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Church Hill House, the Endwood, Handsworth

Jayell

Jayell

master brummie
Any information appreciated, photos even better! My 4 x gt.grandfather's brother was William Wallis, who was an American merchant, with a warehouse in Lichfield Street, near the Square. It seems that Church Hill House was in grounds of about 50 acres! so no mean piece of land. I have seen details of the house from sale particulars but I haven't been able to find out much more about it. PS William Wallis died at Hamstead Hall, another place I would like to know about.


Judy
 
My late parent's house was quite near but I haven't been to Birmingham for over two years now, the pub was closed a good while ago and I believe the building was taken on to convert to a mosque, on the provision the outside was not altered - I think it may be listed?
It doesn't look if they've progressed very far with it!
 
T
Phil said:
Jayell

I think Church Hill House became the Endwood public house in later years, and it was located on Church Hill Road straddling the railway tunnel, but you probably knew this already.
Click to expand...


Thank you Phil. I had no idea that this was the case, I was thinking it was very near St Marys Church but didn't think of the Endwood. I remember the Endwood as I grew up in Handsworth, but always thought this was in Hamstead Road. Having looked again since reading your reply I see the connection with the house and the pub. Excellent, thank you so much for this connection which I didn't know about.

Judy
 
Phil said:
Jayell

I think Church Hill House became the Endwood public house in later years, and it was located on Church Hill Road straddling the railway tunnel, but you probably knew this already.
Click to expand...
Less than a mile from St Mary's church by Handsworth Park
 
There is a long history associated with Endwood House. Over time it has had several names : possibly the Church House (see extract in italics below), Churchill House, Hill House Hotel and, up until fairly recently, the Endwood. It’s thought it first appeared in records in 1538. In the mid-1500s it may have been Le Churchill. It was rebuilt in 1820. Handsworth Historical Society site says about the house:

A house, called the Church House, was inhabited by weavers who also for some time discharged some office in the church and may well have held the house by virtue of that duty. From about 1567 until his death in 1581, the house was in the hands of William Wardle, organist and weaver. Thomas Wayte, an attorney and notary public, lived at Le Churchill, possible an early Churchill House (now the Endwood Hotel).

It was purchased in 1937 by the brewers Butlers of Wolverhampton who used it as a pub. That company, including the Endwood, was acquired by Mitchells and Butler in 1960.

It was given listed building status in July 1982.

Viv

Image from the Pubs of the Past thread, posted by the late Phil

CB09974B-E4F2-4373-964F-D846C4F82B13.jpeg
 
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The opening of the Endwood by Butler & Co in 1937.

Source of extracts: British Newspaper Archive
3043A9F6-4D1D-4888-8736-635E8966B200.jpeg

When the Endwood was named ‘Hill House Hotel” it offered a healthy stay in a hotel in its own grounds.

D18D08D5-D224-405D-8531-F3BFF59D68D5.jpeg

When it was the private residence of Henry Elwell it was named Church Hill House. He was active as Captain in recruiting Staffordshire Volunteer Rifle Corps(1st/Handsworth Company). Viv

BA42E726-DED9-4F8F-A124-9CAB63A6F49B.jpeg
 
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Vivienne14 said:
The opening of the Endwood by Butler & Co in 1937.

Source of extracts: British Newspaper Archive
View attachment 177192

When the Endwood was named ‘Hill House Hotel” it offered a healthy stay in a hotel in its own grounds.

View attachment 177193

When it was the private residence of Henry Elwell it was named Church Hill House. He was active as Captain in recruiting Staffordshire Volunteer Rifle Corps(1st/Handsworth Company). Viv

View attachment 177194
Click to expand...
Great memories! Had many underaged beers in the garden. I had three close friends who were two years older would get them for me :)
 
Some history of the house and it’s occupants over time. Edit - updated to take account of information in later posts. Viv.

