Handsworth Old Town Hall by G Warren Blackham

Description:This painting shows the Old Town Hall as it appeared in 1840. The hall has been used as a workhouse, a lock-up and a parish office, for at least a century and a half. Described in 1709 as a messuage, and tenement, known as the Town Hall.

Mr needham who was living there in 1809 was parish clerk, parish constable, coroners officer, recruiting officer and workhouse master. Joe Chillingworth was the last parish constable to live there. He arrested the forger William Booth at Great Barr in 1812.



The 3 cottages which constituted the Old Town Hall were scheduled for demolition under a slum-clearance order about 15 years ago. To prevent this the Birmingham Archaeological Society purchased the building and restored it. Restoration consisted of complete gutting - leaving only timber-framework. Around this, the building was reconstructed using original materials as far as possible. It was converted to 2 cottages and given to Birmingham City Council. The oldest part of the building is said to date from before 1500. The house has been much altered, for example the chimney stack and brick filling date from c 1625. The crucks are prominent features of the East and West walls. In other walls timber framework is partially exposed. One of the cottages is now occupied by Handsworth Historical Society who hold regular open days there.

George Warren Blackham was working between 1870 and 1900. He was a member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists and exhibited 41 paintings. These included Birmingham street scenes, landscapes and rural scenes. He lived in Hunter's Lane, Handsworth.