Person:John Lowe (21)

_To Hockley-house, ten miles, on the road to Stratford-upon-Avon and also to Warwick._

You proceed through Deritend, up Camp-hill, and when near the summit, there is on the right hand an ancient brick building, called the Ravenhurst, the residence of Mr. John Lowe, attorney, who is equally respectable in his profession, as the house is in appearance. A short distance beyond on the left is Fair-hill, where Samuel Lloyd, Esq. resides, and on the opposite side of the road is the Larches, the abode of Wm. Withering, Esq.--This house, when it belonged to Mr. Darbyshire, was known by the name of Foul Lake, but when Dr. Priestley resided there, he gave it the name of Fair-hill; afterwards, being purchased by Dr. Withering, he altered the name of it to the Larches. Having passed through the turnpike, on the left is Sparkbrook-house, John Rotton, Esq. resident. At the distance of one mile and a half the road to Warwick branches off to the left, and on the summit of the hill is Spark-hill-house, inhabited by Miss Morris. Opposite the three mile stone is a very neat pile of building, called Green-bank-house, where Benjamin Cooke, Esq. has taken up his abode. A little beyond, at a place called the Coal-bank, there is a free school, which is endowed with about forty pounds per annum. (A Description of Modern Birmingham by Charles Pye 1900)

In 1791 Bordesley and Deritend acquired their own Streets Commissioners, sixty of them including John Taylor II and John Lowe Snr. of Ravenhurst. They met at the Apollo Tavern, which could be reached by boat from Deritend Bridge. Seven Commissioners formed a quorum, their responsibilities for lighting, paving, cleansing, clearing and watching of all streets in both townships and the provision of fire-engines being performed by surveyors, rate-collectors, scavengers, clerks and labourers. Much early activity was concerned with the removal of obstructions and encroachment on streets, such as Deritend cattle market. Being responsible only for surface drainage during most of their reign, the Commissioners had no power to provide sewers or make others provide them, nor could they control the use of land.

Further links between this John Lowe and Lowes of Rowley Regis:

The church of ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, Deritend, was originally founded in the second half of the 14th century. In 1381 an agreement was made by which the parishioners of Aston who lived in Deritend and Bordesley were permitted to appoint at their own charges a chaplain to celebrate divine services for them in the recently-built chapel of St. John the Baptist. The reasons for this agreement were the distance of Deritend and Bordesley from the parish church and the flooding of the river in winter. The chaplain could perform baptisms and churchings, and in emergencies could hear confessions and celebrate mass. The inhabitants of Deritend and Bordesley were to attend Aston church at Easter, Christmas, and the feasts of All Saints, St. Peter and St. Paul (the dedication of Aston church), and the Purification; tithes, both great and small, were to be paid as before to Aston. This agreement was ratified by the bishop in the same year. (Footnote 70) In 1383 William Geffon and others received licence to alienate in mortmain lands in Aston parish not held in chief to the value of 10 marks yearly to a chaplain to celebrate divine service daily in the chapel. (Footnote 71)

In the first half of the 16th century there were two priests at Deritend, one of them employed as a schoolmaster, who were each paid £5 a year by the guild of Deritend. (Footnote 72) In 1547 the endowment of the chapel seems to have been regarded as a chantry, (Footnote 73) and in 1549 all the property of 'the late chantry or guild of Deritend' was sold by the Crown, except for the chapel itself, which survived. (Footnote 74) For a few years in the 1660s after his ejection from St. Martin's the Presbyterian Samuel Wills preached at Deritend chapel. (Footnote 75) In 1677 the chapel was endowed by Humphrey Lowe of Coventry with land in Rowley Regis (Staffs.) worth £35 a year for the maintenance of a chaplain; (Footnote 76) the annual income of the chaplain was said to be £80 in 1781. (Footnote 77) The inhabitants continued to elect their own chaplain until 1890, when a parish was formed out of Aston and the patronage of the chapel was transferred by Act of Parliament to the bishop, the Vicar of Aston, and three trustees, the benefice becoming a vicarage. (Footnote 78) In 1939 the parish and benefice were united with those of St. Basil, Deritend, forming the new benefice of St. John and St. Basil. The site of St John's was sold to the city authorities, (Footnote 79) and c. 1943 the building was being used as a store; (Footnote 80) it had been demolished by 1961. A mission room in Darwin Street was licensed for public worship by the bishop from 1916 to 1926. (Footnote 81)

(Victoria County History)

Mentioned in Warwickshire Freeholder's Poll of 1774.