angela burley
master brummie
Sorry i forgot to say,names i am researching, Rollinson, Nicholls, Crutchley ,Weetman, Salter, all Birmingham
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angela burley
master brummie
Sorry i forgot to add names i am researching,Rollinson,Nicholls,Weetman,Crutchley,Brooks,Jacobs.
S
Stroili
Guest
I know I'm a bit late with a reply but thought it might be of interest anyhow. There were 11 houses on the left-hand side of Thorp Street (coming down from the top off The Horsefair between the pub at the top and the Drill Hall). They were back to back houses and back of 21 would have been number 4. I know this as that was the house I was born in in 1950. They were the only houses in Thorp Street. If you need any further info on Thorp Street between the 1930's to 1960 I'm sure I could probably help since my Mom and her family were caretakers of The Drill Hall before moving to the houses higher up the street and Mom, now close to ninety has some very sharp memories. It was a street with quite a history, certainly in those years, since not only did it have the activities of the Drill Hall but it was also home to the Stage Door of The Birmingham Hippodrome so saw many many famous people including Danny Kaye, Frank Sinatra, a very young Cliff and the Shadows and Tommy Steele; Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn and none other than Roy Rogers and Trigger and that was just a few! What memories and stories there are there believe me, for many of the people who lived in the houses worked at the Hipp. as it was known, both full time and part-time as and when. Let's say there was never a shortage of volunteers amongst the men [in the 50's] for dressers when the Follies Bergere arrived on tour!!! On the opposite side of the road was The Royal British Legion and [speaking only for what I can remember off the top of my head for the 50's] an Austin car showroom, the Fisherman's Club and Mintex offices.
W
Wendy
Guest
Stroili what fantastic memories I was fascinated when we parked in the car park which was originally inside the Drill Hall. My husband met a lady a few weeks ago also in her nineties who used to play piano and sing at the Drill Hall. Have you visited the Back to Backs in Inge Street they must be similar to where you lived although a bit done up!
M
minkymaid
Guest
stroili - my mother, father, grandmother and father, aunts and uncles and cousins all lived in the back to backs [court] in thorp street that you refer to from the 1920s up until demolition [i believe]. They worked at the Hipp as backstage hands, dressers and front of house, as well as their day jobs and drank in the Legion and the Anglers. The surnames are Sanders, Howe, Corbett and Lander. Perhaps you mum might remember Cissie Corbett or Gladys Lander for instance?
S
Stroili
Guest
Hi Minkymaid,
Not only would my Mom remember the people you mention but I do too and I'm thinking I know you too, in fact, only very, very recently I found photographs of a birthday party of mine in the 50's that have some of those you mention in them including Susan, Sandra, Sheila, Laura.
Gladys lived next door (the other side of the entry) and Mr and Mrs Saunders, Margaret and Frank, lived at the front of her house. Cissy lived in the corner with her son, Frankie, a particular favourite 'big boy' of mine, together with Audrey his sister, who also features in some of the photographs.
Not such a big world is it? If you would like to contact me other than through this site ( I forget to come on here often), my email is fujima44@msn.com I'd love to share a few more nostalgic moments and bring things up to date.
Not only would my Mom remember the people you mention but I do too and I'm thinking I know you too, in fact, only very, very recently I found photographs of a birthday party of mine in the 50's that have some of those you mention in them including Susan, Sandra, Sheila, Laura.
Gladys lived next door (the other side of the entry) and Mr and Mrs Saunders, Margaret and Frank, lived at the front of her house. Cissy lived in the corner with her son, Frankie, a particular favourite 'big boy' of mine, together with Audrey his sister, who also features in some of the photographs.
Not such a big world is it? If you would like to contact me other than through this site ( I forget to come on here often), my email is fujima44@msn.com I'd love to share a few more nostalgic moments and bring things up to date.
ChrisCharles
Descended Brummie
Hi Debs_JJ
!! My Great-Grandparents lived at 19 Thorpe St from approx 1855 - 1880 !!
Ralph Charlesworth was a Brass Founder & his wife, Sarah Ann Bate, was a Nurse.
1851 Census records them living with Grandma Bate in Edmund St.
1861 & 1871 Census records their stay at that address. In April 1880 they Emigrated to South Africa. I have the Ships Log of their arrival.
They took 8 children to SA, ranging from ages 22 down to 3 years old (my Granddad).
My Family & I are the first of their descendants to "Immigrate" back to England.
What I would particulary apprecite is :
1) Any photographs of 19 Thorpe St. We have no photos of the GG-Grandparents at all.I f you have any of the property I will gladly pay for copies.
Perhaps you could recommend a published History work that may picture the area for me ?
2) Ralph was a Brass Founder / Dresser. What Foundry would he have worked at living in Thorpe St ?
I have written & recorded a folk song called "Annie Dear".....a saga of their emigration. This can be played/downloaded from https://www.theufr.com (songs tab).
