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The grange, aldridge

M

mary woodroffe

proper brummie kid
Trying to locate w. Wiseman. Gave his address as "the grange" aldridge 1908. This name and address were given when a young 14 year old came from the workhouse to him "to service" would like to find out more please, thankyou. Mary
 
I've recenty moved to Aldridge so not sure on buildings as yet.

Walsall Local History Centre might have info on the Grange. They currently have a display on covering Aldridge.

Or try the Aldridge Local History Society.

Ray

had a look on net looks like it was a farm house? https://blackcountryhistory.org/collections/getrecord/WAHER_MBL1259/ (Leighwood is in Aldridge)
 
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Hello & Welcome Mary,

I used to live in Aldridge 1973-79 but never heard of "The Grange" in any aspect (Mansion House ?)( Coaching Station) etc
so could you supply more details of this W. Wiseman,,Male/Female Age 14 in 1908 have you 1901 census on this person?
Have you looked at 1911 census for this person ?,,,give references if you have them & folks on here will help,
What "Workhouse" did the 14 yr old come from & as much info as you have,,,Everything helps,, Cheers John Y
 
The Grange is on Broadway North, and is a theatre for amateur productions. The building was originally a posh tennis-club but became derelict. It was re-furbished in the 1950's, I believe. I can't tell Mary if it was there in 1908, unfortunately. I don't know of any other building in Aldridge called The Grange. There is however Aldridge Manor House on Little Aston Road, once a private residence and now a youth centre. If I can find out more, I'll post.

G
 
MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE REPLIED. THE INFORMATION I HAVE IS THAT A YOUNG FOURTEEN YEAR OLD BOY HAD BEEN IN BIRMINGHAM WORKHOUSE FOR FIVE YEARS AND IN 1908 HE WAS DISCHARGED TO SERVICE, THE EMPLOYER WAS MR W. WISEMAN, THE GRANGE, ALDRIDGE. I KNOW WHERE HE WAS UPTO 1908 BUT HAVE LOST HIM FROM THE TIME HE WENT INTO SERVICE OF MR WISEMAN. THERE WAS A "THE GRANGE" IN HAMMERWICH BUT CAN ONLY FIND EARLY INFORMATION NOT THE 1900's. ALSO A GENTLEMAN CALLED GEORGE PERKS LIVED AT A "THE GRANGE" IN STAFFORDSHIRE. THERE WAS A LOT OF MINING AND BRICK MAKING IN STAFFORDSHIRE AND I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THIS WAS WERE HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SENT.
MR WISEMAN MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AN OWNER . I WILL MAKE ENQUIRES TO WALSALL. AGAIN MANY THANKS
MARY
 
The only building that i can imagine could have been called the Grange is now Aldridge Court nursing home.It can be seen from Little Aston Rd(Known as Frank James Hill by older locals) And is only a couple of hundred yards from the centre of Aldridge.
 

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'The Grange' was a very common name for large houses in the 19th and early 20th centuries. I've had a look at the websites of The Grange Playhouse and also Aldridge Court Nursing Home (£850 a week if anyone's interested...) and can find no clues that either of these places was ever called 'The Grange' when private residences. I'm sure someone could locate a Mr Wiseman in Aldridge, early 20th century. There are still a whole lot of large houses in and around Aldridge, and I suppose any one of them could have been called 'The Grange'. There were and still are brickworks in Aldridge, as Mary says, and also mining way back when.

G
 
Once again many thanks. I think I will have to visit Walsall and their archives. I live in Scotland but I have a planned visit to Birmingham in April of next year. As you all know we want the answers NOW. I know from my previous research that you find answers where you dont expect them . I am searching "Family History", and "Ancestry". My searches are between census 1901 & 1911. There are a lot of W.Wiseman on both, but nothing that maybe him. I think the archives of "owners" of brickyards,mines and farms is the place to search. Again my thanks to all.
Mary
 
I have a couple of friends who lived/grew up around Aldridge in the 40s onwards. They both refer to the present Aldridge Court as 'The Grange' as a local name for this building. They are both Horsey types, and the building was the ,then, home of a rich family of some renown, the name of which escapes me.
 
Thanks Pete if the name of the owner of of the Grange comes to mind please let me know. In the meantime am still searching. Thank you.
Mary
 
Hallo all good people,
"aldridge court" was "portland house" in 1884, so the search for "the grange" continues.
Kind regards
mary
 
Mary, -- We're looking to move again in Aldridge (It's the gypsy in me). So whilst out and about I'm asking locals if they can recall the ‘Grange‘. They can recall school days, the High Street as it was etc but the 'Grange' draws a blank. Can't promise when but if you get no joy over the phone with Walsall I will try to visit soon. -- Ray
 
At the library now - they have found something will get back to you
Ray
 
Hi Mary,
I was at Walsall History library. On my way back home now. Staff very, very helpful, they spent over 2.5 hours helping out. Managed to find the Grange – will infill later.

