FULFORD NAME HISTORY
Family motto : ‘Bear Up’ .. could well be ‘Beer Up’ !
An extraordinary surprise emerged that our Fulford family DID NOT originate from Manchester as originally thought.
The origins of our Fulford brewing family appear to lie in Birmingham.
Joseph 1812-1868 (GGGrandfather) was born in Birmingham and only moved to Manchester around 1840.
Research, Tigerlily’s contact with the Birmingham History Forum and a reply from historian ‘OC’ provided a first glimpse into the early Fulford brewing history.
‘Tigers’ GGGGrandfather Joseph Fulford (1812-1865) is my GGGrandfather.
Tigerlily ‘coined the term’ ‘Fulford Brewers’ in 2006 when she requested information from the Birmingham History Forum.
Cromwell (OC) replies to TigerLily on the Birmingham History website.
‘FOUL FORD’
Evidence suggests that the Fulford’s of the North gained their name from ‘Foul Ford’ (1275) (OC).
Names often developed from features of the landscapes where people lived and here the likely origins of the Fulford name is narrowed down to the Stratford rd and a specific crossing at the Cole river in Yardley, Birmingham, Warwickshire.
“Two routes of greatest antiquity, both ridgeways .. poss pre Saxon in use, One of these .. The Stratford rd winds across the level between stream-heads until it must dip to cross the Cole. It makes a sharp bend there to traverse the boggy valley at right-angles before resuming its northwesterly direction. The crossing point may not be the original one: before the bend the road points directly to the Forman’s crossing, sometime ‘foul Ford’. “
At Greet Mill, Stratford rd diverges to cross below the site of the weir, making use of the gravel bed and the customary shallows – but from the 13 th Century there are records of men and horses being swept away there during floods.
No wonder it was named ‘Foul Ford …’
“The Fulford’s took their name from Fole Ford at Greet and in 1290 they were established at Forshaw in Solihull” . Ref OC
Above note the reference to ‘Biddles Hill’ and the connection with Sarehole Mill originally named as ‘Biddles Mill’.
Richard de Fulford (1275) one of the earliest tax payers, paying taxes of 40 shilling a year in 1275.
‘Settlement in South Yardley’- No names for Yardleians earlier than those of the C13-14th have survived. In the earliest tax returns families can be placed as dwellers in the school area, but there were several around it . John and Henry Lowe, Richard de Fulford… in the middle ages Greet was owned by studley manor, while Fulford, Faucmbe, Greethurst, Swanhurst and Sarehole were the property of Maxstoke Priory.
Google map showing the location Forshaw, Fulford Hall Rd and Fulford Hall
Below a reference to ‘Fulford’ land in the Yardley area after the time of King John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) who was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216 and during the time of King Richard II (6 January 1367 – c. 14 February 1400), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, who was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399.
Ref: Geneology.com
Aston & Stoke
“In 20 Conq. Cadie held three parts of a hide in Aston and Stoke of Rob. de Stadford, containing 8 cure cases of land; with woods a furlong in length and breadth, and as much meadowing, all value at 70s. In ye time of King John Rob. de Baskervyle gave half ye town of Aston to ye Abbott and and Convent of Cumbermere who not long after granted a part of it to Geoffrey de Aston, ye son of Geoffrey de Walton, and to Gilbert and John his sons.
This Gilbert was seized of divers other lands in Aston and Walton, which he gave in marriage with Joan his daughter 19 Ed, 1. To Thom. Venables, son of Ric. Venables, younger son of Sir William Venables, kt., Baron Kinderton , whose posterity held lands here, by ye name of ye manor of Aston, till 1 Ric. II., when Thomas Venables dying without issue male, Robert De Wyrall, who had married Agnes his daughter, passed ye third part of ye Manor at Aston, with several lands in Hilderton, Fulford and Sareley (which were of Agnes’s inheritance) to John de Radenhall and others, who (as I take it) conveyed them not long after to John Hinkley of Stoke, Robert de Wyrall and Agnes 21 R. II., quitting to Ye Sid John all their rights and title thereto “
Source: Walter Chetwynd’s, “History of Pirehill Hundred”
Above Staffordshire not Warwickshire at this time.
Worth noting the deeds in 1360 to Yardley Parish (3 fields) there was a grant from William Haukes of Yardley Coupere ? to Agnes daughter of Henry Fulford.… on their marriage.
Ref: aghs.jimdo.com
Medieval Times
By 1300 Yardley’s population was about 500. Most of the folk lived in about four open field systems, Yardley and Lee (Lea Hall) in the north, Tenchley (Stockfield /Acocks Green) and Greet (Sparkhill). But there were by that time many individual asserts which can be located because their owners’ surnames have survived in place-names, or because those who lacked a surname added a known location to baptismal names. Thus we find the Sparks of Sparkhill, The Lowe’s of Lowe (Stoney) Lane and the Pugges of Quagmire farm, formerly Puggemire and taxpayers (de) of Fulford (GroveFarm )… “
FULFORD HALL (GROVE FARM)
“In the 13th C it was recorded that there was a Fulford hall (Grove Farm) just south of Sarehole Mill”.
