OLD WEST BROMWICH PHOTOS

I came across this photograph:

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.genealogyforum.co.uk/forum/gallery/thumbnail.php%3Falbum_id%3D15%26image_id%3D1014&imgrefurl=http://www.genealogyforum.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php%3Ff%3D35&usg=__DK3RCjhfyRF2wpqfFM0H99O-_qM=&h=96&w=125&sz=3&hl=en&start=2&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=5_gxEcbqYThwOM:&tbnh=69&tbnw=90&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmanifoldia%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbs%3Disch:1

showing the Manifoldia vegetable garden and bowling green.  It doesn't look as though it is in Bromford Lane.  I can't recognise the church in the distance or the large oblong shape to the left on the horizon.  Anyone have any ideas?

PS. After clicking on the hyperlink, scroll to the bottom of the page that comes up, and then click on the Manifoldia link to call up the photo.

Stephen Williams at July 5, 2010 at 5:54 AM

I came across this photograph:

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.genealogyforum.co.uk/forum/gallery/thumbnail.php%3Falbum_id%3D15%26image_id%3D1014&imgrefurl=http://www.genealogyforum.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php%3Ff%3D35&usg=__DK3RCjhfyRF2wpqfFM0H99O-_qM=&h=96&w=125&sz=3&hl=en&start=2&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=5_gxEcbqYThwOM:&tbnh=69&tbnw=90&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmanifoldia%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbs%3Disch:1

showing the Manifoldia vegetable garden and bowling green.  It doesn't look as though it is in Bromford Lane.  I can't recognise the church in the distance or the large oblong shape to the left on the horizon.  Anyone have any ideas?

 

PS. After clicking on the hyperlink, scroll to the bottom of the page that comes up, and then click on the Manifoldia link to call up the photo.

could the "church" be Kendrick & Jefferson if so then this would put the picture somewhere near to Bromford lane, haven't a clue what the rectangular block could be.

DAVE

Dave (Stevo) at July 5, 2010 at 2:15 PM

Stephen Williams at July 5, 2010 at 5:54 AM

I came across this photograph:

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.genealogyforum.co.uk/forum/gallery/thumbnail.php%3Falbum_id%3D15%26image_id%3D1014&imgrefurl=http://www.genealogyforum.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php%3Ff%3D35&usg=__DK3RCjhfyRF2wpqfFM0H99O-_qM=&h=96&w=125&sz=3&hl=en&start=2&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=5_gxEcbqYThwOM:&tbnh=69&tbnw=90&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmanifoldia%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbs%3Disch:1

showing the Manifoldia vegetable garden and bowling green.  It doesn't look as though it is in Bromford Lane.  I can't recognise the church in the distance or the large oblong shape to the left on the horizon.  Anyone have any ideas?

 

PS. After clicking on the hyperlink, scroll to the bottom of the page that comes up, and then click on the Manifoldia link to call up the photo.

could the "church" be Kendrick & Jefferson if so then this would put the picture somewhere near to Bromford lane, haven't a clue what the rectangular block could be.

 

 

DAVE

sorry about last posting, must have had another brainstorm, I should have said Archibald Kenricks and not kendrick and Jeffersons,

Dave

That's a good shout.  However, I think the tower/spire part is too flared at the base and Archibald Kenrick doesn't seem to have the vertical 'bits' at the side of the tower/spire either.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevewilliams7/3877462275/in/set-72157622205684850/

Steve

Hiya, well the twin roofed building in the centre of the picture with the four chimneys, looks very much like Lyttleton Hall which was off Bromford Lane. What is really bugging me is the identity of the church like structure, I seem to remeber seeing a tower behind the back of crowthers on an old picture but cant locate it at the minute .

Well, this one has got me beat !

At first I thought St Michaels, but it just dosen't sit right and I thought perhaps the Town Hall with it's square base on the spire, but it isn't

I am wondering if this is actually Bromford lane or if it is then perhaps that church is in the Oldbury side with West Brom behind the photographer ??

Found another one of my books "West Bromwich People and Places by Terry Price " p30 shows the Town Hall but with high chimneys , would appear they have been removed at a later date. Comparing the picture with that on the mystery picture look very similar.

Both my husband and I thought it could be Lyttleton Hall! Only a guess though.

Pat

Col,

I see what you mean about the tower.  Just had a look in my copy of the book.  The orientation would be roughly correct if not spot on.  However, perspective can be distorted with a camera lens.  Looking at the angle of the backs of the houses to the left of the bowling green, they look like they would meet the building with the tower, which questions whetehr that is Bromford Lane.  However, as I say, perspective can be misleading.  Certainly, if that building is Lytletton Hall (and I have never seen a picture of it), then that would confirm the location.  If the building with the tower is the Town Hall, could the large block shape to the left, possibly be a gasometer?  It is intriguing.

If it is Bromford Lane (don't really know where Manifoldia was) but could it be the old St Johns church in Moor St? looks in right area

Stll don't know about the biq square although it does look like a gasometer but Swan village would be further to the left surely

Barbara,

The 'Manifoldia' was opposite the junction with Caroline Street.  I can't recall what St. John's looked like, even though it was my Parish church as a lad!  It was right next to Lyng Junior school.  It's very difficult to gauge distance on the photo because of the lack of detail.  I agree with you re Swan Village gasometers.  my initial thoughts were that they would be further to the left.  However, I can't think of anything else that it could be.  Also, looking at my A-Z and bearing in mind that if this is Bronford Lane, we are looking across it at an angle to the left as it moves up the photo towards the right (if you follow me), then the Swan Village gas works does not appear to be that far to the left.  I think the crunch here is whether the building in the middle distance is definitely Lytlleton Hall.  I had a look at my Godfrey maps for the area and in 1904 there was no evidence of the 'Manifoldia' or the area in the photograph, but I don't know when it moved to Bromford Lane.  However, Lytlleton Hall is marked and bearing in mind that one can't make out precise orientation  of all the buildings, there does seem to be some relationship with the map 'ground plan'.

Another thought re. the church.  The chapel at the point where Bromford Lane became Moor Street and the junction with the road in which was St. John's church and Lyng school (can't for the life of me remember the name of that road / street and can't find it on any map), was always known as the 'Bombed Chapel', as it was bombed in the war.  Now i don't know what the building was like that was there before, or, indeed, when it was originally built, so that is another possible contender.

Yet another update.  It was Sams Lane I couldn't think of.  Found it on another map I had.  I have also come across another map.  I had forgotten I had 'acquired' these.  It is a 1919 map and it shows the 'Manifoldia' plus an area between the factory and Lytlleton Hall which looks promising.  I have scanned the appropriate section but there does not seem to be a way of uploading the file.  If anyone can advise on how to do this i would appreciate it.

Stephen, If you have the photo stored on photobucket  or perhaps your flickr file, if you click the square next to the smiley face above your reply box on here you can add the URL ..the 'http'  for that photo

If you have any problems send it to me and I will add it

Paul,

I will e.mail it to you as it doesn't really fit with my flickr stuff.

If you click this link Steves map will come in bigger....when you have the map come up, left click it again to make it even bigger

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/karenswift13/Maps/stemp.jpg 

Thanks for these Steve !

Paul

Hiya,

    There are two very nice pictures of Lyttleton Hall in the book "West Bromwich in Old Photographs" by Robin Pearson

That Church in the distance is the original Lyng methodist church which was bombed in 1941

 I thought it might be the chapel.  Quite unusual for a chapel to have a large spire like that I would have thought.

Steve