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High Street Deritend Digbeth

Please, please PLEASE!!!!!!!! Does anyone have a photograph of the White Hart pub in Watery Lane, Small Heath? It was next to my granddads bicycle shop, no 216 in the '30's.
 
mizzyjo

There was a beer retailer at 215 Watery Lane but as such it would have not had it's name recorded in Kelly's directory. It wasn't listed at all by the 1950's and would be just after then when I would have used Watery Lane on my way to Sparkbrook from Nechells. I have to say that I remember all the other pubs along that road, but I have no memory of a White Hart. All this is leading up to, sorry I don't have a photo.
 
Sorry . i thought I had added this earlier:

The electoral roll for 1825 confirms that 215 Watery lane was The White Hart. Sometimes in the period 1920-39 the electoral roll did actually mention the name of the pub, but not often In this case only (on the rolls available online) in 1925. Theb 1932 Kellys lists it as Refreshment Rooms, run by Frederick wood, and the electoral roll shows he took over between 19
 
I don't think these two images have been on before. The first is a wonderful oil painting (unknown artist) and the second an etching by John Fullwood. Both are 19th century according to Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digbeth. And they are now the property of Walsall New Gallery.

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Lovely painting, unfortunate butchers/fish/poultry shop name! Wondering what the poles suggest on the right-hand shop (barbers? But poles seem very thin, maybe one is a flagpole)


tabe2egy.jpg


The second is an engraving which suggests there might have been a barbers ('Hair' poster on wall) somewhere in the premises to the right. Lighting is different on this view, no street light but one gas light on the wall to the left, so perhaps this is an earlier view?

Viv.
 
Can't find any Rotton in Digbeth in directories. I think it might be a cloths shop, not a butchers, anf figures are models, as they seem to be standing and not hanging. There was a game and fishmonger who wa sRotton, but he was in Dale End. Teh fact that two separate people chose to paint/draw the image would seem to mean it was real. Probably very early 19th century, when directories were very "holey".

Added after thought:
Can't be all that early else there would not be gas lamp
 
Thanks Mike. The second image doesn't seem to have posted very clearly, so will try again. The names of the shops on this engraving run left to right J Pepper, J Pagett (or Pacett) and T M Wooton.

Pagett/Pacetts seems to have fish slabs in the window and Wootons looks like it might have refreshment room on the sign. Peppers may be a clothes shop.

View attachment 93362


Viv.
 
Haven't looked at every directory I've got but taken regular sample from 1820-1895 . Only found one Wooton (with one t), so assumed it was error and looked for Wootton. nothing in Digbeth (or deritend or Bordesley High St). Similar with J Pepper. I am beginning to think he either made names up or took them from other places than Digbeth.
 
I'm not sure if anyone is interested in this but I have put together a 'mash up' of turn of the century Digbeth with a present day view. I was interested as one of my ancestors (Selina Inwood Nee Betteridge) lived for a time at no. 82 Digbeth which is now sadly replaced by a modern clothing warehouse. I was interested to see what that part of Digbeth would look like if I superimposed those long lost buildings in the modern street scene. What do you think?
Digbeth Ghosts 2 (coloured).jpg
 
Thanks Carlinwood. That explains it! It could very easily be mistaken for old B'ham Digbeth. Interesting to know there's more than one Digbeth too. Now off to look up the meaning of Digbeth, as I presume they might have both been named Digbeth for similar reasons. Viv.
 
nice idea carlinwood...my grandparents were living at no 57 and 50 digbeth at the time of their marriage in 1928

lyn
 
I like it Carlinwood. Some recognisable buildings, some totally new (left B'ham over 30 years ago), some long gone before I was born. Just shows you how this part of B'ham has evolved over the centuries. But I notice it's mostly individual blocks of buildings that have disappeared, not a wholesale replacement of the street on that side. Viv.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
I think Carlinwood is probably correct. We had another picture a while ago where it was the Walsall digbeth. Kellys of 1880 lists a John Pepper, tailor. 39 Digbeth and a Thomas Morris Wootton (with one T), hairdresser of 41 digbeth
 
mike im sure you have already done this for me but i cant find my notes now...no rush but when you have time could you look again to see what numbers 50 and 57 digbeth were round about 1928 ish please..i seem to think fried fish and a pub but thats only off the top of my head..

thanks mike..
 
Lyn
In 1924 no 50 was Mrs Emily Newton, fried fish dealer, and no 57 was The Old Guy pub, run by Albert Edward Rose. In 1932 the pub was the saem , but the fish shop was then run by Frederick Checkett
 
thanks mike i have now written that down on the back of marr cert...would love to find a pic of the old guy pub..if memory serves me right i think it was on the ground where the police station at digbeth is now...

cheers mike

lyn
 
Thanks for the comments on my picture - its still a work in progress but I plan to do more from around Brum when I can find good enough photographs to use. In the meantime I have found this old photograph of Digbeth Walsall which clearly shows the shambles to the right of the old George Hotel on "The Bridge", Walsall. I think this clinches it. Who new that Wikipedia could be wrong? ;)

Digbeth Walsall.jpg
 
Hello Carl, Selina was my Great Great Grandmother!
She married Thomas Yapp after Robert Inwood....while he was still alive, and therefore was bigamous....but in between lived with William Pratt the printer at 82 Digbeth. I think she was an interesting lady, there was an incident with some stolen silk shawls which she pawned in Digbeth, but she was innocent of their theft. She is buried in Warstone Lane Cemetery but her grave was resold as no-one put a headstone. The rule was a stone must be put within one year. (The other Inwoods are there too but in unmarked graves).
I love the picture you posted.
rosie.
 
Hi Rosie,
Selina was also my Gt Gt Gt Grandmother. She was an interesting character wasn't she! So was her first husband it would seem. He also bigamously remarried Eliza Poole (nee Patrick). She was the mother of John Joshua Poole who was the proprietor of the South London Music Hall. That family taps into a great swathe of Victorian entertainers including one of the earliest film comedic clowns known as 'Pimple'. I wonder if both Robert and Selina Inwoods shared a love of musical theatre which might have drawn them to William Pratt the music printer and Eliza Poole the matriarch of a family of entertainers?
What surprises me is that they could both remarry illegally and carry on their lives relatively close to one another without the authorities getting involved.
 
Hi Carl, I didn't know about Robert's past or Eliza...must dig deeper!
There is a newspaper report about the theft of the shawls on Findmypast.
I have several bigamist in the family, how did they get away with it?
rosie.
 
I'm not sure where to place this - it could equally be at home in the now and then section. I have created a merged picture from 2014 and 1953 of Digbeth looking towards Rea Street on the right. Just a bit of fun to practice my photoshopping techniques. Lets hope the bus and tram don't collide!
Digbeth towards Rea Street (2014 & 1953).jpg
 
A drawing of Residencies and Shops for The Architect publication in 1890. Not exactly sure where on the High Street this would have been. Wondered if the spire was that of St. Martin's. Viv.
 

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That was my first impression too Carlinwood, but I don't think it is. I realise it's an architect's drawing and the final design might have changed, but it would have changed quite considerably if you look closely at the Institute. Also, I couldn't place it in relation to the church spire and the slope on the road. It seems to be travelling uphill towards the church spire. The only place I could think of was it might possibly be here .....


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Viv
 
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I thought it looked like the Institute too, at first. Dennis Williams posted an aerial view of Digbeth on #93 and it can be enlarged but I'm still not sure!
(Carl and I have a mutual ancestor at 82 Digbeth!)
rosie.
 
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