• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

Where to find out how a street got its name?

Kat7272

Kat7272

master brummie
How could I find out where a Birmingham Street got it's name? Would it mean contacting the council?
 
I don't think there is a definitive 'means' by which a street is named. I assume, in most cases, it is something agreed between the site Contractor and the LA.

I was told [by his daughter] that Horton Square was named after Ernest Horton, former Mayor.
 
hi kat do you mean how a street got its name...if so i have the complete collection of carl chinns books although obviously they do not cover every single st or road...if you tell me the name of the street/road it may be in one of my books

lyn
 
Site contractor and local authority, not that I doubt you for one second, but I would have thought that it wouldn't have included the site contractor at all. I would have hoped it would have been some sort of naming ritual carried out by someone high and mighty!!!!!!
 
Arh, the Mayor, I see. I just saw the name of the road and wondered why. My relation Freda lived and is buried in Harborne, and as she has an unusual headstone and died in a road accident, I just wondered. I didn't think that Fredas grove was named after her but I just thought I would find out how the Grove got it's name.

Very interesting how these places get their names.

While I am on the subject, I need to find out about the name of a Road in Bristol, where could I find this info? I have asked questions on the forum before about places outside of Birmingham and I have had answers.
 
Generally the Town Planning Dept of a particular city or town are the best ones to approach on this, Kat, particularly newer streets. I believe that they have to approve them.

Maurice :cool:
 
Lots of new build estates going up near where I live [not Brum]. There are certainly no reported 'naming ceremonies' conducted by persons 'high and mighty'. Don't forget, as soon as a house is completed, it is sold and occupied, even though the site, in general, might still be under construction. No value in someone being photographed [for the local Newspaper] with mud and machines everywhere.

I know of one Estate [again, not Brum] which was originally an Orchard. No doubt there would have also been a Farmhouse there. The land was sold to a Developer and, as part of the deal, they built her a rather large Bungalow just off the Estate. Her name was Mrs Andrews. The Estate comprises two roads, one of which is called Andrews Drive, and is a cul-de-sac.:confused: Roads named as "Drive's", in my experience, would normally be 'through routes'. The other road, I am assuming, may have been named to commemorate her Mother's Maiden Name.

The Estate in question, although Freehold, came with restrictions in the Deeds imposed by Mrs Andrews. viz, no additional building without [her] permission [e.g. Conservatories]. No parking of caravans on driveways. No building on top of Garages. etc.

However, since she is now 'long past', I'm not sure if these restrictions are currently enforceable.
 
maurice about 3 years ago new houses were built in villa st where i grew up and after they were finished i had a look around...noticed that the new build is called pearl gardens and button close ..of course i knew straight away how they had been given those names...the houses are built on the site of copes pearl button factory that i remember so well..must say i was chuffed that the planners had done their homework very well and given villa st back a bit of its history although it is still called villa street although all the old houses including mine were all demolished by the 80s...i would imagine that whoever lives in those new houses are still wondering where those names came from...never mind..i know and thats all that matters:D

lyn
 
For almost 23 years I lived on MOAT LANE Yardley. Now it must mean that there was a caste there at some time, with a Moat around it???
 
Ken_R said:
Lots of new build estates going up near where I live [not Brum]. There are certainly no reported 'naming ceremonies' conducted by persons 'high and mighty'. Don't forget, as soon as a house is completed, it is sold and occupied, even though the site, in general, might still be under construction. No value in someone being photographed [for the local Newspaper] with mud and machines everywhere.

I know of one Estate [again, not Brum] which was originally an Orchard. No doubt there would have also been a Farmhouse there. The land was sold to a Developer and, as part of the deal, they built her a rather large Bungalow just off the Estate. Her name was Mrs Andrews. The Estate comprises two roads, one of which is called Andrews Drive, and is a cul-de-sac.:confused: Roads named as "Drive's", in my experience, would normally be 'through routes'. The other road, I am assuming, may have been named to commemorate her Mother's Maiden Name.

The Estate in question, although Freehold, came with restrictions in the Deeds imposed by Mrs Andrews. viz, no additional building without [her] permission [e.g. Conservatories]. No parking of caravans on driveways. No building on top of Garages. etc.

However, since she is now 'long past', I'm not sure if these restrictions are currently enforceable.
Click to expand...
No parking of caravans on driveways is almost a standard covenant in lidded in the deeds, as is a ban on commercial vehicles, both of which get ignored.
Bob
 
oldbrit said:
For almost 23 years I lived on MOAT LANE Yardley. Now it must mean that there was a caste there at some time, with a Moat around it???
Click to expand...
moatln.jpgcov
Well the moat isn't in doubt! The car park of Gilbertstone Recreation ground now occupies the site. Incidentally the North-South footpath to the east of the moat is now the gulley bounding the eastern edge of the recreation ground.

I believe road names nowadays are approved by the local authority and for some strange reason any objections have to be put before a law court. (I have a new estate near me and the council posted up the proposed names. I thought they were a bit daft as they had given the same name to several cul-de-sacs, which is confusing for strangers. I thought it would be better to have more names. Unfortunately one can't just ask the council to reconsider, it needs a full legal procedure before a judge, a step to far for me.)
 
Lyn,

The Planning Dept will have plans before giving planning permission and I'm pretty sure they will be named on the plans. Since the onset of the postcodes, the Royal Mail don't really care what the place is called as they need a postcode. They stated long ago that there is no longer any requirement to include a county as they don't use it, only the postcode.

