• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

The Custard House Blake Lane

db84124 said:
The Custard House, Blake Lane

The_Custard_House.jpg



That's the one, John. Just 50 yards up the road from where I lived between August 1957 and September 1967.
Hope you're well, David
Click to expand...
Are you aware of someone from Bennett’s Butchers that frequented the Custard House formamdrink?
 
Bill Pearson said:
I use to do Disco in the custard house 70s, touch of class was our name.
the iron staircase at the back was our entrance to get the gear up stairs, some good nights was had. the worst was them stairs... Bill..
Click to expand...
Bill, do you recall a woman who worked there, Helen Clarkson?
 
What years did you do the disco. I remember those stairs at the end of the bar. Was the bowling green still there or was it car park at the back? I used to go there 1979 to around 1981.
 
I posted about my ancestor Thomas Tonks of green lanes before this bit is about his daughter Emma she married Thomas Woodcock 1862 his occupation was engraver but his father was William Woodcock licensed victualler blake lane i hope he was the one to do with the custard house.it only says blake lane on census thomas and william woodcock_1.jpg
 
Hi, Deb, You are an angel for sharing this. Not sure if Woodcock is the right one but am sure going to explore! Every little tidbit helps. I appreciate your help so much. Debbie
 
Re: The Custard House, Blake Lane. Does anyone remember the trio that played there on a Friday night (think it was a Fri), in the late 50's early 60's. And the name of the gaffer?
 
shirleymay said:
Re: The Custard House, Blake Lane. Does anyone remember the trio that played there on a Friday night (think it was a Fri), in the late 50's early 60's. And the name of the gaffer?
Click to expand...
I was living off Green Lane in the late 60’s and went into the Custard House some weekends. I can’t remember the group but at the time I was there the Landlords surname was Studholme, tall chap and ran it with his wife, who was very petite. Hope this rings a bell for you Shirley. Jen
 
JeannetteM said:
I was living off Green Lane in the late 60’s and went into the Custard House some weekends. I can’t remember the group but at the time I was there the Landlords surname was Studholme, tall chap and ran it with his wife, who was very petite. Hope this rings a bell for you Shirley. Jen
Click to expand...
I don't think they were there late 60's because we'd moved to King's Norton. Landlord's name doesn't ring a bell. Thank's anyway Jen.
 
Thanks Pedrocut, Shame it doesn't give the year, I'd guess at 40's/50's. The trio I'd referred to comprised of my boyfriend Colin, drums. Tommy Poulton piano & big Ken double bass. This was in 1958/63, I remember the barrels of beer being rolled into the cellar, no other way to get them in.
 
Hello Deb, This is last Will & Testament of John Tonks. I found the writing easy to read, have been researching my Tree for over 50yrs. Who are David & John Hopkins?
 
shirleymay said:
Hello Deb, This is last Will & Testament of John Tonks. I found the writing easy to read, have been researching my Tree for over 50yrs. Who are David & John Hopkins?
Click to expand...
Hello Shirleymay.from what i can make out David and James Hopkins were his executors.i dont know how he knew them.this was another part that names them.
 

Attachments

  • joh tonks 2 copy cropped smaller.jpg
    joh tonks 2 copy cropped smaller.jpg
    1 MB · Views: 5
These 1890 maps confuse me, my ancestors great great grandad and tribe lived at number two Brighton Place, Blake Lane in 1881 per that census, the sign for Brighton Place, dated 1874 still exists on the house which is number 5 Blake lane, almost opposite number 2 Blake Lane where I believe they used to live. There were no houses on that side of the road according to the maps. I wonder if there were houses going right to the junction of Blake Lane and Yardley Green Lane, where the church is now. It must have been a big building as they had so many people living there and working there too making mattresses, bed steads etc.

At the same time my great grandad was living on what is now Bordesley Green up the other end of Blake Lane, I have a photo of the family in their garden and behind them is a lot of leaves, maybe even the orchard? That would have been before the end of 1900 as he died that year, after moving to Handsworth.
 

