Pubs of Bradford Street in Digbeth and Deritend Birmingham - History and Information on the Pubs, Inns, Taverns, Beerhouses and Breweries for Local Historians, Family Research and Genealogy

	Mercat
	When this pub was opened by Scottish and Newcastle in 1976 it was known as The Mercat Cross. The name seems to have been shortened when it was acquired by Ansell's. Mercat is a word that has become obsolete in the English language. The Latin word for 'goods to be sold' is Merx. Mercãrï is derived from this which is the verb for 'buy'. The combination of the two produced Marcãtus which became Mercat in medieval times.

	New-Inn
	This was a short-lived beer house located at No.128 Bradford Street. This was a few doors down from the Shepherd's Rest on the corner of Moseley Road. James and Anne Tyler kept the place in the early 1860's. Born in Ledbury around 1836, James Tyler also worked as a tallow chandler. The site was redeveloped in the 1860's and by the end of the decade Nos.123-131 was occupied by Knight, Merry and Davies who owned a tin plate and japanning works here.

	Queen's-Arms
	Here you can see the Queen's Arms hemmed in by the large Rolling Mills and the Patent Enamel Company, the latter were manufacturers of enamelled advertising signs. Smaller industrial firms were right next to the pub. Adjacent to the beer house was the fire iron makers William Turner and Sons. These properties were on the north side of Bradford Street between Rea Street and Birchall Street. The name of this pub may provide a clue to its opening date. It was named after Queen Victoria, the only child of King George III's fourth son, Edward, Duke of Kent, and Victoria Maria Louisa of Saxe-Coburg, sister of Leopold, king of the Belgians. Born in Kensington Palace, she was crowned following the death of her uncle William IV in 1837. She married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Goth in 1840. They had nine children. Well, what else is there to do in Balmoral when it's raining? Richard and Martha Kinman were mine hosts at the Queen's Arms in 1841. Richard Kinman also worked as a carpenter. He had close competition because Charles Padmore was also documented as a retail brewer just a few doors away. Richard Kinman was succeeded by his son Thomas who worked in a similar field as a wood turner. Born in Knowle around 1822 he kept the Queen's Arms with his wife Sarah. They had married early and initially set up home together in Belmont Row. By 1860 George and Betsy Taylor were running the Queen's Arms. The former machinist and his wife had earlier lived in Warner Street. The couple later moved to the Roebuck Inn at Lower Hurst Street. In an Aston ratebook complied in 1886 the William Froggatt-owned Queen's Arms was recorded as a retail beerhouse, brewhouse, workshop and premises. Harry Field was the licensee who paid the annual rates of 14s.3d. © Copyright. Image supplied by Digital Photographic Images.

