Sutton Coldfield Local History Research Group

Helen Holbeche was one of seven sisters: Sarah, Jane, Elizabeth, Catherine, Frances, Helen and Mary. In their later years, apart from Mary, they all lived together at 58 High Street, Sutton Coldfield. In 1998, I discovered a small notebook containing Helen's recollections amongst other Holbeche family memorabilia kept by Mrs Helen Springall (her great great niece) at Keele University Campus.

In examining the 1841 Census for unusual occupations in Sutton Coldfield, I noticed some entries that indicated canal based employment. From this small amount of information, I set out to discover what happened to some of the families who lived alongside the ‘Cut’ on the southern boundary of the Royal Town.

Anyone having an interest in local or family history is hugely indebted to the early Victorian and Edwardian photographers for the wealth of pictorial information they have left us. Images bring the past to life and make researching our families, local surroundings, architecture, churches and parks so much more interesting. Frederick Whitlock.

This article uses extensive research done by Roy Woodward-Clarke and his wife, Diane, following their purchase at a stamp auction of a letter written by Agnes Bracken to her mother in 1827. Such was their interest in this letter that it encouraged them to search for further details of the Bracken Family. They have kindly allowed me use of their written notes for this article. Other material was found in Sutton Coldfield Reference Library (references given herein), particul...

Baldmore Lake, as it was known, was a sizeable area of water which lay mostly in Sutton Coldfield, with the remainder in Erdington. Why would such a large lake, which gave its name to the district of Boldmere, disappear? Why did some early maps show the lake in one place while present-day residents firmly point to an entirely different location? Did it really disappear without trace? What was the lake like, where exactly was it and why can it no longer be found?

On December 11th,1875, the trial began in Wolverhampton Crown Court of 2 persons, Frederick Musson (b. 1852) and Anna Maria Hillman (b. 1854). They had been charged with the murder of a young girl, Elizabeth Lowke (b. 1868).

Collet’s Brook Farm is located on the western side of the A453 Tamworth Road in Sutton Coldfield adjacent to its junction with Fox Hill Road and is Grade II (Statutory List) listed. It once belonged to the Birmingham to Watford Gap Turnpike Trust before being sold to John Sutherland Valentine on September 9, 1831. It probably dates from before 1815.

How often have you come across this picture of Rev John Riland (b.1736, d.1822) wearing his "full bottomed wig"? Many times, I should imagine. Yet we should be grateful to have this one picture, as it appears to be the only one we have showing a Sutton Coldfield resident wearing a wig in the 1700s.

The sale of land owned by the Bagot family of Pype Hayes Hall in 2 tranches of approximately 350 acres each, in 1881 & 1888, in order to develop the Minworth Sewage Farm for the newly created Birmingham Tame & Rea Drainage Board was to have a major impact on the hamlet of Minworth, adjacent Minworth Greaves, the nearby village of Curdworth and other local settlements.

I believe that it was written sometime in the late 1880s, during which time Richard was stationed in Bengal with The Royal Munster Fusiliers. He finally returned to the Holbeche family home at No. 3 Coleshill Street, Sutton Coldfield in 1891.