Attachments

  • tom pitt and family .jpeg
    tom pitt and family .jpeg
    421.3 KB · Views: 5
could you tell us the name of your ancestor in Blake lane? On the 1881 census, for all the ones I can find in Blake St do not seem to have numbers attached
 
Last edited by a moderator:
2 Brighton Place would not have been the same as 2 Blake Lane. It looks as if there were 4 cottages built as Brighton Place. One of which has the sign on it. They would, I think have been 1, 2, 3 and 4 Brighton Place. From the map the house which is currently number 2 Blake Lane would not have existed. (The only reason I know this is because I live in a house which was once number 3 of a row of named cottages).
I have ringed in red the houses I think were called Brighton Place on the 1887 map
1695652955097.png
 
Last edited:
mikejee said:
could you tell us the name of your ancestor in Blake lane? On the 1881 census, for all the ones I can find in Blake St do not seem to have numbers attached
Click to expand...
There was Richard Pitt head of the house, his wife Lydia Pitt, Richard's father and mother William and Elizabeth Pitt, brother and sister in law Harry and Nancy Humpage from new Jersey, a cousin Benjamin Pitt from London and Richard's kids, George William, Nelly and Lydia Pitt. Old Bill Pitt was born in 1819. There were very many William Pitts in the West Midlands in those days, and I think many were related too.

Richard was living in Blake lane with his parents and his twin brother, Thomas. was living round the corner what is now Bordesley green.

I do often wonder if the Humpages had anything to do with the street of the same name. By the way Nelly was the lady on the right of the picture in my post above with curly hair. Richard died in 1900 aged 39 and the grandparents around 1895 Lydia and kids and Nelly Humpage went to Northumberland and then left for the land down under in 1914. George William Pitt wrote to my granddad years later recalling the houses in Belcher's lane, the water pump and midden and referred to the area as Allum Rock. It was probably mostly countryside then, Yew tree farm was next door, hard to imagine now looking at Bordesley green. Jack Pitt, my granddad was the cheeky little kid with the oversized beret next to his dad in the photo.
 
pjmburns said:
2 Brighton Place would not have been the same as 2 Blake Lane. It looks as if there were 4 cottages built as Brighton Place. One of which has the sign on it. They would, I think have been 1, 2, 3 and 4 Brighton Place. From the map the house which is currently number 2 Blake Lane would not have existed. (The only reason I know this is because I live in a house which was once number 3 of a row of named cottages).
I have ringed in red the houses I think were called Brighton Place on the 1887 map
View attachment 184765
Click to expand...

Thanks, yes that makes sense!
 
In the 1879 PO diectory the houses are listed like this - only 3 occupants listed for Brighton Place. Blake Cottage is marked onthe map.
1695653623715.png
 
pjmburns said:
In the 1879 PO diectory the houses are listed like this - only 3 occupants listed for Brighton Place. Blake Cottage is marked onthe map.
View attachment 184766
Click to expand...
When I was a child my parents had friends who lived in Blake Place. A terrace row of old houses. I don’t recall anywhere called Blake Street just Blakeland st running parallel to Blake Lane. On the photo you can see the footprint (green arrow) of the former methodist church. The top right extended oblong used to be where there was a Sunday School Hut behind the row of terraced houses and at the rear of the church.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0618.jpeg
    IMG_0618.jpeg
    679.4 KB · Views: 7
bordesley bob said:
These 1890 maps confuse me, my ancestors great great grandad and tribe lived at number two Brighton Place, Blake Lane in 1881 per that census,
Click to expand...
By the way, I would just like to point out that it is the 1891 census which has them living at Brighton Place not the 1881. Took me quite a while to find the entry.
 
pjmburns said:
By the way, I would just like to point out that it is the 1891 census which has them living at Brighton Place not the 1881. Took me quite a while to find the entry.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your trouble, sorry I had the wrong year. I think you're right and in the 1881 census they were all in Denbigh street.
 
Two threads merged.
Here is a photo that has not been on here before of the pub, with a rather magnificent car in front. The photo looks like the staff, so perhaps the car belongs to the owner of the pub, with him beside it. The landlord in 1900-1904 was Thomas Edkins; 1908-1910 Joseph Archer; 1912 Abraham Matthews, and 1913-1915 James Edwin Swallow

Custard House Inn , Blake Lane Bordesley Green.jpg
 
mikejee said:
Two threads merged.
Here is a photo that has not been on here before of the pub, with a rather magnificent car in front. The photo looks like the staff, so perhaps the car belongs to the owner of the pub, with him beside it. The landlord in 1900-1904 was Thomas Edkins; 1908-1910 Joseph Archer; 1912 Abraham Matthews, and 1913-1915 James Edwin Swallow

View attachment 205959
Click to expand...
Oh that’s a fantastic photo Mike . Where did you find it?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top