My first interest in Bradford Street came through my Great Great Grandfather, James Sheldon. James was born around 1828 the fifth child of seven, at an early age he worked as a penholder maker. His father Benjamin was a master file maker and gun finisher and his mother a coal merchant. James married his first wife Anne Marie Guest on September 8th 1850 a resident of Harborne and a journeyman chaser. In 1851 James was living with Maria [Ann Marie] in Garbett Street. In 1852 their child, Anne Marie, died of Marasmus, aged 4 months. Her mother was with her. Two years later Anne Marie died in Witton Street after suffering an attack of bronchitis lasting ten days. James was present. Three years later widower James, 29, married Emma Benton aged 20. They had Walter James the year before their marriage in 1856, in St Luke's Road. They married in St Philip's, from Dartmouth Street. When their son William Benjamin was born at 33 Great Brook Street, James was still a journeyman chaser. By 1861 Pigot's directory shows James with a change of career as a newsagent at 215 Bradford Street and the couple had further children, Rosina, Harry Alfred and Ada Ann. In 1881 the family were living at 39 St Thomas Street. James Sheldon died on the sixth of November 1888 age 60 at 274 Bradford Street where he was a publican and beer retailer. Although he was ill, the death was unexpected. James leaves us with a full coroner's inquest [held on the 8th of November], and a will. Extract of the Inquest into the death of James Sheldon: "James Sheldon. 274 Bradford Street, Retail Beer Seller, 60 years of age, married 5 Children living, died on Tuesday 6th Last, Emma Sheldon, wife of the deceased states deceased has suffered from bronchitis for many years, always worse in the winter, great objection to doctor's, and been under medical treatment over six months, been confined to house the last fortnight, able to get about downstairs unto last Monday night, the 5th, just slept well during the night, lay in bed next morning, I took him up a glass of whiskey hot just before 11am, he then said "I’ll lie down now and have a sleep." I then went to town on an errand, on my return at 25 to 1 o’clock I found he was dead. Harriet Hall, servant of the deceased states that, at ¼ to 12am Tuesday I went up to the deceased’s bedroom to make up the fire, deceased looked round and said "Oh its you is it," and lay down again, at 10 past 12pm I went up again to take the deceased some whiskey hot, I spoke to him three times, no answer, he appeared to be dead, I ran downstairs and called up a customer Wm. Parker, Mr Bradley Surgeon sent for, he was out, Mr Polls was then sent for and came at once." Rob Sheldon October 22nd 2008	Royal-George
	The Royal George was located on the northern side of Bradford Street, a couple of doors from the corner of Birchall Street. I have marked the pub, along with the original White Swan, on this extract from a plan dated 1888. The Royal George was a beer house that first opened in the 1830's. It is a popular name for a pub and, in this case, probably commemorated King George IV who died in 1830. Some pubs named after this monarch are also called the Prince Regent. In the mid-1840's John Phillips was the licensee. He was also a maltster, suggesting that he was producing the beers sold on the premises. Indeed, in the late 1860's Edward Lea was recorded as a retail brewer so it would seem this was for some time a homebrew house. Born in Birmingham in 1830, Edward Lea kept the Royal George with his Gloucestershire-born wife Ann. George and Mary Holmes were running the pub in the early-mid 1880's. Born in the Shropshire town of Madeley, George Holmes had moved to Birmingham with his parents. Whilst living in Balsall Heath, he was working as a blacksmith. However, whist he was running the Royal George he was also working as a brass bedstead maker. His mother Mary probably looked after the pub when he was at work. Together, they employed Ellen Green as a domestic servant. In an 1886 ratebook for Aston the Royal George was recorded as a retail beerhouse with brewhouse, cellar and premises. The owner of the property was John Whitehouse. In fact, he owned the block containing Nos.270-5. The annual rent George Holmes paid to John Whitehouse was £25.0s.0d. The rates on the property were 16s.6d. James and Emma Sheldon were running the Royal George in 1888 but tragedy struck in that year when James died following a lengthy bout of bronchitis [see Genealogy Connections to the left]. John Partridge held the licence briefly but the 1891 census shows that his wife Elizabeth was head of the household and a widow. She lived with her daughter Edith who worked as a boot machinist. By the end of the 19th century the Royal George had been acquired by Flowers and Sons Ltd. The Stratford brewery attempted to develop a small estate of tied houses in Birmingham; another example being the White Horse Cellars on Constitution Hill. Brummie George Audley was manager of the Royal George at the turn of the 20th century. He kept the beer house with his Stourbridge-born wife Lydia. The Royal George was still documented as a licensed beerhouse in an Aston ratebook compiled in 1911. The pub closed around 1927. © Copyright. Image supplied by Digital Photographic Images.

	Shepherd's-Rest
	Pulled down in the 1980's, this pub was located on the corner of Moseley Road. The name of the establishment serves to remind that livestock was herded along Bradford Street to the markets and slaughter houses located down the hill at Smithfield. The original Shepherd's Rest was a beer house and was run by John Craddock in the early 1840's. Two decades later the pub was being kept by John and Mary Upton. Born in the Kent village of Ringwould in 1809, John Upton was also recorded as a builder. However, he had earlier run a grocery store in Stroud's High Street. His wife Mary hailed from Ross in Herefordshire. The pub was a homebrew house and was documented as a retail beerhouse with brewhouse, maltroom, stable, loft and premises. Former tin plate worker John Thrusfield moved into the Shepherd's Rest during the late 1860's. He kept the pub with his wife Hannah but later returned to work with tin plate. Ansell's acquired a lease on the Shepherd's Rest in 1891 with a condition that £200 would be spent on repairs and alterations to the property. The property was owned by Matthew Smart who also possessed Nos.133-7. In a new lease agreement signed a few years later, the the Aston brewery agreed to expend £700 rebuilding the Shepherd's Rest. The plans were drawn up and approved in May 1896. The company later acquired the freehold. © Copyright. Image supplied by Digital Photographic Images.

	Warwick-Arms
	Until recent years there was a nice-looking red-brick building on the corner of Mill Lane and many people assumed that this was the old Warwick Arms. However, as can be seen from this plan drawn in 1888 the Warwick Arms was a few doors from the corner and there was a smithy between the pub and Mill Lane. However, this is not the whole story - there is an explanation for the confusion over the corner property. This was a later extension of the pub. Built on the site of the smithy, this was a dining room and servery for the Warwick Arms. Mill Lane takes its name from the Manorial Mill that once stood here. Originally built to grind corn, the mill later produced sword blades for the Parliamentary forces during the English Civil War. However, this led to its destruction by Prince Rupert's forces when they attacked the town in 1643. It was rebuilt and later converted to a slitting mill by Sampson Lloyd II, a descendent of a Quaker family from Leominster whose son would later co-found the famous Lloyd's Bank in Birmingham. An early publican of the Warwick Arms was Joseph Gregg. He was mine host in 1828 and remained throughout much of the 1830's. It would appear that the smithy and pub were connected. The 1861 census records Thomas Reading in charge of the Warwick Arms, stabling and shoeing forge. After his spell in the licensed trade, he would later work as a butcher. A street directory of 1888 shows that Truman, Hanbury, Buxton & Co. had occupied a property in between the Anchor Inn and the Warwick Arms. This was an outpost of Black Eagle Brewery in London's East End. By 1886 the company were in control of the Warwick Arms. It was the architectural firm of James and Lister Lea who designed the refreshment rooms to be erected on the corner of Mill Lane. The firm had also designed the stabling block of the Warwick Arms. These were extensive and included nine stalls, a corn room and harness room. The Warwick Arms closed around 1917. © Copyright. Image supplied by Digital Photographic Images.

