• 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 Square Old Square

I've just found a connection to the Old Square and wonder if anyone can shed any light on these people who married into my family - James Creshull (b. about 1764) who was a Cabinet Maker and Upholster, and whose address was The Square in the 1818 Wighton's Directory. Also his son Thomas Creshull was was a Professor of Dancing at 10 Old Square in various directories from at least 1818- he was also a tobacconist at 105 New Street and had an address 103 Broad Street too. His address on his death was Upper Priory. This is still a work in progress so I have no more information!
 
I've found this interesting book on the Old Square. Mentions are made of my 5 x gt.grandfather John Wallis, and his daughters Susannah (married to James Cresshull) who occupied No.11 - the Assembly Room where she and a niece taught Dancing - and Elizabeth (married to John Phillips) who occupied the corner house No.8. Susannah and James' son, Thomas Cresshull, was the Professor of Dancing previously mentioned who was at No.10. James Cresshull had bought No.10 and 11 from Mr Sawyer who was a Teacher of Dancing in 1780. John Wallis's son, William Wallis also lived in the Square at No.15? and held the office of Constable, following on from his father John. I can't believe all the information I am finding on these families!!!! I'm over the moon.
archive.org

Memorials of the Old Square : being some notices of the Priory of St. Thomas in Birmingham, and the lands appertaining thereto; also of the Square built upon the Priory Close, known in later times as the Old Square; with notes concerning the dwellers

Includes bibliographical references and index
archive.org
 
Jayell said:
I've found this interesting book on the Old Square. Mentions are made of my 5 x gt.grandfather John Wallis, and his daughters Susannah (married to James Cresshull) who occupied No.11 - the Assembly Room where she and a niece taught Dancing - and Elizabeth (married to John Phillips) who occupied the corner house No.8. Susannah and James' son, Thomas Cresshull, was the Professor of Dancing previously mentioned who was at No.10. James Cresshull had bought No.10 and 11 from Mr Sawyer who was a Teacher of Dancing in 1780. John Wallis's son, William Wallis also lived in the Square at No.15? and held the office of Constable, following on from his father John. I can't believe all the information I am finding on these families!!!! I'm over the moon.
archive.org

Memorials of the Old Square : being some notices of the Priory of St. Thomas in Birmingham, and the lands appertaining thereto; also of the Square built upon the Priory Close, known in later times as the Old Square; with notes concerning the dwellers

Includes bibliographical references and index
archive.org
Click to expand...

Great historical book that can be downloaded!
 
The internet archive contains many similar books of interest, which can be downloaded for free. This includes a large number that appear on ebay and other places as printed downloads at high prices (£40 or more)
 
Vivienne14 said:
This was Dr Edmund Hector’s house (#1 The Square). Can someone tell me which road it is to the right: Lichfield Street maybe ? Viv.
View attachment 146427
Click to expand...
The street on the right is 'The Minories.' This is from 'Memorials of the Old Square....' by Joseph Hill and Robert Kirkup Dent (1897), together with John Rapkin's 'Plan of Birmingham,' (1851).

Hill and Dent identified four 'angles' or blocks to Old Square: starting with the South Angle and going counter clockwise:
South Angle: The Minories to Lower Priory
East Angle: Lower Priory to Lichfield Street
North Angle: Lichfield Street to Upper Priory
West Angle: Upper Priory to The Minories

The houses were also numbered counter clockwise starting with Hector's House, which was No.1.

Hope this helps
 
Last edited:
That’s helpful thanks Richard.

Anyone know of any images of the Minories ? Not the one that went through Lewis’s but the earlier Road ? Viv.
 
This drawing of the Square doesn’t appear to be on this thread. It’s from Hill & Dent’s “Memorials of the Old Square”. Originally the garden within the Square was substantial as shown here, but over time it was reduced considerably in size, eventually disappearing altogether. Can anyone make out the signature and date to the left of the gate below the fence ? Viv.

351CD0F5-E8F0-435C-A761-9A5A9845029B.jpeg
 
Actually, going back to the original pdf I think it was either 1872 or 1892. It might be Dec 1 after the name




ScreenHunter 5521.jpg
 
Possibly Alfred Freeman Smith (1847 to 1932), who did a painting of Worcester Street (dated 1883) that is the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (source artuk.org).

There is also an entry for 'A Freeman Smith' in Sydney and Kathleen Morris's 'A Catalogue of Birmingham & West Midlands Painters of the Nineteenth Century.' The entry states that A Freeman Smith was a painter and architectural designer, who had 19 works exhibited at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists in the 1880s-90s. The works included buildings and street scenes.
 
Last edited:
He was painting 1880-1898, was a Birmingham painter and Architectural designer, exhibiting 19 works at RBSA in that period
 
The old square were the priory stood before the old square was built. Old square was demolished in late 1800 to Buick new shops and the new corporation street needed to go through this site. Eventually site of Lewis’s.

According to Hill and Dent, the Priory and chapel were built of the same red sandstone of other early buildings in the area, which survives in other ancient structures such as the spire of St. Peter and St. Paul's church in Aston. The Priory was closed during the reign of Henry VIII. When the Square was built, the old priory was remembered in the naming of nearby streets and in 1781 William Hutton wrote that 'Some small remains of the old foundation are yet visible in the cellars of Old Square



The Priory was also remembered in the name of the ancient Chappell Street which had run past the chapel and graveyard. From at least 1584 the Bull Tavern was situated along this street, and in the early 1700s the road became known as Bull Street, and maintains that name today





Number 1 old square . The road on the left is lower priory.
 
when this large plaque was in the underpass between lewis,s and corperation street . I wonder how many of us realised it all related to old square . They are mostly individual plaques from certain houses and the bulls heads plaque was the pub in the old square.
 

Attachments

  • AF140DE2-A7F5-4296-9A4D-106094EFAE14.jpeg
    AF140DE2-A7F5-4296-9A4D-106094EFAE14.jpeg
    131.2 KB · Views: 41
BrumMack said:
Possibly Alfred Freeman Smith (1847 to 1932), who did a painting of Worcester Street (dated 1883) that is the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (source artuk.org).

There is also an entry for 'A Freeman Smith' in Sydney and Kathleen Morris's 'A Catalogue of Birmingham & West Midlands Painters of the Nineteenth Century.' The entry states that A Freeman Smith was a painter and architectural designer, who had 19 works exhibited at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists in the 1880s-90s. The works included buildings and street scenes.
Click to expand...
RBSA is now at 4 Brook St B3 1SA. I visit quite often.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top