Billesley Hall Farm, Birmingham

[Keitht]

Does anyone know anything of the history of Billesley Hall Farm, Springfield Road, Moseley, which ceased to function as a farm in 1892 when its land was leased to those who, by 1898, were able to found Moseley Golf Club?

The golf club's history is well documented but I can find no reference to the farm other than those relating to the club.

[AlanBoyd]

In the 1881 census there is George Frederick Whitehouse, 80 acres Billesley Hall Farm

In 1871 he is a farmer at Billesley, same acreage (but not named as Billesley Hall Farm)

In 1861 he is at Billesley Hall

iIn 1851 he is at Billesley Hall, 70 acres

He died in 1886, so it seems that George Frederick Whitehouse farmed there from before 1851 until his death. His probate says 'late of Billesley Hall Kings Heath’, states that he was 'gentleman' and that he left £4,451 15s 1d.

Unfortunately there is no tithe map for the corresponding parish so I can't check the status of the site at that time for earlier ownership.

[hanes teulu]

Aris's Birmingham Gazette, 7 Feb 1853

[hanes teulu]

Aris's Birmingham Gazette, 25 Mar 1844
Yardley Inclosure

[AlanBoyd]

Yes, the 1853 entry puzzled me, and now you have forced me to look into it. In looking at ‘Billesley Hall” newspaper hits I had already spotted that there is another Billesley, not far away, just west of Stratford-on-Avon. I have now found an 1851 census entry for a George Rowley, a farmer of 183 acres at that Billesley.

I agree that the other find is the correct Billesley, and I had hoped to tie that one down using the tithe map.

[AlanBoyd]

Looking at the Inclosure article I see that John Taylor Esq.  is mentioned several times. There seems to have been a large landowner in the area, John Taylor of Strensham Court who was lord of the manor of Yardley, and who paid for a church built at Yardley Wood. I suspect that this is the man, but he wouldn’t have been the farmer at Billesley I guess.

Added: The Taylor family also owned Moseley Hall.

More added: John Taylor Esq died in 1848, so perhaps there was a lot of selling off of property, including Billesley Hall, King’s Heath.

[Keitht]

The wonders of RootsChat! Thank you all for the information you've provided, it gets me started on a quest I had thought was going nowhere.

John Taylor did indeed own huge swathes of land and buildings in that general area so it's probable that he leased Billesley Hall Farm for many years. He and his family left the UK for South Africa in 1913, when his entire estate was put up for auction. I've owned  a copy of the auction catalogue for several years but haven't consulted it for at least the last ten years. I don't, though, remember it containing any reference to either Billesley Hall Farm or Moseley Golf Club, which suggests that the land had passed out of his ownership some time earlier.

John Taylor was also a founder of Taylor and Lloyd, the banking group which ultimately became Lloyds Bank. His church at Yardley Wood, Christ Church, was completed in 1849 and intended to serve as a chapel of ease to St Edbugha's, Yardley.

[Keitht]

From the 1851 and 1861 census returns George's father Daniel, whose address is given only as Kings Heath is described as a retired farmer, suggesting that he had run the farm before handing it on to George.

[BushInn1746]

Owned by James Taylor according to Catalogue descriptions (mid 19th Century).

Birmingham City Archives
https://calmview.birmingham.gov.uk/calmview/Overview.aspx

Taylor of Moseley & Strensham: estate and family papers

MS 3378/3/2/9
Billesley Hall Farm.
https://calmview.birmingham.gov.uk/calmview/TreeBrowse.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&field=RefNo&key=MS+3378%2f3%2f2%2f9

12th November 1849
Valuation of the Billesley Hall Farm in the parish of Yardley, belonging to James Taylor, esq., in the occupation of Alfred Greaves. Plan.
MS 3378/3/2/9/426771
Finding Number [DV 546a] 426771

1st April 1850
Schedule of lands in Billesley Hall Farm in the parish of Yardley belonging to James Taylor, esq., as let to Mr. Thomas Chilwell. Plan.
MS 3378/3/2/9/426772
Finding Number [DV 546a] 426772

Some documents were stored off site and required advance notice, when the Archives moved to the last new Library building.
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Taylor of Moseley (search 1750 to 1950)
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_ep=Taylor%20of%20Moseley&_dss=range&_sd=1750&_ed=1950&_ro=any&_st=adv

Researchers of a particular named property will usually find these named in the Family Estate documents such as:-
Leases
Surveys
Rentals
Accounts (sometimes or by Tenant's name)
Arrears Book (by Tenant's name)
Repairs

If the property was Copyhold, transfers at the Manor Court are usually in the Manor Rolls or Court Rolls. Some Manors with Copyhold properties had a Copyhold Book and / or a Fines Book. The Fine (relating to property) was a percentage of the value.
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Because they were linked to Strensham in Worcestershire, documents may be at other archives

Taylor of Strensham
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_ep=Taylor%20of%20Strensham&_dss=range&_sd=1750&_ed=1950&_ro=any&_st=adv

Google snippet ...
James Taylor of Moseley Hall & Moor Green, Sheriff (b 28.01.1783, d 08.10.1852) had issue. m1. (06.12.1814) Louisa Skey (d 18.03.1822, dau/coheir of Samuel ...