Some Houses (now demolished) in Temple Row

[mikejee]

This thread is based on an article in the Birmingham Archaeological Transactions of 1932 by Benjamin Walker, with additions from other sources.

Below are some photographs and a 1950s map showing a block of houses which, before modern destructive town planners arrived, were 29,31,33,35 and 37 Temple row. Originally they were built overlooking the churchyard shortly after St Phillips was begun, were part of a row of ten houses.



Earlier this remaining block was numbered 23,22,21 and 20, though there is evidence from directories that in and before the early 1770s the houses were numbered differently still. You will note that an additional house has appeared. In 1864 no 37 was divided and a window replaced by a doorway, as shown on the plan below. The new door surround was considerably more flamboyant.



In 1762 William Toldervy described the original terrace as "Tory Row" and being the highest and genteelest part of Birmingham,

This thread will attempt to describe the historyof these houses.

 

[Astoness]

thanks mike...yet more strong sturdy properties that were raised to the ground...very sad

lyn

 

[mikejee]

No 37. (formerly no 20) Temple Row

One of the earliest occupants (or possibly the first) was Walter Tippin, who, in partnership with his son Thomas, was a merchant with a warehouse behind his house, entered from the Cherry Orchard . The map below shows the area in 1731. I am not clear if the Cherry Orchard extended over the whole area of trees shown. If so then probably the warehouse was one of the two buildings marked with a blue arrow. If only the area definitely marked as a cherry orchard , then probably that marked with a purple arrow. The un-named road/track going through the trees later became Cherry St. The map has been rotated to give a view more normally now seen on maps, which means that some wording at an angle



In 1835 Walter moved to Witton Hall, and the house was taken over by his son Thomas, who later provided funding for Matthew Boulton. Thomas moved out in 1750 and died in December 1783.

In 1752 the house was taken by the, then unknown, John Ash, who at the time had not become fully qualified, but who later was well known in the area as a physician and the founder of the General Hospital. He stayed there till 1769, then moving 2 doors down to the house on the corner of Cherry St., which had, at one time been occupied by a short-term partner of the Tippins.

For a short time the house was occupied by Francis Hurd, a merchant and gunsmith, who was made bankrupt and left in 1773. His merchant activities seem to be as a draper and mercer, which is how he is described in his bankruptcy . Gunsmithing was not mentioned.

John Gimblett was the next occupant, He was the son of John Gimblett, senior, and trinket maker, who was made bankrupt his business then was purchased by his son from the assignees (sounds a bit like some of the dodgy deals done today). John partnered with a William Vale and later with William Whitmore in the business. He and Vale were one of the first businesses to register their mark with the Birmingham Assay Office in 1773.

John remained here till 1786, and in 1789 William Whateley, an attorney, moved in and remained till 1801.In 1791 he was appointed a "master extraordinary" in the High court of Chancery. He was Coroner for Warwickshire and, unsuccessfully, attempted to become Birmingham's first coroner. (https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/birminghams-first-coroner.54720/#post-754023).

R & M Howell then used the house for a more commercial purpose, as a haberdashers, specialising in child bed linen, remaining there till 1805, when they moved the business to 79 Bull Street. He was followed by Thomas Baker Robinson, carver, gilder, glass grinder, polisher and picture frame maker, but he did not stay long, and by the 1815 Wrightson's directory was ensconced at the Greyhound, Bull St.

The house was briefly occupied in 1810 by Dr John Bright (not the one the Street was named after), physician to the General Hospital, but who resigned after a year in the job to go to London. The next tenant was Joshua Scholefield who was there from 1811 till 1822. At the time partner in his father-in-law's firm, Cotterill & Sons, and was High Bailiff of Birmingham. He, with Thomas Attwood, in 1832 was one of the first MPs elected for the Borough of Birmingham. a post he held till his death in 1844.

John Kaye Booth had taken over the job of physician to the General Hospital after John Bright's departure, and initially lived at 14 The Square (now Old Square). In 1822 he moved into that same house in Temple Row that had been occupied by his predecessor, and remained there till moving to Bath in 1843. In addition to his job at the hospital he was the first Lecturer in Medicine at Birmingham Medical School. William Sands Cox was the originator of the idea of a medical school, initially giving demonstrations in his father's house at 24 Temple Row and must have initiated Booth's interest. He was one of the leading promoters of public baths for the health of the inhabitants of the city, and when he left all the great and the good held a public breakfast in his honour. Certainly for a time in 1823 he ran a rope and twine business from the house.

