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Ann Street School

Vivienne14

Vivienne14

Kentish Brummie Moderator
Staff member
This Alfred H Green oil painting struck me as an interesting record for it's time. It shows Ann Street School classroom in 1855 depicting the education of children aged 3 - 12. This school was at 48 Ann Street, now the site of Birmingham Council House. It was a Quaker run school for 90 pupils, opened in 1826 until 1867.

https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/images2/userpics/10014/Ann_Street_School_oil_painting.JPG


I've been trying to locate where exactly the school would have been. Perhaps it would have stood somewhere along this view of Ann Street?


https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/images2/userpics/10014/Ann_Street_1867.JPG

Viv
 
Thanks Leslam. Read Jenni's blog on this and it does seem a shame that there's no drawing or later photo of the building, but at least the painting records the first Birmingham infant school. Do you know what the actual Ann Street thread title is, as I typed in an 'Ann Street' search and it didn't come up with anything? Viv.
 
Thanks Mike. Thats helpful. I think there might be a small error in the BMAG blurb that accompanies the painting. Maybe the sentence "The school closed in 1867 and the site is now occupied by the Birmingham's Council House" was meant as a very rough position. Viv


Specific link to www. bmagic.org.uk removed until clearer about copyright issue mentioned in post#9.
 
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Thanks Leslam. I think the 'ann street' thread uncovered some interesting historical info, so worth preserving. Here is an extract from the British History Online site giving some background info on the Ann St School. People may also be interested in this link for other old schools too.

https://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22984

Here is the extracted Ann St School info from the British History Online link above:

BIRMINGHAM INFANT CENTRAL SCHOOL, 48, Ann Street (now Colmore Row). Opened 1826 by Birmingham Infant School Society (founded 1825) in St. Philip's boys' Sunday schoolroom. In 1826 it contained 90 pupils. Permanent building in Ann St. opened Sept. 1826. The school was at first taught by a man and wife who had been sent by the Society to Walthamstow Infant School to be trained. Supported by subscriptions and fees of 2d.

The teaching was undenominational, though the school was chiefly managed, especially later, by Quakers. The upper floor was rented to the Girls' Lancasterian School 1826–51.

In 1849 the Committee of the Society resolved that the school was to resume 'exclusively its original character of a Normal and Model Establishment'. In fact, though an average of c. 6 I school teachers a year had been trained at the school, it does not appear at first to have been designed as a training school. Closed c. 1866 or 1867; in 1901 the property was said to have been sold in 1867 and the proceeds of sale used to enlarge Severn St. British School.

(Citation: 'Public Education: Schools ', A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 7: The City of Birmingham (1964), pp. 501-548. URL: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22984 Date accessed: 14 October 2011)

Viv.
 
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