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

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_George Peake_.--The Rev. G. Peake, Vicar of Aston, from 1852 to his
death, July 9, 1876, was a ripe scholar and archaeologist, a kind-hearted
pastor, and an effective preacher.

_Isaiah Birt_.--Mr. Isaiah Birt, a native of Coleford, undertook the
pastorship of Cannon Street in 1800, holding it until Christmas, 1825,
when from ill-health he resigned. The congregation allowed Mr. Birt an
annuity of L100 until his death, in 1837, when he had reached 80 years
of age.

_Thomas Potts_.--The Rev. Thomas Potts, who died in the early part of
December, 1819, at the age of sixty-and-six, was, according to the
printed funeral oration pronounced at the time, "an accurate, profound,
and cautious theologian," who had conducted the classical studies at
Oscott College for five-and-twenty years with vigour and enthusiasm, and
"a grandeur of ability peculiarly his own."

_Sacheveral_.--Dr. Sacheveral, the noted and noisy worthy who kicked up
such a rumpus in the days of Queen Anne, was a native of Sutton
Coldfield, and his passing through Birmingham in 1709 was considered
such an event of consequence that the names of the fellows who cheered
him in the streets were reported to Government.

_Pearce_.--Ordained pastor of Cannon Street, Aug. 18, 1790. Mr. Pearce,
in the course of a short life, made himself one of the most prominent
Baptist divines of the day, the church under his charge increasing so
rapidly that it became the source of great uneasiness to the deacons.
Mr. Pearce took great interest in the missionary cause, preaching here
the first sermon on behalf of the Baptist Missionary Society (Oct.,
1792), on which occasion L70 was handed in; he also volunteered to go to
India himself. Suffering from consumption he preached his last sermon
Dec. 2, 1798, lingering on till the 10th of October following, and dying
at the early age of 33. He was buried at the foot of the pulpit stairs.

_Slater_.--Hutton says that an apothecary named Slater made himself
Rector of St. Martin's during the days of the Commonwealth, and that
when the authorities came to turn him out he hid himself in a dark
corner. This is the individual named in Houghton's "History of Religion
in England" as being brought before the Court of Arches charged with
having forged his letters of orders, with preaching among the Quakers,
railing in the pulpit at the parishioners, swearing, gambling, and other
more scandalous offences.

_Scholefield_.--The pastor of the Old Meeting Congregation in 1787 was
named Scholefield, and he was the first to properly organise Sunday
Schools in connection with Dissenting places of worship.

_Robert Taylor_.--The horrible title of "The Devil's Chaplain" was given
the Rev. Robert Taylor, B.A., who in 1819-20 was for short periods
curate at Yardley and at St. Paul's in this town. He had been educated
for the Church, and matriculated well, but adopted such Deistical
opinions that he was ultimately expelled the Church, and more than once
after leaving here was imprisoned for blasphemy.

_Charles Vince_.--Charles Vince was the son of a carpenter, and was a
native of Surrey, being born at Farnham in 1823. For some years after
reaching manhood Mr. Vince was a Chartist lecturer, but was chosen
minister of Mount Zion Chapel in 1851, and remained with us till Oct.
22, 1874, when he was removed to the world above. His death was a loss
to the whole community, among whom he had none but friends.

_John Webb_.--The Rev. John Webb, who about 1802 was appointed Lecturer
at St. Martin's and Minister of St. Bartholomew's was an antiquarian
scholar of some celebrity; but was specially valued here (though his
stay was not long) on account of his friendship with Mendelssohn and
Neukomm, and for the valued services he rendered at several Festivals.
He wrote the English adaptation of Winter's "Timoteo," or "Triumph of
Gideon," performed at the Festival of 1823, and other effective pieces
before and after that date, interesting himself in the success of the
Triennials for many years. He died February 18, 1869, in Herefordshire.

_William Wollaston_.--That eminent English divine, the Rev. William
Wollaston, who was born in the neighbouring county of Stafford, in 1659,
was for several years assistant, and afterwards head master at our Free
Grammar School, but, coming into a rich inheritance, retired. He died in
1724.

And so the list might go on, with such names as the Rev. Charles Curtis,
of St. Martin's (1784) the Rev. E. Burn, of St. Mary's (1818), the Rev.
John Cook, of St. Bartholomew's (1820), the Rev. W.F. Hook, of Moseley
(1822), afterwards Dean of Christchurch; Dr. Outram, of St. Philip's
(who died in 1821); Rann Kennedy, of St. Paul's; G.S. Bull, of St.
Thomas's; with I. C. Barratt, of St Mary's, and many other clergymen and
ministers, who have departed in these later years.

