| Description | Prior to 1836, the area of King's Norton Union contained one workhouse for each of the parishes of King's Norton, Northfield, Harborne and Edgbaston. These dated from the eighteenth century, and continued to be used up until the creation of King's Norton Union. In 1868, land was purchased for the construction of a new union workhouse at Selly Oak, on what later became Raddlebarn Road. The work was completed in July 1872, inmates were transferred, and the old workhouse in King's Norton sold. Further building work was carried out in 1901 and 1908, extending the premises, and after the combining of King's Norton and Birmingham Unions in 1912, the building became known as Birmingham Union Workhouse. In 1922 it became Selly Oak Hospital.
The Library of Birmingham holds a large collection of material from Selly Oak Hospital (ref. HC SO). Material relating to children's homes within King's Norton Union can be found at GP KN/2/6 in the minutes of the Cottage Homes Committee, and in BCC/10/BCH/2, records of Shenley Fields Cottage Homes, although many of these volumes are currently closed to the public. Please consult the duty archivist for further details. |