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The Hermitage, Hagley Road, Edgbaston

C

cola14

Brummie babby
In 1881 my 3x gt grandfather sold up in Birmingham to emigrate to NZ. There was sale of his household effects at their address The Hermitage, Hagley Road, oppostie Hagley Road Station. The rooms in the house were described as Servants bedroom, bedrooms 1, 2 & 3, best bedroom, drawing room, dining room, hall, breakfast room, kitchen, china pantry and dairy. Looking at the Ordance Survey Map 1886-1888 it shows a Hermitage Farm opposite the station. Does anyone know if this was also known as The Hermitage and if any images of the house would exist anywhere? Historic England has 93-95 Hagley Road, a semi-detached house in what looks to be a similar location, but the outline doesn't seem to match the ordnance maps? many thanks!
Auction 1881 The Hermitage.png
 
hi and welcome...could you give us james jackson date of birth please and was he married..hopefully we will be able to pin point where the hermitage was but it does sound like a large house to me..have you got him on any of the census years ..below is a map showing the train station with hermitage road opposite so this is a good starting point..would think the house was close by..if you move the blue dot to the left the map will fade out to show you what is there now and you can also move the map around..the houses are numbered so i wonder if it could have been number 250..more research needed but we could do with finding him on the census at hagley road so that we can look at the neighbours..



lyn


 
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hello Lyn - thanks, yes he was born in Broseley, Shropshire in 1824 married at Lichfield Cathedral 1855 to Fanny Brittain Chapman. He had a glass and china business in New Street, this was also his father's trade but was bankrupted because of embezzlement by his book-keeper and reducing trade.
1851 Census is Highfield Rd, Edgbaston. 1861 n ow as Ash Cottage, Lichefield Road, Aston. In 1871 he was enumerated at Broseley where he had family on his mothers side.
Some family records say they also lived at Hall Green Hall, Hall Green - this may have been his father James snr.

I couldn't see the map you were referring to? Was it meant to be attached?
 
Ah - just found in 1881 as well - the address in Edgbaston could be either read as 179 Hagley Road. or as Summerfield…. farm house

James is now 58, china and glass dealer, Fanny 51, Frederick 19 china and glass dealer, Alicia 15 scholar born Hall Green , Worcestershire, Francis 13 born Hall Green and just one servant 13 year old Sarah Culwich of Staffordshire.
 
It looks as if the houses were renumbereed by 1890.
Just following through to explain why I think that:
John Boughton is listed at 198 on the 1881 census
In the 1890 directory he is is at 236 (again by Hermitage Road)
Samuel Tonks is still at Summerfield but it is number 250
So the numbering is different on the map link Lyn posted.
 
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The Hermitage Farm was owned by Lord Calthorpe
1880 rates book lists
1768039947904.png

So Summerfield was owned by Samuel Tonks but the Farmhouse and John Boughton's house were owned by Lord Calthorpe. As you can see in 1880 John Thorniecroft is listed at the Farm.
Unfortunately the 1881 rates book is not online.
 
Here is the 1880 Kellys

1880 kellys.jpg
The numbering was changed between the 1883 and 1884 directories
 
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Thanks Mike,

However, newspaper articles before and after 1880 list the Thorneycroft (or Thorniecroft) family at Hermitage Farm. But it does look as if James Jackson resided at the farm around 1881.
 
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Wow - thanks everyone, this is amazing! Has really helped fleshing out our family story. I imagine James Jackson and his family were tenants on a fairly temporary tenancy, given his financial strife. In 1881 he was selling up to emigrate to New Zealand, his two eldest sons joined them after about a year or so as they stayed on to help transition the business to new owners, and Robert was training as an opera singer in Milan. He took the stage name Warwick Gainor or sometimes *Ganor. Eventually the six surviving children all lived in New Zealand where James took up a farm in the Waikato area. Fred, the eldest surviving son established a business in Auckland in 1890 which traded in china, glass and household hardware until 1984. There are numerous descendants in New Zealand. Fred called one of his sons Warwick after his time in Warwickshire.
 
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