	White-Horse
	The White Horse was a beer house with a short lifespan. The building was a few doors away from the Drovers' Arms. Charles Padmore was the licensee in 1845. Born in the Staffordshire town of Eccleshall around 1804, he kept the White Horse with his wife Rebecca.

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White-Swan

Historically, this pub belongs to Birchall Street rather than Bradford Street but I have listed it here just in case browsers were looking for it here. The original pub fronted Birchall Street. Indeed, despite the replacement pub fronting both thoroughfares, the living accommodation is accessed via Birchall Street. The White Swan is arguably the finest surviving James and Lister Lea and Sons pub in Digbeth, the reason being it has retained much of the interior features. The passageway leading to the lounge and toilets is a sea of beautiful Minton tiles and mosaic flooring. Incredibly, a few years ago this building was scheduled for demolition in order to widen the road junction. Thankfully, the ridiculous action was scrapped and Deritend is all the richer for it - what a pub! Replacing an older structure known as the Swan Inn, this building was erected in 1900. A simple beer house rather than a fully licensed house, the older building was first operated by Elias Foster who was previously a butcher at 226 High Street, Deritend. Indeed, White's Trade Directory for 1849 lists the Swan Inn as a butcher's and beer shop. Elias Foster was born in the Black Country town of Sedgley in 1806. He kept the Swan Inn with his wife Elizabeth who was a born-and-bred Brummie. The couple's six children lived on the premises; daughters Martha and Elizabeth acted as a key attraction to customers by working as barmaids. In 1851 the Foster family moved to the Coach and Horses in Upper Dean Street and were succeeded at the Swan Inn by John Bradley. The beer retailer moved on to a short-lived beer shop at 33 Bishop Street. Benjamin Perks took over the licence in 1865. He was previously the landlord of the nearby King William IV in Bradford Street. However, he had enjoyed success as an iron bedstead maker and, at one time, he was employing four men in this field. Following his death, his wife Louisa became the licensee. In the 1871 census she was recorded as a 58 year-old beer house keeper. She later moved to the Cross Keys in Emily Street and was succeeded by Edward Newton who had previously been listed as a maltster and hop merchant close to the St.Matthew's Tavern in Lupin Street. Edward Newton was born in Bromsgrove in 1842. The maltster kept the Swan Inn with his Birmingham-born wife Clara. The couple lived here with their four children and shared the accommodation with the Bloyd family who were all hired as servants. At this time the boot maker Thomas Webb lived next to the pub and next door-but-one was a sweet shop run by the confectioner George Matthews. Henry Whitfield arrived as the publican in 1885. He moved here from the Boar's Head in Macdonald Street. Two more licensees came and went before the arrival of Edward Hope. The Birmingham-born retail brewer kept the Swan Inn with his wife Sophia. The fact that he was documented as a retail brewer suggests that homebrewed ales were produced on the premises. There was once a large malthouse in Birchall Street and this was the likely source of brewing ingredients for Edward Hope. The malthouse was located on the south-east side of the street next to the post office on the corner of Cheapside. Edward and Sophia Hope had previously kept the Warwick Arms in Great King Street at Hockley. The move into the licensed trade represented a departure from Edward's earlier career in the jewellery trade. The son of a manufacturer of nickel and silver goods, the Hope family had traded in Hylton Street where they specialised in spoon making. Edward Hope was succeeded at the Swan Inn by Arthur Shrimpton. Born in Walsall in 1863, he married Lavinia Latham in 1888 after he had moved to Birmingham to work as a brass founder. The couple later kept the Gunmaker's Arms at Smethwick. William Foxhall was the licensee of the Swan Inn when Ansell's acquired a 99 lease on the property from Richard William Penn, 3rd Earl Howe. He owned substantial tracts of land in Birmingham. Born in 1822, he was the son of Richard William Penn Curzon-Howe, 1st Earl Howe and Harriet Georgiana Brudenell. The family's name is commemorated in a number of Birmingham's streets such as Howe Street, Penn Street and Curzon Street. The latter was a result of the marriage of Penn Assheton Curzon [Richard William Penn's grandfather] to Lady Sophia Howe, daughter of Admiral Howe. She was the niece of Charles Jennens, the wealthy eccentric who was dubbed "Solyman the Magnificent." He built Gopsall Hall near Twycross and where, it is claimed, that his protégé Handel composed part of Messiah. His name was remembered with another of Birmingham's streets - Jennens Row and the house was commemorated at Gopsall Street. The lease agreement between Richard William Penn and Ansell's featured a covenant that the Aston brewery would rebuild the White Swan within 12 months and the cost of the new structure would be a minimum of £2,000. The Holt Brewery Company had entered into a similar agreement with the nearby Dog and Partridge - but for half the sum. This is perhaps why the interior decor of the White Swan is more ornate. Indeed, the lessor, Earl Howe, had specified that the new White Swan was to be "a building of good class and suitable to the character of the neighbourhood." The lease was sealed on October 27th 1899. The annual rental on the site, which originally included an adjoining cottage, was set at £100.0s.0d. per annum. The Ansell's property register shows that the company were to commence rebuilding from December 25th 1899 and, in the interim period, paid a rental of £1 per week. Ansell's commissioned