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Rosehill Private Boarding School, Handsworth

  • Thread starter Thread starter neets
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HI All,

My name is Anita and Im living in Australia.

My ancestor Thomas Aston was Schoolmaster/Headmaster at
Rosehill Private Boarding School roughly between 1828 and 1858ish....

Is Rosehill School still in existence? Can anyone help with any history on Rosehill? Can anyone give me any further info on Thomas Aston?

Many Thanks,
Best Wishes and Kind Regards,
Anita
 
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Hi Anita: Welcome to the Forum and web site for Birmingham History. You may have already seen this link. If not, you can see a small article and an engraving of Rose Hill House where the boarding school was. There is mention of Thomas Aston in this article. This is the Birmingham Art Gallery site.

https://www.bmagic.org.uk/objects/1997V173
 
Hello & Welcome Anita :) Aussie Gal :)

Rose Hill still in Handsworth as far as i am aware, now B,ham ,West Midlands
Formerly came under Staffordshire in your GG,daddy,s days
Not sure if Rosehill School still existing but have a few Hansdworth,ians on here soon let you know,

Do you have "them" on 1851 Census ? if not here they are,
1851 HO107 Piece 2024 Folio 109 page 30 & 31, Address Rose Hill,
Head; Thomas Aston age 49 School Master born Hagly, Worcs
Wife; Sarah age 52 born Dudley Worcs ,
Dau,s; Elizabeth age 30 , Louise age 28, Ellen age 24, Clara age 13(all at home)
Son,s; Henry age 19 , Merchants Clerk, & Arthur age 15 Lawyers Clerk,
Presuming "your Thomas Fuller Aston,, older already left home?

Well thats a starter for you from us Poms ,,:rolleyes: Best regards JohnY :cool:
 
Hi Anita :) Have Welcomed & done your 1851 Census on your other post, (Needs merging)

Heres your folks in 1841, Census HO 107,book 2, Civil Handsworth with Soho Folio 14 page 21
Living in Rose Hill School, Handsworth, All family(except Elizabeth) as on 1851 census Ok
Plus your Thomas age 13 and a Theophilus age 15, (both left before 1851)
Cheers JohnY :cool:
 
Hello & even a colloquial G,day Anita :)

Probable birth of Clara Lavinia Aston (Clara L on 1841 census)
Registered West Bromwich (near Handsworth) 2nd Quarter of 1838 vol 18 page 515

Possible marriage of a Thomas Aston to a Sarah ?(only one i seen in time frame)
is a Thomas Aston married Sarah Butfoy in Bethnal Green (London) 1821
note 1821 ties in nicely with daughter Caroline age 30 in 1851,,
Just a bit of Pom help for Your/Our Ancestors,
Cheers & Good Luck JohnY :cool:
 
Hey Johny,

Thanks heaps, thats them! My Thomas is in the 1841 census, by 1851 he had apparently been a naughty boy and the family sent him to Australia and politely asked him not to return...in fact paid him to stay away...so naturally, Im curious:P

Regards
Anita:553:
 
There is a Rose Hill Grammar School still in Handsworth. It's part of the King Edward Foundation (I sat my exams there in 1951). Don't know if this is the same building though, or is a replacement school on the same site.
 
Hi Charlie

I also sat my 11 plus at Rosehill Road Grammar School - twice, once in 1950 and again in 1951 - failed both times:( We would have both sat the exam there at the same time! Judy
 
Judy, I was the one with the snotty nose (I had a rotten cold at the time, that was my excuse for failing anyway!) I DID pass for Waverley Grammar School though, but (a) dad couldn't afford it and (b) I lived in Handsworth and it was a bit of a trek to Small Heath. Going off thread here, sorry :rolleyes:
 
We were both in the same boat then Charlie:D

I would be interested to know if Rosehill Private Boarding School eventually became the Grammar School as I lived not far from there in Soho Avenue, and regularly walked down Rosehill Road on my way to Handsworth Park.
 
Here's a couple of old maps to show the location of Rose Hill Road, formerly Crick Lane. Remember Rose Hill House was on the corner of Soho Road and Villa Road, it may be the property marked closest to Villa Rd (not the chapel) on the first map.
There's a Google Earth picture of the area now, as well.
 
Interesting to see those maps Lloyd, so it looks as though Rose Hill House was a completely different building to the King Edward's Grammar School. Thanks for pointing out the position of the House.

It's funny seeing Crick Lane mentioned as I remember talking about going down the Cricks to the Park!
 
That view of the Girl's school being built is interesting - where Crick Lane ends is about where the traffic entrance to/from the new temple is situated on Rose Hill Road. The brick wall to the right could well be Rose Hill House's garden wall. As has been said before, old boundaries often dictate present day road and premises layouts.
 
Unfortunately there are no dates anywhere on it, but as the Hockley 'Cable Tram Depot' is marked there at the bottom, I'd guess before 1911, when that line went electric.
 
My late father-in-law, Sidney Dorman, was caretaker of King Edward's School as it was called in the late 1950s. He and his family lived on the premises and we even used to rehearse a 16-piece big band there on a Sunday afternoon. They moved south to Dorset in 1960 and I followed the year afterwards!
 
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