He was succeeded by Samuel Hemming, architect, surveyor, and secretary to Guardian Society for the Protection of Trade, which was a trade association. His office was here, but he, in fact lived in Pakenham Road in Edgbaston. In 1847 Samuel was the successful architect for the Corn Exchange, off High Street and shortly after for the General Institution for the Blind in Carpenter Road. He was also highly praised for his plans in 1848 for the new Birmingham Workhouse, which were accepted by the Committee evaluating the competition and the Poor Law Commissioners, but later rejected by the Board of Guardians, a decision which caused some vocal public disagreements. In passing he was also responsible in 1852 for the renovation of St Bartholomew's Church, in which the painting was, appropriately, carried out by Mr. S. Bartholomew.

Hemming supposedly left in 1858, and certainly, by 1862 the Corporation directory y lists his offices at 58 New St. He was succeeded by Dr Alexander Fleming,, who had just been appointed Physician to the Queen's Hospital, and remained there till his death in 1875. It is around this time that the building was subdivided into 20 and 20A, and the rather flamboyant extra new entrance constructed. Dix's 1858 directory and the 1861 Corporation Directory both list both Hemming and Fleming at no 20 (in 1861 also with a firm Norton & Son), but Hemming had always only used the building as an office, so it is possible that that for a while he occupied what would be 20A in that capacity, while Fleming occupied the remainder. After Fleming's death the house became the home of solicitors Saunders & Bradbury, who, together with other soliciting firms, remained there till the building was replaced by Rackhams.

 

[mikejee]

No. 35 (formerly 20A) Temple Row

The first recorded occupant of 20A was Norton & Son in the 1862 Corporation directory. As already mentioned , had already been listed, but under no 20. Norton & Son were a firm of surveyors and architects who previously had been in Cherry Street, but in 1860 were advertising from 20 Temple Row. They presumably were working with Samuel Hemming at that time . The exact date of surveys done for early directories (as compared to the publication date) is usually uncertain, and this particularly applied to the 1862 Corporation directory. In 1862 there is also listed W.James Dunn, who was probably William James Dunn, who in the 1850s was a solicitor at 18 Moor St. Nortons were still there in Slater's directory of 1863, but by 1866 Morris's directory lists them at 8½ Congreve St.

By 1867 no. 20A was again the premises of a surgeon, Alfred Baker, who had moved there from the somewhat less prestigious Cannon St. He was at the General Hospital from 1848 till 1881, was a founder and lecturer of Sydenham College Medical School, and lived in Hagley Road. He remained here till sometime in the mid 1870s, when the building again became a place of business for those soliciting in the person of George Walter Hickman, who in the mid 1880s was replaced by solicitors Shute & Swinson and accountants Agar & Bates. It was during their occupancy, around 1889, that the numbering of the street was changed, and 20A became no 35. By 1894 the entire building was the home of patent agent George Shaw. No 35 seems to have disappeared from directories in the early 1930s, though it still was referred to in newspaper advertisments, and seems to have been used as offices for a number of firms. It also disappeared when the Rackhams building was constructed .

 

[mikejee]

33 (formerly 21) Temple Row

This house was occupied from 1737 to 1744 by a Mr Carver. He was almost certainly the same Mr Carver who is reported in Aris' Gazette to have died on Saturday 26th November 1743, and who is there described as " a gentleman who had got considerable fortune in trade and had for some years retired from business". He was followed by merchant Joseph Wilkinson. He died in 1780, but his widow continued to live there till her death in 1786.

Charles Stewart, an attorney, and son of Samuel Stewart of The Square (now Old Square) was the next occupant. In 1787 he was involved in the sale of two properties in Temple Row but it is not clear if he then also lived there. He was followed in 1794 by Henry Hickman, a factor, apparently dealing with haberdashery and cloth who remained there till 1797. He had a warehouse, probably in Temple Row, which was broken into in 1796 and for which he offered a reward. He is still stated in Wrightson's Directory of 1815 to have a warehouse in Temple Row and this in 1809 is said to be adjoining the corner of the Row with Bull St. The 1778 map below shows the two possible positions of the warehouse.



