Manchester House

[Anthony Collins]

Has anyone heard of a building named Manchester House (outragious of course to have a building named by that city in Birmingham!)
It was built my great grandfather's firm John Bowen & Sons and was probably somewhere in the Birmingham City Centre. Possibly a Manchester Insurance Company or related to the Birmingham Manchester Railway? I have no idea - anyone know?

Anthony Collins

 

[gingerjon]

There's a Manchester street off Newtown Row town end

 

[Anthony Collins]

Thanks for this. I will see if the old maps show anything. Really appreciate your help.

It must have been a substantial and well known building as it was mentioned in his obit along with Victoria Law Courts.

Anthony

 

[mikejee]

I don't know if this is any help. I have not been able to find it in directories in Cannon St, and it may be just a drawing that was never carried out . It is from a copy of "the Builder" from around 1900, though I don't have the exact reference. The name is not quite the same as yours, so it may be a red herring
Mike

 

[Anthony Collins]

Thanks for this. I will see if the old maps show anything. Really appreciate your help.

It must have been a substantial and well known building as it was mentioned in his obit along with Victoria Law Courts.

Anthony

Have discovered that The Birmingham Advertiser of the 3rd April 1834 refers to Manchester House which was originally built in 1834 at 16 Bull Ring which was at the corner of Moor Street and the Bull Ring. It opened as a drapers’ on the 17 April 1834 but this was well before John Bowen arrived in Birmingham. John Bowen’s firm would no doubt have rebuilt Manchester House sometime in the late nineteenth century possibly at the same time as they were building the Meat Markets.