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The Galtons - What a Family.

Dennis Williams

Dennis Williams

Gone but not forgotten
There were a heck of a lot of Galtons in the late 18th and early 19th Century around Brum, and this thread may hopefully tease out some of the major family players, and their contributions to the greatness of this fair City of ours. So bear with me for a spot of character setting, and a first ponk at defining their importance.

Despite the fact that they were devote Quakers, Samuel Galton (1720-1799) and his son Samuel John Galton (1753-1832) had a large gun-making factory in Birmingham. When Samuel senior died, his son Samuel John, and grandson, Samuel Tertius Galton (1783-1844) wound up the business and set up a bank in Birmingham instead. Earlier, Sam J had rather fortuitously married a Lucy Barclay of London, whose family was well into Banking. You may have heard of Barclays Bank?. She was perhaps preposterously known as ‘the fair Quakeress’ and reputed to be the illegitimate daughter of a George III and a Hannah Lightfoot. Typical mischievous Daily Mail-like punt I expect...but I digress. Someone may care to track down the ‘truth’ for me. Thanks.

Sam Tertius Galton married Frances Darwin (daughter of Erasmus Darwin), whose family later also included the ‘origin of the species’ chap Charles, and one of them also got mixed in with the Wedgwood pottery lot for extra spice.

The Galton boys were great mates of Priestley, Eramus Darwin, and other prominent members of The LUNAR SOCIETY, who frequently used to meet at Sam Galton’s home GALTON HOUSE in Steelhouse Lane (where the gun factory was).
The Gaumont Cinema later stood on the site of Galton House, and as a tribute to the Lunar Society connections, featured a beautiful ceiling depicting the star spangled heavens, with a central moon and the signs of the zodiac surrounding it.

When he sold the gun making business, he left Steelhouse Lane and moved into Duddeston Hall, “amid scenes of perfect and luxuriant solitude”; where today Galton Street runs down to Duddeston Mill Road alongside the railway marshalling yards. Here, in Sam’s days, “was a four acre lake where flocks of assorted exotic wild fowl would flock to him for feeding when he blew a whistle”. No change there then…

Questions: I have never seen or heard of Galton House in Steelhouse Lane, and would love to see a picture of it? And the gun factory? And the ceiling of the Gaumont, which I went to many times and can only vaguely remember the films I saw, never mind the ceiling…? Anyone oblige? Photos of Duddeston Hall (which I expect would be on here somewhere, but am too knackered to go find them) would also add to the story? Thanks again for staying with me thus far. But there's more...
 
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Samuel John Galton, ST’s dad, was a member of the ‘Society Of Friends’ Quaker meetings for forty years, despite being under the continuous threat of expulsion for un-quaker like gun making plus alleged connections to slave trading. He lived in BARR HALL, which I believe was the original St Margaret’s Hospital Building, also a venue for Lunar Society Meetings. It was his butler that was accredited with first referring to the LUNAR SOCIETY as “the lunatics”. Is this fabulous looking place still standing?

Meanwhile, later on, one of the other Galtons - Hubert Howard Galton (1854-1928) bought the Warley Estate (a snip at £7,300) and got the world famous Humphrey Repton to do the gardens at WARLEY ABBEY, his beautiful stately pile; which was kindly demolished by the Council in 1957.

Who amongst you can elucidate the “Ghost of the Grey Lady” mystery connected to those once fabulous gardens?
 
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I live near the site of the Abbey. There is just a patch of grass , and a notice to show what it looked like, and a short distance away is a circle of bricks where the Ice-house was.
Attempts were made recently to excavate, but nothing significant remains.

There is a book called "Vintage images of Warley Woods, Smethwick.", by Andrew Maxam, Alan Reynolds and Kate Slade. It has pictures of the "Dig", and of the Abbey and Park when it was still being cared for.

(I know the Forum is for Birmingham History, so I hope no-one minds me writing about Bearwood)

Rosie.
 
HI Dennis It,s still there but in a very bad state of repair I,m afraid (i live no more than half a mile away)Where do the Scott family come into this as I thought they lived at GT Barr Hall. Dek
 
dek carr said:
HI Dennis It,s still there but in a very bad state of repair I,m afraid (i live no more than half a mile away)Where do the Scott family come into this as I thought they lived at GT Barr Hall. Dek
Click to expand...

"The origins of this abandoned hospital begin with the construction of the private residence of Sir Joseph Scott in 1777, named Great Barr Hall. This Strawberry Hill Gothic style building was soon leased by Samuel Galton in the 1780's to house meetings of the Lunar Society, an intellectual discussion group who met during phases of the full moon for an easy and well-lit travel home."

Thus spake the oracles of Wiki and other sources Dek...
 
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Sam Tertius Galton bought Claverdon Leys Estate near Warwick for the family, where he and his family are buried in Claverdon Church.
His son, Sir Francis Galton (1822-1911) was perhaps, even more eminent.

