KELLYCHERRY
Brummie babby
OOpps just reread the above threads and I notice that there was a midwife on Sun St!!
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ginger_cat
knowlegable brummie
Hi kelly,
I don't have all the pages just the ones with number 14 and number 38 on but I have checked the voters roll and there are no Stewarts on them. Sorry! Someone else may have access to more records, the ones I found I had to pay for some I only have the pages I needed but also they only show those eligable to vote.
Thanks
Cat
davidfowler
Exiled Brummie
Kelly, here are the 1911 Census details:
26 Sun Street
Thomas William Jones - Head
Rubber Tyre Fitter at Dunlop
Age 43
Elizabeth Mary Jones – Wife
Certified Midwife
47
Lyllis Assinda (?) Jones – Daughter
13
Scholar
John Thomas Jones – Son
10
Scholar
Margaret Harriet Walthom – Boarder
62
Dressmaker
26 Sun Street
Thomas William Jones - Head
Rubber Tyre Fitter at Dunlop
Age 43
Elizabeth Mary Jones – Wife
Certified Midwife
47
Lyllis Assinda (?) Jones – Daughter
13
Scholar
John Thomas Jones – Son
10
Scholar
Margaret Harriet Walthom – Boarder
62
Dressmaker
davidfowler
Exiled Brummie
Ginger cat, don't know if you have the 1911 census, but the addresses you mention are:
14 Court 4 House Sun St Birmingham
HUGHES, Aaron Head Married
20 years M 44 1867 General Labourer Out Of Work Worcestershire
HUGHES, Rose Wife Married F 42 1869 Warwickshire Aston
HUGHES, Harold Son Single M 17 1894 Brass Polisher General Warwickshire Aston
HUGHES, Dora Daughter F 14 1897 Warehouse Girl Warwickshire Aston
HUGHES, Francis Daughter F 12 1899 School Warwickshire Aston
HUGHES, Herbert Son M 8 1903 School Warwickshire Aston
HUGHES, Maude Daughter F 3 1908 Shatford and Canada
38 Sun St Birmingham
BIRD, James Head Married 17 years M 39 1872 Tube Maker Birmingham
BIRD, Mary Ann Wife Married F 38 1873 Birmingham
BIRD, Nellie Ann Daughter F 13 1898 School Birmingham
BIRD, Florence Daughter F 11 1900 School Birmingham
BIRD, Ethel Daughter F 8 1903 School Birmingham
14 Court 4 House Sun St Birmingham
HUGHES, Aaron Head Married
20 years M 44 1867 General Labourer Out Of Work Worcestershire
HUGHES, Rose Wife Married F 42 1869 Warwickshire Aston
HUGHES, Harold Son Single M 17 1894 Brass Polisher General Warwickshire Aston
HUGHES, Dora Daughter F 14 1897 Warehouse Girl Warwickshire Aston
HUGHES, Francis Daughter F 12 1899 School Warwickshire Aston
HUGHES, Herbert Son M 8 1903 School Warwickshire Aston
HUGHES, Maude Daughter F 3 1908 Shatford and Canada
38 Sun St Birmingham
BIRD, James Head Married 17 years M 39 1872 Tube Maker Birmingham
BIRD, Mary Ann Wife Married F 38 1873 Birmingham
BIRD, Nellie Ann Daughter F 13 1898 School Birmingham
BIRD, Florence Daughter F 11 1900 School Birmingham
BIRD, Ethel Daughter F 8 1903 School Birmingham
ginger_cat
knowlegable brummie
David:
Sorry for the delay in replying had 'issues' with my e-mails.... anywho!
Thanks for the info from the census (1911) I had checked already and knew my direct family weren't living there, however the Hughes also lived next door court 15 I think? I remember the mothers name was Leigh and they married into my family twice. Herbert Hughes to Marie Cooke and Arthur Cooke married Rose Hughes. I would guess that the Hughes living at court 14 could well have been Leigh's in laws?
Thanks again for the info very interesting!
View attachment 66335
Pic of Clara Cooke nee Knott - Florence Cooke & Rose Hughes!
Sorry for the delay in replying had 'issues' with my e-mails.... anywho!