Ref. billdargue.jimbo.com
“The Fulford Hall (Grove Farm) farmhouse stood off Stratford Rd between Grove and Greswolde rds and is still marked by some tall trees. until 1896 when a Greswold heir sold the land for building to the Freehold land society, one of the earliest building societies.”
Grove Farm was erected perhaps as early as the 14th century, being then called ‘Fulford’ Foul Ford’ hall. A parlour wing was added in about 1600 and a service wing about half a century later.
Photograph @ 1895 of Fulford Hall and thought to be just prior to demolition. A large 4 bay timber framed building perhaps dated back to the 14th Century. A parlour wing was added around 1600 and a service wing a half century later.
The name change from Grove Farm to Fulford Hall is thought to have occurred around 1651.
“Ancient Buildings- of many early houses even the site is lost, notably Greetville- though there may have been a name change as at Fulford, and in fact the site continued in use. We cannot in most cases claim that the buildings which survived into recent times were older than Tudor, but the dwelling sites were much earlier. Swanhurst was a C15th hall, so was Fulford, and probably Ashleigh Grange, Bulley and Sarehole Halls. Swanshurst was added to C16th and 18th, Fulford (Grove) in 1651.”
By the 1540’s the religious houses were dispossessed of their estates and Maxstoke Priory acquired Greethurst, Swanshurst, Sarehole and Fulford. All of its property was taken by the Crown. “
Fulford Hall, later Grove farm, the property of Maxstoke priory was bought by the Gresswolds, at the time of Henry III’s dissolution of the monasteries. The Gresswolds were Lords of Greet Manor and lay rectors of Yardley.
GREET MILL/ SAREHOLE MILL (early name ‘Biddles Mill’ (1775)
All traces of Greet Mill, owned by Greet Manor, which operated for over 600 years on the Cole river have disappeared. The Acocks Green History society states that “By the end of the nineteenth century flood-deposits and nettles hid all traces of the mill, except for a couple of five-foot millstones in the river”.
SAREHOLE MILL
Photograph: Wikipedia
Sarehole Mill, just south of Fulford Hall (Grove Farm ) and close to Greet Mill is now part of the Tolkien Trail.
Sarehole Mill is said to have been J.R.R. Tolkien’s inspiration for the Mill at ‘Hobbiton’ in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ and also the towers used in the J.R.R. Tolkien book, “The Twin Towers”.
Sarehole Mill was originally built in 1542 but the current structure has existed since 1768. It is over 200 years old and one of only two surviving watermills in the city of Birmingham.
Photograph by Jane Fulford
Photograph by Jane Fulford
“Further away, a stream with another mill. I always knew it would go.
Tolkien”
Is the other mill Tolkien refers to Greet Mill and its tower the second tower in ‘The Two Towers’ trilogy ? If so all traces of Greet Mill had disappeared at this time, which leads to the question which was the second tower viewed by Tolkien in his early years ?
PERROTT’S FOLLY
Sarehole Mill tower has been suggested as one of the ‘Two Towers’ in Tolkien’s sequel but there are two other towers in Birmingham which are more likely candidates.
Photograph Wikipedia
Perrott’s Folly built in 1795 by John Perrott is a quirky brick 95 feet high building with 7 storeys. Remarkably, Follett Osler, a keen meteorologist and scientist leased the Folly in 1884 and it became one of the first world’s first weather forecasting observatories known as the Edgbaston Observatory and was in use up until 1979.
Osler was also keen on chronometry and funded the clock tower on Cannon St in 1842. which he set to Greenwich meantime enabling Birmingham to be one of the first towns in the country not set on local time.
“In 1883, he gave a clock and bells for the tower of the new Art Gallery, which was constructed in 1885. This clock, nicknamed Big Brum, subsequently acted as the town’s timepiece, replacing the expensive network of clocks wired around the town.”
Ref: Wikipedia
Photograph : Carl Chin
According to Carl Chins’ article,’Did Perrott build a Monument to love ?’, Perrott may have built the high tower to spy on his lady love who lived in nearby Aston or alternatively to view his wife’s grave which lay nearby in Belbroughton . At the time the folly overlooked Birmingham Heath and Perrott, described as a keen huntsman, may have used the tower to watch his sport. Later it was used as a general observatory.
In 1737 Perrott lived in the lodge of the Heath estate which was renovated and became a grand building called Monument House. The building effected a change of street name from Icknield to Monument Lane and in 1878 changed to Monument Road.
Unable to find photographs of Monument House, the picture by William Williams piques the imagination and offers a possible image of what the grand house may have looked like in its heyday.
Also listed at ‘Mouerment House’ (misspelt) are
WILLIAM FREDRK FULFORD AND FRANCIS FULFORD AT MOUERMENT HSE (Aston) Rootspoint reference.
Nearby the Duke Of Wellington Public house on Monument Rd.
