The Rise (and fall) of Crank Hall
Research and photographs compiled by MAUREEN ANN HUNT and WENDY PRIEST
An article entitled; ‘SOME OLD WEST BROMWICH WATERING HOLES’ appeared in the Black Country Bugle on 7th September 2022 stating that, ‘the pub is still serving today‘. In actual fact, Friar Park Inn on Crankhall Lane had ceased trading by April 2022.
The history of this ‘Watering hole’ has, in fact, a rich and varied history. During the research of the Friar Park area as a whole, it was discovered that this very building was, in fact, the site of CRANK HALL.
CRANK HALL was built way before its appearance on the Yate’s map of 1775 and if some of the features, both inside and out, are looked at, they give credence to the age of the building.
The exterior still has Elizabethan style chimney stacks.
The OVOLO mouldings of the window frames shown on the 1919 picture, show that the building pre dates the 1700s.
The interior has remains of very elaborate old style brickwork, in the stables and outbuildings, plus the fireplaces, stone flooring and bell push in the main building.
The history of this site (and lands) was originally part of the WARNER family fortune and were mentioned in the 1725 will of a RICHARD WARNER, whose wife Mary inherited ‘LANDS AND PROPERTY AT WEST BROMWICH’.
When Richard and Mary’s son, also named RICHARD WARNER, died, his only heir, a daughter by the name of KITTY WARNER took possession of this property as part of her inheritance.
It was on the 12th July, 1763, that KITTY married JERVOISE CLARKE and they had three sons in quick succession. THOMAS CLARKE (born 1765), ROBERT CLARKE (born 1767), and SAMUEL CLARKE (born 1770).
But just two years after the birth of her youngest son, KITTY CLARKE (nee WARNER) died. She was buried on the 6th March, 1772 in All Saints churchyard, West Bromwich. It was at this point in time, that all of the Warner inheritances passed into the JERVOISE coffers.
As the eldest two of Kitty’s sons were both declared ‘Lunatics’, it was the youngest of the sons that applied to take over the inheritance, but because there were some long standing ‘disputes’ in the JERVOISE family, all this property was taken into CHANCERY.
An explanation of how this came about, is contained within ‘A HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE, by Baugh, Greenslade and Johnson, which give the following information, re the JERVOISE CLARKES. Taxes and rates were ‘due’ from Bromwich Hall and its demesne lands, and so, in 1716 it was resolved that the Land Tax and Parish officers should put the Hall and lands up for sale, in order to collect what was owing to them, and in 1720 the Hall and 1,596 acres was sold to a London merchant, by the name of SAMUEL CLARKE.
SAMUEL took great interest in his ‘new’ acquisition and began to stock the gardens with many varieties of fruit trees. His wife, MARY, was a descendant of the JERVOISES, who had held the Over-Lordship since the 16th century.
The marriage between SAMUEL CLARKE and MARY ELIZABETH JERVOISE took place on the 5th August 1729, and it would be their son JERVOISE CLARKE born in 1743, that would succeed his father, upon his death in 1767.
(It was not until 1777, in compliance with the will of his maternal grandfather, Thomas Jervoise, that JERVOISE CLARKE added Jervoise to the family name, i.e. he then became known as Jervoise, Clarke, Jervoise). JERVOISE CLARKE married KITTY WARNER on 12th July, 1763, and from that time onwards the property of the Warner family, including CRANK HALL, became embroiled within the Chancery system, by way of the JERVOISE name.
A list of ‘papers’ relating to the property are held at the William Salt Library and contain Leases and Abstracts of Title dating from 1808, which was the year in which their eldest son, THOMAS CLARKE JERVOISE, died, declared mad. It was not until 1823 that the property of ‘CRANK HALL’ was eventually sold under a Chancery order dated the 5th July, 1823.
The 1808 Counterpart Lease concerns unidentified messuage, occupied by a Joseph Fernyhough (the Lessee) and five parcels of land plus outbuildings, and various ‘rights’. The (lessor) is given as THOMAS CLARKE JERVOISE.
The Abstract of Title, and the Lease in 1823 gives information about the sale of CRANK HALL. This was by way of JERVOISE & JERVOISE (Testators) and ROBERT CLARKE and others (Def). The sum of £921-18 was paid by a JOSEPH SPITTLE………to the credit of the house of JERVOISE V CLARKE, through the account of the Court of Chancery.