Regards
Chris Charlesworth
3) What Hospital would Sarah have been employed at living in Thorpe St.
!! My Great-Grandparents lived at 19 Thorpe St from approx 1855 - 1880 !!
Ralph Charlesworth was a Brass Founder & his wife, Sarah Ann Bate, was a Nurse.
1851 Census records them living with Grandma Bate in Edmund St.
1861 & 1871 Census records their stay at that address. In April 1880 they Emigrated to South Africa. I have the Ships Log of their arrival.
They took 8 children to SA, ranging from ages 22 down to 3 years old (my Granddad).
My Family & I are the first of their descendants to "Immigrate" back to England.
What I would particulary apprecite is :
1) Any photographs of 19 Thorpe St. We have no photos of the GG-Grandparents at all.I f you have any of the property I will gladly pay for copies.
Perhaps you could recommend a published History work that may picture the area for me ?
2) Ralph was a Brass Founder / Dresser. What Foundry would he have worked at living in Thorpe St ?
I have written & recorded a folk song called "Annie Dear".....a saga of their emigration. This can be played/downloaded from https://www.theufr.com (songs tab).
Regards
Chris Charlesworth
3) What Hospital would Sarah have been employed at living in Thorpe St.
Chris
You have Ralph down as a brass dresser by trade, but it appears he dabbled in other things. . The 1873 whites directory lists him as at 19 Thorpe St:
1873 Ralph Charlesworth pidgeon dealer.
Whites is often more comprehensive than other directories, so the fact that I do not have him listed elsewhere does not mean he did not carry out that trade in other years, but
The map c 1889 shows no 19. the large drill hall next door would not have been there (for most of the time anyway) when he lived there, as it was built late 1870s
Sarah is likely have worked at the General hospital or the Queens hospital , neither very far away. Later there was the Skin & Lock in John Bright St, but I think that opened too late to be considered a possibility
There were large numbers of brassworks around, it would be difficult to say where Ralph worked, but there is in 1876- 88 listed :
Charlesworth Thomas.brass & german silver chaser, 25½ Horse fair, so maybe it was a family trade., but earlier years it was too small to be listed in the directory.
(In 1862 there is a Thomas Charlesworth listed as a policeman in Reservoir road )
You have Ralph down as a brass dresser by trade, but it appears he dabbled in other things. . The 1873 whites directory lists him as at 19 Thorpe St:
1873 Ralph Charlesworth pidgeon dealer.
Whites is often more comprehensive than other directories, so the fact that I do not have him listed elsewhere does not mean he did not carry out that trade in other years, but
The map c 1889 shows no 19. the large drill hall next door would not have been there (for most of the time anyway) when he lived there, as it was built late 1870s
Sarah is likely have worked at the General hospital or the Queens hospital , neither very far away. Later there was the Skin & Lock in John Bright St, but I think that opened too late to be considered a possibility
There were large numbers of brassworks around, it would be difficult to say where Ralph worked, but there is in 1876- 88 listed :
Charlesworth Thomas.brass & german silver chaser, 25½ Horse fair, so maybe it was a family trade., but earlier years it was too small to be listed in the directory.
(In 1862 there is a Thomas Charlesworth listed as a policeman in Reservoir road )
ChrisCharles
Descended Brummie
Hey MikeJee
You certainly are a Grandmaster. Thank You !
Granny Bate (Ralph's Granny-in-Law) was a Poultry Dealer living in Moat Lane. (I quoted Edmund St earlier, but that's where Ralph was in 1841 as an Orphan)
I bet he learnt the trade from her !!
Thanks again for the info. I'll get hold of a copy of Whites
You certainly are a Grandmaster. Thank You !
Granny Bate (Ralph's Granny-in-Law) was a Poultry Dealer living in Moat Lane. (I quoted Edmund St earlier, but that's where Ralph was in 1841 as an Orphan)
I bet he learnt the trade from her !!
Thanks again for the info. I'll get hold of a copy of Whites
rosie
brummie
Hello Mikejee,
I'm sorry to butt in , I just wanted to thank you for the map of Thorp St. as it shows "The Lord Nelson", where Nan was born in 1900, and various family members ran it prior to that.
(It's printed opposite the last "t" in street). I think the Ballet are there now, the map I have just shows a gap and "P.H."
rosie.
I'm sorry to butt in , I just wanted to thank you for the map of Thorp St. as it shows "The Lord Nelson", where Nan was born in 1900, and various family members ran it prior to that.
(It's printed opposite the last "t" in street). I think the Ballet are there now, the map I have just shows a gap and "P.H."
rosie.
ChrisCharles
Descended Brummie
Hi Rosie
I bet the Charlesworth's often had a brew served by your family
Do you have further info about The Lord Nelson ?
