Some history of the Clifton Inn on Ladypool Road at Sparkbrook in Birmingham in the County of Warwickshire

The Clifton Inn was located on the western side of Ladypool Road, on the north corner of Clifton Road. The building was still standing in the 2020's but, as a public-house, had closed down in 2012, the premises being converted to Pepés Piri Piri fast-food restaurant.

Birmingham : Map extract showing the location of the Clifton Inn on Ladypool Lane at Sparkbrook [1888]
© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with kind permission of the National Library of Scotland under the Creative Commons Attribution licence.

I have marked the location of the Clifton Inn on the above map extract. Note that the opposite site of the road was undeveloped at this time. That land formed part of Stoney Lane Farm.

More information to follow ....

Column-2

Birmingham : The Clifton on the corner of Ladypool Road and Clifton Road at Sparkbrook [2002]
© Photo taken by author on March 19th, 2002. DO NOT COPY

Column-3

Licensees of the Clifton Inn

1869 - Mary Ann Hinton
1878 - Thomas Alfred Dowler
1883 - Emma Caroline Dowler
1889 - John Elliot
1900 - Clara Annie Owen
1921 - Alfred Richard Hooper
1940 - Alfred Richard Hooper
Note : this is not a complete list of licensees for this pub. The dates of early licensees are sourced from trade directories, census data, electoral rolls, rate books and newspaper articles. Names taken from trade directories may be slightly inaccurate as there is some slippage from publication dates and the actual movement of people.

Column-4

Birmingham : Inn Sign of The Clifton on Ladypool Road at Sparkbrook [2002]
© Photo taken by author on March 19th, 2002. DO NOT COPY

Related Newspaper Articles

"Kate Lawley [11], 41, Leopold Street, and Emily Watts [11], court, Leopold Street, were charged with stealing two watches and a gold chain, valued at 20s., the property of John Elliott, Clifton Inn, Ladypool Road. The prisoner Lawley has been in the habit of running errands for prosecutor's wife, and familiar with the prosecutor's house. On the 16th inst. the watches and chain were taken from a dressing-table prosecutor's bedroom. The same day prisoners went to a publican at Hopwood, and asked him if he knew anyone who had lost a watch, remarking that they had found one between Hopwood and Barnt Green. He took possession of the watch, and gave information the police. They subsequently visited the house of Gertrude Bates, at Barnt Green, and told her that they had found a watch. She took possession of it, and Lawley said that they would call again in a month. The prisoners were arrested, and Lawley then said that they had sold the watch for 6d., and confessed to Police-Constable 197 that she had taken the watches and chain at the instigation of her companion. The prisoners were sent to gao1 for ten days each, and were sentenced to five years' detention in a reformatory."
"Young Thieves"
Birmingham Daily Post : July 22nd 1889 Page 6