A West Midlands Lad

I have already posted under Worcestershire that both sides of my family originate from that county – or more accurately via it. I did also confide that for almost all of the 20th Century, Warwickshire played a much bigger part, Birmingham in particular. In truth a better way of putting it would be to use the modern label of West Midlands. That far better describes my line of heritage.

Researching back in the 19th Century - the 1841-1891 Censuses in particular – family residences were to be found primarily in either Warwickshire or Worcestershire. However as I no sooner settled on one, it would change to the other, or even be encompassed within the neighbouring county of Staffordshire, or even Shropshire. It soon became clear that apart from a central core –that was always Birmingham (under one parish or another) – others would be labelled according to its current boundary definition.

By far the most important of the Warwickshire generic areas was Aston. This covered a multitude of parishes, including (but not confined to): Castle Bromwich, Bordesley, Deritend, Duddeston, Erdington, Saltley & Witten. Almost all would be swept up in one way or another as a District of Birmingham; but until that happened they all came under Aston. Even when it became part of the City it was still used as a generic area label, mainly for northern Birmingham. Of course it was also a parish in its own right – as evidence Aston Villa – but historically its importance lay with its historic base.

To a lesser degree this also applied to Kings Norton, another generic label, although it never seemed to make its mind up whether it was Warwickshire (as it historically should have been) or Worcestershire when boundary changes decreed it to be the Registration district for many Worcestershire Villages and southern parts of Birmingham. Kings Norton like Aston is today an active parish of Birmingham.

City of Birmingham
Birmingham was granted City status in 1889 by Queen Victoria and from this point onwards began to expand and incorporate parishes that had previously been part of Aston, Kings Norton and some traditionally Staffordshire areas. 1909 saw major boundary changes and again in 1911. The last significant changes occurred between the periods 1928 through 1931.

Up until 1891 I could safely rely on finding ancestors under both Warwickshire & Worcestershire with the odd one or two under Staffordshire or Shropshire. After that it became more regularised and certainly by 1901/1911 they would be shown under Birmingham. There were exceptions living ‘out in the sticks’ which meant the ‘Bard’ territory like Stratford or Leamington or ‘Garden’ territory like Evesham or Worcester. And not forgetting ‘Black Country’ territory which came under Staffordshire or Shropshire.

Things would not largely change until the momentous decision in 1974 to create the Metropolitan County of WEST MIDLANDS. This took in parts of Staffordshire, Warwickshire & Worcestershire and had 7 metropolitan boroughs: the City of Birmingham; City of Coventry; City of Wolverhampton as well as Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull & Walsall. Each a unitary authority in its own right. The term West Midlands is therefore best regarded as a Region, postal or otherwise.

So instead of striding the two camps – Warwickshire & Worcestershire – I prefer to refer to my origins as being the West Midlands and a ‘Brummie’ to boot; even if it has been 50 years since I lived on home turf.

 

I have added a posting 'WARTIME BOMBING OF BIRMINGHAM -the untold story' under GROWING UP AFTER THE WAR in this Forum which may be of interest under this heading also.

 

Very interesting Bob, and as a London girl I've added the header to London resources hoping to spark some lively conversation.