Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham by Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell

T >> Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell >> Showell\'s Dictionary of Birmingham

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"Here, while no titled dust, no sainted bone,
No lover weeping over beauty's bier,
No warrior frowning in historic stone,
Extorts your praises, or requests your tear;
Cold Contemplation leans her aching head,
On human woe her steady eye she turns,
Waves her meek hand, and sighs for Science dead,
For Science, Virtue, and for SMALL she mourns."

_Smith_.--Mr. Brooke Smith (of the well-known firm of Martineau and
Smith), a valued supporter of Penn Street and Dale Street Industrial
Schools, the Graham Street Charity, and other institutions connected
with the welfare of the young, died in April, 1876, in his 78th year. A
Liberal in every way, the sound common sense of Mr. Brooke Smith, who
was noted for an unvarying courtesy to all parties and creeds, kept him
from taking any active share in local politics where urbanity and
kindliness is heavily discounted.

_Sturge_, Joseph.--Born August 2, 1793, at Alberton, a village on the
Severn, was intended for a farmer, but commenced trading as a cornfactor
at Bewdley, in 1814, his brother Charles joining him in 1822, in which
year they also came to Birmingham. Mr. Sturge was chosen a Town
Commissioner, but resigned in 1830, being opposed to the use of the Town
Hall being granted for oratorios. He was one of the directors of the
London and Birmingham Railway when it was opened in 1836, but objecting
to the running of Sunday trains, withdrew from the board. In 1838 he was
elected Alderman for St. Thomas's Ward, but would not subscribe to the
required declaration respecting the Established religion. At a very
early date he took an active part in the Anti-slavery movement, and his
visit to the West Indies and subsequent reports thereon had much to do
with hastening the abolition of slavery. When the working-classes were
struggling for electoral freedom and "the Charter," Mr. Sturge was one
of the few found willing to help them, though his peace-loving
disposition failed to induce them to give up the idea of "forcing" their
rights. Having a wish to take part in the making of the laws, he issued
an address to the electors of Birmingham in 1840, but was induced to
retire; in August, 1842, he contested Nottingham, receiving 1,801 votes
against his opponent's 1885; in 1844 he put up for Birmingham, but only
364 votes were given him; and he again failed at Leeds in 1847, though
he polled 1,976 voters. In 1850 he visited Schleswig-Holstein and
Denmark, and in February, 1854, St. Petersburgh, each time in hopes of
doing something to prevent the wars then commencing, but failure did not
keep him from Finland in 1856 with relief for the sufferers. In 1851 he
took a house in Ryland Road and fitted it up as a reformatory, which
afterwards led to the establishment at Stoke Prior. Mr. Sturge died on
May 14, 1859, and was buried on the 20th in Bull Street. His character
needs no comment, for he was a Christian in his walk as well as in his
talk.

_Taylor_, John.--Died in 1775, aged 64, leaving a fortune of over
L200,000, acquired in the manufacture of metal buttons, japanned ware,
snuff boxes, &c. It is stated that he sent out L800 worth of buttons
weekly, and that one of his workmen earned 70s. per week by painting
snuff boxes at 1/4d. each. Mr. Taylor must have had a monopoly in the
latter, for this one hand at the rate named must have decorated some
170,000 boxes per annum.

_Tomlins_.--Samuel Boulton Tomlins, the son of a local iron merchant
(who was one of the founders of the Birmingham Exchange) and Mary Harvey
Boulton (a near relative to Matthew) was born September 28, 1797, at
Park House, in Park Street, then a vine-covered residence surrounded by
gardens. His mother was so great a favourite with Baskerville that the
celebrated printer gave her one of two specially-printed Bibles,
retaining the other for himself. After serving an apprenticeship to a
bookseller, Mr. Tomlins was taken into Lloyd's Bank as a clerk, but was
soon promoted to be manager of the branch then at Stockport, but which
was taken over afterwards by a Manchester Banking Company, with whom Mr.
Tomlins stayed until 1873, dying September 8, 1879.

