Dennis Williams
Gone but not forgotten
A heartbreaking place... The Asylum for the Infant Poor. Summer Lane.....
In 1797, an "Asylum for the Infant Poor" was opened an Asylum Road, at the east side of Summer Lane. William Hutton's 1836 History of Birmingham records that: "The Asylum for the Infant Poor, established in Summer Lane in 1797, is conducted by a committee of guardians and overseers. The manufacture of pins, straw-plait, lace, &c., is carried on for the purpose of employing the children, whose labour produces a profit to the parish. There is a bath, garden, play-ground, school, and chapel connected with this institution. There are usually from two hundred to two hundred and fifty children in this parish family."
The Asylum closed in around 1852.
The asylum was founded in 1797 by the Guardians of the Poor as an industrial residence and school for 250 children.
Standing close to where Milton Street would emerge, it was closed and knocked down in 1846, although the Beehive carved over the door remained on the ruins for a few years afterwards.
Asylum Road recalls this institution. Its older name, however, was Bread Lane.
On the opposite side of Summer Lane to the Asylum, in Wilkinson's childhood were "the brick-kiln fields, more than a hundred acres of grass lands, stretching away over the sandhills to the Lozells. These fields for many years afforded free pasturage for anybody's horses, donkeys, or pigs, and it was also the playground for the young folks in our part of town."
In his vicinity was a hollow where "there was a large pool where we fished for minnows. Farther down the lane, nearly opposite the asylum, there was a smaller pool, where we waded for bullrushes".
Then, in the bend of Summer Lane, where it went into what would become Asylum Road, not far from the Walsall Road, "was one of Birmingham's oldest pleasure resorts, The Cherry Gardens, where, for a few coppers, you could eat your fill of that delicious fruit."
Asylum School, 1797
Established in connection with the poor house in 1797 for the education of the poor and destitute, being supported from the poor rates.
There are 190 scholars; namely 120 boys who are taught Reading, Writing and Arithmetic and 70 girls who learn Reading, Serving and Writing. Moral and Religious instruction are communicated according to the principles of the Church of England. The boys are employed 4 hours and the girl's 3 hours daily, the former in pin making and the latter in domestic work.
The National system is pursued in the school and the guardians of the poor are the appointed visitors.
Connected to the establishment is also an infant's school on the system of Samuel Wilderspin, with 65 scholars namely 36 boys and 29 girls, in which Reading the elements of useful knowledge and Moral and Religious duties are taught to those children under 7 years of age, which are inmates of the Poor House. A lending library of suitable books is attached to the establishment.
This Asylum school was in Summer lane directly opposite Alma Street, There were no house's or any buildings of any kind, it stood all on it's own, surrounded by fields as the Summer Lane continued from the Asylum school it met up with Newtown Row a few hundred yards away. The bottom half of Summer Lane from the Asylum school was later to be known as Asylum Road, prior to this it was known as Bread Street.
There were to many changes to the surrounding area over the years, on this site of the Asylum school. A brass foundry, a shop and a Saw mill and packing case works and at this time in history. Newtown shopping centre, what will the future bring to this historical site? The asylum school was in existence well before Samuel Wilderspin was born, and his methods where adopted in the later days of the schools existence.
The Asylum school was closed about 1838 exact date not known at this time. Why was it that there was so many adults and children, where unable to read and write, when this man Samuel Wilderspin was setting up schools in the early 19th century. Yet council schools where not being built, till the latter end of the 19th century.
In 1797, an "Asylum for the Infant Poor" was opened an Asylum Road, at the east side of Summer Lane. William Hutton's 1836 History of Birmingham records that: "The Asylum for the Infant Poor, established in Summer Lane in 1797, is conducted by a committee of guardians and overseers. The manufacture of pins, straw-plait, lace, &c., is carried on for the purpose of employing the children, whose labour produces a profit to the parish. There is a bath, garden, play-ground, school, and chapel connected with this institution. There are usually from two hundred to two hundred and fifty children in this parish family."
The Asylum closed in around 1852.
The asylum was founded in 1797 by the Guardians of the Poor as an industrial residence and school for 250 children.
Standing close to where Milton Street would emerge, it was closed and knocked down in 1846, although the Beehive carved over the door remained on the ruins for a few years afterwards.
Asylum Road recalls this institution. Its older name, however, was Bread Lane.
On the opposite side of Summer Lane to the Asylum, in Wilkinson's childhood were "the brick-kiln fields, more than a hundred acres of grass lands, stretching away over the sandhills to the Lozells. These fields for many years afforded free pasturage for anybody's horses, donkeys, or pigs, and it was also the playground for the young folks in our part of town."
In his vicinity was a hollow where "there was a large pool where we fished for minnows. Farther down the lane, nearly opposite the asylum, there was a smaller pool, where we waded for bullrushes".
Then, in the bend of Summer Lane, where it went into what would become Asylum Road, not far from the Walsall Road, "was one of Birmingham's oldest pleasure resorts, The Cherry Gardens, where, for a few coppers, you could eat your fill of that delicious fruit."
Asylum School, 1797
Established in connection with the poor house in 1797 for the education of the poor and destitute, being supported from the poor rates.
There are 190 scholars; namely 120 boys who are taught Reading, Writing and Arithmetic and 70 girls who learn Reading, Serving and Writing. Moral and Religious instruction are communicated according to the principles of the Church of England. The boys are employed 4 hours and the girl's 3 hours daily, the former in pin making and the latter in domestic work.
The National system is pursued in the school and the guardians of the poor are the appointed visitors.
Connected to the establishment is also an infant's school on the system of Samuel Wilderspin, with 65 scholars namely 36 boys and 29 girls, in which Reading the elements of useful knowledge and Moral and Religious duties are taught to those children under 7 years of age, which are inmates of the Poor House. A lending library of suitable books is attached to the establishment.
This Asylum school was in Summer lane directly opposite Alma Street, There were no house's or any buildings of any kind, it stood all on it's own, surrounded by fields as the Summer Lane continued from the Asylum school it met up with Newtown Row a few hundred yards away. The bottom half of Summer Lane from the Asylum school was later to be known as Asylum Road, prior to this it was known as Bread Street.
There were to many changes to the surrounding area over the years, on this site of the Asylum school. A brass foundry, a shop and a Saw mill and packing case works and at this time in history. Newtown shopping centre, what will the future bring to this historical site? The asylum school was in existence well before Samuel Wilderspin was born, and his methods where adopted in the later days of the schools existence.
The Asylum school was closed about 1838 exact date not known at this time. Why was it that there was so many adults and children, where unable to read and write, when this man Samuel Wilderspin was setting up schools in the early 19th century. Yet council schools where not being built, till the latter end of the 19th century.
But the disappointment is the real lack of information about the Infant Asylum for the Poor and its demolition before the advent of the photograph.
