27 Upper Cox St, Balsall Heath

[patchwork]

Can anyone help. I'm researching my maternal family history. I'd love to see a photo of where my grandmother lived in the 1880's in 27 Upper Cox St, Balsall Heath or has any historical information on that area.  The family who lived there were all women and one called Amelia or 'Mill' had a sweetshop but that may have been at another address. The family name was Wright.

[Phil]

Hi Patchwork
 
Welcome to the forum, there are not that many photos of Upper Cox St, but we have a member (Mikejee) who has quite a few around the time the houses were being demolished. Perhaps when he comes on he might look you one of number 27 out as he is also quite good at working house numbers out as well.

[mikejee]

Unfortunately a lot of the buildings of upper cox st, including, I think, no 27,  were already demolished by the time I visited it, so I have no picture. Its position can be seen in the c 1889 map below in red.
There is no shop listed in directories around then at no 27, indeed it is not listed at all, which would indicate that it was probably a private dwelling. Similarly there is no Amelia Wright listed as a shopkeeper. However she might have run the shop although the shop was listed under another name, possibly a relative. Small Sweet shops are usually listed in directories under "shopkeepers, rather than confectioners or any other term. There are two Wrights in this category nearby, and Edward Wright at 10 Gooch st, and a better possibility, a George Wright at 163 Balsall Heath Road, which is the blue building just round the corner from Upper cox st. 

[Bari]

 
 
We lived in Longmore Street junction of Sherbourne Road facing us was the Lion public house a couple of shops up from the Lion on the same side Mrs Wright she had a sweetshop, it is not very far Upper Cox Street.

[patchwork]

That's brilliant Mikejee, are there any photos from around that time? Would love to see the house or it's neighbour to get a feel of what their lives were like back then.  the census date I have is 1901. It's interesting you found some other Wright's too, although I fear it's a very common name. Seems so sad that every part of where my mother's ancesters lived was demolished either by Birmingham council or the Luftwaffe.

Also Group Lane, Worcester

If you have any other info regarding this area would love to know about it.
Thanks

Jean

[mikejee]

Jean
i'm afraid I do not know of any photos of Upper cox St from around 1900. If Phil has not come accross any then they must be very rare, if they exist at all

[Katea]

My great grandfather was living at at 2 Ryland Terrace, Upper Cox Street in 1893 and at 35 Upper Cox Street in 1901, moving to Forman  Grove by 1906.

He was Walter Davis, a bricklayer,  married to Clara Nicholls and they has seven children -  Walter Edward, Lily Mary, Dorothy Rose, Harold Francis (my gfather), Howard Cecil, Louis Lionel and Leonard.

I've not found any photos either.

[roy one]

hi katea
welcome to the forum 
we have a few members on hear that might be able to give you more info on your grandfather and phil might be able to come up with a few photos   have fun enjoy the forum  roy

[Phil]

Hi Katea,
 
 
Welcome to the forum, as Roy says we have a few members that are in to genealogy so perhaps they will be able to help you with your query. I'm afraid what Mikejee says in an earlier post is true and photos of Upper Cox St are rare and all I have is a photo of the junction of Balsall Heath Rd and Upper Cox st that shows mainly Balsall Heath Rd. I can tell you that Ryland Terrace was nearer to this junction than Cox St at the other end and that the terrace was made up of two houses only.

[patchwork]

Bari,  was stunned that you remembered Amelia Wright, my grandmother. You don't look old enough! She waa an angel according to my uncle Charles, after Mum Rose Stokes and her brother Charlie were orphaned - Thomas Stokes fell from scaffolding while working on the Empire Theatre - she took them in for a couple of years, no mean feat as she must have been well into her sixties by then. From there they were sent to an orphanage in Bristol: right across the country. This would have around 1930. Seems terrible that so much of Birmingham's history and heritage has been eradicated, it wouldn't happen now. So coming across your message cheered me no end as very difficult fo find any info at all on the family and what there lives were like back in that period. This site is wonderful, so many lovely old photo's. If you do have any recollections, however small,  would love to hear them.

[amyevans88]

KATEA - This is my family you are talking about! so you must be my family as well    and i have pictures! please get in touch with me as soon as you can