THE WATERWORKS TOWER
Built in 1862, The Waterworks tower gave name to Waterworks Rd, and is thought to be the second tower, inspiring J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘Two Towers’.
THE TWO TOWERS BREWERY
A twist of fate and a miraculous serendipity led to my discovery of Two Towers Brewery whilst having a beer in The Bull Pub. The Bull (formerly The Bulls Head), is one of the ten oldest pubs in Birmingham and was run by John Fulford (1816) Great Great Uncle, between the years 1848 -1878 and John Fulford and son (John (1847) between the years of 1878-1898.
Astonishingly, Two Towers Brewery had been operating just a few weeks previously and for some years, from exactly the same site of which my Great Great Grandfather Joseph Fulford (1812) had been operating his Minerva Brewery in 1841. Furthermore, yet another brewery had now taken up residence at this address, The Burning Soul Brewery !
Midland pubs have listed ;
John Fulford Licensee The Bull Public House 1848-1878
John Fulford and Son 1878-1898
John Fulford 1816 and son operated the Bulls Head during the majority of the Victorian era.
Writing to Peter Fulford (second cousin discovered via ancestral research) following my trip to Birmingham (2018).
THE MINERVA BREWERY
BELOW: Street Map of Mott street and the site of The Minerva Brewery indicated as ‘Malthouse’ and owned and operated by Joseph Fulford (1812) in Mott St. The Minerva Vaults Public house also owned and operated by Joseph at the corner of Mott street and Great Hampton Row as indicated P.H. Marked in red The Vampire a Holt Brewery public house owned and operated by Henry Fulford Great Great Great Uncle and his son Great Uncle Henry Charles Fulford.
THE MINERVA VAULTS c.1825
The Minerva Vaults listed as a landmark on the detailed survey map below
Operating at the same address as Joseph (1812) at his The Minerva Brewery MOTT ST/GREAT HAMPTON ROW as displayed in the
1841 CENSUS (courtesy of Ancestry).
THE VAMPIRE
Marked in red The Vampire a Holt Brewery public house owned and operated by Henry Fulford Great Great Great Uncle and his son Great Uncle Henry Charles Fulford.
THE TWO TOWERS BREWERY Situated at the rear of THE GUNMAKERS ARMS
Photograph by Jane Fulford
Photograph by Jane Fulford
Note the ‘Two Towers’ imagery and the atmosphere of Industrial Birmingham in the signage at the ‘Two Towers Brewery’ entrance.
The pouring of the golden hops into the beer barrel.
Photographs by Jane Fulford
Above a carved feature of the ‘Two Towers’ at the entrance of the brewery undoubtedly portrays both Perrott’s Folly and the Edgebaston Waterworks tower.
Photograph by Jane Fulford : Inside The Two Towers Brewery and below the beer labeling .
Photograph by Jane Fulford
A small sample of the Breweries beers with self portraits of the Brewers on the label !
THE BURNING SOUL BREWERY
Operating at the same address as Joseph (1812) at his The Minerva Brewery MOTT ST/GREAT HAMPTON ROW , The Two Towers Brewery and now currently The Burning Soul Brewery.
FULFORD HALL/ FULFORD HEATH/ FULFORD HALL RD
Photograph by Jane Fulford
Of note, also close to Sarehole mill is Fulford Hall, adjacent to Fulford Heath and off Fulford Hall Rd. An impressive grandiose building which would appear to have a direct connection to the Fulford lineage. However, despite its grade 11 listed status, it is a relative youngster compared to Fulford Hall (Grove farm). A relatively modern addition, the building is more likely to be named after its association with the area rather than a connection to specific Fulford’s living there.
Below photographs by Jane Fulford with kind permission of the current occupiers.
FULFORD HEATH/ FULFORD HEATH GOLF CLUB / FORSHAW HEATH
Seemingly unrelated to specific Fulford families but the naming of the Heath and club giving weight to the Fulford Families presence in the area.
Note how the river Cole transects Fulford Heath Golf club … similarly to ‘Foul Ford’
Photograph by Jane Fulford
THE F***ING FULFORDS
Just to put the record straight there may be a very distant connection but no direct link, as far as I am aware with the Royal descendants and ‘well to do’ Fulford’s of Devon and/or Francis Fulford in The F*** Fulford Cutting Edge Television series.
A few years back, and prior to the making of the Cutting Edge television series, I had the opportunity to attend a wedding at the ‘F***ing Fulford’s stately home. It was the marriage and celebration of friends Keely and Johnny Dunhill (of Dunhill cigarette notoriety).
The Feramones (Rock covers group with an all star lineup of Pete Howarth, The Hollies, Rick Fenn, 10CC, and Alan Park, Cliff Richard’s keyboard player and musical director for thirty years, performing live at the event.
Courtesy of Wikipedia
Great Fulford was an extraordinary landmark and Francis Fulford and his wife Cassandra, a charming and hospitable couple.
Francis expressing with great gusto that,
“We could be related.“.