~Patents.~--The first patent granted to a Birmingham inventor is dated
May 22, 1722, it being granted to Richard Baddeley for having "with much
pains, labour, and expense, invented and brought to perfection 'An Art
for making streaks for binding Cart and Wagon Wheels and Box Smoothing
Irons' (never yet practised in this our kingdom) which will be more
durable and do three times the service of those made of bar iron," &c.,
&c. It is not particularly wonderful that the toyshop of England should
stand first on the list as regards the number of patent grants applied
for and taken out. As Bisset said--

Inventions curious, various kinds of toys,
Engage the time of women, men, and boys;
And Royal patents here are found in scores,
For articles Minute--or pond'rous ores.

By the end of 1799 the list shows that 92 patents had been granted to
Birmingham men after Richard Baddeley had brought out his "patent
streaks," and during the present century there have been many hundreds
of designs patented or registered, scores of fortunes being made and
thousands of hands employed, but often the inventors themselves have
sold their rights for trifling amounts or succumbed to the difficulties
that stood in the way of bringing their brainwork into practical use.
Could the records of our County Asylums be thoroughly inspected, it is
to be feared that disappointed inventors would be found more numerous
than any other class of inmates. The costs of taking out, renewing, and
protecting patents were formerly so enormous as practically to prevent
any great improvements where capital was short, and scores of our local
workers emigrated to America and elsewhere for a clearer field wherein
to exercise their inventive faculties without being so weighted down by
patent laws. The Patent Law Amendment Act of 1852 was hailed with
rejoicing, but even the requirements of that Act were found much too
heavy. The Act which came into force Jan. 1, 1884, promises to remedy
many of the evils hitherto existing. By this Act, the fees payable on
patents are as follows:--On application for provisional specification,
L1; on filing complete specification, L3; _or_, on filing complete
specification with the first application, L4. These are all the fees up
to the date of granting a patent. After granting, the following fees are
payable: Before four years from date of patent, L50; and before the end
of eight years from the date of patent, L100. In lieu of the L50 and the
L100 payments, the following annual fees may be paid: Before the end of
the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh years. L10 each year; before the
end of the eighth and ninth years, L15 each year; and before the end of
the tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth years, L20 each year.--If
the number of words contained in the specifications constitutes the
value of a patent, that taken out by our townsman, James Hardy (March
28, 1844), for an improvement in tube-rolling must have been one of the
most valuable ever known. The specifications filled 176 folios, in
addition to a large sheet of drawings, the cost of an "office copy"
being no less than L12 18s! The _Mechanics' Magazine_ said it could
have all been described in 176 words.

~Patriotic Fund.~--The local collection for this fund was commenced
October, 25, 1854, and closed February 22, 1858, with a total of L12,936
17s. 3d.

~Paving.~--A "patent" was obtained in 1319, 12th Edw. II., to "take toll
on all vendible commodities for three years, to pave the town of
Birmingham;" and as the funds thus raised were not sufficient for such a
"town improvement," another "patent" for the purpose was procured in
1333, 7th Edw. III., the toll being fixed at one farthing on every eight
bushels of corn. What the paving was in the early part of the present
century is best told in the following extract from Bissett's
"Magnificent Directory," published in 1800:--

The streets are pav'd, 'tis true, but all the stones
Are set the wrong end up, in shape of cones;
And strangers limp along the best pav'd street,
As if parch'd peas were strew'd beneath their feet,
Whilst custom makes the Natives scarcely feel
Sharp-pointed pebbles press the toe or heel.

About 1819-20 the roadways were stoned with the aid of a steam
paving-engine, supplied with a row of six heavy rammers, which dropped
on the uneven stones and drove them into the roads, the engine moving
about a foot after each series of blows. A wood roadway was laid in Moor
Street in April, 1873; and in June, 1874, the Council decided also so to
pave New Street, High Street, and Bull Street. At their meeting, June
1876, it was resolved to spend L30,000 a year for six years in paving
streets, and they have done all _that_.

~Pawnbrokers.~--In December, 1789, a Bill was prepared for presentation
to Parliament "to suppress all pawnbrokers within the town." and to
establish in lieu a general office for pledges. Wonder what our uncles
thought of it.

~Peace.~--A branch of the Workmen's Peace Association was formed
December 18, 1871.

~Pebble Mill Pool.~--The last few years a favourite spot for suicides,
no less than thirty-nine persons having drowned themselves there since
1875. Strangely enough there was not a single similar case in the four
years preceding, and only three cases of accidental drownings in the
last 27 years.

