St. Mary's (Aston Brook) Church School

[brummy-lad]

This school apparently started in Park Lane in 1860 before moving to Avenue Road, it's difficult to locate where this would be although it was somewhere between Clarendon Street and Sutton/Upper Sutton Street i.e. The Eagle PH.
I would be grateful if someone could post a map (if one exists) from around 1860, which could perhaps indicate the position of the schoolroom.

 

[BigJohn]

Were there any other Primary Schools in the area around Lichfield Road? My friend remembers going to school there but not the name of the school.
Avril.

 

[MWS]

I would be grateful if someone could post a map (if one exists) from around 1860, which could perhaps indicate the position of the schoolroom.

Haven't seen any detailed ones. This says it's 1870s but no help...

Category:Old maps of Birmingham - Wikimedia Commons

commons.wikimedia.org

There's a mention of an appeal for help to build a new school - Bham Daily Gazette, 13 Mar 1867 - and in it says atm they are renting a small room for the purpose.

 

[pjmburns]

Not sure thishelps but it is the entry from the schools section of "British History Online"


ST. MARY'S (ASTON BROOK) C. OF E. PRIMARY SCHOOL, Whitehouse Street and Avenue Road. St. Mary's Aston Brook (Church) Sch. opened 1860 in a leasehold schoolroom in Park Lane with 1 mistress. Fees 2d.–2½d. Received annual grants from 1866. A.a. 1866: 86. G and I dept. under a mistress opened 1868 in new building adjoining church in Avenue Rd., comprising schoolroom and classroom (accom. 209) and erected with state aid. Fees 2d.–6d. B dept. then said to be ¼ mile away,(22) presumably in original building.(1) 2 schoolrooms etc. added 1872; the B dept. was presumably included in the main building under this enlargement. Altered 1894. New I dept. in Whitehouse St., accom. 400, at the end of the playground, built 1899.(21, 29) By 1899 B and G depts. were united. (1) Fees in M dept. retained until 1903.(21) Became a controlled sch. 1948.(28) Reorganized 1949 for JM, I, and 2 depts. united 1953.(21) Accom. 1961: 7 classrooms, 2 halls.(28)

 

[pjmburns]

The above suggests it was next to the church so this map published in 1889 shows a church and school next to it. Or have I misunderstood and you wanted a map showing Park Lane?

 

[pjmburns]

This school apparently started in Park Lane in 1860 before moving to Avenue Road, it's difficult to locate where this would be although it was somewhere between Clarendon Street and Sutton/Upper Sutton Street i.e. The Eagle PH.
I would be grateful if someone could post a map (if one exists) from around 1860, which could perhaps indicate the position of the schoolroom.

At some point I think The Eagle moved. In 1868 it is listed near to the corner of Clarendon Street. On the map you posted it is on the corner of Upper Sutton Street but Clarendon Street and Upper Sutton Street are on opposite sides of Park Lane.
1905 map shows Eagle as per your map and the yellow line is Clarendon. I can'tfind a suitable earlier map.

 

[aston lad]

There is only one building on Park Lane which could have been used as a school in my lifetime living in that area, and that would have been the Gospel Hall, situated between Thomas Street and Sutton Street. I was born and raised in Clarendon Street

 

[pjmburns]

I wonder if the building had gone - the two maps seem to show different footprints for buildings.

 

[brummy-lad]

Thank-you all for your help, I think it's one of those mysteries that can't be solved (at least for the moment). Looking at the censuses for the mid 1800s it's fascinating how Park Lane developed to become what it was in the 1950s when I knew it. There were so few entries for Park Lane and of course no numbers and no reference points that could help to pinpoint the location of the school/classroom.

 

[Astoness]

Thank-you all for your help, I think it's one of those mysteries that can't be solved (at least for the moment). Looking at the censuses for the mid 1800s it's fascinating how Park Lane developed to become what it was in the 1950s when I knew it. There were so few entries for Park Lane and of course no numbers and no reference points that could help to pinpoint the location of the school/classroom.

well john as you know we all love a mystery on here so never say never...personally i have loved researching my childhood area its all in what i call the old end folder..been at it for years and still finding out the odd snippets of info..just a thought has anyone checked the newspapers to see if anything was written about the school/classroom

lyn

 

[aston lad]

John, I think I have found the building , there is a large building between Sutton Street and Clarendon Street, close to where Harpers had their fruit and veg shop, looking at a few maps and Britain from Above web site I am sure the building may have been the mystery school, in my time there they were just standard houses, I have attached a photo from the Britain from Above , the building is just to right of centre and about a third down, they were used as back house when I was a kid.

 

[aston lad]

The building is just past where Harpers shop was, you can just make out a white frontage building, I think that was the one. corner of Clarendon Street and Park Lane

 

[brummy-lad]

John, I think I have found the building , there is a large building between Sutton Street and Clarendon Street, close to where Harpers had their fruit and veg shop, looking at a few maps and Britain from Above web site I am sure the building may have been the mystery school, in my time there they were just standard houses, I have attached a photo from the Britain from Above , the building is just to right of centre and about a third down, they were used as back house when I was a kid.

It certainly could be a possibility, the building seems to have some age to it and appears on the 1889 & 1950s map. Thanks for your help, much appreciated, I will delve a little deeper into this now. I have no recollection of this building even though I must have passed it at least twice each Sunday on my way to visit my grandparents in Nechells, and numerous times walking to Aston Cross.

 

[brummy-lad]

Haven't seen any detailed ones. This says it's 1870s but no help...

Category:Old maps of Birmingham - Wikimedia Commons

commons.wikimedia.org

There's a mention of an appeal for help to build a new school - Bham Daily Gazette, 13 Mar 1867 - and in it says atm they are renting a small room for the purpose.

That's a great 1870s map Mark, thanks for finding that. It gives a lot of information and does show a few buildings. Clarendon Street, Barton Street did not exist. Burlington Street is there but is a dead end, it seems that later this street was rerouted perhaps to allow for the Hippodrome to be built. The retreat was there and my memory of those buildings in the 1950s was that they were very ancient looking. Part of Webster Street but not Upper Webster Street.
The house building between 1870 and 1889 must have been phenomenal.

 

[BigJohn]

Thank you. This has made very interesting reading.

 

[Ena Sharples]

I was born and brought up in Clarendon Street. We had the house behind mrs Morris's shop.
I always have the memory of the cobblers at the end of the street with a big painted Policeman stepping out with a huge sole on his boot.

 

[aston lad]

I was born and brought up in Clarendon Street. We had the house behind mrs Morris's shop.
I always have the memory of the cobblers at the end of the street with a big painted Policeman stepping out with a huge sole on his boot.

Ena, So was I , number 27 next door to Roly Morris,

 

[Ena Sharples]

Roly was my cousin

 

[aston lad]

Roly was my cousin

You may remember my dad and uncle who both were born in Clarendon Street, Kenny and Ronnie Colin