_Ulwin_.--Though nearly last in our list, Ulwin, or Alwyne, the son of
Wigod, and the grandson of Woolgeat, the Danish Earl of Warwick, must
rank first among our noteworthy men, if only from the fact that his name
is absolutely the first found in historical records as having anything
to do with Birmingham. This was in King Edward the Confessor's time,
when Alwyne was Sheriff _(vice-comes)_ and through his son Turchill, who
came to be Earl of Warwick, the Ardens and the Bracebridges trace their
descent from the old Saxon kings, Alwyne's mother being sister to
Leofric, III., Earl of Mercia. Whether Alwyne thrived on his unearned
increment or not, the politicians of the time have not told us, but the
possessions that came to him by the Dano-Saxon marriage of his parents
seems to have been rather extensive, as it is written that he owned not
only the manor of Birmingham, but also Halesowen, Escelie, Hagley, and
Swinford in Wirecescire (Worcestershire), Great Barr, Handsworth, Penn,
Rushall and Walsall, in Staffordshire, as well as Aston, Witton,
Erdington, and Edgbaston. The modern name of Allen is deducible from
Alwyne, and the bearers thereof, if so inclined, may thus be enabled to
also claim a kingly descent, and much good may it do them.

_Underwood_, Thomas.--The first printer to introduce the art of
lithography into Birmingham, and he is also credited with being the
discoverer of chromo-litho, and the first to publish coloured almanacks
and calendars. He did much to foster the taste for art, but will
probably be most generally recollected by the number of views of old
Birmingham and reproductions of pictures and maps of local interest that
he published. Mr. Underwood died March 14, 1882, in his 73rd year.

_Van Wart_.--Henry Van Wart, was born near New York, Sept. 25, 1783, and
took up his abode with us in 1808. By birth an American, by descent a
Dutchman, he became a Brum through being naturalised by special Act of
Parliament, and for nearly seventy years was one of our principal
merchants. He was also one of the first Aldermen chosen for the borough.
Died Feb. 15, 1873, in his 90th year.

_Ward_.--Humble Ward, son of Charles I.'s jeweller, who married the
daughter of the Earl of Dudley, was created Baron Ward of Birmingham.
Their son Edward thus came to the title of Lord Dudley and Ward in 1697.

_Warren_.--Thomas Warren was a well-known local bookseller of the last
century. He joined Wyatt and Paul in their endeavours to establish the
Cotton Spinning Mill, putting L1,000 into the speculation, which
unfortunately landed him in bankruptcy. He afterwards became an
auctioneer, and in 1788 had the pleasure of selling the machinery of the
mill in which forty years previous his money had been lost.

_Watt_, James, was born at Greenock, Jan. 19, 1736, and (if we are to
credit the somewhat apocryphal anecdote of his testing the power of
steam as it issued from his aunt's teakettle when a little lad barely
breeched) at an early age he gave evidence of what sort of a man he
would be. In such a condensed work as the present book, it is impossible
to give much of the life of this celebrated genius; but fortunately
there are many biographies of him to which the student can refer, as
well as scientific and other tomes, in which his manifold inventions
have been recorded, and in no corner of the earth where the steam-engine
has been introduced can his name be unknown. After many years' labour to
bring the new motive power into practical use, Watt, helped by his
friend Dr. Roebuck, took out his first patent in 1769. Roebuck's share
was transferred to Matthew Boulton in 1773, and in the following year
James Watt came to Birmingham. An Act of Parliament prolonging the
patent for a term of twenty-four years was obtained in May, 1775, and on
the first of June was commenced the world-famous partnership of Boulton
and Watt. Up to this date the only engine made to work was the one
brought by Watt from Scotland, though more than nine years had been
spent on it, and thousands of pounds expended in experiments,
improvements, and alterations. Watt's first residence here was in
Regent's Place, Harper's Hill, to which (Aug. 17, 1775) he brought his
second wife. He afterwards removed to Heathfield, where the workshop in
which he occupied his latest years still remains, as on the day of his
death. In 1785, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society; in 1806,
the University of Glasgow conferred the degree of LL.D. upon him, and in
1808 he was elected a member of the National Institute of France. One of
the latest inventions of James Watt was a machine for the mechanical
copying of sculpture and statuary, its production being the amusement of
his octogenarian years, for, like his partner Boulton, Watt was
permitted to stay on the earth for longer than the so-called allotted
term, his death taking place on the 19th of August, 1819, when he was in
his 83rd year. He was buried in Handsworth Church, where there is a
monument, the features of which are said to be very like him. A statue
was erected to his memory in Westminster Abbey in 1824, and others have
been set up in Birmingham, Manchester, Greenock, and Glasgow. The
following is the inscription (written by Lord Brougham) on the tomb of
Watt in Westminster Abbey, towards the cost of which George IV.
contributed L500:--