In 1797 the house was taken by surgeon Thomas Pendrill Barratt, who previously had been in partnership with J. Derrington, also of Temple Row. Thomas died in 1800, and his home and practice were taken over by Edward Grainger, surgeon to the Dispensary. He had a son, Edward Grainger jun. who also became a surgeon and became very well known at St Thomas & Guys Hospital, but after being rejected for the post of "demonstrator", set up his own anatomy school which became very popular and had to expand its premises to take in all those wishing to attend. He was on good terms (being a high payer) with "resurrection men" ensuring a good stream of bodies, but which did not enthral the administrators of the London hospitals. However he became ill with TB and died at Temple Row in 1824 at the age of 27. Edward senior remained in the house till 1834, when he moved to Kenilworth.
In 1834 John Wilders took up residence. Here there is somewhat of a mystery. The article on which this thread is based describes him as an attorney, and indeed Wrightsons 1839 directory does so describe him .



.However newspaper reports list John Wilders of 21 Temple Row as a surgeon, who, in an application to be surgeon to the workhouse, stated he had become partner to Dr Grainger. so presumably there was some overlap of their occupancy. He did later become medical officer, a post which he retained till his death in 1846. He left the house in 1840. Maybe the attorney was a similarly named father who also lived there.



The next occupants were Barnabas & Edwin Chesshire. Barnabas was an attorney, while Edwin was an ophthalmic surgeon, who in 1844 was appointed surgeon to the Eye Infirmary and later was largely responsible for its transfer from Steelhouse Lane to Temple Row. He is numerously quoted in advertisements of a Mr. Young as to the efficacy of Young's removal of two corns. If he was paid for this then he must have made a mint. His interests were not just medical, having devised an apparatus for the prevention of injury to passengers in a train crash, which was presented to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and a patent applied for. It would appear that Edwin actually lived in the house till about 1852 (him and his family being listed there in the the1851 census), while Barnabas used it for business purposes for a time. In the 1845 directory both are listed here with Barnabas as solicitor and agent to the Farmers Fire & Life Assurance. Further down Temple row at the then no. 37 is Barnabas Chesshire & Son, auctioneers, surveyors & land agents. In early 1840 Barnabas is doing business from no 37, but later, up till at least 1843, from no 21. By 1849 the office of Barnabas is at no 13, but he is living at Hagley Road, and I think he always lived there. He certainly was in 1848 when he was knocked unconscious and robbed on his way home. In the 1851 census he is listed as at 13 Temple Row, but not as Head who is listed as James Layton.
Dr. Thomas Pretious Heslop, in 1852, was the next occupant. Physician to Queens Hospital and a founder of both the Childrens and the Skin and Lock Hospitals., he was undoubtedly a man who worked hard and got things done, but was known to be "strong of opinion" and did not avert controversy. In 1848 he was the first physician and tutor to Queens, resigned after three years due to disagreements, but was unanimously appointed Physician in May 1852, and held that post till 1859 and again in 1869-1881.
Heslop remained here until his death in 1885, and was replaced by Alfred Henry Carter, again of Queen's Hospital, and medical author, who also later shared the address with surgeon George Heaton. He remained till about 1903, but by 1908 the occupant was Felix Coulson Vinrace, surgeon of the Midland Skin & Urinary Hospital who remained till his death in 1927. He practiced both in London and Birmingham, and in addition to his work here was, 1898, founder of St Paul's Hospital for skin, urinary and venereal disease in London.
The next occupant was James Ore, solicitor, who remained until his practice was taken over by William Hadgkiss in 1945, who previously had chambers in Smethwick. He remained there till Rackhams caused the building to be demolished, but personally received much publicity in a well-publicised case where he attempted unsuccessfully to gain a divorce. The judge stated he was "well known in Smethwick as a ladies man" and he apparently kept falling in love with his female employees, but also cast doubt on the wife's evidence.

 

[Astoness]

great research mike and very interesting...

lyn

 

[richardinwales]

Lovely write up, can you imagine how much those houses would sell for these days.

 

[Astoness]

Lovely write up, can you imagine how much those houses would sell for these days.

hi richard apart from the price of those houses can you imagine just how lovely it would be to be able to admire them now...very sad that we cant..so many errors of judgement made by the powers that be

lyn

 

[mikejee]

