The King's Arms, Alcester Lane's End.

I know. What am I doing over there? I didn't even know where it was, until today. 

King's Norton, Moseley, Wootton Wawen, Henley-in-Arden, Heathfield, King's Heath,Wake Green, Ullenhall, Beoley, Yardley ...

Well, they're all spattered over a few square miles in what was Worcestershire, but seems to have at least partially converted to Warwickshire, and got swallowed up by one another, or just plain disappeared, by the 21st century.

Why? Because I came on this photo in the outstanding e-bay shop of Charles Rivers. Who could resist her? What and who was she? Looks rather grand.

 Grand? Miss Todd/Mrs Salt was a pure product of the public house system.

Diana TODD was born at Moseley 2 April 1812, to Moss and Diana Todd.

Well, Moseley is now a bit of Birmingham, but the fine page of the local history society (https://moseley-society.org.uk/local-history/brief-history-of-moseley/)  tells us that it was 'a small settlement clustered around St Mary's Church and extending along St Mary's Row and the adjacent part of Alcester Road'. 

And the Society also features these illustrations

The forbears of Moss 'yeoman of Beoley' and his wife, Diana, née Todd (m 1811), were into the 'victualling' trade from well back. Diana's brother, John Groves Todd, was long the landlord of Moseley's Fighting Cocks Inn, and his I see that, in 1861, the house was still reigned over by a Todd ...

All this is gone into (not entirely convincingly) at another historical page http://www.kingsheathhistory.co.uk/More_memories_Paper_7.pdf

Anyway, Moss -- who had previously been running the Saracen's Head in Edgbaston Street -- took over the King's Arms ('two miles from Moseley Village') and he stayed there till his death at the age of 65 (18 May 1848). Diana was to live to age 85, (d 13 December 1873) and survived nearly all her children. Three daughters and four sons. Two daughters died in infancy, son Thomas Davi[e]s died aged 19, after a fall from his horse, youngest son Edward died aged 29 (10 May 1856), son David died 5 November 1864, aged 41, in an epileptic fit.  Only Diana and Joseph [Moss] (b 25 July 1816; d 10 June 1877) lived to an age.

Heathfield Cottage, one of the family homes

Diana (jr) remained a maiden lady till the age of 30 (27 October 1842) when she married a seemingly 18 year-old lad by the name of John Rupert Salt 'son of Francis Salt of Mockley Manor Farm, Wootton Wawen by Henley-in-Arden' (d 1847). But previously of the Hamlet of Aspley. And seemingly in financial straits. His son did better. At his father-in-law's death, it was he (and his wife, I imagine) who took over King's Arms. 

I'm a bit muddled with the Joseph. Is he the Joe Moss 'farm worker and farrier' of the 1851 census? And/or the Joe 'licensed victualler of Moseley' in 1858? And of 1859 at the Swan Public House, Nechells Green in 1859. The Joe Moss of Moseley, victualler, good heavens -- executing the will of Richard Greves 'farmer and maltster' in 1866? Mr Greves 'of Mosely Hall' was a big man in the district. It's clear that Joe Moss Todd was of some consequence! 

Mr and Mrs Salt did not have children. John, logically, survived Diana and died in 1895.

I have wandered for some hours in this family. There's Mary Todd (née Groves) aged 80 in the 1841 census. She a 'victualler'. Fighting Cock. One of her sons was christened John Groves Todd (1782-1837). 

Her other son, Joseph named his son (b 1831) also John Groves Todd. He married a lady named Elizabeth Lowe and ...

Guess what I've found in Mr Rivers's shop!

This is she! And oh! Here is he!

He looks plumply prosperous ... but he wasn't a victualler, he was a farmer. Quite an extensive farmer ..

And now it's time for me to todd-le away from this family ...

I'm sure all the descndants will enjoy the photos ...

The family plot seems to have been well tended.