Home > Warwickshire > Birmingham > B5 > Hope & Anchor Hope & Anchor
Picture source: David Gray
The Hope & Anchor was situated on Canal Street, at the junction with New Bartholomew Street and Fazeley Street. This pub closed in the 1930s and was recently used as a warehouse.
It was being run in 1911 by Alfred Henry Wright born about 1878 /80-, though when he answers the Call to Arms on 1st September 1914 , Alfred gives his age as 24 years and 13 days. He was a Hairdresser/ Barber from Curzon Street .. and no doubt like many young men of the day saw running a Public House was a good form of ensuring prosperity He married Mabel Annie Troth in 1898 and they had one son and two daughters. Mabel sadly was admitted to City Asylum on 22 December 1909 and died there on 10th January 1910 ( Her mother had been admitted to the same Institution on February 14th, 1898 and died there on 1st March 1898...again, a very rapid decease.....) Airgun shooting competitions were one of the sports run from the premises.. which was ideally set in an industrialized area of many many little factory units and lodging houses. This shopping skill may have influenced his being allocated to the Rifle Brigade in 1914.. Sadly, Alfred perished on September 15th 1916. dying from wounds - and guardianship of his son and one daughter was given to his mother Sarah Ann of 52 Lily Road South Yardley who was given the war Department Pension of 7/- per week for each as' Motherless Children' The Troth and Wright Family remained close - as the Census and Trade directories show the members of the family working or residing with each other. Indeed Alfred's older brother Edward married Mabel's sister Alice Ellen and they looked after the other daughter who was 'incapacitated' , until her death in 1942 Running of the Pub was taken over until the late 20's by family members The Pub had a chequered history with the police challenging the license on a few occasions - nothing new with Birmingham pubs of the time!
Margaret Carr (March 2021)
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Other Photos
Date of photo: 1841	Picture source: Jenni Last