Vyse street hockley

[Spencer]

Hello all,
In the Jewellery Quarter History and Guide (2nd ed) there's a photo on page 33 of a crowd of people. The text states "On May 11th 1931 H.R.H. The Prince of Wales visited the Jewellery Quarter. He is seen on this photograph leaving No. 9 Vyse Street."
Does anyone know what was at that address and why the PoW would be visiting it?
Thanks
Andrew

 

[Astoness]

every so often i find a photograph that makes me say wow and every so often one that blows me away as this one did.. vyse st dated august 1911...over the weekend i have done a bit of research on it as the caption is vyse st during the transport strike...i am also posting a link which gives some info on the liverpool general transport strike of 1911 which reading it seems that a lot of the country joined in especially the railways so i can only asume that birmingham took part in it lending their support...

i think the photo was taken just below the warstone lane junction..all of the properties on the right all the way down to hockley street have since been demolished mores the pity but they were all there when i worked in vyse st...the buildings on the left are still there and just where the tree is has to be warstone lane cem...this really is an amazing photograph..what a great piece of brum history..

i am also posting a photo taken by phyllis nicklin in 1963 showing an almost identical shot and here is the link to the transport strike

..https://libcom.org/history/1911-liverpool-general-transport-strike

 

[mikejee]

That's an excellent comparison photo Lyn . the most prominent building , and others to the left of it in c 1971 are shown at https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=23229&page=2 , the buildings to the right having been by then demolished

 

[Astoness]

thanks mike and thanks also for the link to the wonderful photos that you took from 69 to 73..hope its ok to post 3 of yours on this thread..the first 2 showing the most prominent building of harman bros at no 115/8 which we can see in both photos on post 1 and photo 3 showing the buildings to the right of harmans...think we can just see the corner of the rose villa tavern in that one..

lyn

 

[Vivienne14]

It's so good to be able to say that some streets are still recognisable such as this c1910 photo shows. Maybe this was the start of the working day in 1910. Quite a few young boys amongst them, maybe young working lads/apprentices. Viv.

 

[sospiri]

I really don't know this area at all, but those are some excellent then & now photographs. Shame that the Harman Bros building has gone, I was instantly attracted to that, but that's the story of Birmingham history since I left the place at the start of 1961. Was it something I said?

Maurice

 

[Jayell]

OK! I know this is like looking for a needle in a haystack, but can anyone help me on the whereabouts of where Gate House Cottage would have been in Vyse Street? It was situated at 144 Vyse Street in the 1851 census when Robert and Maria Purdie lived there. He was a draper. In the 1861 census they are living at 124 Vyse Street.

Maria was a half sister to my 3 x gt.grandmother (Emelia Mackain), and she and Robert are buried at Key Hill - so is Emelia! Robert Purdie came from Gatehouse of Fleet in Scotland, so that is where the name of the cottage comes from.

Judy

 

[sospiri]

Hi Judy,

As you know Mikejee is the expert on this, but if I overlay Google's location on top of the Godfrey map, number 144 is on the right hand side going towards Pitsford Street from Warstone Lane and roughly 40% of the distance from Warstone Lane to the Pitsford Street turnoff. I hope that helps until Mike can put in an appearance.

Maurice

 

[mikejee]

The 1849 PO directory lists Robert Purdies as a linen & Woollen draper , Gate House Cottage ,Vyse St, which is listed as after 141 Vyse St. but no number is given. Vyse St., and Slaters 1852 Directory lists him as a tea dealer at 144 Vyse St. The 1855 PO directory lists him as a woollen & Linen dealer at 124, and after that no building higher than 128 seems to be included in the directories. I am therefore a bit mystified. Certainly no 144 must have been on the east side of Vyse St either very close to , behind or possibly on part of the site of the Rose Villa Tavern, but cannot be more specific. Certainly there seem stohave been no major renumbering of the street, and the building next to the villa Tavern in 1955 is no 127

 

[Jayell]

Thanks Mo. I have now had a look at the Google Map which gives me some idea of the position. Not much left of the old properties on that side! Thanks to you and Mike for the information for taking the time to check on this for me.

PS How lovely Warstone Lane cemetery looks. It is somewhere I want to visit when I next get a chance to visit Birmingham. That and Key Hill where I have one or two ancestors buried.

Judy

 

[Jayell]

Thank you Mike for your detailed information. As I said to Maurice I have just had a look at the Google map and see that there isn't much left of the old buildings past the Rose Villa Tavern on that side. With a name like Gate House Cottage, I was hoping that maybe there might have been something left - wishful thinking I know!

On the 1841 Census Robert and Maria Purdie were living with Maria's father at back of 62 Constitution Hill. Maria's father was my 4 x Gt.Grandfather - James Stephens who was a Boot & Shoe Maker. Robert Purdie is a Draper.

1851 Robert and Maria are living at Gate House Cottage in Vyse Street, and the house is situated between that of Thomas Lant (a Soda Water Maker) at 143 and Joseph Foxall (a Silversmith) at 145. The Census page finishes at No.148 Vyse Street, so maybe your suggestion of it being near the Rose Villa Tavern was correct.

1861 shows the Purdies at 124 Vyse Street, with Robert listed as a Draper. I am a bit confused though with the change of house numbers to 124 and although you say you don't think there was renumbering of the street, I can think of no other explanation, when, as you say, the property next to the Tavern was 127 in 1955. If the street numbers were changed it must have been between the 1851 and 1861 censuses.

I do appreciate your taking the time to check on this for me, and had no idea that Robert also dealt in Tea! By the way, Maria died in 1865 and Robert in 1867 and they had no children.

Judy

 

[devonjim]

thanks mike and thanks also for the link to the wonderful photos that you took from 69 to 73..hope its ok to post 3 of yours on this thread..the first 2 showing the most prominent building of harman bros at no 115/8 which we can see in both photos on post 1 and photo 3 showing the buildings to the right of harmans...think we can just see the corner of the rose villa tavern in that one..

lyn

Came across this posting yesterday referring to Harman's, knew the name but couldn't think why! I then remembered this cigarette box we had as a wedding present nearly 50 years ago, neither of us smoked, thought it might be of interest to see the type of work they did back then.

 

[Astoness]

thanks jim...lovely to see an item made by harmans...

lyn

 

[Smudger]

View attachment 97459View attachment 97460every so often i find a photograph that makes me say wow and every so often one that blows me away as this one did.. vyse st dated august 1911...over the weekend i have done a bit of research on it as the caption is vyse st during the transport strike...i am also posting a link which gives some info on the liverpool general transport strike of 1911 which reading it seems that a lot of the country joined in especially the railways so i can only asume that birmingham took part in it lending their support...

i think the photo was taken just below the warstone lane junction..all of the properties on the right all the way down to hockley street have since been demolished mores the pity but they were all there when i worked in vyse st...the buildings on the left are still there and just where the tree is has to be warstone lane cem...this really is an amazing photograph..what a great piece of brum history..

i am also posting a photo taken by phyllis nicklin in 1963 showing an almost identical shot and here is the link to the transport strike

..https://libcom.org/history/1911-liverpool-general-transport-strike

Lyn, was there a Vyse street in Aston? I`m sure i courted a lass from that address.