architects James and Lister Lea and Sons to design the new pub. The building plans were drawn up and submitted on December 12th 1899. The building is a very similar design to that of the Dog and Partridge. The windows and doors are in the same position but there are subtle differences in the brickwork and corner tower. From the two vestibules there were large mahogany and stained glass snob screens all the way up to the counter, creating three distinct areas within the bar. The centre door on Birchall Street was included for a jug department - an essential watering hole for the factory employees working the hot foundries nearby and, in particular, those slaving in the Patent Enamel Works next door to the pub. This factory, with its frontage on Bradford Street, dominated the area cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" id="table3334he factory's key watering hole for many decades. A club room [see building plan] for the use of societies and even political gatherings was included on the first floor. This was later used as a billiards hall and is advertised as such in the photograph [above] taken in the early 1930's. On completion of the building, Ansell's installed John Whitehouse as manager, though a succession of publicans came and went throughout the Edwardian period. Alfred Iliff moved on to the Smithfield Arms in Jamaica Row before Harry Froggatt put at least a few years into the pub. He was followed by Hannah Jordan who was custodian until the 1920's when Albert and Mary Butler were at the helm for three years. George Winters had a brief spell behind the counter in the 1930's. He had previously kept the Calthorpe Arms in Handsworth. He was succeeded by Christopher and Agnes Payne who remained at the White Swan throughout the Second World War. Indeed, Christopher Payne held the licence until February 1956. The pub then had a revolving door fitted for a succession of come-and-go managers and tenants. These included William and Dorothy Corfield, Bartley and Jean McGovern, Thomas and Katherine Naughton, and James and Bridie Matthews. However, this instability was brought to an end at the end of the 1960's when the Creaton family took over the pub. Indeed, the family who run this pub today have enjoyed one of the longest runs of any pub in the city. Rosscommon-born Michael and Agnes Creaton first took over the White Swan on May 15th 1969. After Michael's death in 1975, Agnes took over the business and has achieved remarkable success with her daughter Angela. The late Michael Creaton was one of the great characters in the Irish community and is still remembered fondly by many people. Their son Andy, along with his wife Geraldine, both regularly worked behind the bar for many years. Two other daughters, Bridget and Maggie are often to be found in the White Swan but not on the same side of the counter as Angela and Agnes. Clocking up nearly forty years behind the counter, Agnes Creaton is one of the longest-serving tenants in Birmingham. In fact, in the current pub climate this sort of term is very, very rare. Her daughter Angela intends to take over the licence when Agnes decides to put her feet up and enjoy a well earned rest. When I had a drink in here in 2001 I was chatting to Dave Kirby who Angela teased as being one of the fixtures and fittings. He exemplified the continuity this pub enjoys as he used to work behind the bar in the 1950's. Talking to me, he recalled some of the previous gaffers - he had even worked for long-serving publican Christopher Payne. The White Swan remains very much a community pub and has been enjoyed by several generations of the same families which helps to create a unique relaxed atmosphere for a city pub. I have enjoyed enjoyed many a happy hour in here. In 2007 I found it better than ever, especially as the beer range had increased so that a good range of the Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries portfolio was available. Sitting in the bar with a pint of well kept beer, one can enjoy the sight of the wooden floor, decorative ceiling, tiled walls, light pouring through the leaded stained-glass windows and, of course the enormous servery - a monster of a creation in carved wood with a highly decorative back bar including two inlaid clocks. The pub also has a cosy smoke room accessed via the magnificent corridor. The walls feature a few frames to remind folks that this was once an Ansell's house. Towards the end of their lease agreement signed in 1899, the White Swan formed part of the Allied Domecq empire. However, the freehold of the building had been acquired by Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries in 1989 creating the bizarre situation of Allied renting the building from a rival brewer. The Penn Curzon connection ended in 1935 when the building was conveyed to Deritend Estates Ltd. By 1989, the property was in the possession of the Wesleyan and General Assurance Society. The Colmore Circus-based company sold the White Swan to Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries. In 1995 Agnes Creaton won the Ansell's "Lady Lessee of the Year." The quality of the beer was deemed so good that when directors from Ansell's took champagne to the pub to help celebrate her time at there, they ended up drinking the mild instead. At the time Ansell's business development manager John Kent said "Agnes is one of the nicest and most professional licensees I know and is well respected in the community... she is virtually tee-total but does all the cellar work herself and, without doubt, the quality of the beer is second to none." Once the old Ansell's lease agreement expired on March 24th 1998 beers from Wolverhampton appeared on the counter. After personally sampling the beer since that date, I can confirm that Agnes and Angela have maintained their very high standards.
© Copyright. Image supplied by Digital Photographic Images.

