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Mike, Am I right in saying that No 32 between the junctions with Weaman Street and Whittal Street? The Bath Street Racquets Club was formed in 1859 so maybe the name of the tavern was changed then? The Major was its first secretary and the club may have waned when he took less of an organising role.

I got the date from Thomas Todd's book 'The Tennis Players'. The tavern was owned by Samuel Young who also owned the largest glass button making business in Birmingham.

This the postcard? The pub in Bath Street might have been the Racquet Court?

There's sure to have been some gun testing facility in the area. I think they tended to be long rooms with low ceiling height probably suited to below ground construction which would, in turn, provide some sound deadening? Indoor racquets would require high ceilings so more likely to be an above...

Gem was born 21st May 1819.

Just to correct this reference to Gem's rackets club being in Bath Row (which is repeated in other places such as Wikipedia) the club was actually in Bath Street, most of which was buried under the Queensway by St Chad's Cathedral. A small section of the street remains in which the Gunmakers pub...

Lin, Peter was a teacher at a school in/near Shrewsbury and he retired to Jersey. Wife and two children. When I spoke to him he told me that he had not been able to establish an unquestionable link to TH Gem. Apparently his son was working on the family history. I think I have still the contact...

Lin, Are you related in any way to Peter Gem who lived in Jersey? He died a few years ago. I believe you are right in saying that Thomas and Ellen were childless.

Wendy, There is no-one with a probable family link to the Major. Reference the memorial/headstone I'm working on a fund-raising project.

When I attended Birmingham Art College back in the late 1960s the College had a school of Printing in Gem Street. From memory, not very good these days(!), this was housed in a building which had been built as a children's school, home or hospital back in the days of the Crimean War. I recall a...

I was secretary to the Edgbaston Archery & Lawn Tennis Society for a number of years and have been involved in researching the early history of lawn tennis and its origination here in Birmingham. Your findings are fascinating and well done to all for the effort in digging through various...