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Anna Brennan - went to school in Birmingham

P

Paul1966

knowlegable brummie
Hi All,

This is a long shot but I'd be delighted to hear from anyone who may have attended school with my mother, Anna Brennan. She attended various schools in Birmingham (her father moved the family around a lot, for some reason), from age 12 (1955) to age 17 (1960). She did mention one school in Moseley and went to a private school one year, too. She remembers a French teacher who used to pull her own hair in exasperation, and she had some good friends, too. As I mentioned, it's a long shot, but hopefully this triggers a response or a memory!
Thank you and I look forward to hearing from potential acquaintances.
 
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hi paul it may help if your mom could remember the actual names of the schools she attended...any extra bit of info may help

lyn
 
Astoness said:
hi paul it may help if your mom could remember the actual names of the schools she attended...any extra bit of info may help

lyn
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Hi Lyn,
Thank you for your reply.
Sadly, my Mum has dementia and is unable to say. But she does remember some things and if prompted my hope is to give her a name, a friend, address or school - something along those lines - that might trigger a special memory for her.
Hopefully there is someone out there who remembers her name and can add some more pieces to the picture!
Paul
 
hi paul maybe your mom will remember the addresses she lived at when she was at school as it could narrow down what schools she may have attended... could i just ask what the names of her parents were...that may help as we can check the electoral rolls for you...i take it mom was born in 1943...

lyn
 
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Astoness said:
hi paul maybe your mom will remember the addresses she lived at when she was at school as it could narrow down what schools she may have attended... could i just ask what the names of her parents were...that may help as we can check the electoral rolls for you...i take it mom was born in 1943...

lyn
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Hi Lyn,
That's a great idea about the electoral roll and I'd be so much obliged.
You're also right, she was born in 1943. She was born in Dublin on October 3rd 1943, but moved with her family to Birmingham at age 12. So I'm guessing that was 1955 but it could also have been early 1956. Her father's name was Robert Brennan but I believe he was known among friends/colleagues as Bob Brennan, while we called him Ben. Mum's mother's name was Ellen Brennan. Some called her Nellie. And Mum's brother and sister were Joe Brennan (known as Benignus in the early years) and Mildred Brennan. I'm afraid I only know that Mum was in Moseley for a while and they moved a good bit in the early years. But they settled in South Road, Erdington at some point before Mum finished school.
Thank you so much for your kind consideration!
 
Paul1966 said:
Hi Lyn,
That's a great idea about the electoral roll and I'd be so much obliged.
You're also right, she was born in 1943. She was born in Dublin on October 3rd 1943, but moved with her family to Birmingham at age 12. So I'm guessing that was 1955 but it could also have been early 1956. Her father's name was Robert Brennan but I believe he was known among friends/colleagues as Bob Brennan, while we called him Ben. Mum's mother's name was Ellen Brennan. Some called her Nellie. And Mum's brother and sister were Joe Brennan (known as Benignus in the early years) and Mildred Brennan. I'm afraid I only know that Mum was in Moseley for a while and they moved a good bit in the early years. But they settled in South Road, Erdington at some point before Mum finished school.
Thank you so much for your kind consideration!
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ok paul thanks for that...leave it with us we have some very good researchers on here..cant say for certain that we will be able to locate moms schools as its always difficult but will have a go for you

lyn
 
Astoness said:
ok paul thanks for that...leave it with us we have some very good researchers on here..cant say for certain that we will be able to locate moms schools as its always difficult but will have a go for you

lyn
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That is wonderful. Thanks again Lyn, it's really very much appreciated, especially given the lack of information. here is the earliest photo I have of Mum which is from after the time in question.
She also worked in the tax office in the city centre for a short while, but left in 1966 when I was born. And she did a stint training as a nurse in Dudley hospital, but left after a while (she loved the theory but not the sicknesses!).
 
pjmburns said:
Thanks for reply.
As she ws Irish - was she Catholic?
If so that might mean Catholic schools.
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Hi Janice,
Good point. She is Catholic and it's likely that all or most schools she went to were Catholic. One of them was definitely a private school, which as far as I know, was also Catholic. So that might narrow it down a bit again?
 