31 (formerly 22) Temple Row

The first known occupant was Thomas Hathaway, an attorney, whom lived in the house from at least 1761 till his death in 1780. He was followed in 1784 by John Merry, who had a workshop round the corner in Cherry Street, where he plated coach furniture (metal components). He was in partnership with Joseph Merry, but the partnership ended in 1890. His warehouse/workshop in Cherry St. was destroyed by fire around 1801-2, apparently around the time he died.
By 1801 John Meredith, who later became the president of the Birmingham Law Society 1825-1832, was resident. His wife died in February 1813, and soon after John moved to no 10 the Square. The house was occupied for a short time by Francis Baugham, who may have been a hop merchant and then by John Tomlinson Ingleby, who became Surgeon to the Dispensary after Dr. Grainger's resignation in 1816, and was later lecturer on Midwifery at the Medical School and wrote treatises on obstetrics.
Ingleby remained here till 1823, when taken over by Frederick Wills, attorney, who remained there till his death on 31st December 1874. The house was then taken over by James Sawyer, who was Physician to Queen Hospital 1871-1889, having previously served there in a slightly more junior capacity since 1868. He wrote a number of medical treatises and was knighted in 1885, though this may have been as much, or more, from his support of the Conservative Party as from his medical achievements. . He remained there till 1914 , when, he retired after a bout of illness to Hazeley Hall, near Hatton, and died there January 1919
The house then became yet another solicitor's office of James, Barton & Kentish who remained in residence till the early 1930s, but by 1936 had become the share transfer office of Odeon Cinemas, who retained it till the beginning of WW2, when the offices were transferred to the more productive (?) purposes of accountancy, and post war as an auctioneers

 

[mikejee]

29 (formerly 23) Temple Row

Of some early residents such as Mrs Rowe nothing, or little, is known, though the name Rowe does not appear in the 1770 or 1777 directories, so possibly earlier than that. Captain Thornley is presumably the Mr Thornley who, in 1761, seems to have had some very unreliable servants. By 1770 he appears to have moved to Paradise Row (assuming it is the same man), but is then moving from that house also.



A Mrs Le Grand is only seen as letting a house in Snow Hill in 1764. However Thomas Orton, at some time tenant of no.29, in 1772 married a Miss Le Grand, so possibly took over the tenancy from his mother in law. Thomas Orton was a "Steward for the town" at the Bean club in 1776. This Tory organisation is described by Dennis Williams at https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...ion-club-colmore-row.49476/page-2#post-699791. His firm, Thomas Orton & Son, were foil and button makers, which went bankrupt around 1797-8. The foil business was taken over by John Painter in 1797. However Thomas later set up business again as button maker in St Paul's Square. The dates when he occupied Temple Row are not clear, but presumably the 1770s.

In 1782 a Dr. Johnson moved in and then, from 1786 to 1823, John Blount, surgeon to the dispensary occupied the house until moving out to Lea Hall. In 1822 his partnership to John Synge Blount was dissolved, so I think it likely he retired from practice. He was also secretary to the Birmingham Medical Scientific Society and Library, and later the Birmingham Physical Society. These seemed to hold regular annual dinners organised by Blount. He married Jane Francis in 1806. In 1809 he was active in opposing the idea of construction of a waterworks to provide clean water for the town, apparently being of the opinion that this was not needed. Not much consideration for the inhabitants, though looking at his extremely strong opposition to Free Trade expressed in 1827, he does seem someone with little care for those not in the well-off elite.

The next tenant was Thomas Chavasse, who had just qualified. He married in 1927. He was one of those in the city petitioning for the abolition of slavery, and supported the provision of clean water . In 1829 he moved to No 7 Old Square and developed the largest private practice in the area, retiring to Wylde Green and dieing in 1884. But his son, also Thomas also became a noted surgeon, while another son became bishop of Liverpool.

His place was taken in 1829 by another surgeon, Richard Middlemore, one of the original three hundred surgeons forming the Royal College of Surgeons, and of a very local family, his ancestor in the late 1300s being lord of the Manor of Edgbaston. He had just been elected assistant surgeon at the Eye Hospital. and later became a renowned expert in ophthalmology. He appears to have moved to no 19 Temple Row around the early 1840s, but remained in Temple Row till his retirement in 1879, when he moved to The Limes, Bristol Road and died in 1891. His place was taken by Ormilion Holbeche, surgeon, who again by 1849 had been replaced by surgeons Burton & Jones and then by yet another surgeon, Henry Francis Burdett . Henry retained the house till his death in 1880, though in later years lived in Knowle. In 1863 he had the unnerving experience of his assistant surgeon, Thomas Williams, who he had known for 20 years and was living at the house at the time, committing suicide. He had not been successful in life, drank excessively and despite promises did not reform.

Surgeon Joseph Hunt quickly took over the building. He had just been elected Honorary acting surgeon at the Children's Hospital and remained there till around 1896, when he moved to 17 Summer Row. After this for a time it was joint premises for a number of physicians and surgeons, including for a time Felix Coulson Vinrace, but by 1908 it had become a solicitors, Thomas Guest & Pearson, who remained there till demolition