Thanks for the info from the census (1911) I had checked already and knew my direct family weren't living there, however the Hughes also lived next door court 15 I think? I remember the mothers name was Leigh and they married into my family twice. Herbert Hughes to Marie Cooke and Arthur Cooke married Rose Hughes. I would guess that the Hughes living at court 14 could well have been Leigh's in laws?
Thanks again for the info very interesting!
View attachment 66335
Pic of Clara Cooke nee Knott - Florence Cooke & Rose Hughes!
davidfowler
Exiled Brummie
Hi Ginger cat, same as you. I hadn't been on the Forum much till recently as my computer had to go to the "Computer Hospital"! All better now though.
hello there
I wonder if you could point out 47 sun street on the map? on the 1891 census my Gt Gt Gt Grandparents lived there. The farther William Young 1838 was a wood turner and the mother Phoebe Young nee bullock 1843 was a fish shop keeper. would this be close to were the McDonald drive though is now?
thank you
Mark
I wonder if you could point out 47 sun street on the map? on the 1891 census my Gt Gt Gt Grandparents lived there. The farther William Young 1838 was a wood turner and the mother Phoebe Young nee bullock 1843 was a fish shop keeper. would this be close to were the McDonald drive though is now?
thank you
Mark
davidfowler
Exiled Brummie
Thanks Lyn, that would be great! 
)
)My father, Joe Young born 1921 (also known as Alfie in his younger days) lived at 2/18 Sun Street ( and I think that he was born there too so the midwife mentioned probably helped!) and had 2 brothers.....William ("Bill") and Charles Thomas (known as "Charlie") Young who were both older than him. The parents were Hilda (nee Talbot) and Andrew Young. Hilda was a descendant of the Earls of Shrewsbury!
Bill married a Lily Mullins from Bell Barn Road and Charlie married Gerty Bates. Andrew was of Scottish descent and is known to have worked at the Spitfire factory and the Rover at Longbridge. Bill was in the army and then an ambulance man and Charlie was in the army and then a chef at the Grand Hotel in Colmore Row and then went to Queens Hotel above New St Station where he met Gerty. All I can remember about the house is that we had to go through a tunnel sort of alley way into the court yard and the house was on the left. It had a tiny downstairs window where I could see my Granddad's gas mask which frightened the life out of me and that there was a small room they used for all purposes. They then moved to Hanover Street when it was to be demolished and then later to the flats in Emily St, Highgate.
Bill married a Lily Mullins from Bell Barn Road and Charlie married Gerty Bates. Andrew was of Scottish descent and is known to have worked at the Spitfire factory and the Rover at Longbridge. Bill was in the army and then an ambulance man and Charlie was in the army and then a chef at the Grand Hotel in Colmore Row and then went to Queens Hotel above New St Station where he met Gerty. All I can remember about the house is that we had to go through a tunnel sort of alley way into the court yard and the house was on the left. It had a tiny downstairs window where I could see my Granddad's gas mask which frightened the life out of me and that there was a small room they used for all purposes. They then moved to Hanover Street when it was to be demolished and then later to the flats in Emily St, Highgate.
ginger_cat
knowlegable brummie
What lovely memories Brenda! My nan was born in Sun Street in 1925 (Catherine Cooke) her uncle also lived on Sun Street (Bert Knott). Its strange how things work out as my nan married Frank Webb who also lived on Bell Barn Road. It's also very strange to think of a descendant of the Earls of Shrewsbury living on Sun Street, although my other half is descended from the Baron's of Umberslade - one of them was the governor of Ireland - but alas we are here in a Brum suburb 
What lovely memories Brenda! My nan was born in Sun Street in 1925 (Catherine Cooke) her uncle also lived on Sun Street (Bert Knott). Its strange how things work out as my nan married Frank Webb who also lived on Bell Barn Road. It's also very strange to think of a descendant of the Earls of Shrewsbury living on Sun Street, although my other half is descended from the Baron's of Umberslade - one of them was the governor of Ireland - but alas we are here in a Brum suburb
Hi everyone! I loved the thread about Sun Street and I would like to contribute. My name is Morris Driels and I was born in Sun Street in 1947. We lived in 1/48 Court 13 until we moved to Bournville in 1955 but my Gran lived there until about 1963-64. My grandparents (Haynes) lived in #4 Court 13. My grandfather was Bob Haynes who was welder at Austin, died in 1954 of TB. My Gran Emily Haynes had a sister Flo Haddon who lived in #46 and had two sons, Colin and Harry. Colin is still alive and with his wife Thelma lives in Stourbridge. My Dad was from a Jewish family, was evacuated from Germany in 1938 aged 15, came to Birmingham and worked in a factory until the war broke out and was then interned. When he got out he joined the Army (Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders), married my Mom and 3 days later went overseas to dispatch as many Germans as he could. Apart from his sister the rest of his family died in concentration camps. He survived the war and came home to Sun Street where my Mom had #48 waiting for him to get on with life. My dad died in 2003 and my mom in 1995.
