Harborne page
Harborne
Harborne was first mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086. It remained a small village on the borders of Staffordshire, until the Industrial Revolution. The growth of its neighbour, Birmingham, into a major City had far reaching effects, culminating in a loss of independence as it was swallowed up as a suburb of Britain's second city in 1891. It now came under the county of Warwickshire.
At the turn of the 19th Century, there were under 1500 inhabitants. By 1900, the population had grown to 10,000. As the population grew, so did the need for housing,employment and public sevices. The area to the south of the High Street, being only some three miles from the city centre, saw the earliest development. Schools, churches, shops and housing were all built to accomodate the growing population. The opening of the Harborne Railway in 1874 led to further development to the north. The Harborne Local Board of Health was created in 1864 and the school board was introduced in 1873.
The new found wealth and living standards among the local inhabitants created a need for essential goods, which were supplied amply by the shops which grew up around the High Street. Fishmongers and greengocers, tobacconists and bakers all proudly displayed their wares as the carts and horse-drawn buses ran by. The High Street was the centre of the community and the pubs, churches and schools grew up around it. The village then, as today, boasted around fifteen pubs that stretched the length of the village and give a whole nights entertainment!
The parish church of St. Peter dates from 1867, although a church stood on the site well before the 16th Century.( Parish registers began in 1538). St. John's church on St. John's Road was consecrated in 1858. The church was destroyed in the Second World War. (Some records have survived and may be viewed at Birmingham Library on request). Other denominations were represented by:Methodist Church - South Street - 1868. Baptist Chapel - High Street - 1854. A Wesleyan Chapel in Heath Road. St. Mary R.C. Church - Vivian Road - 1873.
In the first half of the 19th Century, many of the inhabitants still worked in the surrounding fields. By the turn of the Century, the railway had encouraged larger manufacturing companies to the area. A major employer was Johnson Brothers, a firm of stationers and printers. In 1897, they moved to their new premises, the Chad Valley Works. They began producing toys and by the 1920's, the company was renamed Chad Valley Toys. While men held the best positions within the factory, women were also employed, but mainly in packing. (My grandmother took her first job at Chad Valley at the age of twelve. She was sacked one week later for talking too much !!). The company remained in Harborne until 1972 when production was moved abroad.
Leisure time was also important to Victorian Harborne. Queens Park was bought by the local people in 1898 to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Harborne Cricket Club was founded in 1868 and the Football Club in 1894. In 1892, the Library opened in Harborne High Street. A "gift" for voting in favour of the merger with Birmingham. The Harborne Picture Palace opened in 1913 and in 1928, the public baths.
Much of old Harborne remains today. The High Street, although modernised, retains the focus of the village centre. It still has a sense of community and is a haven in the sprawling mass of Birmingham which has since spread its borders through Quinton, to Halesowen.
My family were living in Harborne at the beginning of the 19th Century. The family continued to live and work in Harborne until my departure in the 1990's finally severed the link.
This is a photo of North Road (formerly Fish Lane) taken in the 1970's before these cottages were demolished. My Ashford family and most of their relations lived in this road for over 100 years. The main occupations for the residents of the road were, gardening and laundry. The men all tended the gardens of the wealthy residents of nearby Edgbaston and the women made regular trips to the "big houses" to collect and wash their laundry.
THIS IS A PHOTOGRAPH OF HILLYFIELDS BEFORE THE URBAN DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN THE WARS.
THIS IS A LOVELY OLD PHOTO OF THE HIGH STREET BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE MOTOR CAR. IT WAS TAKEN FROM OUTSIDE THE JUNCTION PUB LOOKING DOWN THE HIGH STREET, TOWARDS THE CLOCK TOWER.
THE ANNUAL TREAT TO THE AGED POOR OF HARBORNE.
