A Question

This Question from our newest lady member Stirling Single, who is doing very well at learning our ways.

I've been looking at quite a few maps and can't figure out { Gem Street/New Thomas Street } - If you stand on Coleshill Street and go straight up until you come to Vauxhall Street (using Gem Street/New Thomas Street) Sometimes they call it Gem Street and sometimes they call it New Thomas Street. I wondered if the lower half was possibly New Thomas Street and the upper half Gem Street.

Can anyone help. SB

Lynn,

I have never heard Gem St referred to as New Thomas St, but that doesn't mean anything. How far are you going back with these maps? This section of map is cropped from a 1885 map and it is Gem St then was it before that you are looking for.

Perhaps of Mikejee comes on he may know a little more than I do as he is a wizard with maps, among other things. I hope you realise that you have to click on photos & maps to enlarge them.


Phil

I will attempt to answer the question. In 1839 all the street was New Thomas St ( as shown in 1839 map) . By 1841 (1841 Pigotts directory and also on 1851 Tallis map) Gem St referred to the upper part of the street and New Thomas St to the lower part, and this continued till 1872 (Post office directory). However , by 1873 New Thomas St had been incorporated into Gem St (Whites directory). Understanding this is complicated by the fact that the 1866 map (on mapseeker) names Gem st and puts the name correctly on the upper part of the street, but leaves the lower part of the street unnamed. It is not unreasonable for people to assume the whole st is Gem St, but this is not so. Carl Chinn confuses the issue by stating (“The Streets of Brum”) that New Thomas St was changed to Gem St “probably around the time of the building of Corporation St “
I hope that is not too complicated.
mike

Mike,

I do thank-you so much for such a detailed answer. I'd been trying to sort that one out for ages, and then like magic you have sorted it for me.

The Holders Music/Concert Hall that I am interested in was 1846-1863 so now I can refer to it as being on the corner of Coleshill Street and New Thomas Street as it was New Thomas Street throughout that period of time.

Lynn.