	White-Lion Inn
	This map surveyed in 1887-8 and revised in 1902 shows the locations of both the White Lion and Cup Inn. I have marked the White Lion on this plan just to try and help identify the location of the building that, for a period, traded as the Old White Lion. However, the pub had closed around 1863. The property was later used as a Japanning works. Both pubs were on the southern side of Bradford Street between Alcester Street and Moseley Road. The large Ravenhurst Works was almost opposite - I have marked this on the plan. I have also indicated Courts 11 and 13; the area was once packed with back-to-backs amid the heavy industry conducted in this part of Birmingham. The White Lion was possibly built in the early years of the 19th century when this section of Bradford Street was developed. An early publican was Thomas Jones who was the licensee in 1818. An 1835 ratebook for Aston recorded the White Lion as an inn with brewhouse, stables, shop, wash-house and pig sty. Joseph Horton was listed as the owner of the property and Thomas Chambers as the former occupier - his name was crossed out and replaced with that of Ann Spinks. Phoebe Cleaver was the licensee of the White Lion Inn at the time of the 1861 census. Born in Southam around 1803, she was previously married to Charles Cleaver who, twenty years previously, traded in Leamington. She was a widow by the time she moved to Bradford Street. However, she lived with three of her children. In later years she moved to Coventry to live with her daughter Ann. © Copyright. Image supplied by Digital Photographic Images.

	Woodman Inn
	This beer house was located next to the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel a few doors down from Alcester Street on the south side of Bradford Street. I have marked the pub in black on this plan surveyed in 1887-8 and revised in 1902. Surviving into the 21st century, the recognisable feature of this plan is the Roman Catholic Church of St Anne's which has a boozy tale to tell. Designed in the Early English style by Albert Vicars, the church was built in 1883-4 to replace an older mission building. This can be seen on the map marked as a school. However, the building was originally used as a distillery. An early publican of the Woodman Inn was Thomas Howe who was trading here by the mid-1840's. Born in Birmingham in 1808, he kept the pub with his second wife Rebecca Cutler, also a Brummie. An established brewer, he previously lived at Harnall Lane with his first wife Ann. Bringing his skills to the Woodman Inn he established a popular homebrew house that he kept for a generation. The Birmingham Daily Mail reported that Rebecca Howe died suddenly aged 59 on April 25th 1871. Thomas re-married in the 1870's; his wife Amelia was 21 years younger. The brewer died in 1884. It would seem that there wasn't a fortune to be made at the Woodman Inn because Amelia Howe ended up working until well into old age, first as a nurse and then as a laundress. Thomas Howe was succeeded by William Cambrey but this soon passed to Annie Alice Cambrey. By 1886 the licence had passed to Henry Stanier [listed as Stainer in a trade directory] and recorded in an Aston ratebook which detailed the Woodman Inn as a retail beerhouse owned by the Reverend John Dowling, the Catholic priest. Evesham-born Henry White was the publican in the early 1890's. He kept the Woodman Inn with his wife Lucy who hailed from the Black Country town of Wednesbury. The couple had earlier lived in Albert Street from where Henry worked as a master plasterer employing a number of men. He later returned to concentrate on this trade and the couple established a family home in Grafton Road. Edward Rawlings acted as agent for the Trustees of Saint Anne's Roman Catholic Church when Rushton's Brewery Ltd. secured a lease agreement for the Woodman Inn during the 1890's. Based at The Lion Brewery in Aston, this company was founded by the maltster William Rushton. Registered in 1898, the brewery had a tied estate of around 100 pubs before Ansell's acquired them in 1923. This was following the death of the founder's son. Thomas Heath was the publican in 1901. Also working as a plumber, he kept the Woodman Inn with his wife Ann. The Woodman Inn was closed in 1909. © Copyright. Image supplied by Digital Photographic Images.