Educated at King Edward’s School, he left to pursue more practical avenues than this ‘Classics' leaning academy could offer, and as he was wealthy enough to travel widely, he explored unknown tracts in South West Africa for a few years.

In 1863 he published work on the mapping of weather, and is credited with coining the phrase ‘anti-cyclone’ for nice weather systems. He was also fascinated by hereditary and he built a laboratory in London for work on the subject in the course of which he became interested in fingerprints. His conclusions led to the use of fingerprints by the police (and CSI Miami some lots) in Criminal detection. Fingerprints and anti-cyclones - Made in Birmingham. I like it.
 
A few titbits (from “The Lunar society”, Jennifer Uglow)
The senior Samuel was an amateur scientist (mind you, I don't think there were any other sort then). He collected titbits of knowledge and actually wrote a book "Experiments on the Prismatic colours", which showed that if you put the colours of the rainbow on a disk and spun it, you got a white effect, thus (sort of) reversing the formation of a rainbow. Both he and his son funded Priestley’s work. When the Lunar society disbanded in 1813. thye held a lottery to determine who would get the books from the Society library. Samuel junior won it, and walked away with the lot
 
hi den
am i right to think there is a gaulton railway station along that smethwick line and a gaulton bridge to go with it
as i have stopped on that line many many times over thhe years
as it switches lines if the train is being diverted on route to snow hill because more often than not its difficult to get a train to snow hill direct
which happens fropm time to time
a merry christmas den and a haspy and healthy and prosperous one for the coming of the new year
best wishes astonion
 
Sir Douglas Galton KCB FRS, a cousin of Sir Francis, was born at Hadzor house, Worcestershire, in 1822. His father was John Howard Galton, son of Samuel "John" Galton. His mother was Isabelle Strutt, the daughter of Joseph Strutt (philanthropist), mayor of Derby.

He was educated at Birmingham, Geneva, and at Rugby School under Thomas Arnold. He graduated with distinction from the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and was commissioned second lieutenant in the Royal Engineers on 18 December 1840. At the Royal Military Academy he created something of an examination record by coming first in every subject. A right swot evidently, a bit like our Aidan Goodall. Chiz.

Commissioned in the Royal Engineers, he used an electric spark for the first time to ignite gunpowder while blowing up the wreck of the Royal George in Spithead in 1842 (which before you ask dek, was a wrecked ship, not an old Pub OK?).

After service abroad, including work on the fortification of Gibraltar and Malta, he came home to work on bridge building in iron; railway construction; London drainage; The Thames Embankment; and other projects. One of his great interests other than that lot was improving sanitary conditions in Hospitals, and it was perhaps way too ironical that he should die in 1899 of septicaemia (blood poisoning). One of our greatest Civil engineers, nurtured in Brum. Incredible man.
 
from the 'Building of Birmingham' - when the Warley Abbey Estate former home of the Galton family was sold in 1901, the Freehold Land Society bought a large plot bounded by Lightswood Rd and Three Shires Oak Rd.
Interesting histories by Dennis - many thanks,
Sheri
 
More on Sir Douglas Strutt Galton from his family memoirs.

“After spending his early army life overseas he researched the properties of iron for railway structures, and served as secretary to the Railway Commission. He was a judge of railway appliances at Philadelphia, U.S.A. in 1869, and also at the Paris International Exhibition. Submarine telegraphy was another interest and he became a leading authority on the subject. A member of the Army Sanitary Committee, he gave advice on various topics including London drainage, and the sanitary condition of hospitals in the United Kingdom, and of military hospitals at home and abroad. He was, at various times, Assistant Inspector General of Fortifications, Assistant Under-Secretary War Department, and Director of Public Works.

For nearly forty years he was a member of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, and was President from 1895-1896. A leading reformer, he promoted higher education for women. He was an active member for the Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded in War, an organisation later developing into the Red Cross Society. Sadly, despite all his teachings in antiseptics, he died from blood poisoning in 1899, at the age of seventy-seven, and is buried in Himbleton churchyard. In Worcester there are two memorials to Sir Douglas. There is a stained glass window to his memory in the Cathedral, and in the Judges Lodgings at Shire Hall stands a bust by the famous sculptor Sir Thomas Brock.
 
Well referring to an earlier post, I used to live in Galton road, this is the second road down from Barkley road, which bordered Warley Wood, when I was aboutr 17 there were a group of us sitting on a fallen tree quite close to the area just below where the Abbey had stood, there were both girls and boys in this group of about 20, we all turned to look toward where the Abbey has stood and saw a figure floating about 3 foot above the ground, unfortunately chivalry was not my thing and we all took of toward Abbey Rd School very easily breaking the 4 minute mile record. My neighbour heard about this and we had a chat, it appears we had seen the "Grey Lady", I was shown some earlier photo's of the area and the ground level was 3 ft higher many years before can't remember the dates on the photo's, this all happened in 1968 (my only claim to fame)
 
Dennis Williams said:
... Sir Francis Galton (1822-1911) was perhaps, even more eminent ...
Click to expand...

