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History of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham

Welcome to the Historic Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham , England.
The “Workshop of the World” began and is still continuing in the Jewellery Quarter, located in Birmingham's North-West region just inside the city centre. 300 years of highly skilled jewellery makers, silver and goldsmiths have made the thriving Hockley area into the jewel of Birmingham’s’ crown. In fact Prince Charles commissioned his 1969 Prince of Wales investiture crown here using pioneering electroforming silver techniques. The engagement and wedding ring, mecca began to flourish following the Australian and USA gold rushes in the 19th century.

In 1746 Ann Colmore started selling plots of land from her Newhall family estate hence the name “Colmore Row” in the city centre and “Newhall Street”. Sir Howard Vyse also owned much of the other surrounding area, creating Vyse Street and other streets in the area named after his children e.g. Fredrick Street , the area would eventually become the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter.

The village atmosphere is retained in the tightly packed street layout as the trade grew from a largely Jewish residential area, slowly turned into workshops and retail from the converted large houses.

The jewellery trade developed around the Vyse St and Warstone lane area, with wealthy factory owners eventually developing the St Paul's Church area as the leafy residential area adjacent to the main Jewellery Quarter. This area too eventually became converted to workshops and factories as the district developed at a huge rate.

Even up to 100 years ago the Jewellery Quarter employed up to 20,000 skilled craftsmen and women. The shopping area now in existence is a recent development over the last 50 years as the area became derelict due to recession and decline. War bomb damage and clearance led to a rebirth of the area with modern retail and workshop developments but tastefully keeping the best of the flamboyant architecture of the industrious past.

John Baskervile and the Warstone Lane Cemetry

The original vaults and catacombs built into the former sandpit contain some of the most infamous Birmingham businessmen, including the inventor of the printing typeface, John Baskerville.

Born in 1706, John Baskerville eventually married and developed a hugely successful manufacturing business with his wife. In addition to this he printed on an industrial scale using his print type face. His business supplied a huge quantity of literature including bibles of the finest quality.

Baskerville House now stands on the land that he called “Easy Hill” in Broad Street.

St Paul's Square

The southern side of Jewellery Quarter is the exclusive location for trendy wine bars, restaurants and sought after city living executive apartments.

St Paul’s Church and grounds are in the centre of the square with Ludgate Hill, Water Street and Fleet Street intersecting. St Paul’s Square was built in 1779 and was originally part of the Colmore family’s “Newhall Estate”. It was built to be a desirable residential area with elegant brickwork and architecture.

Over time, the area fell into industrial use and later disrepair until the late 80’s. In recent times the area has developed into back into its original affluence with art galleries including oil painting exhibitions of Birmingham scenes by leading artist James Lewis

Birmingham Assay Office

The Birmingham Assay office was granted permission to hallmark local silver from 1824.

The anchor was chosen for Birmingham and the crown for Sheffield silver. Prior to this, all silver was hallmarked in London.

The campaign to establish the silver marks outside London was inspired from meetings at the "Crown and Anchor” Inn in the Strand, it is comforting to know that beer had a role to play in the history of the Jewellery Trade!

The Victoria Works

Located on the corner of Vittoria Street and Fredrick Street, The Victoria Works was a glistening example in its time of a purpose built factory in the 1830’s.

Joseph Gillot was one of the wealthiest businessmen in the area, developing a machine manufactured production line for pens. The building was designed on a grand scale.

The Works building now has been subdivided into a variety of industrial workshops office and retail units.

The Birmingham Mint

The Original Birmingham (Soho) Mint in 1786 was established in what was the Soho countryside on the outskirts of “Birmingham village” in a purpose built factory and housing for the workforce.

Matthew Bolton – one of the great industrialists of the industrial revolution, created steam powered presses to stamp coinage rather than the time consuming method by hand.

Joseph Gibbins worked with Matthew Boulton to supply the copper for the national mint. Increasing demand for distinctive legitimate coinage drove the enterprise that sparked the creative minds of the first English industrial entrepreneurs.

James Watt was working closely with Boulton at the time and the Newcomen steam engine was developed and drove the industrial revolution and the advancement of the British Commonwealth around the world.

The Ardent Works

Situated on the corner of Fredrick Street and Legge Lane, the exotic building was built in 1863 to house a pen and pencil manufacturing business.

The design was ahead of its time due to the fire-proof hollow bricks that make the floors. These have wrought iron ties that pass through them thus making the weight bearing capacity much greater than previous methods of construction. The building also used to house a lavish Turkish bath for the hard working employees!

The building is now called the Ardent Centre and has been subdivided into office and workshop units. The Pen Museum is located on the ground floor.

The Chamberlain Clock

The Chamberlain Clock is the iconic landmark centrepiece of the Jewellery Quarter.

The historic clock tower is centrally located at the crossroads of Warstone Lane, Vyse St and Fredrick St. It is dedicated to the Memory of the Right Hon MP Joseph Chamberlain who was the West Birmingham MP in the 1890’s and a former resident of Fredrick Street! He is fondly remembered as the saviour of the Quarter because he managed to abolish “plate duties” - a tax aimed at jewellers and silversmiths at a time when the trade was in decline.

The clock was officially unveiled in 1904. The clock fell fate to economic decline as did the area, but was refurbished over 20 years ago and chimes to an electric mechanism rather than the original wind up mechanics of old.

The Midland Bank

In connection Charles Geach – formally a clerk with the Bank of England, Gibbins from the mint in 1891 created the London and Midland Bank

This bank was taken over many times and later became the Midland Bank, now amalgamated into the HSBC.

The Big Peg

A “Peg” is the term jewellers call their workbench.

Following urban clearance and bomb damage after World War Two, the Big Peg was built. Originally named the “Hockey Centre" in 1960, it was designed and became a shining example of a modern forward looking flatted factory for jewellers and artists.

Today it is a thriving hub of jewellers, designers, media, arts and other creative businesses in a light and spacious purpose built environment.