At the time of the 1836-1845 Tithe Map and Awards, JOSEPH SPITTLE was still the owner of the HALL, and its adjoining land. The occupier was a William Mason. As on the 1775 Yates map, these tithe maps clearly identify the name of this building as being that of CRANK HALL.
At the time of the 1841, 1851, and 1861 census, JOSEPH SPITTLE was still the owner. The 1851 census lists a Thomas Poulton as being in residence and states that he was a ‘farmer & victualler’. 1861, with Thomas Poulton still residing there, now includes within the address ‘Public House & Farm’.
The first time a name appears for this Public House, is in a newspaper article dated 29/02/1864, which states that –:
‘An inquest was held on Saturday, at the house of Mr. Thomas Poulton, the CANAL TAVERN, Crankhall Lane’.
In the year, 1870, there is a Mortgage listed ‘J. SPITTLE to A. F. BREVITT.’ But on the 1871 census, it is still Thomas Poulton who is in residence there.
It is on the census of 1891 that the name of CANAL TAVERN appears and is now run by an ELIHU BUTLER. In the year of 1893 there is a ‘Conveyance’ that names M. SLATER & others to E. BUTLER, which states that; ‘certain rights reserved Conveyance of the land in this title and other land dated 1 November 1895 made between (1) Samuel Mills Slater and others and (2) Elihu Butler.’
In 1895, a ‘Mortgage’ is set out between E. BUTLER to J. YARDLEY. And it was those lands and rights of Conveyance, that were carried forward to the present time (2023)
On the1901 Census, ELIHU BUTLER, then aged 54, was listed as the Beerhouse Keeper of the Tavern but by 1912 the premises had changed hands again, and eventually was Mortgaged to F. Archer.
It was in 1919 that a Conveyance was set up between F. Archer to C. DARBY, and by 1929 a Conveyance and Assignment was agreed by CHARLES DARBY to DARBY’S BREWERY LTD. The picture shown below is of the CANAL TAVERN around that time, and was known locally as THE CABIN. This 
‘nickname’ came about because of the bargees using it as their overnight ‘cabin’, while their horses were cared for in the stable block behind the HALL.
There seems to have been various name changes of this Tavern, and one such name change is listed to have occurred in 1965 when DARBY’S BREWERY LTD sold the business to MICHELLS & BUTLER LTD. A Certificate of Incorporation of change of name………Darby’s Brewery Ltd to Bass Mitchells & Butlers (Midlands) LTD.
On the 01-01-68 a change of name to DUNKIRK INN was applied for. But whether that came to fruition is not noted.
In 1972 a Deed of Grant……Bass Ltd to Midland Electricity Board was made, but it would only be by looking at the original documents, that may shed some light a to as why this took place.
The fall of CRANK HALL
In 2010 ADMIRAL TAVERNS took over ‘CRANK HALL’. Photographs taken at that time, seem to indicate that the Hall was still being maintained. However, in recent years the appearance of this once cared for ‘CRANK HALL’, began to show signs of neglect.
In 2022 the Hall and lands were put up for sale on the website of Everard Cole. It was sold almost immediately for the sum of £495,600 to SEP Properties Ltd., a commercial property investment and development company, specialising predominately in retail led mixed-use schemes. The sale took place on 20th June 2022, and by 31st August, 2022, an application by SEP was made to the local council, to have it demolished.
A Grant Demolish Consent was made, and on Friday 9th December, 2022 a ‘GRANT DEMOLISH CONSENT’ was issued.
Now, in August of 2023, the once great CRANK HALL is awaiting demolition. As there is a five year ‘contract’ on some of the land at the rear of the building, it maybe that demolition will not take place until this runs out on SEPTEMBER 30th 2023.
Very soon now, the demise of CRANK HALL will take place. But by making this compilation of our research and photographs, it is hoped that the previously unresearched HALL will now be included in any future, historical publications.
At least the location of CRANK HALL, that gave its name to CRANKHALL LANE, has been ‘revealed’, and it is hoped that within the next twelve months, a booklet with additional information and many more photographs, will be published.
The Friar Park Inn was known locally as "The Cabin"