Those who are interested in this Galton polymath (born in my old stamping ground of Sparkbrook, albeit in a more salubrious neighbourhood) can pursue the story on numerous websites:
[1] Wikipedia biography.
[2] University of St Andrews biography.
[3] An excellent website dedicated to the man's life and works.
[4] Francis Galton's Memories of My Life (London: Methuen, 1908).
[5] Karl Pearson's Life, Letters and Labour of Francis Galton (Cambridge: CUP, 1914-1930). Volume 1; Volume 2; Volume 3A; Volume 3B.​
Pictured below: [1] Francis Galton; [2] His pioneering newspaper weather chart (The Times 1 April 1875).
 
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The Grey Lady

For many years, stories have circulated in the district of a “Grey Lady” haunting Warley Woods. Numerous accounts have been given relating to the Grey Lady the earliest known of these dating back to 1822.
One evening in that year, not far from where the water tower now stands, an Oldbury man, Samuel Whitehouse, was found, dying of severe head injuries. He was on his way home after a day’s shooting wildfowl with his brother-in-law, Joseph Downing, a Rowley Regis farmer. They had spent the day on the Lightwoods estate, before going for a meal at the home in nearby Beech Lanes of a blacksmith, Thomas Fox. After a convivial evening they set out together before their ways parted. Not long afterwards Whitehouse’s horse was found, described as riderless and “in a state of eye-rolling terror” by a young lad, who raised the alarm at Fox’s. When he was discovered Whitehouse had apparently been robbed of his pocket-watch and several sovereigns. Downing offered a reward in the local press for information leading to the conviction of Whitehouse’s killer, but was himself arrested and charged with murdering him.

At the trial the defence suggested that Whitehouse’s horse had been startled “by the sudden appearance of the phantom form of a woman said to manifest itself close to the spot where the unfortunate man. was found”. It was claimed that the appearance of the Grey Lady was “utterly accepted and witnessed by numerous people in the district”. Other witnesses stated that the horse was of uncertain temperament, and although the two doctors who gave evidence disagreed as to whether or not Whitehouse’s injuries were consistent with being thrown from the saddle and his head then being crushed by a flailing hoof, these arguments were sufficient to sway the verdict and Downing was acquitted.

The children of Abbey Road School still scare each other with stories of the Grey Lady: One version says that if you use the toilets in the woods, she jumps up and bites your bum!
 
Another theory suggests that she was actually Lucy Galton, the wife of Samuel Galton, who purchased the estate in 1792. She was a Scotswoman, and, as a Quaker, would have habitually dressed in sober colours; she was also reputed to be a hypochondriac. Perhaps local memories of a sad-faced lady in grey gradually turned into stories of the Grey Lady. Samuel Galton did not, however, live at his Warley Estate, though he would have made visits there when the fields were being landscaped into parkland.

Another theory, and rather an attractive one, is that the Grey Lady is the phantom of Joan de Botetort of Weoley Castle. In 1325 she bequeathed her property, which included this part of Warley, to Halesowen Abbey. A condition of her bequest that the monks should pray eternally for her soul. The story goes that since the dissolution of the abbey in 1538, and the monks’ prayers ceased, Lady Joan’s restless soul has wandered the lands that belonged to her in life.

I blame global warming myself.
 
A tale of "star crossed lovers" of the early 19th century.

Theodore Galton (1784-1810) was a son of Samuel John Galton (1753-1832) and Lucy Galton née Barclay (1757-1817). His "love interest" was Mary Gibbins (1785-1875). The story of young Theodore's tragic death is touchingly told below, with fetching portraits of the couple. Mary clearly "held a candle" for him for the rest of her long life.

[All from the remarkable Records of the Gibbins Family (1911).]
 
Still looking for a photo or drawing of Sam Galton's mansion house in Steelhouse Lane before it became the Gaumont.

Showell's dictionary states that after he left it for the much grander Duddeston Hall, "it was converted to a banking house; then used for the purposes of a Polytechnic Institution; next, after a period of dreary emptiness, fitted up as the Children's Hospital, after the removal of which to Broad Street, the old house has converted to its original use, as the private abode of Dr Clay."
 
This is quite odd because Im was sure I had suscribed to an old thread about Warley Abbey some time back. Until late 1957 we lived in Devon Road, to give some idea of its location it ran parallel to the Hagley Road behing the Cock and Magpies pub, which is probably called something entirely different now.
I attended Abbey Road Infants and later the junior school and as we always walked to school I was quite familiar with Warley Woods. I still think about it if I see fallen leaves in large piles and the smell of them always reminds me of walking to school in the autumn. If the weather was bad we probably walked along Barclay Road instead.