Elizabeth Morgan [22], a woman of questionable repute, living at 37 Bradford Street, was charged with stealing a purse containing £4.0s.6½d. from the person of Henry Rowlatt, 84 Gough Road, architect's pupil. The prosecutor, a well-dressed and very intelligent youth of 17, was running along the Moseley Road to catch a train which leaves the Bordesley Station at a quarter past ten. Being a little tired, he walked for a short distance, when he came up with the prisoner, who politely saluted him, to which he paid no attention, and passed her by. The lady was pressing, followed, and put to him a question to which he returned an indignant negative, whereupon she threw her arms lovingly around his neck, though the hug was not gentle. The youth at once felt in his pockets, and found his purse was gone, but artfully concealing the fact, he graciously responded to her salutation and told her to wait a moment. This disarmed her suspicions and enabled him to search in his pockets to ascertain his loss, and the moment he discovered that his purse was really stolen he accused her of the theft. Her reply was "perhaps, my dear, you have lost it," and thereupon she commenced a minute examination of the surrounding pavement, after which she walked off. Her locomotion was, however, suddenly impeded by being tripped up by the "young gentleman", which gave her a thorough good shaking. This had an excellent effect, and in a trice she meekly handed him over the purse, which on examination, did not contain a halfpenny. Not being disposed to compromise the robbery, he held the woman until the incidental arrival of two gentlemen who advised him to give her in charge, which he accordingly did. Subsequently he found that part of the money was in his purse. The prisoner, in defence, made an unpleasant accusation against the youth, but afterwards recanted, and confessed the robbery. The magistrates highly commended the gallant conduct of the boy, and commented on the odiousness of the prisoner in trying to corrupt one so young. As she had been previously convicted she was committed for three months with hard labour. Birmingham Daily Mail 18th March 1871	Bradford Street	Homepage > Warwickshire > Birmingham > Bradford Street
	Bradford Street is perhaps one of the thoroughfares that best exemplifies the decline of Birmingham's city centre boozers. At one time Bradford Street had close to twenty watering holes. Today there are just two pubs - the White Swan doesn't count - historically, it belongs to Birchall Street. Bradford Street is named after Henry Bradford. The map extract below is from Thomas Hanson's map drawn in 1778. This highlights Henry Bradford's Warner Fields Estate from the Rea to Bordesley. Warner Street marked the limit of the estate. Note how at the other end of the estate Bradford Street ends at the river - the watercourse not only represented a physical barrier but marked the limit of both the estate and the parish boundary. The estate lies in Aston whereas the other side of the Rea was in Birmingham and largely owned by Sir Thomas Gooch of Benacre Hall in Suffolk. Henry Bradford, on the other hand, lived on the land he owned. It was situated up towards Bordesley close to the adjoining Ravenhurst Estate. Henry's son, Samuel is famous for his plan of Birmingham drawn in 1751. The son of Yeoman Francis Bedford of Wigginshill, Sutton Coldfield, Henry Bradford was a Quaker timber merchant. Born on October 29th 1698, he first lived at The Square in Ashted when he made Birmingham his home. However, he moved out to the Warner Fields Estate which he had inherited from his mother Hannah Fentham. Samuel Bradford was born on April 11th 1725 and became a surveyor. His plan of the Ravenhurst Estate is his first known work. Land along Bradford Street was donated by Henry Bradford in 1767 to anyone willing to establish a trade there. In August of that year he advertised in Aris's Gazette: "To be given gratis, some free land pleasantly situated for building on, in Bradford Street.......to any person that will build upon the said land and carry on a considerable trade there". A bridge was built in the late 18th century and later repaired with funds raised from the turnpike along Digbeth and Deritend. This, along with the infilling of the mill streams, facilitated the development of Bradford Street up to Moat Lane and Smithfield Street. © Copyright. Image supplied by Digital Photographic Images.

