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Public Office Moor Street

Vivienne14

Vivienne14

Kentish Brummie Moderator
Staff member
The site of Moor Street Station had a very different purpose before the arrival of the railways. The Public Office was built in Moor Street in 1806 as a meeting room and court room. Prisoners were brought from Peck Lane to the court for trial. A holding prison was needed so one was built in 1830. Peck Lane Prison was eventually demolished in 1854. The holding prison was either built at the back of the Public Building or below ground level.

To add a bit of local colour, I'm attaching details of the trial of Alfred Napier Blanchard. It begs the question of why on earth anybody would want to admit to being Jack the Ripper? I just cannot imagine! Viv.

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Engraving by William Emans 1829.
 
Viv, thats a really interesting piece - can you imagine the uproar today if a judge said the same thing to a prisoner - they would want the judge arrested lol!
Sue
 
Lol Sue! It seems to have been a bit of a flimsy affair all round. But I bet the prisoner was truly relieved at the outcome. Viv.
 
Viv
do you mean the print was of the Offfice in 1806, as photography wasn't invented till around 1840
806?
 
Oops. Thanks Mike. Will have to check out the dates. Meanwhile I've edited the post. Viv.
 
A bit more info and a picture of the stocks from the Public Office yard. The ground floor of the Public Office was used by the Street Commissioners for meetings and the upper level was used as the court. The Moor Street prison became inadequate in the 1830s so, between 1837 and 1849, it was used only for prisoners immediately before trial and immediately after conviction. Between committal and trial, and to serve their sentences, prisoners were sent to the county prison at Warwick. Sometimes crimes were dealt with locally, for which these stocks were put to use. The stocks were originally positioned at the Welch Cross (junction of Bull Street,High Street and Dale End) but were removed in1806 to the Public Office yard. In 1906 the stocks were moved to Aston Hall. Viv.

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What a interesting article and great pics. Wonder what public house in Birmingham all this took place, and did his employer find out and sack him?
Suppose we will never know.
 
The Birmingham Mail was less sympathetic when they described him as "so weak headed as to take delight in this morbid silliness" He was not the only one, there's another (in Brierley Hill) who was taking 'morbid delight' too - with a trowel!

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Viv.
 
I somehow missed your post #13 Bordesleyexile (email overload!). Thanks for posting. I especially like the little details that the artist included such as the labelling of the benches for "Reporters" and "Attorneys". I've also found some more info about the interior of the 1806 prison from the Literary Panorama of 1807. The materials from the old prison in Peck Lane were sold for £250.

View attachment 80711

Viv.
 
I'll post it again Mike. This photo is posted via the Tapatalk App. (Just as an aside and off-thread I notice when I read your newspaper cuttings on the B'ham Post 150 years ago thread they come up invalid for me, so I go to BHF on Safari to read them. Probably completely confused you now - sorry!). Hope this works though. Viv.

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Thanks Viv , got it now. You haven't comfused me, though you have surprised me. I didn't realise there was any problem with my postings. Is it only the one thread, or do any maps & pictures give problems also, as I use exactly the same method of posting for everything.
 
Hi Mike. I think it's only a problem if you view the attachments on iPad or iPhone using the Tapatalk App. (Don't think many members view them in this way, so probably not a problem for the majority). I just switch to Safari to read them and that's no problem for me. So keep on posting!

Another extract about the internal conditions of the Public Office gaol/jail - known as The Town Goal or Lockup. This time from Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham. Viv.

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During the riots of 1839 the Public Office played various roles; a place for surgeons to tend wounded policemen, a base for the police and army, and a place where magistrates committed riot leaders for trial. It too was attacked and all front windows were smashed. These extracts are from Edwards's "Personal Recollections of Birmingham and Birmingham Men". Viv.

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Most entertaining Viv, great description, so the London riots of 2011 were small in relation, I wonder if these were similar in time and era as the Bristol riots where half the city was burned down? Makes you wonder when the army bought field guns into Birmingham town center, and the military patrolled the streets (bit like Ireland in the 70's). Thanks for posting.
paul
 
Sounds like there was a massive number of 'spectators' rather than rioters Paul. But the strategies employed by the army and police seem to have succeeded in eventually getting it all under control. Interestingly there was a conspiracy theory about the riots at the time too. But quite honestly with the price of bread, lack of work, poor economy etc etc, it's hardly surprising there were riots. It's also interesting that there were calls for leniency when convicting those who were charged. Viv.

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Very interesting, I wonder if the lad called "Aston" actually came from Aston, was he a waive and stray who did't know his surname!!
But to be transported for life to "Botany Bay", well makes your skin crawl.
paul
 
Hadn't thought of that Paul, the boy Aston could well have been from Aston. Viv.
 
Have found him Thomas Aston , only date of assize is 27th July . Possibly this was the start of the assize, and 2nd Aug is when they were sentenced. He is with Jeremiah Howeel, Francis roberts & John Jones. Thomas is 15 . Can't read first word of crime which looks like "Toby Demolishing a house.chartist" . They were sentenced to death, but last column says they were finally transported, the others for life, Thomas for 10 years. See below crime listed

criminal_register__thomas__Aston_july_27_1839A.jpg
 
Thanks Mike. Only 15 poor lad. Makes you wonder how many of the 2011 rioters would have been sentenced to death or transported under the 1839 laws. Mike I think the first word is Fely - short for felony. Only think that as I came across it when trawling through the records myself for a record of one of my relations. Viv.
 
hi guys
on the subject of moor street ; did we or did we not have the motor taxation office on moor street by the station in 1960 ish
before they moved down to ozools street just up on broad street and it was next to the actors ware houses and costume deptment ? .
best wishes astonian ;;;
 
TE="Vivienne14, post: 437224, member: 14520"]A bit more info and a picture of the stocks from the Public Office yard. The ground floor of the Public Office was used by the Street Commissioners for meetings and the upper level was used as the court. The Moor Street prison became inadequate in the 1830s so, between 1837 and 1849, it was used only for prisoners immediately before trial and immediately after conviction. Between committal and trial, and to serve their sentences, prisoners were sent to the county prison at Warwick. Sometimes crimes were dealt with locally, for which these stocks were put to use. The stocks were originally positioned at the Welch Cross (junction of Bull Street,High Street and Dale End) but were removed in1806 to the Public Office yard. In 1906 the stocks were moved to Aston Hall. Viv.

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Hi All.
I have just read that those of a more respectable class (i.e. had a bit of money) who were brought to Moor Street Prison were supplied with a feather bed and clean sheets etc for which a charge of one shilling per night was made which went to the Borough Fund. So much for all being equal
Old Boy
 
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