Handsworth, West Midlands

Handsworth is an inner city suburb of Birmingham in the West Midlands, England.

As Handsworth Urban District it was part of Staffordshire until incorporated, controversially, into Birmingham Corporation in 1911.

History

The name Handsworth originates from its Saxon owner Hondes and the Old English word weorthing, meaning farm or estate. It was recorded in the Domesday Survey of 1086, as a holding of William Fitz-Ansculf, the Lord of Dudley, although at that time it would only have been a very small village surrounded by farmland and extensive woodland.

From the 13th century through to the 18th century, it remained a small village until Matthew Boulton who lived at the nearby Soho House set up the Soho Manufactory in 1764 on Handsworth Heath. Accommodation was built for the factory workers, the village quickly grew, and in 1851, there were over six thousand people living in the township. Forty years later over thirty-two thousand were counted at the census of 1881, and by 1911, this had more than doubled to 68,610.

The development of the built environment was sporadic and many of Handsworth's streets display a mixture of architectural types and periods - among them some of the finest Victorian buildings in the city. Handsworth has two grammar schools - Handsworth Grammar School for boys and King Edward VI Handsworth Girl's Grammar School. It also contains Handsworth Park completing in 2006 a major restoration, the vibrant shopping of Soho Road, St. Mary's Church, Handsworth containing the remains of the founders of the Industrial Revolution - Watt, Murdoch and Boulton - and the unique bookbindery, source of specialist and antique books about the area - 'Bookbane' - in Nineveh Road.

Birmingham historian Dr.Carl Chinn noted that during WW2 the boundary between Handsworth and the outlying suburb of Handsworth Wood marked the line between being safe and unsafe from bombing, with Handsworth Wood being an official evacuation zone. (ref: Carl Chinn (1996) Brum Undaunted: Birmingham During the Blitz, Birmingham Library Services) During the Second World War, West Indians had arrived as part of the colonial war effort, where they worked in Birmingham munitions factories. Post-war, a rebuilding programme required much unskilled labour and Birmingham's industrial base expanded, significantly increasing the demand for both skilled and unskilled workers. During this time, there was direct recruitment for workers from the Caribbean and the area became a centre for Birmingham's African-Caribbean community.

The West Indian population in Birmingham numbered over 17,000 by the 1961 census count. In addition, during this time, Indians, particularly Sikhs from the Punjab arrived in Birmingham, many of them working in the foundries and on the production lines in motor vehicle manufacturing.

Civil unrest

Although these groups contributed to the local economy, they have suffered much racism and in Handsworth, and neighbouring Lozells, the problems and discontent escalated in September 1985 (an earlier riot took place in 1981). As in many parts of Britain, the conflict between black people in Birmingham and the police was a long-standing one. Blanket raids on black meeting places and a "stop and search" policy increased the tension between the police and the black community.

Many of these problems were focused upon attempts by media regulators continually trying to crush the "free radio" (pirate radio) station PCRL. This Handsworth station specifically catered to the West Indian population and gave voice to discontent. But the station also has a long and continuing history of attempting to provide not only a media outlet for alternative points of view, but support for a cottage industry of self-help programmes. PCRL carried programs that attempted to focus US media attention on the problems faced by PCRL and the West Indian community in Handsworth.

After the Handsworth riots caused a huge publicity shock to world perception of British toleration, the heavy handed approach on the community was slackened, although a weakened PCRL remained unlicensed. Local government was forced into building new community relations as a way of managing both racial and cultural differences. Encouragement was provided by arts organisation like West Midlands Ethnic Minority Arts Service and private groups such as Shades of Black, which works closely with the community and is still going strong today.

Musical legacy

Handsworth has produced some notable musical acts: Steel Pulse, Joan Armatrading, Benjamin Zephaniah, Apache Indian, Musical Youth, Ruby Turner and Bhangra group B21.

In addition, progressive rock drummer Carl Palmer was born here.

Events

Handsworth Park has hosted numerous events: The Birmingham Tattoo, The Birmingham Festival (both originally called Handsworth- rather than Birmingham-) and the Flower Show, and in 1967 The Birmingham Dog Show. The Handsworth Carnival grew out of the Flower Show and Carnival; Caribbean style carnivals began in Handsworth Park, in 1984, with a street procession via Holyhead Road. In 1994 the carnival was held in Handsworth Park for the last time. The following year it was moved from the park out onto the streets of Handsworth, since which time it has been known as the Birmingham (International) Carnival. In 1999, it was again held in a park, but this time in Perry Barr Park. Handsworth Park also hosts an annual Vaisakhi Mela.

External links

References

Simon Baddeley (1997) The Founding of Handsworth Park 1882-1898, Birmingham University (s.j.baddeley@bham.ac.uk)

Carl Chinn (1996) Brum Undaunted: Birmingham During the Blitz, Birmingham Library Services

Peter Drake (1998) Handsworth, Hockley, & Handsworth Wood, Tempus, Stroud, Glos

Allen E Everitt (1876) Handsworth Church and its Surroundings, E.C. Osborne, Birmingham

Frederick William Hackwood (1908) Handsworth: Old & New: A History of Birmingham's Staffordshire Suburb, (re-published: A & B Books, Warley, West Midlands 0121-558-6984)

John Morris Jones (1980) The Manor of Handsworth: An Introduction to its Historical Geography, with amendments by “Friends of Handsworth Old Town Hall” 1969. Handsworth Historical Society

Handsworth General Purposes & other Committees - Minute Book 1880A, Handsworth Local Sanitary Board, Birmingham City Council Central Library Archives, ref: BCH/AD 1/1/1

Handsworth & Birmingham newspaper cuttings collected and arranged by G.H. Osborne between approx. 1870 and 1900, Birmingham City Council Central Library Archive ref: L.f30.3

Victor J.Price (1992) Handsworth Remembered, Studley:Brewin Books

Areas of Birmingham, England