Street / road names and their origins

We had often talked about the Freemanships and commoners' rights. My husband gained his Freeman of the City rights and grazing on so called common land. Wonder what would happen if you did. He did five years by the way. I honestly don't think it means much these days. Don't know if I am straying a little here.

There were vast tracts of Common land in the 19th century which, as we know, inhibited the City's growth and led to the extensive development of courts. This ultimately led to overcrowding and poor housing conditions. The Commons, which were administered by the Freemen included the Lammas and Michaelmas lands, were inclosed through the Inclosure Acts of 1860 and 1875 and the Freemen susequently sold these - mainly on long leases. The waste lands were passed to the Corporation to preserve as open spaces but still subject to the grazing rights. These endured until the 1920s/ 1930s when local acts of parliament took these rights away. I suspect the Freemen were also compensated for the loss. Other Commons which passed into Council control [Styvechale by purchase in the 1920s and Sowe & Keresley by boundary extension ] were also subject to separate arrangements or local acts taking away the commoner rights. So I suspect we might be in a bit of bother if we attempted to graze our animals now - although I have seen the occasional horse tethered on Sowe Common!

Sadler Road and Broome Croft is named after these. MURDER MISTAKE CAME BACK TO HAUNT FARMER DARK thoughts gripped the funeral party as they walked home after laying to rest the body of farmer and sheep dealer Edward Broome. They shared the grim secret of how he met his death, killed in a fit of rage by his rival for the hand of squire's daughter Elizabeth Sadler. And the knowledge must have been weighing even more heavily on their consciences as the place where Broome was murdered, a barn at Penny Park farm in Keresley, came into sight. A moment later the party was in full flight, terror-stricken. The figure of Edward Broome stood at the window of the barn, brandishing the chain that had been used to kill him. It was the first sighting of a phantom that 400 years later still holds sway over the imaginations of local people. The landscape of that area has seen massive change. The once isolated farm, standing on the edge of the huge Whitmore Park estate, is now surrounded by suburban housing estates. The tale has left its mark in the names of Sadler Road and Broome Croft. Yet there are still folk who view the spot where it stood with some dread. The story is a compelling mix of unrequited love, murder and a tormented soul calling for vengeance. And legend has it that the event which stands at its heart happened just before Christmas. The occasion was a party given by John Shaw, respected farmer and owner of Penny Park farm and suitor to Elizabeth Sadler, daughter of landowner Ralph Sadler of nearby Newlands Hall farm. Elizabeth was among the invited guests, as was his rival for her affections, the disreputable Edward Broome, from Corley. As Elizabeth and her servants made their way across the lonely heath to Shaw's home, they were accosted by Broome, desperate to advance his cause with the woman he loved. When she refused to go with him to his farm there was a violent struggle, during which Elizabeth fell, insensible, to the ground. Her apparently lifeless body was brought to Penny Park farm and Shaw, blinded by rage, rushed out to take his revenge on the man he believed had killed her. A remorseful Broome allowed himself to be captured and was dragged to the barn. His faithful dog tried to rescue him but was killed by a savage kick from Shaw's boot. The enraged farmer hauled his prisoner up the steps of the barn into the loft, fastened a chain used for hauling sacks of grain around his neck and sent him plummeting through the trapdoor. Returning to the house, Shaw was stunned to see Elizabeth beginning to stir. She made a full recovery. Broome's death was explained to party latecomers as a fall while drunk and there the story might have ended - but for the haunting. In the years that followed the ghosts of Broome and his dog were seen many times in the vicinity of the barn and among the trees in Whitmore Park. Local people stayed away from the area after dark and travellers would not use the road through the park. One year, on the anniversary of the murder, a sceptical innkeeper promised to ride past the barn at midnight for a wager. He was found badly hurt in a ditch next morning and his horse turned up, exhausted, at Meriden some hours later. Nothing could coax from him an account of what he had seen, but he never went near the place again. The haunting became part of local folklore, passed down through the generations, and the story was given public prominence in the 1930s by the late Alfred Harris, Coventry businessman and benefactor, who converted Penny Park farm into a comfortable home. Some believe that Harris made up the whole thing to capture public attention for a scheme he had to turn the old barn into a community centre. He himself claimed to have encountered the restless spirit of Edward Broome on a path near the barn and he recounted the experience of an uncle, who, as a young man, had worked for a farmer at Corely before the turn of the century. Sent out to collect the horse before dawn one morning, he was fastening the gate to their field when both he and the animals were struck rigid with fear. He turned to see the phantom hound, transparent but clearly visible, running down the centre of the road. As he watched, it burst into flames and disappeared. Returning, shaken, to the farm, he learned that his employer had died suddenly during the night.

