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Steelhouse lane

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wendy
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I am making up a scrapbook on my family history and have browsed through some wonderful photos and information on the Then and Now streets & roads of Birmingham. Steelhouse Lane in 1853 is an address on a marriage certificate and the person I am researching is Charles Nightengale (could be Nightingale), Brickmaker. No house number. I wondered if you could help shed some light on what buildings were on Steelhouse Lane during the period around 1853 and would the Post Office Directory have his name listed 1852/3. A view of Steelhouse Lane on a map around 1853 would help reflect any information.
Many thanks
 
The only nightingales in the1849 PO directory were:
NIghthgule Mrs. Elizabeth, shopkeeper, 86 Edmnnd street
Nlglltingale Thomus, beer retailer, 51 Buckinghain street
There were none listed in the 1855 edition
Afraid there are no maps showing individual buildings in that period.
 
Vivienne14 said:
Mickymoo seems odd to have a snooker hall in the Ebenezer building!

Thanks Mike for the info and photos. There was an Ebenezer Chapel in Steelhouse Lane too, which I assume, must have been connected to that building. The London Gazette reported in 1931 on a trustees application for provision of sale regarding the Ebenezer Chapel and all it's connected building/land. Sounds fairly substantial too.

View attachment 85078

And it had a role in anti-slavery; hosting the anniversary of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society in June 1846:

View attachment 85079

Viv.
Click to expand...

There is a report of the annual meeting of the Birmingham Auxiliary of the anti-slavery Society in the Birmingham Journal on the 4th July 1846. The eloquent ‘American Slave’ Frederick Douglass addressed the meeting at the Ebenezer Chapel, Steelhouse Lane.

en.wikipedia.org

Frederick Douglass - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Frederick features in the BBC programme Black and British: A Forgotten History (3 Moral Mission) from 2016. A plaque to his memory is unvailed in Dundee where he spoke in January 1846

www.bbc.co.uk

Black and British: A Forgotten History - 3. Moral Mission

In part three of this groundbreaking series, historian David Olusoga explores the Victorian moral crusade against slavery.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
 
suemalings said:
I started work in January 1967 at a solicitors office in Fountain Court, Steelhouse lane. I worked there for about 5 years. As I was the Office Junior I had to deliver and pick up documents from both the Law Court and the County Court so I walked many times up Newton Street to the courts in Corporation Street.

On the opposite side of Fountain Court was the Barrister's Chambers. Mr Jenkins, the caretaker, lived at the top of the building in a small flat.

The Birmingham Post and Mail building was next door to us on one side and the General Hospital on the other. At least both the buildings of Fountain Court and the old General at still standing!
Click to expand...
Hi Sue, I have just been reading the Steelhouse Lane thread and came across your post. We have been in contact before re Gopsal Street and The Eagle and Ball pub. It made my day when I saw your post. I started temping just after I got married, 1969, for the SOS Temping Agency based in the Rotunda. One of my contracts was at the Birmingham Post & Mail. It was a great place to work, lovely friendly staff and enjoyable work. I was there for about six months. What I would like to ask you, is do you remember my dad at all? He had a kiosk, papers, sweets, magazines etc. He was based outside a Law firm, on the corner of Steelhouse Lane. He used to park his car outside the Gaumont, with permission of course. He was there for about twenty years. I realise this is a long shot but I couldn’t resist asking you. Kind regards, Sue
 
Sue
I have to say I cannot remember your dad, although I seem to remember there was a newspaper seller somewhere there, but remember there used to be a lot of newspaper sellers around the city. I used to have to go to the Post Office, over road to get the franking machine filled. Then there was the Bank (Lloyds I think) and also Cranes music shop where I would by my LP's sometimes. Further down was Prana, their cafe upstairs sold the most delicious baked apples with cream! I still have a small ornament of a frog I bought from Prana, must have been about 50 years ago now. At the front of Fountain Court, the first shop on the right was a wonderful place that sold sandwiches and amazing hot sausage rolls. On the left was a small tobacconist, it might have been Preedy's. All they sold were cigarettes. On the corner of Fountain Court and Whittall Street was a dry cleaners. I used to drop my Wrangler jeans off in the morning and they would have them ready for my the same day.
 
1618234174106.jpeg
My Dad was a mounted policeman for 30 years and often would patrol out of Steelhouse Lane police station, not Dad's horse's favourite station, due to the cobbled streets in that area, especially when wet. Dad's horse Trigger slipped and went down with Dad's styrup trapped between the horse and Dad's ankle, resulting in s snapped ankle bone. I remember Dad saying they took him over to the Accident hospital, and the Irish Sister asked Dad if his boots were his or part of his uniform; when informed part of the uniform, she took a scalpel and ran it down the line of stitching and opened his boot to allow removal.
I remember a pub behind the police station and my brother's bachelor party 45 years ago at 'Time Gentleman call. we went into the back room and continued on drinking once the bar door was shut.' Dad, still a policeman, was amazed that the publican would allow this when virtually next door to a cop shop.1618234174106.jpeg
 