1538 (?) ‘Church House’ possibly occupied by weavers who may also have had a church role - not confirmed
1567 - 1571 (possibly ‘Church House’) occupied by William Wardle, organist and weaver - not confirmed
Thomas Wayte, attorney occupied Le Churchill - this may have been an earlier form of of the name Churchill House - not confirmed

1792 - William Wallis, Constable (previously John Wallis), a prominent American merchant living at Church Hill, Handsworth. Had fine horses, their names painted over their stalls. Wallis liked wearing old English squire clothes - blue or green coat, powdered hair - called ‘Beau Wallis’ and would ride into town on his well-groomed horses
1826 - Church Hill House, house and estate and freehold house and gardens at Barr sale postponed
1830 - advert to let Church Hill House with shrubbery, gardens and pastureland lately occupied by the deceased Mrs Gibbins
1836 - Churchill house and land to let previously occupied by Mr Edge. It was a ‘roomy’ house, with carriage house, stables, walled garden, 40 - 50 acres of accommodation land adjoining having all suitable farm buildings for occupation
1846 - Wm Henry Muntz, son of G F Muntz Esq MP, married Alice second daughter of George Parker Esq of Church Hill House
1847 - George Parker of Church Hill House Handsworth son Charles Abraham married
1848 - George Parker Esq age 49 of Churchill House died
1850 - Church Hill House substantial household effects sale
1857 - Church Hill House once residence of the late George Parker Esq
1858 - Henry Elwell Esq of Church Hill House Handsworth provisional Director of Birmingham, Erdington and Sutton Coldfield Railway Company (Western Line)
1858 - Elwell’s eldest daughter Mary Ann died
1859 - Church Hill House the home of Henry Elwell Esq. August 1859 Elwell appointed Captain of the Staffordshire Volunteer Rifles
1863 - Elwell of Church Hill House a Director of the Sutton Royal Hotel Company
1865 - Elwell of Church Hill House the Chairman of Metropolitan Carriage and Wagon Company
1866 - sale of furniture and effects of Church Hill House
1867 - Hanbury Barclay competitor in Curzon Hall dog show as exhibitor and breeder
1868 - advert seeking lost foxhound contact name H Barclay Church Hill House Handsworth
1871 - Hanbury Barclay (Handsworth Patent Tubes) occupied Church Hill House
1876 - daughter married of G H. M Muntz of Church Hill House
1873 - daughter born to Mrs Hanbury Barclay of Church Hill House
1873 - Hanbury Barclay deputy chairman of Curzon Exhibition Hall Company Ltd
1882 - widow of George Parker of Church Hill House Handsworth died at Cheltenham
1891 - death of Joseph Riley, age 62, of Church Hill House Handsworth
1906 - John Inshaw snr and John Inshaw jnr, occupants of Church Hill House. Gardener named Parfitt was fined for drunkenness at the nearby Lamp Tavern
1911 - advertised as Hill House Hotel, Handsworth Wood
1914 - advertised as Hill House Private Hotel, Handsworth in 3 acres of own grounds
1914 - advertised as Hill House Private Hotel, delightful summer residence
1917 - Alfred Hardman Dixon, Moseley, owner of Hill House Hotel made bankrupt
1926 - Hill House Hotel advert listed under ‘Apartments’
1937 - known as the Endwood public house, opened by W.Butler & Co
1945 - fire at Endwood Hotel, Hamstead Road
 
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Just to add to Viv's history of Church Hill House:

1792 - c1825

In 1792 William Wallis held the office of Constable, succeeding his
namesake, John Wallis, who had been Constable for three years preceding.
He was a prominent American merchant, and lived at Church Hill, Hands-
worth. He possessed many fine horses, and had their names painted over
their stalls. He was famous for his dress, wearing, like an old English
squire, a blue or green coat, and powdered hair, being familiarly called
Beau Wallis, and equally well known from his well-groomed horses, upon
which he rode into town. He was one of the leading men of Handsworth,
and had a large pew in the Parish Church. About 1825 he took Ham-
stead Hall, but in the mercantile crisis of that time his business collapsed,
and his failure caused considerable sensation. He died shortly afterwards,
and was buried at St. Philip’s, his family removing to Summerfield Park.
 