	Boar's-Head
	An entry in an 1835 ratebook for Aston reveals that the full name of this pub was the Boar's Head and Gough Arms. A curiosity as the Gough Estate was largely to the the west. Perhaps there were pockets of land in other parts of Birmingham. Harry Gough was a descendant of a London family who, after moving north, subsequently made a fortune in the wool trade in Wolverhampton and they were lords of the manor of Oldfallings. King Charles II knighted Henry Gough in 1678, some nine years after he acquired Perry Hall. At the time he was a Member of Parliament for Tamworth. His younger brother Richard, who was knighted by King George I, founded the Birmingham branch of the family when he bought the Edgbaston Hall Estate in 1717 for the sum of £25,000. Harry, the sixth son of Sir Henry Gough paid £13,600 for the remaining part of the Middlemore Estate which included Mansell's Farm in Suffolk Street. Sir Richard Gough was succeeded by his son Henry. He married Barbara Calthorpe thus creating the Gough-Calthorpe estate. The Boar's Head Inn was located a little down the hill from Warner Street and the Adam and Eve. I have never seen a photograph of this pub. This 1888 map outline suggests a large building with double bay windows. Wrightson's trade directory for 1825 lists Robert Potter as a victualler and engineer so perhaps he had a workshop to the rear of the property. He rented the Boar's Head Inn from Ann Hughes. The Hopkins family kept the pub throughout much of the 1850's until the arrival of William and Martha Garner. Born in the Vale of Belvoir at Knipton, William Garner formerly worked as a porter whilst Martha hailed from Portsea in Hampshire. Following William's death, she moved to Chelsea in West London. William Manton was licensee during the late 1860's and was succeeded by Charles Shum. Born in Surrey, the son of a curate moved up to Birmingham from Somerset and took over the Boar's Head Inn with his young wife Ann. The couple later moved to Handsworth and raised a large family whilst Charles worked as an insurance agent. In the mid-1870's John and Maria Marshall moved to the Boar's Head Inn after a short spell running the Atlantic Tavern in Bissell Street. John Marshall was originally from Portsmouth where his father served in the Royal Marines. He first worked as an engine driver when he moved to Birmingham. John Day was the owner of the Boar's Head Inn during the mid-1880's when William Gollings was the licensee. Born in Buckinghamshire, he had previously worked as a fireman whilst living at the Fountain Tavern in Heath Mill Lane, a beer house that was kept by his parents Shadrach and Ann Gollings. William paid John Day the annual rent of £31.0s.0d. for the Boar's Head Inn which was detailed as a licensed public house, brewhouse, stable and premises. At the turn of the 20th century Ann Mayer was mine host at the Boar's Head Inn. By this time the pub was operated by Holder's Brewery. A ratebook compiled in 1901 has Ann Mayer's name crossed out and replaced with that of Joseph Wheeler. The Wonder in Brearley Street is also inserted, suggesting that this is where Ann Mayer moved to. However, the census conducted in the same year records the widow at the Lord Nelson Tavern in Thorpe Street. Born in Spondon in 1851, she had previously run the Corporation Hotel in Derby with her husband John who was also a horse dealer. I have not ascertained an exact date for the closure of the Boar's Head Inn but it does seem to disappear from trade directories after 1920 so perhaps this was the year that it folded. © Copyright. Image supplied by Digital Photographic Images.

	Cup-Inn
	This map surveyed in 1887-8 and revised in 1902 shows the locations of both the Cup Inn and White Lion. I have marked the White Lion but the pub had gone by the 1870's. The property was later used as a Japanning works. Both pubs were on the southern side of Bradford Street between Alcester Street and Moseley Road. The large Ravenhurst Works was almost opposite - I have marked this on the map. I have also indicated Courts 11 and 13; the area was once packed with back-to-backs amid the heavy industry conducted in this part of Birmingham. Renting the property from Ann Hughes, John Spicer was the licensee in 1835. When George Reynolds was the licensee the pub was listed as the Golden Cup Inn. In the mid-19th century the Cup Inn was run for many years by Thomas and Elizabeth Harper. Born around 1818 in Worcester, Thomas Harper was also a carpenter. Elizabeth Harper hailed from Ludlow. The building was owned by J.M.Brown in the mid-1880's. William Matthews rented the property and was licensee of the pub. It was around 1901 that Mitchell's and Butler's acquired the Cup Inn from Herbert Gray and George Edward Loxton. Ernest Woodgate was the manager of the pub at this time. By the end of the Edwardian era Alice Boswell was the publican. At this time the annual rateable value of the house was £55.0s.0d. Alice Boswell paid rates of £7.4s.11d. on behalf on the Cape Hill brewery. The Cup Inn lasted until the early 1930's when this section of Bradford Street was redeveloped with large factory units. © Copyright. Image supplied by Digital Photographic Images.