I can just remember the Abbey and I do remember it being demolished, I have a childhhod memory of wallpaper being visible during its demolition. I certainly remember tales about the Grey lady, she was often mentioned and would have been a local legend. I can say that I never noticed any apparitions but I would not argue with those that have seen such things.

I have not visited the woods for many many years and I know there is an active society connected with it, those photos of the Abbey look fascinating and its a great shame that such a fine building was destroyed, at least we have photographs to look at. I wonder if the children that live in the area today know about it and the "Grey lady"?
 
There was a thread running earlier this year about Hockley Abbey. I think I was the one who linked Hockley Abbey to Warley Abbey as they were both owned by the Galton family.

Bill, The Cock and Magpies is now a Harvester but after a local campaign the owners were persuaded to retain the Cock and Magpies name although it is not too clearly marked.

In reply to Astonian earlier Galton Valley is one of the railway stations in Smethwick where the GWR Stourbridge Line crosses the LNWR Birmingham-Wolverhampton line and was opened a few years ago when Snow Hill was reopened to provide a connection between the two lines. This station replaced West Smethwick Junction which was a few hundred yards away to the west but did not serve the LNWR line.

Galton Valley is the deep canal cutting running through Smethwick constructed by Thomas Telford in c1829 and in its day was the largest man-made earthworks. It took its name from the fact that the Galton family had a large house there between the two canals.
 
A House that the Galtons (John Howard Galton) built in 1780...SPRING HILL HOUSE. Magnificent old Georgian pile...

Photo replaced
Duddeston%20Hall%201_.jpg
 
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hi dennis
can you tell me where about was this big house john galton built in the 1700 please what was called spring hill house
many thanks den take care look foreward to hearing from you soon and keep up the good work on this site best wishes astonian
 
Astonian it was in Devon St Duddeston I am not sure but I think I remember it being Demolished. Dek
 
Astonian said:
hi dennis
can you tell me where about was this big house john galton built in the 1700 please what was called spring hill house
many thanks den take care look foreward to hearing from you soon and keep up the good work on this site best wishes astonian
Click to expand...

Whay thank you again Astonian, I certainly will.


In 1806 Mary Anne Galton (1778-1856) the daughter of Samuel John Galton, married Lambert Schimmelpennick, a Dutch tobacco trader. The family knew her as 'Aunt Skim'. She seems to have gained a reputation in her family for creating discord. Her niece, Elizabeth Anne Galton (Mrs. Edward Wheeler) wrote:
My grandfather had three daughters. The eldest Marianne (Mrs. Schimmelpennick) was very clever and talented, and wrote several clever books, but unfortunately was a great mischief-maker, causing such annoyance and quarrels in the family, and among all their acquaintances from her habit of distorting truth so as to give a false impression, that at last it was settled by her parents and family that all intercourse with her must cease, so that I did not know her.
Her nephew Sir Francis Galton said that:
She was a notorious mischief-maker - 'she broke off eleven marriages'.

I think we had one of those in our family....
 
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Astonian said:
hi dennis
can you tell me where about was this big house john galton built in the 1700 please what was called spring hill house
many thanks den take care look foreward to hearing from you soon and keep up the good work on this site best wishes astonian
Click to expand...

The photo is from Drake's WINSON GREEN AND BROOKFIELDS, and simply states it as the legend, Spring Hill. I know there is a Spring Hill Passage off Dudley Road, maybe it was down there, but it is a mystery to me. Not my patch. Perhaps one of the many experts will know? I think dek is referring to Duddeston Hall when he suggests Devon Street? A clue maybe is the sign on the garage doors on the right of the shot, The London Oil Corporation Ltd. Anyone know where that was?
 
Astonian
As Dennis's last post says, Spring Hill House later became known as Manor House, and is shown on the
1890 map below as such. It appears to have been mucked around a bit by 1956(other map), or indeed by 1946, which is similar. It has probably already been demolished by then.

spring_hill_house_-manor_house_map_c_1890.JPG


spring_hill_house_map_c_1956.JPG
 
Can anyone help me in this one please? Was the Galton family based in Birmingham or Smethwick? There seems to be a suggestion of a Smethwick connection - was it living there or was it a factory there? If not where was the factory? Steelhouse Lane - was that the first works or a subsequent one? Samuel Galton Snr was also a gun mnfr I presume. Would there be a Smethwick connection there? As you can deduce, I am rather keen to connect them to Snethwick.
 
Fabian

If you read through this thread you will find that the family lived in Warley Abbey although at the time this would have been in Oldbury, it did not move to Smethwick until 1920s. They also had a house in Galton Valley Smethwick (which was named after them) somewhere near Roebuck Lane, I think between the two canals.
 
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