~Peck Lane.~--Originally called Feck Lane, leading out of New Street,
next to the Grammar School, was closed and cleared for the Railway
Station. Steep and narrow as the old thoroughfare was, it was at one
time thought quite as much of as Bull Street.

~Pearls and Pearl Fisheries.~--A few small pearls are occasionally found
enclosed in the nacre (or mother-of-pearl) of shells cut up for buttons,
&c., but seldom of much value, though it is related that a few years
back a pearl thus discovered by a workman, and handed over to his
employer, was sold for L40, realising L150 afterwards. In March, 1884,
Mr. James Webb, Porchester Street, had the good fortune to find a pearl
weighing 31 grains in an Australian shell he was cutting up, and it has
been valued at L100. As there is a good market here for pearls, no doubt
many others have been found that "have not come to light." A few years
back, "pearl fisheries" of rather an extraordinary kind were here and
there to be found in the outskirts, the prices of good workable shell
having risen to to such an extent that it paid to hunt for and dig up
the scrap flung away in former years, as much as 15s. to 20s. per bag
being obtained for some of these finds. One smart little master who
recollected where his scrap was deposited some years before, in the
neighbourhood of St. Luke's, paid the spot a visit, and finding it still
unbuilt upon, set to work, and carted most of it back, and having
improved tools, made a handsome profit by this resurrection movement.--
See "_Trades_."

~Pens.~--The question as to who made the first steel pen has often been
debated; but though Perry and Mason, Mitchell and Gillott, and others
besides, have been named as the real original, it is evident that
someone had come before them; for, in a letter written at least 200
years back (lately published by the Camden Society), the writer, Mary
Hatton, offered to procure some pens made of steel for her brother, as
"neither the glass pens nor any other sort was near so good." Silver
pens were advertised for sale in the _Morning Chronicle_, in June, 1788,
as well as "fountain pens;" and it has been claimed that an American
supplied his friends with metallic pens a dozen years prior to that
date. There was a Sheffield artisan, too, before our local men came to
the front, who made some pens on the principle of the quill, a long
hollow barrel, pointed and split; but they were considered more in the
light of curiosities than for use, and fetched prices accordingly. Mr.
James Perry is said to have given his workmen 5s. each for making pens,
as late as 1824; and Mr. Gillott got 1s. each for a gross he made on the
morning of his marriage. In 1835, the lowest wholesale price was 5s. per
gross; now they can be had at a trifle over 1d. per gross. Even after
the introduction of presses for the manufacture of steel pens (in 1829),
there was considerable quantities of little machines made here for
cutting quill pens, the "grey goose quill" being in the market for
school use as late as 1855, and many bankers and others have not yet
discarded them. In May, 1853, a quantity of machinery was sent out to
America, where many skilled workmen had gone previously; and now our
Yankee cousins not only make their own pens, and run us close in all
foreign markets, but actually send their productions to Birmingham
itself.--See "_Trades_."

~People's Hall.~--The foundation stone of the People's Hall, corner of
Loveday and Princip Streets, was laid on Easter Monday, 1841, by General
(then Colonel) Perronet Thompson. The cost of the building was L2,400,
and, as its name implies, it was intended, and for a short time used, as
a place for assemblies, balls, and other public purposes. Like a number
of other "institutions for the people," it came to grief, and has long
been nothing more than a warehouse.

~Pershore Road~ was laid out in 1825.

~Perry Barr.~--Three miles from Birmingham, on the road to Lichfield, is
one of the ancient places that can claim a note in Domesday. Prior to
the eighteenth century there had been a wooden bridge over the Tame, the
present curiously-built stone erection, with its recesses to protect the
wayfarers from contact with crossing vehicles, being put up in 1711-12
by Sir Henry Gough, who received L200 from the county, and contributions
from the neighbouring parishes, towards the cost. The date of the early
church is unknown, the present one being built and endowed by Squire
Gough in 1832. Like other suburbs Perry Barr bids fair to become little
more than an offshoot to Birmingham, the road thereto fast filling up
with villa and other residences, while churches, chapels, and schools
may be seen on all hands. The Literary Institute, built in 1874, at a
cost of L2,000, contains reading and class rooms, lecture hall, &c.,
while not far off is a station on the L. and N.W. line. Ferry Hall, the
seat of the Hon. A.C.G. Calthorpe, has been the home of the Lords of the
Manor for many generations.

