Crown Inn at Deritend in 1860

[ColinB]

There's reference to a ballard The Lamentation of Francis Price…who murdered his sweetheart, Sarah Pratt in 1860 and a source stated on https://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/bbals_15.htm
14. The Sorrowful Lamentation and Farewell of Francis Price who was hung…for the Wilful Murder of Sarah Pratt…in Deritend, Birmingham, 1860: n. i., in Bodleian Allegro archive as Firth c.17(176).

Colin

 

[Pendlebury]

Thanks Colin - I've run across that reference before. There's also a long account of interviews between Price and the Prison Chaplain who attended him prior to his execution in August 1860, available through Google Books. Can't lay my hands on the precise reference at present, but it's an interesting read.

 

[ColinB]

There's the death of Sarah Pratt Aston Apr. quarter 1860 listed vol 6d page 138 should be worth getting a copy death cert. and then working back to a birth cert.

Colin

 

[Pendlebury]

Polly - I understand the Swan With Two Necks was quite nearby and no, Sarah wasn't married. The young man who killed her wanted them to marry, but she refused after hearing tales about him from two local women. Whether or not they were true isn't known, but he confessed to the prison chaplain that he had a checkered past, so maybe it was six of one and half dozen of the other! Either way, he became angry and jealous and eventually tipped over the edge, cutting her throat with his shoemaker's knife. I haven't found a reference to Sarah's funeral, but would imagine if her mother ran the Crown, was probably in a position to pay for a headstone, although that's speculation and I have no clues as to where she was buried either. It's definitely worth looking into though - thanks!
Paul

 

[lindyloo]

In one news article it says that Sarah was about 21

 

[Pomgolian]

Have you seen this picture of 'The Swan With Two Necks' that was in Lawley St? I think this may be the pub where Sarah was working... not too far from Deritend High St.

 

[mikejee]

Paul
i started to do some digging, was not successful in finding what you wanted, but found some unexpected details. In the 1858 directory (which probably refers to 1857) it was apparently called The Three Crowns and the landlord was Thomas Drayson. In 1862 (which probably refers to 1861) it was called theOld crown and the landlord was Thomas Whitehead. Looking at the nerspaper reports (I haven't looked at all that cropped up on the database yet) there seems to be no mention of sarahs mother, except that Price asked for his cloths to be given to her ( Not what I would want if I was her!). The old crown only seems to come up (in so far as I have read) when it is stated that Sarah lived there for a short time previously, and one paper says the inquest was held there (another says ythe Green man).
There was in fact a Samuel Pratt with wife Jane and daughter Sarah (aged 10 in 1861) who was a licensee at 32 new church st in 1858 and 8 new church st in 1862. I haven't yet seen any evidence for a Pratt being landlord of the old crown
Mike

 

[lindyloo]

Have you seen this picture of 'The Swan With Two Necks' that was in Lawley St? I think this may be the pub where Sarah was working... not too far from Deritend High St.

Hi Pomgolian,
according to the General and Commercial Directory of Birmingham 1858 there were no less than 4 Swan With Two Necks !!! Must have been a popular name of the time..
The addresses were,
213 Lawley St...Thos Smith,
8 St Martins Lane...Saml Worthington
102 Ashton St...W.Sheppard
52 High St, Deritend...Saml Jackson

Found this link which is interesting for the history of The Old Crown..
https://www.theoldcrown.com/history_3.html

Unfortunately it doesnt have the info for 1860

 

[mikejee]

The birmingham Daily post states that it was the Swan with 2 necks, deritend