Not sure if it's been dealt with elsewhere, but where does the name "Barkers Butts Lane" come from - and is that the correct name, as it's sometimes referred to as "Barker Butts Lane"

Although I knew that a "butts" was a mound upon which archery targets were set up, I too had never learned the reason for the name Barker. However, my little book "The meaning of the Street Names of Coventry" by Margaret Smedley, has this one listed and adds the following.... Known as "Barkerbuttes" in 1496, it is associated with the family of Alexander Barker (1424 Leet Book)..... It was originally a very narrow lane. Mr. W. H. Bassett-Green constructed the present lane using prisoners from World War 1 as labourers. So there we are.

I read that it was once an archery practice ground, along with the Summerland Butts in Spon End. Yes it is!

As was a field in Butt Lane in Allesley.

Perhaps someone could tell me where Tarlington Road gets it name?

From my wife: JARDINE CRESCENT: Jardine Crescent was called after my great Uncle Danny Jardine. He was the Scottish site agent who was in charge of the construction of the Tile Hill Housing Estate. My grandad (Hugh Easton) was also involved working alongside Uncle Danny. While I am not from Tile Hill myself (now reside in Canada). I spent many a good time at my grand parents in Aldrich Avenue. I do remember my grandparents and parents speaking about what transpired at Tile Hill and how Uncle Danny was loved by all and given the honour of having a street called after him. In the days of Tile Hill being constructed numerous men came over from Ireland to work and rebuild Coventry. The job was hard and long hours and Uncle Danny while being a task master treated everybody with the utmost fairness and respect and as such the guys would do anything for him. Uncle Danny knew that the wife and families were back in Ireland depending on the men's wages so he set it up that a portion of their wages was sent back to Ireland every payday to feed and take care of their families. A lot of the Irishmen were Catholic and Uncle Danny was a Protestant but when he died they paid for a shrine to be erected at the local Catholic Church in Tile Hill in Danny's name with the words : "TO OUR BELOVED PROTESTANT". I can remember visiting the shrine as a child and I believe that it was at Our Lady of Assumption Church but not sure. I wish I had a picture of it etc. Do you have any knowledge of this shrine? if it still exists. My mum remembers vaguely many years ago about being in the paper about moving it? Wondered if anyone could shine some light on this situation? Post copied from topic Tile Hill on 6th Sep 2017 2:09 pm

Does anyone know the origin of Farren Road? It's a family name that I know has been in the Coventry area for centuries and wondered if there was a connection.

There was a Labour Party pioneer called Hugh Farren. He led the Coventry Housing Reform Council which in 1901 laid resolutions before the City council, drawing its attention to the need for an improvement in living conditions and asking for an official inquiry into overcrowding and lack of sanitation in the city. Sounds the sort of person they might name a street after. George Poole is also mentioned in the same vein so I wonder if they named Poole Road in Radford after him.

Possible, Anne, but there is a George Poole House in Windsor Street

Thank you for the info. That does sound plausible. It's not a name that appears on anything I have though so probably unrelated. Thanks again.

Momus, according to "Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable" is 'one who carps at everything' and was the god of ridicule and the son of Nux (Night) driven out of heaven for his criticism of the gods. I lived for several years there and my gt-uncle told us erroneously that Momus was the god of war!

Proffitt Avenue is named after the founder of a charity which distributes the income from the original Partridge Croft to the needy. I believe it still exists in some form.