1. The manor house that never was George Demidowicz 28 February 2015
‘Selly Manor’
The manor house that never was
George Demidowicz
28 February 2015

3. The original site in Bournbrook Road

4. c.1898
c s

5. ∎

6. Owner: Edward Waldron

7. David Owen sold the estate to Edward Waldron before 1827
Abstract of Title to the Selly Grove estate Birmingham Archives 23/24 June Rev John Berry sells to David Owen a new house [Selly Grove] and ‘an old half timbered house’ with six closes: The White Moor The moor The Hill The Hanging Close Slough and The middle leasow containing 31a 1r 4p
David Owen sold the estate to Edward Waldron before 1827

8. Grant of six leases from John Gower 24 October 1597

9. [A lease of ] ‘the site of Manor or place where the Mansion house or site of the manor of Selly….did sometimes stand and now commonly called the Hallonde [Hall Land] Orchard leased by William Gower and Eleanor his wife, father and mother of John Gower….subsequently leased to William Pritchett alias Cowper, yeoman and Isabella his wife, and Michael, their son on 11 March 1595’

11. Northfield Court 10 October 1796

12. Court roll 10 Oct 1796 reciting
the will of John Allen, gent, formerly of Exeter Row [B’ham] but then of Selly Hill in the parish Northfield [12 Sept 1791] bequeaths to his nephew, the Rev John Berry, dissenting minister at Romsey, Co Hants: six closes lying together on the right-hand side of the road leading from Birmingham by a place called Bourn Brook towards Kings Norton being part of his farm called Selly Hill Farm in the parish of Northfield, now held by David Owen, builder under a lease for a term of 120 years from the 25 March [1791] at the yearly rent of £46
…and nine closes on left hand side of the road and a new erected messuage [Selly Hill House] bequeathed to his cousin Benjamin Allen

14. 26 Oct 1776 Noble Reeve to John Allen a messuage and land …containing 65 acres…being part of the demesne lands of the Manor of Selley…sometime the land of Agnes Jenettes, afterwards John Pritchetts, afterwards Thomas Halls and afterwards George Larkins, afterwards William Lilley and since Noble Reeve
5 Oct 1744 John Worsey to George Larkin
9 Oct 1741 Thomas Hall to John Worsey, husband of his daughter Eleanor…messuage and 65 acres…one time the land of
Agnes Jennettes Court of Survey 2 Henry VI [1423-4]
then Barnbrook Rental 1549
then Gowers and Andrews 4 Edward VI [ ]
then John Pritchett 22 James I [ ]
late John Pritchett Court Rolls 1700 and 1734

15. Deed 20 August 1602

16. 20 Aug 1602 William Pritchett of Northfield yeoman [conveys]
to named trustees…messuages and lands acquired from
Thomas Chaunce and Robert Gower on 26 Oct 1601 including:
a messuage in the tenure of Felice Setterforde, widow, now or
late called Smythes Tenement and closes…called hanging closes,
myddle leasowe, the hill, the Rowghe, Whitmarshe, the Stockinge,
being together between:
A highway leading from Kings Norton to Selly, a river or water
called Selly Bourne, a lane called hatherley lane, the land of
William Androwes, gent. called hatherley landes and a lane
called Well lane…..
and a messuage called Bailyes tenement [with land described on
opposite side of the lane from Kings Norton to Selly]

18. A 16th century abstract of title of Selly deeds in the Jervoise collection, at the National Archives, Kew London

19. 25 March William Jenette grants to John Othe’feild and Thomas his son Bayleys tenement and Smythes tenement
28 June 1561 William Gower grants lease of Smethes tenement
to John Seterford and William Prytchett

20. Will of William Pritchett 2 April 1605 The National Archives bequeaths to his two sons, John and Michael, his lands and tenements…lately purchased off Thomas Chaunce…John is to choose ‘one of the two mansion houses oneley called Holders and Smithes,’ leaving the other to his brother. William, yeoman, the new owner of the Smiths and Bayleys tenements is buried at Northfield church on 8 April 1605

21. Will of Felice/Phyllis Setterford 23 February 1608 Worcester Record Office

22. Inventory of Felice/Phylis Setterford 29 June 1608 Worcester Record Office

23. The rooms at Smythes tenement listed in Felice Setterford’s inventory, 2 July 1608 in the hall in the buttery in parlour in the coffer there in the cupboard in an other coffer in the other cupboard in the press in the buttery in the parlour in the chamber over the same buttery in the chamber over the parlour in the chamber over the entry and the hall in the entry in the kitchen in the dayhouse cattle and corn total value £69 8s 5d

25. [A lease of ] ‘the site of Manor or place where the Mansion house or site of the manor of Selly….did sometimes stand and now commonly called the Hallonde [Hall Land] Orchard leased by William Gower and Eleanor his wife, father and mother of John Gower….subsequently leased to William Pritchett alias Cowper, yeoman and Isabella his wife, and Michael, their son on 11 March 1595’

26. 20 Aug 1602 all those closes of grounde… between…
20 Aug 1602 all those closes of grounde… between….Selly Grove, the water called Stretley Brooke, the lane called Sloughe lane…now or late called hall landes….now or late in tenure of Felice Setterford…

29. The ditch c. 1890

32. Birmingham Daily Post 9 July 1895 Letter from Frank S Pearson ‘I have every reason to believe that the cottages your correspondents mention were formerly the manor house or hall of the manor of Selly...It would, I fear, take far too much of your space to trace the facts of the manor of Selly…and the reason for the belief that the cottages are the old manor hall…I cannot at the moment find the entry…but I believe about the year six of Henry VI [ ] the hall was reported in a ruinous condition and that Thomas Jonettes built a new house altogether…if there are any ancient deeds to the property, they might throw some light on the matter…’

33. ‘Selly Manor’ should now be properly known as Smythes tenement or Selly Hill House or the Rookery (cottages) an important example of a medieval yeoman’s house