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The Swan, Bell Barn Road

mikejee

mikejee

Super Moderator
Staff member
Has anyone got a picture of The Swan on Bell Barn Road, corner of Wynn Street, or of the area around the junction of Bell Barn Road/Wynn Street/Spring Street. Have come across someone (plus father possibly) with my unusual surname in that area, who I'm now investigating. It would be nice to see what the area was like . My name is so unusual that I'm sure there is a connection, though it must be before 1800, and it would be nice to actually have a family connection in the town I feel far more at home with than where I live now.
Mike
 
Thanks Robert. I had a quick look and didn't find any, but will have a deeper look. There are also two of the road in the Ladywood Lives book, but they don't identify the part of the road, and it is quite long
Mike
 
Hi Mike, my family the Lardens lived in Bell Barn Rd, for many years, which families are you researching?
 
Hi sheronb
I think it would be a bit before your families time, around 1860 - 1900, alfred or samuel jee were there. Alfred at 180 about 1876-1900 and samuel at 290 around 1860. The latter shortly after 1860 became part of the Parkinson and Cowan site

mike
 
mikejee said:
Hi sheronb
I think it would be a bit before your families time, around 1860 - 1900, alfred or samuel jee were there. Alfred at 180 about 1876-1900 and samuel at 290 around 1860. The latter shortly after 1860 became part of the Parkinson and Cowan site

mike
Click to expand...


Yes it is, my lot were there after 1912. Never mind.:)
 
Thanks for the thought anyway, If you see any pictures of the road anywhere other than those already mentioned. then let me know
mike
 
mikejee said:
Thanks for the thought anyway, If you see any pictures of the road anywhere other than those already mentioned. then let me know
mike
Click to expand...


I will, be interested to see some myself, my family lived at "Rose Cottages";) I'm sure it was!!:)
 
Sorry I have only just seen this thread.

Photo replaced by one of the Swan, but possibly not same as original
Swan Inn . corner Bell Barn Road . Wynn St. 1964.jpg
 
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Thanks postie. Just what I wanted. You made my day. you haven't got one around Parkinson and Cowan on the other side of the road have you? (cheeky that I am)
Mike
 
At Nos 283 - 289 around 1890 till sometime after 1921 they made gas meters there. By 1940 it seems to have become Abrahams and co, chromium palte manufacturers.
mike
 
Here's a few more of Bell Barn Rd that might be of some use. One dated 1957 another dated 1959 and one with no date. Sorry no pictutre of Parkinson Cowan though.

Phil
Photos replaced, but not necessarily the same as original ones
Lee Bank Bell Barn Rd (1).jpgLee Bank Bell Barn Rd 1957.jpgLee Bank Bell Barn Rd 1959.jpg
 
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Hi, I was most interested in this thread as my gt.grandfather lived at 293 Bell Barn Rd. according to 1891 census - he was a b lacksmith. Would he have had a forge on the premises? The houses didn't look big enough.
Sheri
 
sheri said:
It's me again. Where in B 'ham was this road and is it still there? Sheri
Click to expand...


Hi Sheri, it's still there, B15, just off Bristol St, and Lee Bank Middleway, they knocked all the slums down in the late 60s, my nan lived in one of the new maisonettes on Rickman Drive, just off that St, now all that has gone, and new developments are there, though haven't seen them yet.
 
Hi Sheri

Bell Barn Road ran from Bristol St to Great Colmore St. The area was once known as Edgbaston and was later known as Lee Bank after it had been re-developed. Now it has been re-developed again it is known as Attwood Green.

Phil
 
Phil
Thanks for those, They are great. I'll have to spend a few hours trying to work out where they might be,

Sheri
Originally it was a crescent both beginning and ending in Gt Colmore Street, as can be seen in this composite map of 1890. The far Bristol road end is now called Rickman Drive.

Postie
Parkinson & Cowan is at the bottom, marked Gas meter and lamp works

Mike


bellbarn_roadA_1890.jpg
 
mikejee said:
Phil
Thanks for those, They are great. I'll have to spend a few hours trying to work out where they might be,

Sheri
Originally it was a crescent both beginning and ending in Gt Colmore Street, as can be seen in this composite map of 1890. The far Bristol road end is now called Rickman Drive.

Postie
Parkinson & Cowan is at the bottom, marked Gas meter and lamp works

Mike
Click to expand...

Oh ok, was getting confused!!:)Thanks!
 
Hi. Many thanks to Sheronb,pmc1947,mikejee for the information you all posted. It's so interesting to see photos of where my family walked - I don't suppose the houses have changed much from the outside.
Sheri
 
Sheri

I'm afraid those houses have changed a little now, every one of them has now gone. Its one of the area's of Birmingham where they eventually obliterated everything.

Phil
 
Hallo and thankyou mikejee for this amazing map,I have been waiting ages for this part of the map[Bell Barn rd ]to be posted on line .Thankyou so much.Mary
 
Hi Everyone.
I'm very interested in this post as I am trying to find information on Abrahams & Co.
Great photos:)
 
wessy said:
Hi Everyone.
I'm very interested in this post as I am trying to find information on Abrahams & Co.
Great photos:)
Click to expand...
My father Norman Washbrook was a foreman ar Abrahams and Co in Wynn street. They moved to a factory just off Gooch St Highgate and then moved to Gateshead around 1969 ish
 
i was brought up in lee bank... in the seventies, after all the old houses had been demolished... i remember my gran taking us to the patch of grass where the community info centre is now (next to st catherines) and saying thats where i used to live... at the time she showed me it was a field between gt colmore st and ernest st... daft old bird i thought, you didnt live in a field... if only id listened!
 
RICHARD W said:
My father Norman Washbrook was a foreman ar Abrahams and Co in Wynn street. They moved to a factory just off Gooch St Highgate and then moved to Gateshead around 1969 ish
Click to expand...
I'm really looking for information on the family any old photos etc. I'm sure that there must be some out there somewhere. But any information would be very interesting.
 
Can't help with a picture of "The Swan" pub though I would be interested in seeing one too if anyone can help because I was born at 301 Bell Barn Rd in 1949 and my father's name was John Patrick Flanagan. We were rehoused under slum clearance in 1956 and moved to Pype Hayes because my father had a job at Fort Dunlop.
 
As this thread started with a request for a photo of the Swan on the corner of Bell Barn Rd & Wynn St. As I was on the thread updating my photos and I now have a photo of The Swan I thought I would add it here.

Phil
Photo replaced but not necessarily same as original

Swan Inn . corner Bell Barn Road . Wynn St. 1964.jpg
 
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Thank you Phil for posting this picture. I am immensely grateful to the many people on this site who have helped with research for my books and I have had a fair few photos posted too and many of them I have downloading on to my computer . I am being put under a bit of pressure to start a blog to promote myself and my books and have been advised to use relevant photographs on the blog and my web site
. The next book out in March is called "Far From Home" and based in the Stockland Green area. I would like to use some of the photographs of the Plaza cinema etc, but does any one who posted the photos have any objection to my doing this?
 
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