Right - there was a private Catholic school in Olton. Known as Olton Convent.
You could try seeing if Sister (or Mother) Mary of the Incarnation rings a bell. Known as "Inky" to generations of schoolgirls.
 
pjmburns said:
Right - there was a private Catholic school in Olton. Known as Olton Convent.
You could try seeing if Sister (or Mother) Mary of the Incarnation rings a bell. Known as "Inky" to generations of schoolgirls.
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That's very interesting and sounds very plausible. I will ask her that! Many thanks indeed for the great information and I'll be sure to let you know if she remembers.
 
As she was 12 when she came to Birmingham it is possible it wasn't a Catholic school. Im just trying to rack my brains to see which schools might have been around in late 50s
Olton was easy as I went there but not until 1964 - Inky is the only one I am sure would have been there earrlier.
 
my train of thought is this....if we can put together a few schools anna may have attended we have threads on this forum for dozens of schools in birmingham many of which members have posted class photos with names given.. we could then go to the threads of a few schools and see if anyone has posted old class photos of the years anna was at school..long shot but worth thinking about

lyn
 
Catholic Schools from the 1958 phone book

Archbishop Ilsley in Acocks Green
Archbishop Williams Stechford
Bishop Challoner Kings Heath (a possible from Moseley area)
Erdington RC Secondary
Oratory Senior School Edgbaston
Rosary Modern School Saltley
St Chads
St Michaels


Cardinal Newman Bearwood
Cardinal Wiseman Great Barr
 
Astoness said:
my train of thought is this....if we can put together a few schools anna may have attended we have threads on this forum for dozens of schools in birmingham many of which members have posted class photos with names given.. we could then go to the threads of a few schools and see if anyone has posted old class photos of the years anna was at school..long shot but worth thinking about

lyn
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Thanks so much Lyn. Yes, I'm sorry I can't provide you with more information. Some 10 years ago she did give me the name of one school in or around Moseley that she attended. I only wish I had made more note of it.
 
pjmburns said:
As she was 12 when she came to Birmingham it is possible it wasn't a Catholic school. Im just trying to rack my brains to see which schools might have been around in late 50s
Olton was easy as I went there but not until 1964 - Inky is the only one I am sure would have been there earrlier.
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I'll ask her when I see her later today. The name Olton or Inky might well trigger a memory, but I'm not sure if she'll give a definite response.
 
pjmburns said:
In 1962 they lived at 74 South Road (Stockland Green ward).
View attachment 207781

The house is still there -with the white door.
View attachment 207783
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Yes, that was indeed their house and I remember many happy visits there. Sadly it looks as though it has fallen into disrepair! My granddad had done a really lovely garden at the back (he was a qualified botanist/horticulturist), although he didn't work in that field for the most part AFAIK.
 
pjmburns said:
1960 they were at 254 Moseley Road. That doesn't eem to exist any longer.
View attachment 207787

It would have been on the corner of Highgate Place
View attachment 207789
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This suggests that Upper Highgate School for Girls, which was on Moseley Rd near Highgate Place, Balsall Heath, is a strong candidate for one of the schools Mum or my aunt Mildred might have attended? I know that they didn't go to the same school for at least some of their school years.
 
Mum was sleepy this evening so she was unable to tell me much. But Dad says she attended a school in Quinton, if that raises any known candidates? But I see only one Catholic school, a girls primary school, and that only opened in 1967.
 
Paul1966 said:
Mum was sleepy this evening so she was unable to tell me much. But Dad says she attended a school in Quinton, if that raises any known candidates? But I see only one Catholic school, a girls primary school, and that only opened in 1967.
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1950s: post primary girls Catholic school, Stonehouse Lane, Quinton. But next to nothing is immediately available online.
 
Post #16
Cardinal Newman School - I put Bearwood but it was in Sandon Road which seems to come under Quinton today is a possibility.
I think it no longer exists.
 
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Paul1966 said:
This suggests that Upper Highgate School for Girls, which was on Moseley Rd near Highgate Place, Balsall Heath, is a strong candidate for one of the schools Mum or my aunt Mildred might have attended? I know that they didn't go to the same school for at least some of their school years.
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hi paul we have a thread for upper highgate school for girls...it mentions pupils and teachers and heads name ..have a read of it from post 1 and if you like make a post asking if anyone remembers your mom being there as most posts seem to be from the time she would have been at school..its a long shot but worth a go i think...click on link below to take you to the thread

lyn

I

Thread 'Upper Highgate School for Girls'

My mom went to this school & left in 1961, her name was Dorothy Welch!
She said "that the headmistress was a miss Robertshaw, did anybody else attend this school?
 
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