Midlander William’s
STAYING with the family history theme, we now turn our attention to a local history legend. for those of you who enjoy the subject - and especially those who are well-read – we have some wonderful old photographs of the one and only Rev. W.T. Bulpit, the great Lancashire antiquarian, historian and author, school-builder, much-respected Crossens and Banks village vicar and, family man.
For those not aware of him, William T. Bulpit M.A., (1841-1914), the rather autocratic clergyman turned amateur historian was, by profession, a Church of England clergyman but, he was so much more; he made an impressive contribution to the study of the area’s history and, together with the likes of Edward Bland and William Ashton, was one of the pioneers in the historical study of North Meols – including that new town called Southport.
Plans for two churches
The Rev. W.T. Bulpit, originally from the West Midlands, became known and much loved, as the Vicar of Banks and then Crossens, but his first ecclesiastical role was in fact at Holy Trinity Church – but more of that next week.
What isn’t readily known is the early life of William Thomas Bulpit, so the History Hunters did some digging!
William’s early life
At a quick glance we can trace the Rev. Bulpit back six generations to mid-17th century Hampshire farmers, but William Thomas Bulpit was born and raised in Birmingham, Warwickshire.
Born February 17 1841 at 10 Livery Street, Birmingham, William was the second eldest child (of six) of 37 yearold publican, Thomas John William Bulpit (1804-1868), of East Woodhay, Hants., and 29 year-old Dublin-born Sarah Lancaster (1812-1888).
William’s birth was registered by his mother and he was within a group of seven children all baptised on March 11 at St. Philip’s Cathedral, Birmingham, although his father’s occupation was then given as ‘Coachman.’
William’s mother, Sarah, was the daughter of Mary Ann Wigglesworth (1792-1870) and Yorkshireman, Thomas Lancaster (1784-1851), an ironmonger in Leeds, and of the Dragoon Guards, who fought in the Battle of Waterloo.
Sarah was the eldest of nine children (but four died at birth).
The 1841 Census finds William as a three-month old baby; his father wasn’t at home at Livery Street (listed in the St. Paul’s Ecclesiastical District), but his Irish mother, 25 year-old Sarah, was recorded as a Provisions Dealer; George appears to be three years old, and there is a 15 year-old Harriet Lancaster, possibly Sarah’s younger sister, maybe a servant.
The 1848 and 1852 trade directories record T.J.W. Bulpit at the Horse and Groom under inns and taverns, but with a number change – 28 Livery Street, whilst the 1851 Census showed William as a 10 year-old when his father, Thomas, was the 44 year-old licensed victualler at this beerhouse, in the St. Martin’s ecclesiastical district of Birmingham, and his wife was recorded as 31 or 37 years old.
The ages don’t tally too well. William was the second eldest of five children, the others being George (16); Emila (8); Frederick (5), all scholars; and Alfred (2). Also living with them was a lodger, 31-year old Charles Hooper, a basket-maker, and they had one domestic servant, 21-year old Ann George.
Livery Street
Livery Street, in the Jewellery Quarter, apparently took its name from Swann’s Riding Academy built nearby in the mid-1780s, and is said to be the longest street in the whole of Birmingham.
A local expression saying someone has ‘a face as long as Livery Street’ means they look really miserable.
Steven Spielberg used the street for filming a car chase for his recent sci-fi thriller movie Ready Player One.
Queen’s Scholar
Educated at Queen’s College, Birmingham, William Bulpit received a Theological Prizeman Award, after the 18-year old had been presented with an ornate wooden box to commemorate his first year as a pupil-teacher in Birmingham, in 1859.
Then, the 1861 Census shows William Bulpitt – with two ts – as a 20-year old Queen’s Scholar attending Worcester Diocesan Training College – ‘Students in training for the profession of Elementary Teacher.’
William was one of 40 students here (plus five others there as Private Students), all resident in the sleepy hamlet of Saltley (now an inner-city business area east of the city centre), then within the parish of Aston, in Warwickshire, and part of the Adderley family estate.
The Principals were William and Emily Gover, he was a 45 year-old from Winchester, and his wife a 31 year-old British subject from Macao, the mother of their five children, all under five-years old.
It was designed by a Gothic Revival architect Benjamin Ferrey, and built in a Tudor Revival architecture style format of a University of Oxford college, created around a quadrangle. It initially housed only 30 trainee teachers when it opened in 1852; a year later it had two classrooms, one master and 185 boys, and a new schoolroom was added in 1871, numbers peeked at nearly 500.
It quickly developed to become a very successful teacher training college and school housing 300 students; unfortunately, it had to close in 1941 after being severely damaged by a Luftwaffe bomb.
The college reopened as St. Peter’s College until it closed in 1978 to become part of Aston University. Today the building encompasses sheltered housing, meeting rooms and council facilities.
Marriage and children
With his training over 22-year old William married 20-year old Ann Bonehill Wilmcote (1843-1925), of Stratford-on-Avon, on November 12 1863, at St. Barnabus Church, Birmingham, a marriage performed by Seneca W. Winter, with two witnesses Emily Bulpitt (his sister) and a friend, Henry Tomes.
Ann gave birth to seven children in total, but unfortunately two died at birth, and one of them cannot be traced.
Frederick William (1864-1885) died in Ormskirk, in the July, at just 21