Updated: 13 March 2013
Since I first began this, the site has grown into a major source
of historical information and images, thanks to people like David Wilcox
Go to the Site index (back button) to see all the pages.
| Sutton Coldfield has proudly used its
Royal name since 1528 – without knowing that it legally lost the
privilege because of an alleged paperwork error in 1887. A hapless town clerk on
a fledgling Victorian council could be responsible for the
administrative mix up that saw the town lose its Royal status without
even knowing. It has emerged that the Royal Charter should have been
renewed by officials when the new borough council was created in 1887.
Buckingham Palace is now warning that any revival of the title, which
was bestowed on the town by Henry VIII, could be hampered by its
“illegal use”. WE WANT OUR ROYAL PREFIX BACK! There have been several
applications for the restoration of the prefix, none have been approved. July 2012: A copy of a letter from the Cabinet Office to Sutton Coldfield's MP, the Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell: It is highly unlikely that Sutton Coldfield will ever be given back its Royal Prefix which was 'lost' in Victorian times. Bham Council discovered that the Royal Prefix was lost 'due to an adminstrative error' back in Victorian days but the Government can find no evidence of this at all. In a letter to the MP, the Right Honourable Andrew Mitchell, the Cabinet Office stated, "my department have received letters from Bham City council relating to this matter". It goes on that, "Permission to use Royal names and titles, including the title Royal, requires the approval of the Sovereign who acts on the advice of the Prime Minister. The title Royal is nowadays very sparingly granted. Given the Prime Ministers role in providing advice to Her Majesty I have, of course, kept him fully informed. As you may be aware, there have been several applications for the restoration of the status Royal Town since the 19th century and all have been refused. We have look carefully at the historical petitions for and against the granting of a royal Charter to Sutton Coldfield. Unfortunately we have not found anything in these documents that either confirms the loss of the title Royal in this instance was the result of an administrative error or that there are sufficient grounds for believing that there may be a case for reinstatement." The letter finishes off with a request that, should further evidence of this error be found, then the case can be reconsidered. This begs the question as to how Sutton Coldfield lost her Royal Town status in the first place? Someone, somewhere, made a decision to remove the Royal prefix, so there must be records somewhere. I would also ask that how can a title granted by King Henry VIII, be nonchalantly removed by the stroke of a nib in later years. Mar 2013: I sent an email to Downing Street asking for their help. As a result of a forced merger of land boundaries, a takeover by Birmingham Metropolitan District in 1974, Sutton Coldfield was forced to lose its Coat of Arms. Still much lamented by Sutton Coldfield residents to this day, as was the acquisition by Birmingham!! Sutton strongly resisted the boundary changes in 1974 and did not want to become part of Birmingham, but it was forced on us, the old Sutton Coldfield has gone, the Council stole most of SC's assets and left us with nothing. |
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 Unknown date but approx 1850s. Note Aston & Handsworth lower left. Also visible is Wylde Green and Reddicap Heath |
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 Sutton Coldfield Town Centre 1913 |
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The
Electric Light Station (1)
(2) The Kings Arms (3) Tudor Laundry (4) Sutton Town Railway Station (5) Area now Riland Tip |
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Aerial image showing
Reddicap, Falcon Lodge, Langley Heath and fields eastwards to A38 running
north/south. |
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1913
Here we have overlapping maps of Sutton
Coldfield in 1913. |
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Maps provided by David Wilcox |
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 Park Road 1885, taken from the railway. The Trinity Church tower can be seen to the right rear. |
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 There are also many old images of Sutton Coldfield here |
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 The Parade |
 The old Malt house |
 Canwell Hall |
 Stonleigh Hall |
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Sutton Coldfield has a mention by Shakespeare, spoken by Falstaff. |
Coleshill Street from Vesey Memorial Gdns.
