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The Bell Inn

gee-em

master brummie
I have found relatives of mine on the 1851 census living at the Bell Inn, Northfield.

William Hodgetts was the Inn keeper. He took over after the 1841 census, which has them living on Turnpike ( Bristol) Rd, I'm not sure of the exact date and his wife Elizabeth continued to run the pub ater his deathin 1848. She is recorded as the Inn Keeper on the 1851 census. She married William's brother, Charles, and went to live at Tinkers Farm.

I know there is a connection to the Butler/Hailstone families. Is there any way I can find out more information about publicans of The Bell Inn?

gee
 
Hi gee,

I'm afraid I don't know anything about the Bell Inn at Northfield, but I am descended from Butlers and Hailstones and they do seem to have had quite a lot of interest in pubs.

I did a search of trade directories at https://www.historicaldirectories.org/ but I didn't score any hits for a Bell Inn in Warwickshire being linked to a Hailstone or a Butler.

What connection do you think there is?

Cheers, Roger
 
Hi Roger, I hope you can follow this explanation.

William and Elizabeth Hodgetts were the landlords of the Bell Inn between 1842 and 1860 ( I'm not sure of the exact dates, I know William died in 1849 and Elizabeth in 1860).

Their daughter, Elizabeth Hodgetts, had a son, Walter who married Charlotte Butler who was related, through Thomas Hailstone (the one who 'went' to Tasmania) to the Hailstones and Butlers.

I still have a few gaps and dates to fill in but if I can help in any way , let me know.

Thank you for the link, I will have a look.

gee.
 
Heres one for ya.
 

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Thanks gee,

Thomas Hailstone (who was transported to Tasmania) was my 3g grandfather. His father, George Hailstone, had married a Catharine/Catherine Butler. Presumably, Charlotte Butler was related to Catharine/Catherine Butler??

The Hailstone line is a part of my past that I've only just started to investigate, so I still have a lot to learn. However, if I can help you, please let me know.

Cheers, Roger
 
Charlotte Butler was Thomas Hailstone's great grandaughter

Thomas' daughter, Charlotte Hailstone, married Abraham Butler. Their elsest son, Thomas, married Jane Lowe and their daughter, Charlotte Butler is my great grandmother.

It looks like we have a connection!
 
Hello i know this is an old thread but hopefully you might be able to answer my question,i remember The Bell Inn on the corner of
Bells lane and Bristol Rd,i remember this for sure in the mid 80s,there is now a British Heart foundation shop on the site,but it would seem there was another Bell Inn literally yards away where McDonalds now stands this was a bigger pub,i have been informed this one was demolished in 1983,so were there two Bell Inns at the same time,
 
Depends on how much you have had to drink, Elizabeth.lol I can remember both pubs but i dont think they were there at the same time. Maggie and Tom are the ones to ask i think.
 
Well that's what i thought,they wouldn't both have been there,i think maybe it was demolished earlier than 1983,thanks Robert
 
Elizabeth

I believe there were three Bell Inns on Bristol Road through the years. In years gone by when building a new pub they tended to leave the old one standing and in use until the new one was ready. So there is a slight chance that the old Bell was standing when the new one opened, well for a short while at least.

There also many years ago be a pub called the Bluebell on Bell Holloway that was known locally as the Bell but I think this was gone a long time before the time you mention.

Phil
 
Thanks Phil it is the Bell Inn on Bristol Rd i am talking about,i know at one time they rebuilt the Black Horse. and left the original standing,i just can't recall both pubs being there in 1983,in fact i only remember the one on the corner.
 
looking at old photos the first bell inn and the second were still standing together for a long time however the third is in exactley the same place as the second WAS ,on the corner oppostte Huins corner, I say is as it aint the dive of a pub it was, its now shops same building though even got a "bell tower". It was a crime to knock down the second Bell Pub.
 
According to the History of Northfield on the Birmingham Council site this is the early history of the pub where I was a regular in the 60/70s, I left Northfield in 1974 with regular visits back home, I would say it's demise in 1983 is about right.

"Until the 19th century, Northfield, a poorer parish than neighbouring Kings Norton, was a rural farming community. There was a nail making industry in cottages next to the Church, and a number of mills on the banks of the River Rea, where locally grown corn was ground. Northfield was also on the main routes from Birmingham to Worcester and Redditch and in 1762 the route we now know as the Bristol Road became a turnpike road. The 'Bell and Bluebell Inn' at the junction of Bell Lane and Bell Holloway was a coaching station for travellers until a new 'Bell Inn' was built on the Bristol Road in 1803".
Clarkie
 
Take a look here at post 585



You will see a couple of photos of the Holloway and one of The Old Bell a.k.a. The Bluebell Inn.

Phil

as the link no longer works I have deleted it and put the photos here.
 

