.

The facts and items that are recorded here are just a few that I have been able to turn up from newspaper articles, this site and various books where he is mentioned. As I am no historian and no writer please forgive me if any of the facts are wrong as I didn’t check too deeply into anything. I thought it more important to get something down on papers so others looking for information may have a starting point. If anybody has any further information about (in my opinion) this great man, then please by all means add it to this.

Carl Chinn says in one of his books that in his opinion a statue of the man should be erected on the large traffic island at the head of Belgrave Road and Highgate Middleway as this is nearest you can now get to Percy’s once home. I can not agree more.

I do this also because Percy was a friend of my grandfather and he often popped round to see him. They had gone to school together and they were both called Percy. There are still certain facts I am unable to find. One of the main ones is I am unable to find where he was buried So if anyone who reads this knows please add the location. In fact please add any information or recollections that you may have.

I have decided to post now without managing to find everything I would have wished to find about this great local man, because I have just received a PM from a member of this forum who is having a similar problem to what I had in sourcing information.



Percy Shurmer MP Sparkbrook 1945-1959.

A much loved local man of the people and a man who was often described as a little man with a big heart.

Percy Lionel Edward Shurmer Was born in 1888 in Cheltenham his father Edward was a master tailor.
The family moved to Birmingham when Percy was quite young. He was educated at St AlbansSchool Highgate 1893 to 1895 and then St Pauls Worcester 1895 to 1901. As Balsall Heath was then part of Worcester I assume that this school was St Pauls,Vincent Street, Balsall Heath.

He was apprenticed into the merchant navy from1903 to 1912. He married in 1908 to Maud Taylor ,He started work for the Post Office telephone department in 1912 as an engineer. He served with the Birmingham Territorial’s during WW1, gassed and wounded in 1917 he was disabled and honourably discharged in 1919. He stood for election to BirminghamCity Council in 1921 and was elected . Later in 1926 for his part in the General Strike he was sacked from the Post Office due to the fact he was arrested and fined £10.00 for making an inflammatory speech.

During his years on the Council he served on many committee’s, The Markets & Fairs committee, The Public Assistance Committee, The Asylums Committee, The War Pensions Committee, The General Committee. He was also chairman of The Old Age Pensions Committee and The Emigration Committee.

He was often called the miskin king because of his campaign against landlords who instead of providing rubbish bins just erected a lean to shed like structure in back yards adjacent to the outside toilets and wash houses and all the rubbish from the houses was just dumped in these. He was often know to attack these miskins and demolish them.

During his years in office he fought tirelessly for the lower classes, never forgetting his working class upbringing and never moving from his home at 140 Belgrave Road. Every year he would hold a Christmas party at the Town Hall for up to a 1000 under privileged children, he also the prime mover in starting a fund to provide hobnail boots for those children who needed shoes, these children became known a Percy’s Sparrows. Another of his well known campaigns was having the automaton clock depicting The Earl & Countess of Warwick along with two other figures that used to be located in Birmingham Imperial Arcade Dale End moved to The Market Hall in the Old Bull ring. He eventually got this clock that was made by Potts & Sons of Leeds in 1883 moved into its new site above the market hall office in 1936 from then on it was known as Percy’s Clock. It was destroyed in the Bombing in 1940. He unsuccessfully tried to start another campaign after WWII saying as the Germans had destroyed it they should make us a new one.

In 1945 he stood as a labour candidate for Sparkbrook and won the seat from Leo Amery a Conservative government minister even then Percy remained on the Council as an Alderman. Percy won a three further elections one in 1950 one in 1951 and a further one in 1955.

During election campaigns Percy was well known for marching round the streets of Birmingham proceeded by his band The Saint Martins and Deritend Girls Band who would be dressed in their black and yellow uniforms and generally followed by a troop of children singing vote, vote, vote for Percy Shurmer. He’s the best man in the land.