Image: David Wilcox |
 Trinity Church Sutton Coldfield Jan 2001 - now has its own page |
 The Lych Gate, Trinity Church, & Rectory Cottages Sutton Coldfield - Jan 2001 |
 And in the opposite direction, the High Street Conservation area, the road to Lichfield - Jan 2001. The building with the red fascia panel on the right was once a Hovis Bakery, The building with the spire and the one beyond were banks not so long back. |
 Bishop Vesey's Manor, now an antique shop - Jan 2001. Stands on Maney Corner on Maney Hill. |
 The Parade Shopping Centre 2003 |
Trinity Church - March 26th 2003 |
 Fire Station, Courts and Police Station on the right and Sutton Coldfield College comes up on the left - 26 March 2003 |
 Reddicap Hill - 26 March 2003 |
 Gracechurch Centre |
 Proposed Buildings to the rear of Gracechurch. 2013 still the land lies derelict and overgrown, 10 years on. |
| In 1974 the Gracechurch Centre was built on the demolished ruins of The Parade. Now known as The Mall, but everyone ignored the name change and its still the Gracechurch Centre. It was once full of shops selling everything from a carrot to a car, but the Centre was bought out by an American Company, the rents soared, and the smaller friendlier shops were forced out in favour of the mobile phone shop and the glitzy tacky shops. Name changes ignored also include over the road at the Sainsburys Centre, but Sainsbury's left us, and its now supposedly known as the Red Rose Centre (I didn't know that!!) but to everyone its Sainsbury's and we call it Sainsbury's car park. Almost every month or so there is a store with 'Closing Down' on its windows. Behind the centre, on Brassington Avenue (see above image) a thin strip of land was bought for even more new buildings, but this seems to have died a death, with board covering a rapidly overgrown site and former car park. |
History of Sutton Coldfield & Parts! History of Sutton Coldfield & The Chase up to 1860 The West Midlands Police have something known as "Copper Cards" which depict early Police images and Sutton Coldfield images obtained from the Sutton Coldfield Library. I was in the local "nick", on another matter, and asked about these and was very kindly given a full set in a wallet. Having spoken to Sutton Coldfield Library (Marian Baxter) I can now share these images with you all. They are on various pages. These images are copyright. These images below are mainly as a result of an email from foreign climes asking for current images of places from their past. I am happy to oblige. |
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Telephone Exchange (left)
Sutton Coldfield exchange first opened in 1901 and by 1903 it had 38 subscribers. |
| Nov 2007. Eda (Wilkins) sent me this email: We moved in with my Grandparents in Jockey Road Boldmere after being bombed out in London. Sutton Park was my playground . catching stickle-backs in jam jars. At Wyndley loved going on the up and over netted swing, riding the miniature railway and the switchback. Where the leisure complex is now. Grandpa DeVille (Tom) was gate keeper at Boldmere until his death in 1956. Grandma ran the golf club refreshment cabin also at Boldmere (with my help)? She went on to pull pints at The Dog public house on the Parade in Sutton itself. My Uncle Ted DeVille was the head forester for the park, Our family, two brothers and three sisters, moved to 229 Coles Lane. The last but one house with the railway at the bottom of the garden. The Town Football ground was behind the cake shop in Coles Lane where we bought cake and pastry slices for a farthing on our way to school. My first school was Trinity Primary at the bottom of Trinity Hill and then Riland Bedford which was part built by the Americans who used it as a camp during the war. In my day, half Riland Bedford was a girls only school with no gym or showers. Assembly hall and playground for PE and netball. The school sports ground was at Moat House on the main road opposite where the Police Station is now. We walked there in a crocodile. ( the modern day walking bus) The bus depot was almost opposite the school. We moved to Dugdale Crescent Mere Green a few years after my Mother's death and my Dad remarrying where I watched the building of the TV mast from my bedroom window. Upon leaving school I went to work in the Public Library in the Main Street of Sutton which, I believe, was a Church or Chapel originally. After the library I worked for Brown and Polson who were then at Gravelly Hill Erdington. From there I moved to Devon after getting married at the Congregational Church in Park Road Sutton. |
Sept 2010: From Sue Purdy, Nee Booth. Brought back many
memories I was especially interested in the memories written by Ena. (above) I was
born at my grandma’s house at 115 Coles Lane, just behind the football ground,
next door but 2 to the shop. I moved to Mere Green when I was 3, living round
the corner from where Ena lived in Dugdale Crescent. I went to Hill infants and
junior school and then to Riland Bedford (when it was two separate schools)! But
it did have a gym and showers when I went there. Most of my spare time was spent
in the Park, usually Blackroot and Bracebridge pools. My family have lived
in Sutton from before 1901. I have tried to record as many things
disappearing as I possibly can but not living there now I don’t seem to find out
what is going until it has gone. |
