Author Topic: Edgbaston roads in the mid 1800's.  (Read 3906 times)

steveblogg

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Edgbaston roads in the mid 1800's.
« on: April 04, 2019, 07:00:07 PM »
Hello,


My 4th great grandparents, Samuel Harrison (Born Edgbaston in 1771) and his wife Ann Vickers (born Handsworth 1774) were farmers at Hill Farm, Edgbaston at the time of the 1841 and 1851 censuses. The farm appears to have been located on, or near to Moss House Lane. Does anybody know please exactly where the farm was located? There is a Moss House Close in Edgbaston and I wonder if this used to be Moss House Lane?


Another branch of the family lived on Grindstone Lane. I know that this was near to the Hadley Road and was the location of a travellers site back then. Does anybody know where Grindstone Lane was located? I know there is an old house called Grindstones located on Westfield Road, Edgbaston. I wonder if the house is located on what used to be Grindstone Lane?


I'm planning to visit the area in a couple of weeks time and it would be really nice to go to these locations.


Many thanks for any help or advice you are able to offer.


Steve.



Phil

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Re: Edgbaston roads in the mid 1800's.
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2019, 09:41:06 AM »
Hi Steve


Welcome to you, as far as I can make out Hill Farm was off what is today known as Richmond Road, not far from the junction with Harrison Road. I'll see what I can find out about Grindstone Lane.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

Edmund Fifield

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Re: Edgbaston roads in the mid 1800's.
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2019, 09:58:28 AM »
Seems strange the road name Harrison and his G/parents had the same name.Any ideas?
Make every day a day to remember
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Phil

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Re: Edgbaston roads in the mid 1800's.
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2019, 10:25:56 AM »
Steve


As far as I can make out from a quick search your suspicions concerning Grindstone Lane may be correct. It was almost certainly off Westfield Road close to Hagley Road (not Hadley). Take a look at this little snippet of information that I found,


https://www.search.connectinghistories.org.uk/Details.aspx?&ResourceID=1425&SearchType=3


Though I'm sure that if Mikejee comes on with all the map resources he has I'm sure he will be able to pinpoint it for you.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

steveblogg

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Re: Edgbaston roads in the mid 1800's.
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2019, 10:57:55 AM »
Many thanks for your help, Phil. I know exactly where to go now. I've booked a couple of nights in the Ibis Hotel the week before Easter. Really looking forward to exploring the area.


As Edmund says, it's interesting that there's a Harrison's Road nearby. I know that my family lived in this area from at least the start of the 18th century.


Cheers.
Steve.

Phil

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Re: Edgbaston roads in the mid 1800's.
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2019, 11:13:31 AM »
Steve


Glad to be of assistance, the Harrison Road connection is worth investigation especially if your family has lived in the area since the 1700's as living in a farm they at that time could have possibly been the only people living in the area then, and Harrison Road/lane might have been the only access to the farm. This is why I mentioned it in my post, though I have learnt never to surmise anything without investigation.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

Phil

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Re: Edgbaston roads in the mid 1800's.
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2019, 12:06:17 PM »
Steve one thing worth noting is that it's Harrison's Road with an apostrophe and not Harrison Road as I first said. In other words a road belonging to Harrison. Though originally it could have just as easily been a road, street or even lane.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

Edmund Fifield

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Re: Edgbaston roads in the mid 1800's.
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2019, 12:21:52 PM »
Could it have been to let anyone know that it was the road to Harrison farm.Just wandered.
Make every day a day to remember
Because this ain't no rehearsal
And you ain't coming back

steveblogg

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Re: Edgbaston roads in the mid 1800's.
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2019, 01:22:04 PM »
I've not been able to find out much about the history of Harrison's Road, except that a Saxon spear was found there in 1877, when a sewage works was being constructed!


I know that when Samuel Harrison and his wife Ann Vickers both died, their son, Samuel junior, born Edgbaston 1819 took over the running of Hill Farm for a while. But by the time of the 1871 census, he had moved to another part of Birmingham and become a dairyman.


My third Great Grandfather, John Vickers Harrison, born Edgbaston, 1811 was a dry salter-preserving meat initially and seemed to drift between Birmingham and London. He had a lover, Eleanor Gwynn in London and they had 9 children together, including my second Great Grandfather, John Gwynn Harrison, 1836, Southwark. They never married and John Vickers was listed as a batchelor on his will.


I've no idea if the family owned Hill Farm, or if they were tenant farmers. If they owned it, they probably eventually cashed in on the land values, as the area morphed into a prosperous suburb of Birmingham.
Steve.




Phil

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Re: Edgbaston roads in the mid 1800's.
« Reply #9 on: April 05, 2019, 01:41:52 PM »
Steve


I'll ask Mikejee to take a look for you, he might be able to come up with something.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

Edmund Fifield

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Re: Edgbaston roads in the mid 1800's.
« Reply #10 on: April 05, 2019, 04:02:27 PM »
Steve .My great great G/parents where all into farming in the 18 hundreds but around Coleshill and Shustoke area.
Make every day a day to remember
Because this ain't no rehearsal
And you ain't coming back


 

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