Cheers
Chris
I bet the Charlesworth's often had a brew served by your family
Do you have further info about The Lord Nelson ?
Cheers
Chris
ChrisCharles
Descended Brummie
Amazing !! We should have a Street Party to honor the ancestors 
paul stacey
master brummie
I have happy memories of Thorpe Street, but when I was in the Army Cadets it was known as Thorpe St Drill hall, a big TA and ACF Band depot, where if there was any Marching through Brum you started from there and also all transport to, any W/E or week's, camps started from there. I was always told that the troops for the 1914 and 1940 BEF's from the Birmingham area also started from there.
paul
paul
angela burley
master brummie
Hi Debs, just found your post,i am researching Nicholls too. My maternal Grandfather William John Nicholls married Elizabeth Crutchley in Birmingham 1918. My father signed on for WW11 at Thorp Street Barracks and went from there in a lorry to Enville Hall,South Staffs for training.Angela
rosie
brummie
I'm still hoping for pictures of Thorp Street as many members of my family were there over the years, at The Lord Nelson Pub. Nan Was born there in 1900, and Thomas Pressdee was there for many years.
I'm not sure when it was demolished, "The Ballet" is now where is originally was. It was opposite the Barracks, the frontage of which is still there but it's a car park now!.
rosie.
I'm not sure when it was demolished, "The Ballet" is now where is originally was. It was opposite the Barracks, the frontage of which is still there but it's a car park now!.
rosie.
rosie
brummie
Re: Thorp Street
Thank you so much Phil! They are lovely!
The second is opposite The Lord Nelson as this is a queue outside the Barracks, this frontage still exists. The third shows the end of the queue and is on the correct side but up the hill.
I hope it will be OK to save them.
Thanks again,
rosie.
Thank you so much Phil! They are lovely!
The second is opposite The Lord Nelson as this is a queue outside the Barracks, this frontage still exists. The third shows the end of the queue and is on the correct side but up the hill.
I hope it will be OK to save them.
Thanks again,
rosie.
Hi john bev,,
There was a little guy whom was a cook at Thorpe. Street his name was Sidney Hanson
He was there for years and done the camps when they was out on training exercise and things
He lived in Aberdeen street Winston green but prior to that I think he lived in those little old houses in. Bagot street
He married a lady named Anne she was a scouser and he worked at Saltley gas works for most of his life
Obvisiouly said as passed over now its been near on forty years or more I last seen him up Northfield
With his daughters he was old then his daughters was carol , Susan , and. Shirley ,,,and a son called Norman
I went with him to Thorpe street area times and a Christmas party one year he was military through and through
Best wishes astonian,,,,,,,
There was a little guy whom was a cook at Thorpe. Street his name was Sidney Hanson
He was there for years and done the camps when they was out on training exercise and things
He lived in Aberdeen street Winston green but prior to that I think he lived in those little old houses in. Bagot street
He married a lady named Anne she was a scouser and he worked at Saltley gas works for most of his life
Obvisiouly said as passed over now its been near on forty years or more I last seen him up Northfield
With his daughters he was old then his daughters was carol , Susan , and. Shirley ,,,and a son called Norman
I went with him to Thorpe street area times and a Christmas party one year he was military through and through
Best wishes astonian,,,,,,,
Cassy
knowlegable brummie
Hello Mike Just found your map of Hurst Street. My grandfather lived there in 1930 with his "fancy woman's" family the Freedman's who had been there since at least 1922. My grandfather was a bit of a lad! Anyway, they lived at Court 9, and despite enlarging it, I can't identify where on this map this was, and I wonder if you know? With many thanks and hoping to hear from you. CaroleIt was the same one as the drill hall / barracks. No 19 Thorpe St was on the northern side, the same side as the drill hall on the map below. No 27 was the pub on the corner (The White Lion) and the numbers ran downwards approximately consecutively to the right, so it was probably the next or the next but one to the drill hall on the same side as the pub.
mike
Cassy
knowlegable brummie
Yes Mike, thanks it was Thorp Street. I was burning the midnight oil again when I wrote that and got in a muddle! I think they must have lived close to where the Back to Backs is now? The 1928 and 1930 electoral rolls show that my grandfather James Price was living there with Abraham and Rose Freedman and their daughter Rebecca Silverman. The 1939 Register shows James Price and Rebecca Silverman still living there, by this time Abraham and Rose had died. The 1945 electoral roll shows James and Rebecca living at 127 Trescott Road, Northfield. I wonder if you know if perhaps the houses in Thorp Street were demolished between 1939 and 1945 causing them to move? Many thanks for your reply and for taking the time to look up the electoral roll. Look forward to hearing from you.
Carole. Court 9 thorpe St is shown on the map, on the north west side, south west of that large block, near the junction with the Horsefair. However, below is a map c 1950, when the court was still extant, which also shows the numbering, so , if you have the number in the court , you can plot its exact position.