"I remember The Drovers' Arms and, in particular Dan Pawson and his Artesian Hall Stompers who played there a lot. The Drovers' was a grotty little pub in the late 1960's, but had trad jazz every Friday and, I think, folk on Sundays. Unbelievably, my very first date with my dear wife was in 1969 and I took her to The Drovers' to hear Dan and the band. It was a pretty rough place too, and the gaffer [a big gaunt-looking Irishman] kept a leg of a bar-stool handy to deal with any nonsense in the bar. Yet he was a lovely bloke, and liked jazz too. Whether he was Harry Reeder I'm not sure. The music was in the upstairs meeting room, access via an incredibly steep and narrow staircase, the downfall [literally] of many a punter who'd had a drop too much. Nearby was The Birmingham Arms, another hostelry noted for jazz, and I guess that it disappeared about the same time as The Drovers'. Happy Days." Big Gee, Sutton Coldfield October 24th 2008	Drovers'-Arms
	This pub is, more often than not, associated with Moat Lane and Smithfield Street but it did have Bradford Street house numbers 345-6. The Drovers' Arms was close to the site of the Manor House of Birmingham. Moat Lane and Moat Row serves to remind that a ditch protected this ancient seat. This was fed by some of Digbeth's natural springs and the watercourse flowed into the Rea via the manorial mill from which Mill Lane takes its name. Originally built to grind corn, the mill later produced sword blades for the Parliamentary forces during the English Civil War. However, this led to its destruction by Prince Rupert's forces when they attacked the town in 1643. It was rebuilt and later converted to a slitting mill by Sampson Lloyd II, a descendent of a Quaker family from Leominster whose son would later co-found the famous Lloyd's Bank in Birmingham. The Drovers' Arms was named after the men who brought livestock to the nearby markets and slaughter houses. These were hard drinking, tough characters that most people tended to avoid so it would be a fair guess that very few Brummies wandered into the Drovers' Arms and shouted "sheep shaggers" at the blokes propping up the counter. The photograph to the left was taken around 1902; the pub can be seen behind the rag market held where Smithfield Street meets Moat Row. The Upton family kept the Drovers' Arms in the early-mid 19th century. Thomas Upton was the licensee in the 1840's and, following his death, was succeeded by Tamworth-born wife Sophia. She was helped by her children; Thomas, Sophia, Elizabeth and Louisa all worked as waiters. Joseph, another son, was a hay dealer. Sophia's daughter Louisa married Devon-born former butcher and railway detective Henry Mitchell who later took over the licence of the Drovers' Arms. The couple later kept the Fighting Cocks in Moseley. In the mid-late 19th century the Drovers' Arms was owned by the maltster George James. He operated the maltings located next to the King William IV further up Bradford Street. He was the son of George James, also a maltster who once traded as a beer retailer in Heath Mill Lane after moving from Upper Trinity Street. George James sold the Drovers' Arms to Mitchell's and Butler's and moved with his wife Emma to Stonehurst on the Coventry Road at Yardley, close to the New Inn. In 1901 the Drovers' Arms value was considerable and the Cape Hill brewery were hammered £27.15s.4d. for the annual rates plus a further 3s.6d. for an advertising station. As a Bass house, the Drovers' Arms remained a popular watering hole in the markets area until 1973 when it was closed in order to redevelop this part of Birmingham. Harry Reeder was the last licensee. © Copyright. Image supplied by the Local Studies and History Department, Birmingham Central Library and is reproduced with kind permission.

	Greyhound
	This pub also traded for some years as the Postage Stamp. The pub was on the south-west corner of Rea Street. Consequently, the beer house was directly opposite the Anchor Inn. In 1845 the site was occupied by the butcher George Daft. However, by the end of the decade Solomon Richards was listed as a beer retailer and horse dealer at this address. He had earlier run another beer house next to the Birmingham Arms on Moat Row. George Williams was the publican of the Greyhound Inn in 1890. His family lived in a nearby back-to-back from where his father worked as a button maker. George Williams kept the beer house with his wife Mary. They were tenants of Edwin Grimley who owned a lot of property in Bradford Street. George and Mary Williams had a young daughter called Alice. Ansell's secured the lease of the Greyhound in 1897. Frederick and Mary Ward were running the pub at the turn of the 20th century. However, Mary Glover was recorded as publican when the rates were assessed in 1901. © Copyright. Image supplied by Digital Photographic Images.

	Hope-and-Anchor
	The Hope and Anchor was a short-lived beer house located in Bradford Street.

	King-William-IV
	The King William IV was located on the south side of Bradford Street between Birchall Street and Lombard Street. The pub can be seen on this map extract dated 1886. The building was close to the Britannia Iron Foundry from which Isaac Marshall & Sons traded. There was a maltings located behind the beer house. At the time of this plan it was operated by George James & Son who owned the Drovers' Arms further down the street at Smithfield. The Miles family were running the malthouse and kiln in the mid-1830's. Originally known as the Royal William, this pub was named in honour of the third son of George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, William IV was also known as the Sailor King. Born in 1765, he married Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen in 1818. He served in the navy from the age of 13 until he was 25. In the following year, 1791, he began his long liaison with the actress Dorothea Jordan by whom he eventually had ten illegitimate children. The two children he had with his wife Adelaide both died in infancy. He was succeeded by his niece, Victoria. Coleshill-born Sarah Husband was a widow by the age of 32 when she was running the King William IV in 1861. A decade later the pub was kept by Richard and Maria Blackwell. Born in Peterborough around 1819, Richard Blackwell had previously worked as a butler in service to Henry William Wilson, 11th Lord Berners at Keythorpe Hall in Leicestershire and who held the office of Deputy Lieutenant of that county. Richard Blackwell had previously worked in a similar position at Oxton Hall in Nottinghamshire. After a spell running the King William IV he retired to a cottage in the Oxfordshire hamlet of North Leigh. In 1881 Richard Blackwell was the publican. He was the son of a boatsman and born in Ansty around 1840. He moved to Birmingham at a young age and worked in a number of jobs before taking over the licence of the King William IV which he kept with his wife Elizabeth. At this time the building was owned by Edward Taylor. An Aston ratebook for 1886 documented the property as a retail beerhouse, brewhouse and premises. By the end of the century Nottingham-born John Loverseed was the publican. It was around this period that Holder's Brewery added the King William IV to their estate of tied houses. The King William IV closed in 1914. © Copyright. Image supplied by Digital Photographic Images.