Stags Head Summer Lane

Hi to the forum,

I am very excited - I discovered this forum some time ago, but on checking recently I found the posts about the landlords of the Stag's Head. The answer to mamabear has answered some of my questions already, but I'd like to share my story with you. Joseph and Elizabeth Newnham are my paternal 3x great grandparents (my maiden name is Newnham). I knew they ran the Stag's Head, through online research on the census and various directories. Part of my research showed they lived at Brearley St and 80 Summer Lane (interestingly I note that it is now listed as 79 Summer Lane, so there was a change in numbering at some time!). Googling (ain't it grand?) showed me that Brearley St and Summer Lane intersect, so I was wondering if 95 Brearley St and 80 Summer Lane (both addresses attributed to Joseph) were indeed the same premises - photos online show a door on the Brearley St side of the Stag's Head, so perhaps the residential accommodation was accessed from that. Research has also shown that Elizabeth, as executor herself of Joseph's estate, took over the license of the Stag's Head. I see that she put many notices in the Birmingham Journal and also Aris's Birmingham Gazette to advise people of the recommencement of various 25-pound and then 50-pound clubs - it seems they ran for over 17 years. My research into the papers etc is ongoing.

I am interested in who actually owned the Stag's Head - the licensees presumably ran it on behalf of an owner, and weren't owners themselves? I'd love to know when the Stag's Head was first built and how old it was before Joseph became licensee. I find it unusual that a goldsmith would then become a publican, so perhaps he just resided in the residential part of the Stag's Head and conducted his jewellery business from there, and was later asked/persuaded to take over from the licensee of the time. More questions that none of you may be able to answer - there were a number of children, one of whom (Samuel) was listed as licensee in a directory for a time before leaving to set up his own jewellery business, so the children had to go to school somewhere. I gather there was a school nearby, but haven't found out anything on it yet.

I live in Australia - my paternal grandfather (the great-grandson of Joseph and Elizabeth through their son John) emigrated here from London with his wife and her family in 1924. I have been to England twice in my life, most recently in April last year, but at the time I didn't know about the Birmingham connection in the family. So - another trip to England is an absolute must! I knew the Stag's Head was put up for sale a couple of years ago, but came to the conclusion that it had been sold and a new owner was operating it. I even have a letter half-written to the managers to ask if they know anything! Perhaps I won't send it.

Sorry this has been a long post - I hope it is all right to do so. I really look forward to some answers, and to perhaps meeting some of you when we eventually come back.

cheers - Lesley

hi lesley a warm welcome dont know about you being excited i am too...great to talk to a rellie of who most likely the first landlord of the stag this is looking at mikes post 3 listing the landlords...cant say for certain but back in those days he is more likely to have owned it..the stag although on the corner with summer lane it would have had the official address of brearley st...in the 1960s there were 16 pubs along summer lane all on corners expect for the vine which had the address of summer lane and the stag was the oldest pub by miles....unfortunately the stag has been closed for some months now the previous owners did not make a go of it so sending that letter would be a waste of time im afraid...with regards schools...what years are you talking about as off hand i cant think of any that were around in the 1840s ??

maybe mike can help you with other parts of your research he is far better than i am at this sort of thing...

dont worry about the length of your post its a great bit of family history you have there....

.have you looked at the national newspaper archives online as there could well be some snippets of info about your rellie and the stag..??

this area is my neck o the woods lesley as i was born just off summer lane...my sister worked at the stag for many years and myself and all my family have spent many a happy hour in there such a shame to see it in the state we find it today...

in case you have not seen the pubs on summer lane thread here is the link to it where i have posted photos of all 15 pubs..
Summer Lane Pubs. (2)

lyn