"Not to perpetuate a name which must endure while the peaceful arts
flourish, but to show that mankind have learned to honour those who
best deserve their gratitude, the King, his ministers, and many of the
nobles and commoners of the realm, raised this monument to JAMES WATT,
who, directing the force of an original genius, early exercised in
philosophical research, to the improvement of the steam-engine,
enlarged the resources of his country, increased the power of man, and
rose to an eminent place among the most illustrious followers of
science and the real benefactors of the world. Born at Greenock, 1736;
died at Heathfield, in Staffordshire, 1819."

One of James Watt's sons, Gregory, who devoted himself to science and
literature, died in 1804, at the early age of 27. James, born Feb. 5,
1769, resided for a number of years at Aston Hall, where he died in
1848. In 1817 he voyaged to Holland in the first steam vessel that left
an English port, the engines having been manufactured at Soho. He was of
a very retiring disposition, and not particularly popular with the
public, though valued and appreciated by those admitted to closer
intimacy.

_West_.--Though he did not come to Birmingham until close upon sixty
years of age, being born in 1770, William West, in his "History of
Warwickshire," published one of the best descriptions of this town ever
yet prepared. He had establishments in London and Cork, and was the
author of several amusing and interesting works, such as "Tavern
Anecdotes," "Fifty Years' Recollections of an Old Bookseller." &c., now
scarce, though "West's Warwickshire" may often be met with at the
"Chaucer's Head," and other old bookshops.

_Williams_, Fleetwood, who died in 1836, at the early age of 29, was the
author of sundry locally interesting prose works and poetical "skits."
He was connected with several debating clubs, and showed talent that
promised future distinction.

_Willmore_.--James Tibbets Willmore, a native of Handsworth, was an
eminent landscape engraver, famed for his reproductions of Turner's
works. His death occurred in March, 1863, in his 63rd year.

_Winfield_.--Mr. Robert Walter Winfield, though he took comparatively
little part in the public life of our town, deserves a prominent place
among our men of note as a manufacturer who did much towards securing
Birmingham a somewhat better name than has occasionally been given it,
in respect to the quality of the work sent out. Starting early in life,
in the military ornament line, Mr. Winfield began in a somewhat small
way on the site of the present extensive block of buildings known as
Cambridge Street Works, which has now developed into an establishment
covering several acres of land. Here have been manufactured some of the
choicest specimens of brass foundry work that could be desired, no
expense being spared at any time in the procuring of the best patterns,
and (which is of almost equal importance) the employment of the best
workmen. The goods sent from Cambridge Street to the first Great
Exhibition, 1851, obtained the highest award, the Council's Gold Medal,
for excellence of workmanship, beauty of design, and general treatment,
and the house retains its position. Mr. Winfield was a true man,
Conservative in politics, but most, truly liberal in all matters
connected with his work-people and their families. In the education and
advancement of the younger hands he took the deepest interest, spending
thousands in the erection of schools and the appointment of teachers for
them, and not a few of our present leading men have to thank him for
their first step in life. The death of his only son, Mr. J.F. Winfield,
in 1861, was a great blow to the father, and caused him to retire from
active business through failing health. His death (Dec. 16, 1869), was
generally felt as a loss to the town.

_Wyatt_.--John Wyatt, one of Birmingham's most ingenious sons, invented
(in 1738) the spinning of cotton by means of rollers, but unlike Richard
Arkwright, who afterwards introduced a more perfect machine and made a
fortune, the process was never other than a source of loss to the
original inventor and his partners, who vainly tried to make it a staple
manufacture of the town. The weighing machine was also the work of
Wyatt's brain, though he did not live to see the machine in use, dying
Nov. 29, 1766, broken down by misfortune, but honoured by such men as
Baskerville and Boulton who, then rising themselves, knew the worth of
the man whose loss they deplored. Wyatt's grave is on the Blue Coat
School side of St. Philip's churchyard.