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Hello I came across this old thread whilst looking up the Bell and Bluebell Inn, Northfield . I found this postcard of the Bell Inn amongst my father's belongings and thought you may be interested to see it.The Bell Inn Northfield.jpg Bell Inn Northfield postcard (back).jpg
 
The bell pub on the corner of bells lane where the heart foundtion charity shop now stands was the second bell
and this pub was closed down by the police and the licence committee of birmingham for good and never to be openend again as a pub
from the very day they openend that pub on the corner of bels lane it becamme a public nuisance to every body of the Northfield
business,s and it became a known for as a chequerd pub by the brewery because of the trouble of fights and drunks
and the main serious trouble was the druggs dealing and lack of control by the said time of its appointed manager ; licencee
whom was a weak person in his work and could not control the ruff necks and the scum that frequented the pub daily
he just could not handle it nor eject the unwanted ones and the gangs that taken over it
It came to a point that these druggies and scum would come in on a daily basis and put up pub tables out side the pub
and start selling the goods they had shop lifted from local shops the biggest sales of any think was joints of meat stolen from varuios
stores daily this had been going on for ages the police had been involved numerous times over the years
and every time a police officiers attend your pub for what reason its recorded and it marks your card for renewal of licence
and you go to court so as time marched on both partys called it a day the committee and the licence officier
for that are which was rose road harborne police station licence officier called time and banned it licence
never to reopen again as a pub and it remained like that for ages the it was the heart foundation took the property on
and the bell never excisted any more
as we moved on in time the Next pub in line was the travellers rest just along from the bell bristol road
only to find the riff raff had traped down to there ,and start there business again out comes the pub tables and yes stocks of meat joints for sale out side for sale, this only came about when the oringinal gather from the travellers rest got promoted
to another pub because of his good hard work they decide to send another gather from a pub in northfield
an very inexperience man whom really never had any hard pubs works in is life
the kings head varden way was his first and only pub in his life he was a lorry driver before coming into the pub
the travellers was a very big pub and that need experience persons to run it
but the brewery failed to see it , i can also say when he took on the kings head the first thing the silly person done was to remove the juke box there was no music and he removed the pool table , yes i agrre on the table but not the juke box for music
soo in order to get shut of him they sent him to the travelles and he could not handle it so he went
liuckily for the brewery the council came up with the changing of the bristol road change over so they got conpulsery payments
so thats why the travellers rest had closed down as well so thats why it was closed down for a good while before the road
workers came and digging the road
so thats what happenend to the bell and thats why it went they altered the ground levek but kept the top wher there used to be a bell in there Astonian,,,, Alan,,,,
 
HI Good evening to you casy, i am just doing a follow through tonight on the threads
and the one in particular regards the Bell Inn and i haveyour your thread with intresrt and i have to say with a smile
the picture card you have put up which i beleive it was with your fathers possesions i do not dispute what you are saying indeed
By any lenghts and i knowyou have a post card you have shown
casy, all i want to say is i have got a book on old photographs, and its called
Birmingham Inns and pubs and they are on old post cards published by john marks yesterday,s warickshire series no 5
you have said on your card its saying the Bell
but my picture shows the identicle the same photo but it states it,s the bull Inn and the licenceeis named as Hart Pilling,
Pictured in 1908, on a card published by Edwards and co, New Street birmingham in there clarance series
and the pub was on Bristol road, northfield at it,s junction with Bell lane
as yours got a date of year on it,
i will send down a copy of it on the forum all being well this time of night best wishes Alan,, Astonian,,
here it is,,
 

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Hi I found this lovely postcard of the Bell Inn, Northfield amongst my deceased father's belongings. He had kept it for very many years, I think maybe because his paternal grandfather and great grandfather were born and lived with a mile or two of the Bell Inn. His great grandfather Isaac Price 1806 - 1884 is buried a short walk away in St Laurences Church. I'm curious to know if the family had any connection to the pub and wonder if anyone knows any of the names of the owners/landlords?

With many thanks, Cassy


View attachment 113372 View attachment 113373
 

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HI Good evening to you casy, i am just doing a follow through tonight on the threads
and the one in particular regards the Bell Inn and i haveyour your thread with intresrt and i have to say with a smile
the picture card you have put up which i beleive it was with your fathers possesions i do not dispute what you are saying indeed
By any lenghts and i knowyou have a post card you have shown
casy, all i want to say is i have got a book on old photographs, and its called
Birmingham Inns and pubs and they are on old post cards published by john marks yesterday,s warickshire series no 5
you have said on your card its saying the Bell
but my picture shows the identicle the same photo but it states it,s the bull Inn and the licenceeis named as Hart Pilling,
Pictured in 1908, on a card published by Edwards and co, New Street birmingham in there clarance series
and the pub was on Bristol road, northfield at it,s junction with Bell lane
as yours got a date of year on it,
i will send down a copy of it on the forum all being well this time of night best wishes Alan,, Astonian,,
here it is,,


Hello, thanks for your reply (sorry I have only just come across it). Your picture looks like a newspaper cutting and I think that the "Bull" is a type error and should read "Bell". Here is another photo of the pub which confirms it is the Bell. Cassy
 

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