~Pest and Plague.~--The year 1665 is generally given as the date of "the
great plague" being here; but the register of St. Martin's Church does
not record any extraordinary mortality in that year. In some of the
"news sheets" of the 17th century a note has been met with (dated Sept.
28, 1631), in which the Justices of the Peace inform the Sheriff that
"the plague had broken out in Deritend, in the parish of Aston, and
spread far more dangerously into Birmingham, a great market town." St.
Martin's registers of burials are missing from 1631 to 1655, and those
of Aston are not get-at-able, and as the latter would record the deaths
in Deritend, there does not appear any certain data to go upon, except
that the plague was not a casual visitor, having visited Coventry in
1603 and 1625, Tamworth in 1606 and 1625, and Worcester in 1825 and
1645, the date generally given (1665) being that of the year when the
most deaths 68,596, occurred in London. The tradition is that the plague
contagion was brought here in a box of clothes conveyed by a carrier
from London. It is said that so many persons died in this town that the
churchyard would not hold the bodies, and the dead were taken to a
one-acre piece of waste land at Ladywood Green, hence known for many
generations as the "Pest Ground." The site has long been built over, but
no traces of any kind of sepulture were found when house foundations
were being laid.

~Pewter.~--To have bright pewter plates and dishes ranged on their
kitchen shelves was once the delight and the pride of all well-to-do
housewives, and even the tables of royalty did not disdain the pewter.
At the grand dinner on George IV.'s Coronation-day, though gold and
silver plate was there in abundance for the most noble of the noble
guests, the majority were served on brightly-burnished pewter, supplied
from Thomason's of Birmingham. The metal is seldom seen now except in
the shape of cups and measures used by publicans.

~Philanthropic Collections.~--The following are a few not mentioned in
previous pages:--A local fund for the relief of sufferers by famine in
Asia Minor was opened May 6, 1875, the amount collected being L682.--In
1875, a little over L1,700 was gathered to aid the sufferers from the
inundations in France that year.--November 25, 1878, at a meeting held
to sympathise with the losers through the failure of the Glasgow Bank
more than L1,000 was subscribed; L750 being gathered afterwards.--The
Mayor's Relief Fund, in the winter-time of 1878-79, totalled up to
L10,242, of which L9,500 was expended in relief, L537 in expenses, and
the balance divided between the Hospitals. The number of separate gifts
or donations to the poor was 500,187, equivalent to relieving once
108,630 families.

~Philanthropic Societies.~--Are as numerous as they are various, and the
amount of money, and money's worth, distributed each year is something
surprising. The following are the principal ones:--

_Aged Women_.--A society was commenced here in 1824 for the relief of
poor women over 60 years of age, and there are now on the books the
names of nearly 200 who receive, during the year, in small amounts, an
average of 17s to 18s. each. Miss Southall, 73, Wellington Road, is one
of the Hon. Sees., who will be pleased to receive additional
subscriptions. Fifty other aged women are yearly benefitted through
Fentham's Trust.--See "_Blue Coat School_."

_Architects_.--There is a Benevolent Society in connection with the
Royal Institute of British Architects, for relieving poor members of the
profession, their widows, or orphans. The local representative is Mr. F.
Cross, 14A, Temple Row.

_Aunt Judy's Work Society_.--On the plan of one started in London a few
years back; the object being to provide clothes for poor children in the
Hospitals. The secretary is Mrs. W. Lord, Brakendale, Farquhar Road,
Edgbaston.

_Bibles, etc_.--The Birmingham Depository of the British and Foreign
Bible Society is at 40, Paradise Street; and that of the Christian
Knowledge Society is at 92, New Street.

_Boarding-out Poor Children_.--A Ladies' Society for Befriending Pauper
Children by taking them from the Workhouse and boarding them out among
cottagers and others in the country, had been quietly at work for some
dozen years before the Marston Green Homes were built, but whether the
latter rule-of-thumb experiment will prove more successful than that of
the ladies, though far more costly, the coming generation must decide.

_Boatmen's Friend Society_.--A branch of the British Seamen's and
Boatmen's Friend Society, principally for the supply of religious
education to the boatmen and their families on the canals, the
distribution among them of healthy literature, and the support of the
work carried on at the Boatmen's Hall, Worcester Wharf, where the
Superintendent (Rev. R.W. Cusworth) may be found. The subscriptions in
1882 amounted to L416.

_Church Pastoral Aid Society_.--The name tells what subscriptions are
required for, and the Rev. J.G. Dixon, Rector of St. George's, will be
glad to receive them. The grants of the Parent Society to Birmingham in
1882 amounted to L3,560, while the local subscriptions were only L1,520.

_Clergymen's Widows_.--The Society for Necessitous Clergy within the
Archdeaconry of Coventry, whose office is at 10, Cherry Street, has an
income from subscriptions, &c., of about L320 per year, which is mainly
devoted to grants to widows and orphans of clergymen, with occasional
donations to disabled wearers of the cloth.