Maurice :cool:
 
sospiri said:
Lyn,

The Planning Dept will have plans before giving planning permission and I'm pretty sure they will be named on the plans. Since the onset of the postcodes, the Royal Mail don't really care what the place is called as they need a postcode. They stated long ago that there is no longer any requirement to include a county as they don't use it, only the postcode.

Maurice :cool:
Click to expand...

yes thanks maurice...i just thought it a nice gesture using the names pearl and button

lyn
 
The council is supposed to work with the contractor to discuss names. These then go to the appropriate committee to be agreed - or not. According to info when I Google docs it. There are some rules about names. I suppose that with all the info at one's fingertips today it is relatively easy to find names with a connection to the site.
 
pjmburns said:
The council is supposed to work with the contractor to discuss names. These then go to the appropriate committee to be agreed - or not. According to info when I Google docs it. There are some rules about names. I suppose that with all the info at one's fingertips today it is relatively easy to find names with a connection to the site.
Click to expand...

i agree jan...should be easy to find these things out these days...a few years ago i noticed a malthouse gardens i think it was off the lozells road..would put a bet on it there was a malthouse nearby...
 
thanks for looking mike malthouse gardens is the top end of what used to be wilton street the other half of wilton st is called gunmakers walk on account of the gunmakers pub although closed now is on the corner of gerrard st and what was wilton st...

will try and look into it more when i can as i feel sure there must have been a malthouse around there at one time or maybe even a pub although i have to say i cant recall reading about one

sorry i am going a tad off topic now...tend to get carried away when researching the old end :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

lyn

www.google.com

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.
www.google.com www.google.com
 
Back in the 1980s [I think] I used to read the Ward Minutes for Harborne & these always reported new developments/street names. It seems that the developer can nominate the name. Checked on BCC web site & situation looks the same:

"Developer are requested to provide suggestions for new road names which should follow the council's criterion:
  • names must have a geographical, historical or cultural link to the site or near are
  • names of living people must not be used.
  • names must not have a commercial connection.
  • names which are duplicated within the& Birmingham authority area will be rejected
Proposals should include:
  • a detailed reason for the choice of name
  • a location plan
  • a site layout identifying plot numbers and property entrances.
A list of pre-approved names is also available where the developer is unable to make suitable suggestions.

Naming of roads is a legal process and once a new street name has been officially approved, it cannot be renamed without a statutory order. This is costly and time-consuming, and may involve a Magistrate Court hearing."

So in theory BCC would hold information on why a particular road was so called but whether they could trace a particular road on request is doubtful.
 
pjmburns said:
The council is supposed to work with the contractor to discuss names. These then go to the appropriate committee to be agreed - or not. According to info when I Google docs it. There are some rules about names. I suppose that with all the info at one's fingertips today it is relatively easy to find names with a connection to the site.
Click to expand...
PJM, I think you are correct! The names are a combination of the contractor and LA, if a road/street or what ever is already there the name usually stays,
 
Some interesting info on this subject, thank you, it's good to know that 'pearl and button' were considered and used in the new development on Villa St as noted by Lyn.
sospiri said:
Generally the Town Planning Dept of a particular city or town are the best ones to approach on this, Kat, particularly newer streets. I believe that they have to approve them.

Maurice :cool:
Click to expand...
I am going to send an email now to Bristol Council to see what they say about Strawbridge Road in Bristol. I know that Strawbridge Terrace once stood on the site, but it would be interesting to see what they have to say about it.

Thanks Maurice for pointing me in the direction of the town planning dept.:):)
 
Will do Lyn. I have just trawled through their website for an email address! I have sent an email to an address that looks kind-of relevant and I have politely asked if necessary, that they would direct me to the correct contact.

I have just looked at my notes and I can see from the 1851 census that Francis Strawbridge resided at 3 Strawbridge Terrace.
 
Kat,

Now you've given us a date and put a little more flesh on the bones, so to speak, I'll make another comment and a supposition. The comment is that the date is too far back to find anything relating to this in a Planning Dept. The supposition is that Francis STRAWBRIDGE, or his parents, bought a freehold plot of land, built a block of terraced houses on it, and lived in one while renting out the rest, thus providing an income from his/their investment.

Too early to find anything in the Land Registry, but you might find an advertisement relating to this in a newspaper local to the area, or, of course, he or his parents might have been left the land in an ancestor's Will. There are numerous possibilities.

Maurice :cool:
 
Kat,

I've just had a look at the 1851 Census entry. His occupation is a mason, and most of the houses are still unoccupied, so he would be known today as a developer. So I would say that they'd only just been built.

No Strawbridge Terrace on today's map, but it would have been off or in close proximity to Marlbourough Street. Much of one side of that street is now taken up by Bristol Royal Infirmary, so my guess, and it is only a guess, is that the terrace was built over as the hospital extended. The National Library of Scotland maps might enable you to prove whether in fact this is the case

Having just searched those maps, they're not of a large enough scale to show the exact location of the Terrace, though they show Marlborough Street and the original Royal Infirmary building, which has now been considerably extended. Here's the area in 1885:-

https://maps.nls.uk/view/109729702

Maurice :cool:
 
Last edited:
Hi Maurice, sorry for initial lack of meat on the bones!!!!! I suppose I was thinking it wasn't a Brum enquiry, the forum have been very welcoming to me, I don't want to take advantage.

Great info and I appreciate your input. I am thinking the same as you that there were properties built for investment.

What I would like to find out from Bristol council is why when they redeveloped a site they named it Strawbridge Road.

Perhaps it was purely because previously there was the terrace? But it will be interesting to see what they come up with.

I'm yet to look at the maps for Bristol, so your findings are interesting.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top