The hearts of the aged poor of Harborne were gladdened last night by the holding of the annual dinner and Christmas treat, in accordance with a custom which has been adhered to with commendable regularity for the past ten years. The entertainment was provided in the York Street Schoolroom, and has never passed off more successfully. As on previous occasions, the funds were collected, and all necessary arrangements made, by a committee consisting of Messrs. Collier, Bernasconi, Cumberland, Clarke, Newey, Pinn, Turner, Wynne, and Weston; and the donations received were substantial and numerous. About 160 old men and women responded to invitations, and at four o’clock they sat down to a well-laid repast of roast and boiled beef and mutton, vegetables, plum pudding, and ale. Those who were too decrepit to walk were fetched in vehicles, placed at the disposal of the committee by Mr T.C. Turner, and to those who were compelled to remain indoors through sickness, dinner was sent. Thus none were forgotten, but all were made to participate in the anxiously looked for Christmas treat. The excellence of the viands was as may be imagined, amply appreciated. Mr. A. Bass, M.P., gratuitously supplied the ale. Mr. S. C. Allsopp, M.P., sent a large round of beef, and various ladies residing in the neighbourhood prepared the plum puddings. After dinner, Mr. John Collier, in a neat and appropriate speech offered a welcome to the assembled guests on behalf of the committee, and returned thanks to the numerous subscribers and donors. A musical and dramatic entertainment followed, and likewise a ventriloquial performance by Mr. Hughes. Songs were given by Miss Whitehouse, Messrs. J. Clarke, Winn and Cumberland, accompanied on the pianoforte by Mr. Winn, Mus. Bac. ; and the dramatic portion of the entertainment was most creditably performed by Mrs. C. I. Newey, the Misses Ada and E. Newey, Messrs. C. I. Newey, Collier, Langford, Corfield, and Westwood. The pieces performed were Doing for the Best and The area Belle. The latter, a “screaming farce”, well suited to the occasion, was sustained with very considerable spirit and humour, and the old folks were boisterous in their laughter and loud in their applause. Before leaving each old woman received as a present a woollen shawl, a mince pie, and an ounce of tea-the tea having been given by Mr. Turton. The old men also had presents made to them in the shape of a woollen muffler, a mince pie, and an ounce of tobacco. Additional presents were also given by Mrs. and Miss Heaton to the oldest persons invited. The programmes of the entertainment, designed and illustrated by Mr. Bernasconi gratis, and very tastefully got up, were presented by Messrs. Billing, son and Co. To-night and to-morrow night the dramatic entertainment will be repeated before the subscribers, and on Saturday evening nearly 400 children will be invited to the schoolroom to witness a conjuring entertainment by Mr. Greatway and a Punch and Judy performance. It is intended to present each of the children with a bun, a mince pie, and an orange.
Birmingham Daily Mail 28th December 1876.
Thanks to Stan Hinks.
Here are a list of names of shopkeepers on Harborne High Street in 1900.
7.William KITCHING - shopkeeper.
13.Joseph EATON - tobacconist.
15.Thomas Henry CARTER - baker.
15a.Mark CAPEL - cycle dealer.
17.William STANLEY - butcher.
19.Harry COLE - beer retailer.
21.Thomas NASH - greengrocer.(Related by marriage to both sides of my family.)
33.Richard Wagstaff SMITH - surgeon(L.R.C.P.).
33.William Turberville FARNCOMBE - surgeon.
49.John William VANGNAN - dentist.
63. John CARELESS - dentist.
77.Richard FRANKLIN - beer retailer.
79.Ponsonby LAWLEY - butcher.
79a.John COURT - plumber.
89.William Arther SCRIVIN - hairdresser.
91.William J. LLOYD - carriage builder.
93.George WACKRILL - hairdresser.
95.Alfred Aloysius JORDISON - wine and spirit merchant.
97.Charles LLOYD - fish and oyster rooms.
97a.John Henry WARR - tailor.
99.Thomas HORTON - greengrocer.
101.William Henry TAYLOR - coffee house.
103.Elizabeth COTTERELL - fancy repository.
105.Elizabeth PERRIN - stationer.
107.Keith PILLEY - draper.
109.Thomas LARDGE - boot and shoe maker.
111.Maria DAVIS - fancy repository.
113.George FIRKIN - printer.
For a full list of Harborne residents,see Kelly's Directory of Birmingham 1900.
AN OLD POSTCARD DEPICTING THE HIGH STREET AND THE CLOCK TOWER.
St. Peters Churchyard.
Do you have relatives buried in St. Peters churchyard? Are you aware of the "partial clearance" that took place in the 1960's? We are trying to raise public awareness about the need to protect Harborne churchyard as a place of local historical importance.
Further to my correspondence with the church, I have now been given permission by Revd. Evans to update you on the Churchyard conservation project. I am Quoting the article from November 2000 Parish Magazine written by Chris Batch.
If you walk through the upper graveyard regularly you may have noticed some subtle improvements over the Summer months.
The paths are being cleared of mould and mud to restore their surfaces to the original condition, which is still good. Saplings and low branches are being trimmed to allow more light to reach the soil and by opening up the area, hopefully it will become a safer place to stroll.
We are carefully removing ivy from the front of the granite gravestones and removing brambles. A decision has been taken NOT to use chemicals at this stage.
There have been some truly unusual finds as the brambles are cleared, e.g. a wooden gravestone marked only 1942 in tiny lead nails.