I remember many of the residents - The Holmes at #51 had a son Christopher who was my best friend. His dad was a bus conductor on the #27 I used to get to go to Bournville Tech - he always remembered me and would let me ride for free! The Brinkworths has a shop about halfway down and had a daughter Susan. They seemed comparatively wealthy and drove an Austin Devon. There was a large family called the Hinsleys (I think) who used to get new clothes all at the same time once a year. They looked very smart for a month or so. In Court 13 we lived in #1, an elderly lady called Sallie lived in #2, "the Old Man" lived in #3 and my grandparents in #4. We were one of the few people to have a TV in the early 1950's and the house was packed to watch the Cup Final.
I also remember the architecture of the houses - or at least our house. It consisted of 4 rooms all on top of each other. The basement was a damp and scary place we didn't go into much except to get coal which was dropped through the grate. Above it was the single living room with a stone sink and cold water tap under the stairs and a gas stove. Above that was the one bedroom we all slept in and then the attic which for us was used for storage and was equally scary. The court, or yard has two wash houses and a set of outside toilets. If you look carefully at the plan of the street you can just see the houses fronting on Sun Street had a narrow passage to get to the yard and toilets. When the men came to empty the dustbins, we children though it most exciting. For some reason we felt a great sense of pride if in our yard we had created so much rubbish, the bins overflowed and they had to use shovels to get rid of it.
The photo of the Corner Café brings back sad memories. One of my school friends Maureen Masters was run over by a lorry just about where the photo was taken and I was unfortunate enough to witness it. The lorry driver was very distraught and ran into the café until the police and ambulance arrived. During the war my mom and gran worked in a munitions factory and my grandfather was an ARP warden. They told me about one night during the blitz when they sheltered in the basement of St. Luke's Church on the corner of Sun Street and Bristol Street where my parents were married. There was another church opposite and they were linked by a subway passage. One night when they were in St. Luke's a bomb hit the other church, badly damaged it and collapsed the passage with considerable loss of life. I believe St. Luke's is still standing. At various times both my mom and gran worked behind the bar at the Sun pub. I remember the Gough too - the owners has a son Howard who was my friend. My mom used to clean at a factory called BVB which was located opposite the Post Office shown on the map. I would go with her before she took me to school which I think was Spring Hill Primary. I have lived in the US for the last 30 years, mostly in California where life is very good, however I have to admit that I sometimes miss the evenings in the Court sitting on the step under the gas lamp talking to all the resident and listening to their stories. Apologies for rambling on, but if this stuff is not documented somewhere, it is gone forever. Morris
ginger_cat
knowlegable brummie
Mdriels thank you so much for sharing your wonderful memories. Your family must have known some of my lot. My nan Catherine (Kay) Cooke worked at the munitions factory and she told stories of the bomb in St Lukes. She also told us a story about leaving the factory late (long after the sirens) and walking across a park or some open space and a German plane flying so low over her she could see the pilots face. She said it make her realise they were people too as if he really wanted to he could have shot her there and then.
My great nan Clara Cooke (nee Knott) worked in the Sun for a while, I know a lot of the family drank in there. There was George & Arthur Cooke, their dad Charles Cooke but he died (dropped down dead at work) in 1939, Florence and her husband Patrick (Paddy Scully) and my granddad Frank Webb.