Thanks Judy. The accommodation for several horses at Churchill House must have been of a high standard to keep Wallis’s well-groomed horses which were obviously an important part of his life.

A nice addition to the characters once living at the house. Viv.
 
Attached below is a long but detailed account of Church Hill House and land when the house and associated land and buildings were for sale in 1826. Mrs Gibbins was still the occupant (previously occupied by Mr Wallis as per Jayell’s post #15).

Features we might find marked on a map in the immediate vicinity of the house:

- courtyard offices

- a carriage drive between the shrubbery and the ornamental grounds

- attached coach house, stabling and harness room surrounding a roomy court enclosed by walls and folding gates

- substantial adjoining farm buildings: a large barn, waggon, stable, cow sheds, granary, enclosed fold and rick-yard

- ornamental grounds (a part of Barn Close)

Further afield were:

- Barn Close (part of)
- House Close
- Upper Field
- Farther Leasow
- Carlea Meadow - fronting Perry Mill Lane
- land fronting Perry Mill Lane adjoining Church-Hill Farm

6D4E2FE5-B189-4B46-BF91-663245709EE7.jpegE72755DD-1784-4B22-B8F8-CE056AF77020.jpeg
Source: British Newspaper Archive
 
Is the line of the drive recalled by “The Drive’ above the railway line and going north from Endwood. It would lead directly to main entrance. Also there is an area to the east of drive called paddock.
 

Attachments

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Church Hill house engraved on the gate pillar. Difficult to understand the single storey additions to a 2 storey building unless this is the rear of 3 storey building?
 
Thanks Judy, a great photo. This is my interpretation of the photo.

I’ve looked at the layered map on the National Library of Scotland maps site and the modern superimposed view shows that Church Hill House/Endwood was altered and reduced at some point on the SW side on Hamstead Road. Therefore I think the photo was taken on Hamstead Road, the gateway probably being near the point where the new wall is - as discussed earlier. This would have been close to the Lamp Tavern. I did wonder before if the wall was built in two parts - you can see a lower and upper course. In the carriage photo there are railings on top of the lower level.
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The doorways which appear on the side of the house (which are very odd!) must be something to do with the demolished adjoining building.

The carriage looks like a Landau with collapsible hoods back and front. It’s drawn by two horses, (Someone please correct me if I’m wrong). There would have been plenty of space for the carriage and horses at Church Hill House as we know from the property for sale advert in post #17. The Landau would have been a real status symbol. There’s no certainty the carriage belonged to Church Hill but I think it’s highly likely it did. The date of the photo must be mid-late 19th century. Maybe someone can narrow that date down by looking at the carriage.

Viv.
 
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Vivienne14 said:
Thanks Judy, a great photo. This is my interpretation of the photo.

I’ve looked at the layered map on the National Library of Scotland maps site and the modern superimposed view shows that Church Hill House/Endwood was altered and reduced at some point on the SW side on Hamstead Road. Therefore I think the photo was taken on Hamstead Road, the gateway probably being near the point where the new wall is - as discussed earlier. This would have been close to the Lamp Tavern. I did wonder before if the wall was built in two parts - you can see a lower and upper course. In the carriage photo there are railings on top of the lower level.
View attachment 177346


View attachment 177347
The doorways which appear on the side of the house (which are very odd!) must be something to do with the demolished adjoining building.

The carriage looks like a Landau with collapsible hoods back and front. It’s drawn by two horses, (Someone please correct me if I’m wrong). There would have been plenty of space for the carriage and horses at Church Hill House as we know from the property for sale advert in post #17. The Landau would have been a real status symbol. There’s no certainty the carriage belonged to Church Hill but I think it’s highly likely it did. The date of the photo must be mid-late 19th century. Maybe someone can narrow that date down by looking at the carriage.

Viv.
Click to expand...
Great work Viv!
 
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