_Wyon_.--A celebrated local family of die-sinkers and medalists. William
Wyon (born in 1795) receiving the gold medal of the Society of Arts, for
his medal of Ceres, obtained in 1816 the post of second engraver at the
Mint, his cousin, Thomas Wyon, being then the chief. One of the finest
medals engraved by him was that of Boulton, struck by Thomason, in high
relief, and 4in. in diameter. He died in 1851, having produced all the
coins and medals for Queen Victoria and William IV., part of George
IV.'s, and prize medals for many societies. His son, Leonard Wyon,
produced the Exhibition medals in 1851.

The preceding are really but a few of the men of note whose connection
with Birmingham has been of historical interest, and the catalogue might
be extended to great length with the names of the De Birminghams, the
Smalbrokes, Middlemores, Colmores, and others of the old families alone.
Scores of pages would not suffice to give even the shortest biographies
of the many who, by their inventive genius and persistent labour, placed
our town at the head of the world's workshops, the assistants and
followers of the great men of Soho, the Thomasons, Taylors, and others
living in the early part of the century, or the Elkingtons, Chances,
&c., of later days. A volume might easily be filled with lives of
scientific and literary men of the past, Hutton the historian, Morfitt,
poet and barrister; Beilby, Hodgetts, Hudson, and other bookmen, to say
naught of the many Press writers (who in their day added not a little to
the advancement of their fellow-townsmen), or the venerable doctors, the
school teachers and scholars, the pastors and masters of the old School
and the old Hospital. Mention is made of a few here and there in this
book; of others there have been special histories published, and,
perchance _some_ day "Birmingham men" will form the title of a more
comprehensive work.

~Novel Sight.~--The appearance in the streets of Birmingham of a real
war vessel would be a wonderful thing even in these days of railways and
steam. Sir Rowland Hill, speaking of his childhood's days, said he could
recollect once during the war with Napoleon that a French gunboat was
dragged across the country, and shown in Birmingham at a small charge.
He had never then seen any vessel bigger than a coal barge, but this was
a real ship, with real anchor and real ship guns.

~Numbering of Houses.~--We are rapidly improving in many ways, and the
gradual introduction of the system of alternate numbering, the odd
numbers on one side of the street, and the evens on the other, is an
advance in the right direction. Still, the fixing of the diminutive
figure plate on the sideposts of a door, or, as is frequently found to
be the case, in the shadow of a porch, is very tantalising, especially
to the stranger. Householders should see that the No. is placed in a
conspicuous spot, and have the figures painted so that they can be well
seen even on a dusky evening.

~Nunneries.~--See "_Religious Associations_."

~Nurseries.~--The outskirts, and indeed many parts of the town, less
than a century back were studded with gardens, but the flowers have had
to give place to the more prosaic bricks and mortar, and householders
desirous of floral ornaments have now in a great measure to resort to
the nursery grounds of the professed horticulturists. Foremost among the
nurseries of the neighbourhood are those of Mr. R.H. Vertegans, Chad
Valley, Edgbaston which were laid out some thirty-five years ago. The
same gentleman has another establishment of even older date at Malvern,
and a third at Metchley. The grounds of Messrs. Pope and Sons, at King's
Norton, are also extensive and worthy of a visit. There are other
nurseries at Solihull (Mr. Hewitt's), at Spark hill (Mr. Tomkins'), at
Handsworth (Mr. Southhall's), and in several other parts of the suburbs.
The _Gardeners' Chronicle_, the editor of which is supposed to be a good
judge, said that the floral arrangement at the opening of the Mason
Science College surpassed anything of the kind ever seen in Birmingham,
Mr. Vertegans having supplied not less than thirty van loads, comprising
over 5,000 of the choicest exotic flowers and evergreens.