Ray
 
Hi Mary,

Staff had in depth knowledge of Aldridge and as said gave a good 2.5 hours of their time. The good news is some information was found. The not so good news is as you will read there is a hole in the time frame you wanted.

1) Photo: First point of call was a book containing photos of large houses in Aldridge, that showed a building named the Grange Farm. There is some uncertainty whether the style of building is in the correct time frame.

2) Maps: OS map 1883 and 1901 showed the Grange with outbuildings (Grange Farm)

3) 1911 Names of persons relating to Grange farm:
By searching the Summary books the 1911 census gave the family ‘Bloor‘ living at Grange Farm. James Bloor being a farmer. Incidentally it was the family one of the staff has been researching. In 1913 they moved to Canada. Although pre 1911 the Bloor family had purchased farms in the area there is no record of if and when they purchased the Grange farm.

4)1891 census Joberns (?) check RG12/2257 for spelling of name
Grange farm buildings - various names
Grange farm - head, James Joberns(?) Brick and Tile manufacturer
Joberns (?) Brickyard

Thus it read Joberns(?) owned the brickyard and lived at the Grange. The possibility is the young lad was sent to the Grange, however did he work on the farm or at the Brickyard?

They searched for Mr Wiseman - no joy at all.

I can try to scan photo of the Grange and OS maps if you so wish.

My lesson learned was relying just on the internet falls far short of having local knowledge as a background to research.
Ray
 
Hallo Ray
Many, Many thanks for all your hard work and those of Walsall library. I did wonder if Mr W. Wiseman was just a employee of the "Grange" and not the employer. But at least you have found that the "Grange" is real. I once spent 2 years in Birmingham reference Library searching, I did get the informqation I wanted in the end, so I know that I must keep searching. You say that the "bloor" family had moved to Canada I wonder if he took any staff out with him.
 
Hallo Again Ray
For some reason all my reply had not been given. It cut off my grateful thanks to you. And if I find the information I will let you know.
Kind Regards
Mary
 
Hallo Ray
Many, Many thanks for all your hard work and those of Walsall library. I did wonder if Mr W. Wiseman was just a employee of the "Grange" and not the employer. But at least you have found that the "Grange" is real. I once spent 2 years in Birmingham reference Library searching, I did get the information I wanted in the end, so I know that I must keep searching. You say that the "bloor" family had moved to Canada I wonder if he took any staff out with him. I have to depend on the internet as I am too far away, but when I lived down in the midlands it was much easier to go to the places and the nearest library. If I get any further I will let you know. Again many thanks.
kind Regards
Mary
 
Hi Mary

Had a quick look whilst at local library ancestry site. 1913 Empress of Britain to Canada passenger list - James Bloor, wife Elsie and son James. Also a J W Wiseman (born 1889) and an Ellen Wiseman on the ship, same guy?

Ray
 
Hallo Ray,
I found James Bloor in 1913 but Wiseman was in 1912. I think that my lad was at "The Grange" Aldridge in 1908, it could have been that he worked on the farm or brickyard. He was not there on the 1911 census, but someone with same name and date of birth was on his way to canada in 1909. With a party from an orphange. this may not be him but so far it is the nearest I have. still my search continues. Thank you very much.
Kind Regards
Mary
 
Hi! my name is Maurice Ivor Birch, Author of Aldridge On A Roll, someone on your site asked the question, where is the Grange? the Grange was a farm situated at the end of Walton Road Aldridge, I spent many hours there during the nineteen fifties, the farm then belonged to a Mr Ralph Ferrie, owner of Brownhills Motor Sales, he inherited it from his father before him, his partner was Amy Warrington, the Daughter of Mr Warrington, a police Sargent from Walsall wood, at that time three families lived there, Ferrie's, Horobin's and an Irish couple Jim and Claire, can' recall their surname as far as i can recall the farm had 21 rooms and stood three story's high, Mr George Horobin Worked at Joberns's Brickyard just a stones throw away from the farm, he was married to the sister of Ralph Ferry, they had three children, Keneth, Kathleen and Alan, Kenneth was and still is a good friend of mine, i lived in Grange Avenue Aldridge, presumably named after the farm, the farm was demolished to make way for the new Northgate during the nineteen sixties, such a shame, this was a wonderful old building with many outbuildings in it's grounds, hope this answers at least part of the mystery.
Best wishes
Maurice
 
welcome to the forum maurice and thanks for that great info ...we will be moving your post to the grange in aldridge thread as there are quite a few posts on there regarding this building... :)

lyn

Edit - post now moved.
 
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