_Deritend Visiting and Parochial Society_, established in 1856. Meeting
at the Mission Hall, Heathmill Lane, where Sunday Schools, Bible
classes, Mothers' Meetings, &c., are conducted. The income for 1883 was
L185 7s. 4d., and the expenditure L216 16s. 7d., leaving a balance to be
raised.

_District Nursing Society_, 56, Newhall Street, has for its object the
nursing of sick poor at their own homes in cases of necessity. In 1883
the number of cases attended by the Society's nurses was 312, requiring
8,344 visits.

_Domestic Missions_, of one kind and another, are connected with all the
principal places of worship, and it would be a difficult task to
enumerate them. One of the earliest is the Hurst Street Unitarian,
dating from 1839.

_Flower Mission_.--At No. 3, Great Charles Street, ladies attend every
Friday to receive donation of flowers, &c., for distribution in the
wards of the Hospitals, suitable texts and passages of Scripture
accompanying the gifts to the patients.

_Girls' Friendly Society_.--The local Branch, of which there are several
sub (or parochial) branches, has on its books near upon 1,400 names of
young women in service, &c., whose welfare and interests are looked
after by a number of clergymen and ladies in connection with the Church
of England.

_Humane Society_.--A Branch on the plan of the London Society was
established here in 1790, but it was found best to incorporate it with
the General Hospital in 1803.

_India_.--A Branch of the Christian Vernacular Education Society for
India was formed here in 1874. There are several branches in this town
and neighbourhood of the Indian Female Normal School and Instruction
Society for making known the Gospel to the women of India, and about
L600 per year is gathered here.

_Iron, Hardware, and Metal Trades' Pension Society_ was commenced in
this town in 1842. Its head offices are now in London; the local
collector being Mr. A. Forrest, 32, Union Street.

_Jews and Gentiles_.--There are local Auxiliary Branches here of the
Anglo-Jewish Association, the Society for Promoting Christianity among
the Jews, and the British Society for Propagating the Gospel among Jews,
the amounts subscribed to each in 1882 being L72, L223, and L29
respectively.

_Kindness to Animals_.--Mainly by the influence and efforts of Miss
Julia Goddard, in 1875, a plan was started of giving prizes among the
scholars and pupil teachers of the Board Schools for the best written
papers tending to promote kindness to animals. As many as 3,000 pupils
and 60 teachers send papers in every year, and the distribution of 500
prizes is annually looked forward to with interest. Among the prizes are
several silver medals--one (the champion) being given in memory of Mr.
Charles Darwin, another in memory of Mr. E.F. Flower, a third (given by
Mr. J.H. Chamberlain) in memory of Mr. George Dawson, and a fourth given
by the Mayor.

_Ladies' Useful Work Association_.--Established in 1877 for the
inculcating habits of thrift and the improvement of domestic life among
mothers of families and young people commencing married life. A start
was made (Oct. 4) in the shape of a series of "Cookery Lessons," which
were exceedingly well attended. Series of useful lectures and lessons
have followed since, all bearing on home life, and as it has been shown
that nearly one-half of the annual number of deaths in Birmingham are
those of children under 5 years of age, it is to be hoped that the
"useful work" the ladies of the Association have undertaken may be
resultive in at least decreasing such infantile mortality. Office, No.
1, Broad Street Corner. In March, 1883, the ladies had a balance in hand
of L88.

_Needlework Guild_,--Another Ladies' Association of a similar character
to the above was established April 30, 1883.

_Negroes' Friends_.--When slavery was as much a British as American
institution it was not surprising that a number of lady residents should
form themselves, in 1825, into a Negroes' Friend Society. The funds now
collected, nearly L170 a year, are given in grants to schools on the
West Coast of Africa and the West Indies, and in donations to the
Freedmen's Aid Society, the Anti-Slavery Society, &c.

_Old Folks' Tea Party_.--In 1857, a few old people were given a treat
just prior to Christmas, and the good folks who got it up determined to
repeat it. The next gatherings were assembled at the Priory Rooms, but
in a few years it became needful to engage the Town Hall, and there
these treats, which are given biennially, are periodically held. At the
last gathering there attended over 700, not one of whom was under sixty
years of age, while some were long past their three-score and ten, and a
few bordered on ninety. The funds are raised by the sale of tickets (to
be given by the purchasers to such old people they think deserve it),
and by subscriptions, the recipients of the treat not only having that
enjoyment, but also take home with them warm clothing and other usefuls
suited to their time of life.