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June 2011. From Mandy Deakin (Moore): I was born and bred in Sutton though have lived in Toronto for over 30 years now. I am hooked on researching my family and have learned so much over the last year and a half and all your photos are bringing back wonderful memories. We are back in Sutton at least twice a year so I never really feel as though I have lost touch. I was born at Oakhurst maternity hospital on Anchorage Road and spent the next 20 years in Rectory Cottage, at the corner of Riland and Rectory Roads. The cottage is and it's once beautiful gardens are now very overgrown and a huge fence completely hides the cottage from view. We walked around the park with friends last year and an athletic chum jumped and took some lovely shots over the fence. I have traced my Higgs relatives back to the mid 1700s, in Sutton Coldfield. Presumably if I had the opportunity to check out parish records I could get further back. Rectory park was our playground growing up and what a wonderful place it was. We used to climb the hollow oak with the big kids and I can still remember ever nook and cranny of the inside of it, how smooth it was and where the foothold was. My mum and her friends used to climb the same hollow oak. She remembered the lightening that struck and claimed the large branch on the left. She also remembered the lad who jumped of that branch and broke his leg. My Mum was born in 1927(d. 1976) and always had stories to tell us of all our relatives who had grown up with the park playing a major role in their lives. My mum's dad's family lived in the Blabbs (bottom of Reddicap Hill and Coleshill Road) and then mum lived in Riland Grove before marrying and moving to the derelict Rectory Cottage, which my father rebuilt. Mum's grand-parents were Thomas Higgs and Eliza Deakin. Eliza was a midwife (complete with very smart uniform) and I'd love to find out information on local midwives of the era but so far haven't found anything. Thanks for all you photos of Sutton - They're lovely. Regards Mandy Deakin (nee Moore). |
August 2011. From Jackie in Majorca. My name is Jackie Evans and I am overjoyed to discover this website about Sutton Coldfield. I was brought up in Sutton. My parents, Jack and Jeannie Evans used to own the Brown Owl Restaurant on the old Sutton Parade. I went to Trinity Hill school until I was eleven years old and then went on to Highclare School on the Birmingham Road. My father was on the local council. My father was also the manager of the Odeon during the 1950´s …before that an organist at the Gaumont cinemas. Seeing this website brings back so many memories. I just “googled” “Crystal Palace, Sutton Coldfield” as there has recently been a programme on the TV regarding the Crystal Palce in London which sparked memories of the Crystal Palace in Sutton Park. The Crystal Palace in the Park was derelict when I was a little girl and the glass was broken but it was still standing and the fun fair still in use. I left Sutton in 1969, when I was 18 years old and came to live in Majorca (Mallorca in Spanish)…yes 42 years ago. I have only returned a few times and of course the old town centre has changed. What a pity I have a very old book about Sutton Coldfield that an elderly lady sent to me many years ago. I will search it out and scan it for new photos and info. Thank you once again for the superb website and most of all the memories. “Buenas noches” and kind regards, Jackie Evans November 2011: A surprise to find a pic of Hastilows Garage,Park Road - I recently started researching the Pope/Hastilow family tree. I am a 3rd generation Australian & have always had a of my sketchy idea detail about my ancestors living in Sutton Coldfield ie The Pope Family - farmers (of Church Farm, Reddicap Heath,& "Hill"(?)) & Hastilow family (of Holland Road). I am very pleased you have the pic of the Hastilows Business premises on your site! Thank you. The reason I mail you - I have attached a photograph of ?? Maney Parish Church. This photograph belonged to my grandmother recently passed. There is no writing or stamps on the back of the photograph- my grandmother told me her mother (?) was married in this very old church .i.e. Emily Hastilow of Holland Road,& Joseph Pope of Holland Road married in 1903- I have the original marriage certificate. The cert. very clearly identifies Maney Parish Church as the place of marriage. I have searched endlessly to prove the identity of this church but nothing at all similar has turned up - didn't happen to trip across this church in your travels at all?? Thought it may have been bombed during the war - The Church Commission are unable to help, as have the Church of England. As a matter of interest; The Pope family lived at Church Farm during the mid-1800's..the old maps were of particular interest to me. (Photos of St Peters are on the Maney page - mk). |
| Jan 2012: As my grandmother lived at 21 Park Road I spent many hours playing on the meadow platt in Sutton Park under the watchful eye of the park keeper. I remember Pat Collins Fair and the bridge in Park Road which I was frightened of. I used to wait for one train to go over and then run to get to the other side before the next train as I hated to be under the bridge when a train went over. I can still remember the smell of Daddy Wrights the bakers and going up to Barratts to have the batteries charged for the radio. Once again thank you for bringing back so many memories Regards Ann Taylor (Mrs) |
  Bishop Vesey Grammar School & The Moat House |
  Holy Trinity RC Church. Beeches Walk opposite the Horse & Jockey |
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Sutton Coldfield Favourite: http://www.ronniehancox.co.uk/index.html
http://atod.suttoncoldfieldatoz.com/B.html
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The main stream dealerships rip motorists off big
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Electric Power Station. They are
the "old" sort of garage
manned not by kids with degrees or years at a Polytechnic, but by mature
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Domestic & Commercial Premises
http://users.powernet.co.uk/bold/Gene/mapsresearch.html Not referral, but of interest
