Greet, Birmingham facts for kids
Greet (grid reference SP100841) is a historic area in south Birmingham, England. It's found around the modern area of Sparkhill.
Today, the name Greet isn't used for addresses anymore. But long ago, "Greet" meant "gravel" or "grit." This name came from the gravelly slopes on the eastern side of the sandstone ridge that runs through central Birmingham. Greet was one of the medieval manors, which were like large estates, located around Birmingham.
The Story of Greet
The main house in Greet was a timber-framed building. It was first mentioned in records in 1562. Most of the land around it belonged to a place called Studley Priory. A priory was a type of monastery where monks or nuns lived.
Who Owned the Land?
The land in Greet was given to Studley Priory in 1254 by William de Edricheston. He had just bought the land himself. The Priory owned this land for many years, until 1545.
In 1545, the land was sold to Clement Throckmorton and Sir Alexander Avenon. Sir Alexander Avenon was an ironmonger, someone who sold iron goods. He later became the Lord Mayor of London, a very important leader in the city.
Sir Alexander Avenon gave the land to his son and wife in 1570. He passed away in 1580. In 1586, his son, also named Alexander, used the manor as a promise to pay back money he owed to a man named Thomas Starkey. That same year, he sold the future ownership of the land to James Banks.
Banks then sold it to Henry Greswolde in 1601. Henry Greswolde died in 1602 and left Greet to his oldest son, George. George was only thirteen years old at the time. Henry's widow, Dorothy, continued to live at Greet manor. She had bought the rights to the manor from Thomas Starkey's widow.
The Greswolde Family and Greet
George Greswolde died in 1612. His brother, Humphrey, took over the ownership. Humphrey died in 1660. After him, his two sons, Humphrey (who died in 1671) and Henry (who died in 1700), became owners. Henry had four sons.
Over many years, the ownership of Greet continued to pass through the Greswolde family and their relatives. In 1776, Henry Greswolde Lewis owned a part of the land. By 1784, he ended up owning all of it.
When Henry Greswolde Lewis died in 1829, his relative, Edmund Meysey Wigley, inherited the land. Edmund took the name Greswolde. He died in 1833 without marrying. The land then passed to another relative, Henry Wigley, who also took the name Greswolde. The family continued to manage the estate for several more years.
Greet's Landmarks
Greet is located next to an area called Wake Green. The name Greet also gave its name to Greet Common. Today, Moseley School stands on what used to be Greet Common.
There was also a mill called Greet Mill (grid reference SP099827). This mill is now lost. It was located where the A34 road crosses the River Cole, between Sparkhill and Hall Green. Greet Mill was a water mill. It was about 1 kilometer north (downstream) from Sarehole Mill. Greet Mill was first mentioned in records in 1275. Another mill, called Lower Greet Mill, was also in Greet. It was first mentioned in 1725.
