House numbering system in 19C?

[JoPro]

Hi, does anyone know how the house numbering system worked in first half of the 19th century Birmingham?

I'm looking at maps and directories from 1810-1820, and while some of the later directories sometimes state actual house numbers for some businesses, it's not consistent. But it looks like it wasn't a case of evens on one side, unevens on the other, as this entry of a silversmith business from the 1816-17 Commercial Directory suggests (I figure a business might have occupied two adjacent properties, but not on both sides of the street):


I saw this interesting web page which suggests that house numbering was a bit hit and miss and not regulated before 1855, but I am hoping someone is in the know about what it was like in Birmingham before then: https://www.postalmuseum.org/blog/house-numbering/

There is also this article (which doesn't mention Birmingham but could be interesting for someone interested in the topic): https://journals.openedition.org/histoiremesure/3942?lang=en

I saw this post which refers to house numbers on rate maps: https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...covering-an-old-road.48893/page-4#post-619935

Where can these maps be viewed?

 

[MWS]

There are no detailed maps for the early 19th century. Sequential numbering can still be seen on some roads on maps from 1950 which I usually assume means the numbers have remained the same when others were changed.. I think a major change of numbering took place in the second half of the 19th century though if a street was joined to another or renamed this could have happened then.

It is difficult to place numbers on early streets and for Snow Hill the construction of the station may have a bearing. Snow Hill is still sequential in 1950 but there is a gap between 101 and 116. 101 is on the corner of Snow Hill and Charles St and 116 is halfway between Charles St and Colmore Row.

 

[mikejee]

Pre about 1800 there was no numbering. Then arbitray numbering began to be introduced on some roads by 1840. Even where there were roads with numbers, it often did not cover the while road, and often there would be groups of numbers , say 1,2,3,4,5,6 Rose cottages , next to 1,2,3,4 Dixon buildings. Where there was a coherent order it was ,I think but cannot be certain, almost always just 1,2,2,4 up one side of the street and then down the other. Around 1860 most roads were numbered. However the consecutive system (1,2,3,4,,,) gave problems where roads were extended, and newer roads began to use the odd one side, even the other system. Then around 1883 many roads previously numbered consecutively were renumbered odd one-side even the other. A few had this change a little later. . Where a road was strictly confined and notvlikely to be extended, the old system often stayed. In a few cases where roadsxwere combined, then obviously renumbering had to occur.

 

[JoPro]

Thank you for your insightful responses, MWS and mikejee, really appreciate it.
Mikejee, do you have any sources for the info you kindly shared?
By the way, I love this treasure trove of a forum

 

[mikejee]

What I have described are my own observations from many sew.rches of directories , censuses and maps

 

[Sarah M]

Pre about 1800 there was no numbering. Then arbitray numbering began to be introduced on some roads by 1840. Even where there were roads with numbers, it often did not cover the while road, and often there would be groups of numbers , say 1,2,3,4,5,6 Rose cottages , next to 1,2,3,4 Dixon buildings. Where there was a coherent order it was ,I think but cannot be certain, almost always just 1,2,2,4 up one side of the street and then down the other. Around 1860 most roads were numbered. However the consecutive system (1,2,3,4,,,) gave problems where roads were extended, and newer roads began to use the odd one side, even the other system. Then around 1883 many roads previously numbered consecutively were renumbered odd one-side even the other. A few had this change a little later. . Where a road was strictly confined and notvlikely to be extended, the old system often stayed. In a few cases where roadsxwere combined, then obviously renumbering had to occur.

That's really interesting and makes so much sense. I had never considered the reason for odd and even numbering on different sides of the roads before. Thanks mike.