Old Crown Inn - Moor Street Quinton

[www.midlandspubs.co.uk]

I wondered if anybody remembers the original pub on the edge of Brum...

Old Crown Inn - Moor Street Quinton [pic attached]



The Old Crown Inn was located in Moor Street, a name given to a small cluster of cottages and farms between Lapal and Woodgate. Many local folk were engaged in nailmaking, brickmaking and, of course, agriculture.

The pub's neighbouring residents were engaged in the production of nails in the 1840's. The finished nails may have been transported by canal - in those days the Dudley Canal was at the bottom of the hill and afforded links to the Black Country via Coombeswood and Selly Oak via the Lapal Tunnel. The latter was managed by William Fletcher in the early 1850's.

At this time Frederick and Phoebe Thomas were mine hosts at the Old Crown Inn. Frederick was both a victualler and cordwainer. A publican who had more in common with his customers was David Hodgetts who had previously worked as a nailer but during his time at the Old Crown Inn he was recorded as a pottery dealer. He later moved across the road [and parish boundary] to run the Poulterers' Arms which, as its name suggests, was part of a poultry farm.

By the 1870's John and Harriet Yates were running the Old Crown Inn. This would be the start of the family's long association with the pub. Born in Hagley around 1832, John Yates had earlier worked as a nailer in Halesowen but, following his marriage, he was working as a cabinet case maker whilst living in Ledsam Street, Ladywood.

John and Harriet kept the Old Crown Inn throughout the 1870's before moving to the New Inn at Ridgacre. However, they left daughter Hannah in charge of the Old Crown. She later married Thomas Green and he took over the licence of the pub. He lived locally and worked as a castrator on his mother's farm on Manor Lane. The couple had two children - Edward and Maud later helped to run the pub.

Thomas Green held the licence until the early 1930's and was succeeded by James Edwards. Following his death, Annie Edwards took over as manager for Mitchell's and Butler's. She was the licensee when this photograph was taken around 1938. She was still in charge of the pub in the mid-1950's. The Old Crown Inn was demolished in the mid-1970's and replaced with a modern building of little architectural distinction.

Cheers
Kieron www.midlandspubs.co.uk

 

[stevenmartinross]

your pic shows it being dark in colour but i remeber it being painted white before it was kocked down for the one curretly on site sorry but i was only 4/5 yrs old at the time it was opposite the nail makers cottage. i think there is still a picture of it hagging in the pub today.

the family 2 doors up was called the adams they still in the area.

One story is that the manor chap who lived at Parkfield estate would have been on the juction of the M5 would get in his hourse and cart go to the pub get wasted and then they would put him in at the end of the night and he would wake up outside his estate great story.

 

[Phil Price]

I remember the Old Crown. It was a single building then though and was painted white. It was a shame to know it down but like everyhing else, it moves on. I remember going into the bar and it was only big enough for about 5 people. It was strange when they knocked it down because they'd already built the new one behind it so when it was demolished, it was instantly replaced.