~Oak Leaf Day.~--In the adjoining counties, and to a certain extent in
Birmingham itself, it has been the custom for carters and coachmen to
decorate their horses' heads and their own hats with sprays of oak
leaves on the 29th of May, and 99 out of the 100 would tell you they did
so to commemorate Charles II. hiding in the oak tree near to Boscobel
House. It is curious to note how long an erroneous idea will last. The
hunted King would not have found much shelter in his historical oak in
the month of May, as the trees would hardly have been sufficiently in
leaf to have screened him, and, as it happened, it was the 4th of
September and not the 29th of May when the event occurred. The popular
mistake is supposed to have arisen from the fact that Charles made his
public entry into London on May 29, which was also his birthday, when
the Royalists decked themselves with oak in remembrance of that tree
having been instrumental in the King's restoration.

~Obsolete Street Names.~--Town improvements of one sort and another have
necessitated the entire clearance of many streets whose names may be
found inscribed on the old maps, and their very sites will in time be
forgotten. Changes in name have also occurred more frequently perhaps
than may be imagined, and it will be well to note a few. As will be
seen, several streets have been christened and re-christened more than
once.

Baskerville-street is now Easy-row.

Bath-road is Bristol-street.

Beast Market was that part of High-street contiguous to New-street; also
called English Market.

Bewdley-street, afterwards Ann-street, now Colmore-row.

Birch Hole-street has been improved to Birchall street.

Black Boy Yard is now Jamaica-row.

Brick Kiln lane is the Horse Fair.

Broad-street--Dale End was so called in the 15th century.

Buckle-row. Between Silver-street and Thomas-street.

Button Alley--Bishop-street, Masshouse-lane.

Butts-lane--Tanter-street; The Butts being Stafford-street.

Catherine-street--Whittal-street.

Cawsey (The Causeway)--Lower part of Digbeth.

Chapel-street--Bull-street was so called in the 14th century.

Chappel-row--Jennens'-row and Buck-street.

Charles or Little Charles-street--Now part of New Edmund-street.

Cock-street--Upper part of Digbeth; also called Well-street.

Colmore-street--From Worcester-street to Peck-lane.

Cony Greve street is now Congreve-street.

Cooper's Mill-lane is Heathmill-lane.

Corbett's Alley--Union-street.

Corn Cheaping or Corn Market was part of the Bull Ring.

Court-lane--Moat-lane.

Cottage-lane--Sheepcote-lane.

Crescent-street--Part of King Edward's Road.

Cross-street--Vauxhall-street.

Crown-street, afterwards Nelson-street is now Sheepcote-street.

Deadman's Lane--Warstone-lane.

Ditch--The Gullet was The Ditch.

Dock Alley--New Inkleys.

Dudwall-lane--Dudley-street

Farmer-street--Sand-street.

Ferney Fields--Great Hampton-street

Feck-lane or Peck-lane--Covered by New-street Station.

God's Cart-lane--Carrs-lane.

Grindstone-lane--Westfield-road.

Hangman's-lane, or Hay Barns-lane--Great Hampton-row.

Harlow-street--Edmund-street.

Haymarket--one of the names given to Ann-street.

High Town--Upper part of Bull Ring.

Hill-street--Little Charles-street.

Jennings-street--Fox-street.

King-street and Queen-street, as well as Great Queen-street, have made
way for New-street Station.

Lake Meadow-hill--Bordesley-street and Fazeley-street.

Lamb-yard--Crooked-lane.

Long-lane--Harborne-road.

Ludgate-hill was part of Church-street.

Martin-street--Victoria-street.

Mercer-street, or Spicer-street--Spiceal-street.

Mount Pleasant--Ann-street.

New road--Summer-row.

Old Meeting-street has at various periods been known as Grub-street,
Littleworth street, New-row, and Phillips-street.

Pemberton's-yard, Lower Minories, or Coach-yard--Dalton-street.

Pitt-street and Porter-street were portions of Old Cross-street.

Priors Conigree-lane, or Whitealls-lane is now Steelhouse-lane.

Priory-lane--Monmouth-street.

Rother Market--New-street next to High-street and High-street next to
New-street was once so called.

Sandy-lane--Snow Hill in the 16th century. Lee Bank-road has also been
called Sandy-lane.