Clara's mom and brother also lived on Sun Street, the Knotts, Louisa was the mom, then there was Bert/Bertie, his wife Lydia and their daughters Violet and Dorris. Lydia's dad was the local rat catcher (glamorous or what).
Do you have any idea what the munitions factory was called? I have been trying to find it but have had no luck so far. I will always remember my nan's hands because she had bits of metal solder stuck in the ends from the wielding. She went onto work on the trams going through St Lukes.View attachment 89414View attachment 89415View attachment 89412View attachment 89413View attachment 89418View attachment 89419View attachment 89416View attachment 89417
My great nan Clara Cooke (nee Knott) worked in the Sun for a while, I know a lot of the family drank in there. There was George & Arthur Cooke, their dad Charles Cooke but he died (dropped down dead at work) in 1939, Florence and her husband Patrick (Paddy Scully) and my granddad Frank Webb.
Clara's mom and brother also lived on Sun Street, the Knotts, Louisa was the mom, then there was Bert/Bertie, his wife Lydia and their daughters Violet and Dorris. Lydia's dad was the local rat catcher (glamorous or what).
Do you have any idea what the munitions factory was called? I have been trying to find it but have had no luck so far. I will always remember my nan's hands because she had bits of metal solder stuck in the ends from the wielding. She went onto work on the trams going through St Lukes.View attachment 89414View attachment 89415View attachment 89412View attachment 89413View attachment 89418View attachment 89419View attachment 89416View attachment 89417
Rose Cottage
New Member
Morris, it was lovely to read your reminiscences of Sun Street in the 1950s - I think we must have been living there at the same time, and you have solved something that was driving me crazy, trying to remember the name of the shop where Susan lived - the Brinkworths, of course! I was born in 1949, and around 1952/3 we moved from rented accommodation with the the Laing family in Summer Lane(?) not far away to live with my gran before moving to Selly Oak in probably 1955. In Summer (Lane)? I remember the Hulbert family living next door and I have a picture of one of their daughters, Janet, and me on a little rocking horse. My gran, Rose Steward, lived in one of the back to backs on Sun Street with the large courtyard - 2 back of 50 (2/50) Sun Street, and I think this must have been the first court after the pub on the corner. As you remember from your house, there was one room downstairs with the scullery containing a sink at the far end with a vent up in the wall, so you could hear people going up and down the 'entry', and also an ancient gas stove. Upstairs there were two bedrooms, one on top of the other with a windy staircase. Then the cellar: we were terrified of going down there because there was no light and it stank of mice and coal dust. I remember my nan never had a tablecloth - just newspapers on the table. Outside I remember playing with other children in the courtyard, where there was a wash house and further away a block of toilets - square of torn-up newspaper for the toilet, so it was permanently blocked! I remember on one occasion having to be 'rescued' from a large metal wheel guard (from a lorry) that I was being spun round and round in on the yard, and was in danger of being violently sick. People I remember in that court: a lovely couple the other side of the 'entry', she was called Hilda, not sure about her husband's name now, 2 little boys - one called Harold (who, as I recall, walked with a bit of a limp), and I think Brian. There was a lady in the end house with countless children - she was a substantial lady called Ruby. At the other end of the court was a lady called Pauline, husband and children, but I don't recall their being allowed out to play in the yard much. My brother Ken(neth) was born during our time there, in 1954, and I remember starting school at St Luke's (don't think the school is there any more). I can remember absolutely nothing about school except for a large tray of steaming hot chocolate, which I must have enjoyed to remember so vividly. Then there was Brinkworth's shop: I must have met Susan at school because I remember going to play at the shop on one occasion and being completely mesmerised by what seemed like shelf after shelf with her toys on! It probably wasn't like that in reality but everything seems bigger when you're little. I wonder where they went to when the demolition of the area took place. After we moved to Selly Oak we used to go and visit my gran every Sunday and the highlight was going into the sweet shop round the corner on Bristol Road to choose some sweets from the big glass jars. My gran was rehoused in one of the new blocks of flats that replaced buildings in this area, but she never settled there and eventually moved to an old house in Small Heath because it was the kind of house she was familiar with. When she was younger she lived in Ryland Street with my dad (George Steward) and brothers Charlie, Fred and sister Rose. Anyhow, thanks very much for reviving lots of memories for me. If anyone has any further memories about Sun Street it would be great to hear them! Gloria
