'Court' as part of an address?

[Dave Francis]

A quick query, I hope.

Could somebody please clarify the meaning of 'Court' in the context of the following neighbouring addresses from the 1901 Census (Birmingham)?

Hospital Street
13 Court 15th House
13 Court 13 House
13 Court 12 House
13 Court 1 House

[Ref: RG 13/2844 folio 90 page 29]

I thought that 'Court' might refer to a tenement building. But if so, why qualify the address with differently numbered 'Houses'?

Dave

[Valda]

Doesn't it mean 'dwellings' off a courtyard. The courtyard itself being set off the main road in this case Hospital Street.

e.g.

http://tinyurl.com/y64rk6

Regards

Valda

[Valda]

Or better still a Birmingham photograph

http://tinyurl.com/ssl4f

Regards

Valda

[Dave Francis]

Excellent! Many thanks Valda!

[tilter]

hi
   in sheffield there was on some streets several court yards in which there was houses around it usually these were what was called one up and one down. A kitchen come living area down stairs and a bedroom upstairs.Many of these being overcrowded with large families.The toilets in blocks in the yard one toilet being shared by a number of families.
     regards
       tilter

[tilter]

Hi,
     just to add to my last re courts.The courts sometimes were set so they were in between 3 or 4 streets.The houses being back to backwith the house on the ajoining streets.

     Tilter.

[Dave Francis]

Hi tilter

Thanks for the info. From what I can gather, it sounds like the people in question were living in slum conditions. This doesn't really surprise me ...

Dave

[jim1]

Hello Dave & Tilter
You are right Tilter they were back-to-backs as they were known.An entry between 2 houses led onto a yard ,in the yard was a brew'us for washing clothes,a toilet block and outside taps.The houses could number as few as 6 or up to 20.At the time they weren't considered slums as they were infinitely better than most people had before.By 1880's there was such a huge influx of people looking for work that overcrowding caused the slum conditions.
Regards Jim

[Dave Francis]

Many thanks for your insight Jim! I'm researching an particular family and it certainly helps to understand the conditions in which they lived at the turn of the century.

Dave