Shambles--Part of Bull Ring.

Swan Alley--Worcester-street.

Swinford-street--Upper end of New-street.

Temple Alley, also called Tory-row--Temple-row.

Walmer-lane (in the 15th century Wold Moors)--Lancaster-street.

Water-street--Floodgate-street.

Welch End or Welch Market--Junction of Bull-street, High-street, and
Dale End.

Westley's-row, Westley-street, or London 'Prentice-street forms part of
Dalton-street.

Withering-street--Union-street.

Wyllattes Green--Prospect Row.

~Old Cock Pump.~--This was the old pump formerly under St. Martin's
Churchyard wall, from which the water-carriers and others obtained their
supply of drinking water. The rule of the pump was "last come last
served," and frequently a long string of men, women, and children might
be seen waiting their turn. Many of us can recollect the old Digbeth
men, with their shoulder-yoke and two buckets, plodding along to find
customers for their "Warta;" and certain elderly ladies are still in
existence who would fear the shortening of their lives were their
tea-kettles filled with aught but the pure Digbeth water, though it does
not come from the pump at St. Martin's, for that was removed in 1873. It
has been written that on one occasion (in the days before waterworks
were practicable, and the old pump was a real blessing), when the poor
folks came to fill their cans early in the morning, they found the
handle gone, and great was the outcry thereat. It soon afterwards
transpired that a blacksmith, short of iron, had taken the handle to
make into horseshoes.

~Old Meeting House Yard.~--The name gives its own origin. One of the
earliest built of our Dissenting places of worship was here situated.

~Old Square.~--There are grounds for believing that this was the site of
the Hospital or Priory of St. Thomas the Apostle; the reason of no
foundations or relics of that building having been come across arising
from its having been erected on a knoll or mount there, and which would
be the highest bit of land in Birmingham. This opinion is borne out by
the fact that the Square was originally called The Priory, and doubtless
the Upper and Lower Priories and the Minories of later years were at
first but the entrance roads to the old Hospital, as it was most
frequently styled in deeds and documents. Mr. John Pemberton, who
purchased this portion of the Priory lands in 1697, and laid it out for
building, would naturally have it levelled, and, not unlikely from a
reverent feeling, so planned that the old site of the religious houses
should remain clear and undesecrated. From old conveyances we find that
20s. per yard frontage was paid for the site of some of the houses in
the square, and up to 40s. in Bull Street; the back plots, including the
Friends' burial ground (once gardens to the front houses) being valued
at 1s. to 2s. per yard. Some of the covenants between the vendor and the
purchasers are very curious, such as that the latter "shall and will for
ever hereafter putt and keep good bars of iron or wood, or otherwise
secure all the lights and windows that are or shall be, that soe any
children or others may not or cannot creep through, gett, or come
through such lights or windows into or upon the same piece of land."
Here appears the motive for the erection of the iron railings so closely
placed in front of the old houses. Another covenant was against "putting
there any muckhill or dunghill places, pigstyes or workhouses, shopps or
places that shall he noysome or stink, or be nautionse or troublesome,"
and also to have there "no butcher's or smith's slaughter house or
smithey harth." One of the corner houses, originally called "the Angle
House," was sold in 1791 for L420; in 1805 it realised L970; in 1843,
L1,330? and in 1853, L2,515. The centre of the Square was enclosed and
neatly kept as a garden with walks across, for the use of the
inhabitants there, but (possibly it was "nobody's business") in course
of time it became neglected, and we have at least one instance, in 1832,
of its being the scene of a public demonstration. About the time of the
Parliamentary election in that year, the carriageway round the Square
had been newly macadamised, and on the polling day, when Dempster Heming
opposed William Stratford Dugdale, the stones were found very handy, and
were made liberal use of, as per the usual order of the day at that time
on such occasions. The trees and railings were removed in 1836 or 1837
in consequence of many accidents occurring there, the roadways being
narrow and very dangerous from the numerous angles, the Street
Commissioners undertaking to give the inhabitants a wide and handsome
flagging as a footpath on all sides of the square, conditionally with
the freeholders of the property giving up their rights to and share in
the enclosure.