We have heard from "The Living Churchyard" organization following their visit to us in May and they have given us useful guidelines to help in the formulation of a 5-year conservation plan.
One important item is the management of grass-cutting and we shall be seeking advice over the Winter from the council, as last year some people felt that the regular strimmings were beneficial whilst others felt that harm had been caused to the wild garlic, primroses, bluebells, snowdrops etc.
Ideas under discussion also include the creation of a "meadow" area east of the Ride where habitat piles should be created.
If you have any free time and would like to help, you can contact the church direct.
If you would like more information. Please Email me.
My thanks to Michael Morris for the use of his postcards of the High Street and Hillyfields. They may not be produced without his permission.
LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES WITH HARBORNE CONNECTIONS.
W.H.Auden and the Birmingham-Wolverhampton Railway Line.(Auden lived in Harborne.)
Smethwick Local History Society
BBC website including Dennis Amiss, cricketer, born in Harborne in 1943.
Biography of Francis William Aston. Nobel prize winner for chemistry in 1922. Born in Harborne,1877.
Edward Augustus Freeman. Born in harborne 1823. Eminent Historian and Oxford professor.
ANCESTOR SEARCH
Mary Jean Gardner is researching her GARDNER ancestors. They owned a jewellers shop in the High Street. Mary Jean Gardner
June and Don Randell are researching their NEWEY ancestors who ran the "Old Kings Arms". June & Don Randell
Barry Andrews is researching his WOODHOUSE ancestors who ran the "Queens Head"in Greenfield Road. Barry Andrews
Paul Smith who is researching his ROUND ancestors in Harborne in the early 19th century. Paul Smith
Doug Taylor who is researching his BRAME ancestors and William Henry WOOD in Harborne. Doug Taylor
Maxine Jones wishes to hear from anyone researching the same family. "My Gt.Gt. Grandfather was a William Jones living at North Road in 1881. He was married to Elizabeth and they had 4 children. One of which Arthur had a son Wilfred - who had a son Anthony who was my father. William was a dairyman and moved to Smethwick ( Bearwood ) shortly after 1881. I have several addresses for him from then on. One of William's daughters married a Thomas Male who was the son of Joshua & Jane Male, living at 6 Milton Terrace in 1881, Occupations were Gardener & Laundress!" Maxine Jones
Ken Pugh is researching his HORTON ancestors in Harborne who owned the grocers/greengrocers shop in the High Street in the second half of the 19th century. Ken Pugh
Di McBride wishes to make contact with anyone who knows of or who is researching Egerton and Eliza Lydia ALLCOCK who in 1881 were living at The Beaks, Harborne. He was a bolt and nut manufacturer. They had three children, Egerton, Evelyn Blanche and Hilda Sophia.Di McBride
Jeff Hughes is looking for relatives (past and present) of Jonah WARING (Wearing) and Sarah REED (Read), married in 1876, and born in 1854 and 1855, respectively. The family is listed in the 1881 Census as living at 96 Price Street, Harborne, Stafford. Jeff Hughes
Helen Waller is interested in tracing the Alexander families living next door to one another on North Road in 1881. "One of the women, Hannah Alexander, was my husband's grandmother who came to Australia and married here in 1888. I would love to hear from anyone who is connected to this family or who has any knowledge of the family members". Helen Waller
Dave Cole is researching his family background and his mother's family name was Hipkiss. He says "from what I have already discovered it would appear that the Hipkiss family started in Harborne and I have relatives as far back as the 1750s. Occupations, origins, anything would be welcome". Dave Cole
Chris is researching his family background and he says "I am researching the MIDDLETON family and their many children who lived in the Harborne area between 1796 (or earlier) and 1868. I am trying to build up a picture of the family and their life and times. Any information will be much appreciated. ". Chris
Rosemary is researching her family and says "I am looking for any information about the WEST family who lived in Harborne. They were Herbert West, Kate West (parents), Claudina May, Kathleen Maude, Dorothy Evelyn, Herbert Glanville (he died in infancy) and Glenice Florence. They lived at 51 Vivian Road, 66 Greenfield Road and 18 Regent Road. On birth certificates Herbert is listed as a Greengrocers carter and a Fruiterer's carter so he probably worked for one of the village shops. I am particularly interested in where he originated from as to the best of my knowledge he was not born in the Birmingham area. ". Rosemary Skelding-Roberts
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Please email if you wish to use my research service which covers the Harborne area. Unfortunately, due to the large amount of mail that I receive regarding queries on Family History, I am no longer able to answer individual requests for help. However, I can still post your messages requesting information on Harborne in the Ancestor Search column.