Rose Cottage
New Member
Nice pictures that bring back more memories - thanks! Gloria
My family lived at 1/42 Sun St, the Day family i’m the oldest of 4 (Linda) born 1949, the posts on here bring back so many memories, we had the Holmes family to the right of us and the Hinsleys on the left, the other side of the entry. Susan Brinkworth was one of my best friends and I went on holiday with her & her Mom & Dad. They were the more well off family, running their own Grocery Shop. Ronnie Hinsley was kind of a boyfriend, all very innocent I might add, he often played Cliff Richards ‘Living Doll’ at full blast so the whole yard could hear! I hated the block of loo’s at end bottom of the yard, and having to walk to empty the overnight potty! Yuk! There was a wood yard the other side of the loo’s where the bundles of firewood were made up, you could hear the noise coming from there most of the time. I remember the Scottish family the McCallums, I think, there were about 8 children, and an Irish family next door, the wife was often chucking her husbands clothes out the bedroom window! The kids played over the road on what was called the Bomb Building site. I can’t remember the name of the Junior School, i’ve got St Luke’s in my head, St Thomas’s was the Senior School before we transferred to the new Lea Mason School. We could clearly see the side of the cinema on the Bristol Rd from our attic window, so we knew what was showing, not that went went very often, it may be there that we went to the Saturday morning showings. I have so many memories living there, it’s great to read all the stuff that evokes those memories. Linda.
Radiorails
master brummie
The shop looks rather like it has closed down. Some folks, on what is a rainy day, await the Inner Circle 8 bus at the bus stop which is a stage stop.
Charlotte1990
New Member
Hi!
I was wondering if anyone had any pictures and or memories of Sun Street.
I have been looking over my mothers family history and found through the voters roll records that most of them lived on Sun Street from around the 20's - 40's.
It starts with Louisa Knott who probably would have been Louisa Page when she lived there.
Some of her children also settled on the street and my grandmother was actually born there! Part of the family emigrated to New Zealand and Louisa's grandson is still living there aged 90. He has some amazing memories of his time visiting his granny and of Birmingham so I would love to be able to send him some pictures but after trawling the internet I can not find anything.
Family that lived there:
Louisa Page (also known as Louisa Knott/Nott or Louisa Taylor)
Bert Knott who married Lydia Pullen and had two daughters that I know of Violet (1913 -1985) and Doris B 1916.
Violet & George Blunn and their children Mercy and George Arthur. From the records I believe George Jnr married Ethel Matthews whilst living in Sun Street and they had a son Graham.
Clara and Charles Cooke - Who had lots of children however sadly few survived. I know their daughter Catherine was born on Sun Street in 1925. Other Children I know would have been alive at the time are Arthur, George and Florence. I know Florence was a twin to Bert however Bert died quite young.
I heard a story that one the older sisters was lighting the fire and set her dress alight and ran into the street for help and people tried to help but sadly she died, I believe from the story her name or middle name was Catherine and it happened just before the younger Catherines birth in 1925 and she was named after her sister, given the dates this too would have happened on Sun Street.
From the records I can not find any older sisters called Catherine but believe that it could have been Irene Katherine who died she would have been about 12.
Any info would be much appreciated
Thanks
y
TIA
Hi I’ve been looking into my mother’s family history also and she has an address on the back of a post card for 39 court b sun street I can’t really make our much more just wondered if anyone could provide any information on names I think her last name was crowther my great nan who was her daughter was later married and called Lillian Taylor (if this helps).
i would love to be able to show my mom some family histor
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brummy-lad
master brummie
Welcome to the forum, I'm sure you will find lots of useful information.
If you click on the search button in the top right hand corner and put "sun street" (use the quotations) in the search box you will find links to suitable threads.
If you click on the search button in the top right hand corner and put "sun street" (use the quotations) in the search box you will find links to suitable threads.
Below is a slightly smaller scale map, on which 26 (red) and 38 (blue ) is marked. Although it names court 14, at this magnification it is not clear , so have marked court 14 in green. Do no know which is no 4
Mike
Hi do you know where number 7 was please.