1618234174106.jpeg

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My Dad was a mounted policeman for 30 years and often would patrol out of Steelhouse Lane police station, not Dad's horse's favourite station, due to the cobbled streets in that area, especially when wet. Dad's horse Trigger slipped and went down with Dad's styrup trapped between the horse and Dad's ankle, resulting in s snapped ankle bone. I remember Dad saying they took him over to the Accident hospital, and the Irish Sister asked Dad if his boots were his or part of his uniform; when informed part of the uniform, she took a scalpel and ran it down the line of stitching and opened his boot to allow removal.
I remember a pub behind the police station and my brother's bachelor party 45 years ago at 'Time Gentleman call. we went into the back room and continued on drinking once the bar door was shut.' Dad, still a policeman, was amazed that the publican would allow this when virtually next door to a cop shop
 
suemalings said:
Sue
I have to say I cannot remember your dad, although I seem to remember there was a newspaper seller somewhere there, but remember there used to be a lot of newspaper sellers around the city. I used to have to go to the Post Office, over road to get the franking machine filled. Then there was the Bank (Lloyds I think) and also Cranes music shop where I would by my LP's sometimes. Further down was Prana, their cafe upstairs sold the most delicious baked apples with cream! I still have a small ornament of a frog I bought from Prana, must have been about 50 years ago now. At the front of Fountain Court, the first shop on the right was a wonderful place that sold sandwiches and amazing hot sausage rolls. On the left was a small tobacconist, it might have been Preedy's. All they sold were cigarettes. On the corner of Fountain Court and Whittall Street was a dry cleaners. I used to drop my Wrangler jeans off in the morning and they would have them ready for my the same day.
Click to expand...
Thank you for replying Sue. I think you would have remembered him, a very pleasant man and he had a bright blue hut. I knew it would be a long shot but felt I had to ask. I remember most of the places you speak about. Wasn’t the sixties a great era. By coincidence dad used to work for Preedys in the afternoon. He would finish his stint in town at eleven am, home for breakfast, or should I say brunch, then off again to Aston ( I think) to deliver stuff for Preedy’s. A hard working man.
This is off thread now, so I hope it is okay to mention. I have seen your posts on the Church Road thread. I lived in Markfield Road for a couple of years from 1967 before getting married. Like you caught the 17/68 bus to work. Mom also bought furniture from Russell’s at the Yew Tree. What a small world. Like a lot of members say on the forum, our paths could have crossed. Regards, Sue
 
RobinCanada said:
1618234174106.jpeg

​

My Dad was a mounted policeman for 30 years and often would patrol out of Steelhouse Lane police station, not Dad's horse's favourite station, due to the cobbled streets in that area, especially when wet. Dad's horse Trigger slipped and went down with Dad's styrup trapped between the horse and Dad's ankle, resulting in s snapped ankle bone. I remember Dad saying they took him over to the Accident hospital, and the Irish Sister asked Dad if his boots were his or part of his uniform; when informed part of the uniform, she took a scalpel and ran it down the line of stitching and opened his boot to allow removal.
I remember a pub behind the police station and my brother's bachelor party 45 years ago at 'Time Gentleman call. we went into the back room and continued on drinking once the bar door was shut.' Dad, still a policeman, was amazed that the publican would allow this when virtually next door to a cop shop
Click to expand...
My father was a copper n Brum for 30 years, with Steelhouse Lane being his HQ. He was promoted to Inspector in 1946 and became the resident inspector of the Perry Barr Police Station until his retirement. He narrowly escaped a bomb directly hitting the Steelhouse Lane HQ in WWII where several policemen were killed. I spent 12 years in the Perry Barr station, until I was 18. Great memories.
Patrick Downey
Florida, USA
 
RobinCanada said:
I remember a pub behind the police station and my brother's bachelor party 45 years ago at 'Time Gentleman call. we went into the back room and continued on drinking once the bar door was shut.' Dad, still a policeman, was amazed that the publican would allow this when virtually next door to a cop shop
Click to expand...
Would this be Digbeth plice station. I remember being told by someone I worked with, who was the son of a publican, that you could always get a lock in, with police at the pub behind there
 
My dad was at Steelhouse lane, 1938 1940, 1945 1950, said it was a real Victorian "Lock UP", which ran in a spiral down into the ground, with cells all around. Paul
 
Below are two views of part of Steelhouse lane from opposite directions. The first from sometime before the late 1950s is looking down the street towards the Gaumont from no 119.

119-132 Steelhouse lane pre 1960.jpg

In the second, from the opposite direction , houses from 124 have been demolished, and only 119 to 123 remain, so was after 1951 (see map below) and before 1954, as maps of 1954 show all these near buildings replaced . On the map (1951) 119-123 are in red

123-119 Steelhouse lane late 1950s.jpg

map 1951 showing 119 to 123 Steelhouse Lane.jpg
 
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