Being small in stature he would often carry with him a chair or a stool to stand on to address the crowd when the procession stopped. His favourite place for speech making was Dymoke Street Highgate.
Percy was a powerful and charismatic speechmaker and could enthral a crowd he would often start a speech with one of his favourite openings “ Lets not lie to ourselves” or “Lets not try to fool ourselves”. Whenever he started to speak a crowd would soon gather to listen, they stood spellbound listening to every word.

Often the police would arrest him and drag him of to the local police station. If he didn’t get arrested and dragged off he would finish his address jump down and circulate amongst the crowd shaking hands and talking to old friends.

Throughout his years in politics Council and Government Percy never ceased to fight for the betterment of the working class the people that he belonged to. He fought for the replacement of miskins with proper bins, he campaigned for the old cooking ranges to be replaced by gas stoves, he got gas lighting in each terrace yard. He raised money for the Mariners Benevolent Society, Yardley Green Sanatorium, and not forgetting his sparrows days out.
Percy was a peoples champion all his life, which ended in 1959. On the day of his funeral the 4th of June 1959 the streets were lined with people from the town centre to his house at 140 Belgrave Road. The nearer his house the thicker the crowds all in all a sad day for Birmingham..

I have been unable to find where he was laid to rest, but I have to agree with Carl Chinn that a statue or monument should be erected to his memory.

When I wrote my piece on Percy, at the time I stated that I had been unable to ascertain the place where he was laid to rest. Since that date his Grandson Anthony has furnished me with some further information.

Percy was cremated on the 4th of June 1959 at Lodge Hill crematorium, Selly Oak. His ashes were scattered in the Gardens of Rest in the middle of section 1ETS.

I have thanked Anthony for his help on behalf of all those that the information he has given may be of interest.

I would also like to add that in my own humble opinion it will be a long time before Birmingham can boast another MP of Percy's stature and calibre.
i am percy shurmer great grandson my name is christopher shurmer and im
interested in percy shurmers school and the forth coming celebration of
fifty years i have a brother and two sisters all shurmers also i would like to
get some information about tony shurmer
 
Since writing my last piece, Percy Shurmer’s maternal grandson Anthony has been kind enough to contact me. He lives in Wales, and he has been kind enough to send me a couple of photo’s of Percy.

The first one is from 1945 just after he became MP for Birmingham Sparkbrook. He is seen walking along with Nye Bevan , Anthony tells me that the young chap at the rear of them in the middle is Roy Jenkins. If I am honest I will admit that I didn’t recognise him. Anthony apologises for the poor quality of this photo, I’m sure he probably doesn’t realise how rare they are. The second looks like a standard publicity handout photo, but still gratefully received.

Anthony also tells me that his daughter is in the process of writing a book, So when it comes out be sure to get a copy because it will be the first. I know that I will be first in the queue.

pmc1947
hi my name is christopher shurmer im percy shurmer great grandson and would
like to get in touch with tony shurmer who must be a relation i have never met
i would like to attend the 50th celebration at percy shurmer school if you can
help
 
Hi Christopher

If you would like to PM me with your email address I will pass it on to Tony Hazell, who is Percy's maternal grandson, and must be your cousin. I'm sure that he will let you know evertyhing you need to know.

Phil
 
hi christopher and i think i speak for all on this forum when i say you are most welcome.....your gt grandad percy was a great man...the kindness that he granted the folk of birmingham is something i have never heard of before from any mp and i doubt if we will ever see his likes again.....he was most formidable in the fact that he stood no nonsense and if he saw a wrong he would do his utmost to right it....you must be so very proud of his acheivements throughout his life..as i have said in my previous post i will be attending the unveiling of a plaque in honour of him..its been a long time coming...could you say if you yourself will also be there....

kind regards

astoness
 
yes i will be attending my email address is
would love to get in touch with tony
to find out more about the family connection i think his dad was john
who was my father cecil brother also would like more details about
the date and time for the 50th celebration thanks brumeys lad
 
hi christopher...the date is the 5th of june at the percy shurmer school...sherbourne road..balsall heath...the time i do not know so i will make enquires and inform you....i think phil will be helping you with your other enquires......

astoness.
 
Back
Top