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

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_Hollier's Charity_ was devised in 1789, the land now known as Highgate
Park (originally 10 acres) being left to clothe, annually, twenty poor
persons, twelve from Birmingham and eight from Aston. The purchase money
paid by the Corporation has been invested, and, under the direction of
the Charity Commissioners, the income of this charity is appropriated
thus:--L50 for clothing for twelve poor men or women of Birmingham, and
eight ditto of Aston; L25 for relieving deserving and necessitous
persons discharged from Borough Lunatic Asylum; L150 to the Dispensaries
of Birmingham and Aston; L25 each to the Children's Hospital and the
Sanatorium; and the remainder to the General Hospital.

_James's Trust_, of 1869, which realises about L1,000 per year, was left
to provide homes and pensions for deserving widows and others; five
annuities for poor and decayed gentlewomen; and a scholarship at the
Grammar School. The Secretary is the Vicar of St. Clement's, Nechells.

_Kylcuppe's Charity_.--Sept. 19, 1611. Richard Kylcuppe devised certain
land at Sparkbrook for charitable purposes, the income of which is now
handed to the General Hospital and General Dispensary, as nearly as
possible following the testator's wishes.

_Lench's Trust_, which dates from 1539, is one of the most important
charities of the town, and has an income of over L3,000 a year at
present. The original objects of the trust were repairing the streets of
the town and relief to poor. From time to time other charities have been
incorporated, and the funds administered with those of Lench's Trust.
Among these are the "Bell Rope" fund for purchasing ropes for St.
Martin's Belfry, the donor of which is not known; Colmore's Charity,
dating from 1585, for relieving the poor and repairing streets;
Redhill's and Shilton's (about 1520), for like purposes; Kylcuppe's
1610, for the poor, and a small sum towards repairing the church;
Vesey's 1583, known as the "Loveday Croft" gift; Ward's 1573, and
Wrexam's, 1568, both for gifts to the poor on Good Friday; Ann Scott's,
1808, providing small amounts to be given to the inmates of the
Almshouses, &c. The Trust now maintains four sets of almshouses
(Conybere Street, Hospital Street, Ravenhurst Street, and Ladywood),
accommodating 184 inmates, all women, who receive 5s. a week each, with
firing, medical advice and medicines when necessary, and sundry other
small comforts beloved by old grannies. The solicitors to the Trust are
Messrs. Horton and Lee, Newhall Street. The income of Lench's Trust for
the year 1883 amounted to L3,321 10s., of which L1,825 14s. went to the
almswomen, L749 1s. 8d. for matrons, doctors, and expenses at the
almshouses, L437 9s. 4d. for repairs, insurance, rates, and taxes, and
L309 5s. for clerks, collectors, auditors, law and surveyor's charges,
printing, &c.

_Milward's Charity_.--John Milward in 1654 left property then worth L26
per annum and the Red Lion public-house (worth another L26, but which
could never be traced out), to be devided between the governors of the
Free Grammar Schools of Birmingham and Haverfordwest and Brazennose
College, for the support at the said college of one student from the
above schools in rotation. The Red Lion having been swallowed up at a
gulp; the other property would appear to have been kept as a
nibbling-cake, for till the Charity Commissioners visited here in 1827
no scholar had ever been sent to college by its means. The railways and
canals have taken most of the property of this trust, the invested
capital arising from the sales bringing in now about L650 per year,
which is divided between the two schools and the college above named,
the Birmingham portion being sufficient to pay for two scholarships
yearly.

The _Nichol Charity_ provides for the distribution of bread and coals to
about 100 people on New Year's Day, by the vicar and churchwardens of
St. David's.

_Old Maids and Widows_.--About L40 per year are divided by the Rector
and Churchwardens of St. Philip's amongst ten old maids "or single women
of virtuous character," and twelve poor widows attending divine service
there, the invested money arising from Shelton's Charity, 1826, and
Wilkinson's Charity, 1830.--Thomas Pargeter (of Foxcote) in 1867, left
money in trust, to provide annuities of L20 each, to unmarried ladies of
fifty-five or more, professing Unitarianism, and about 100 are now
reaping the fruit of his charity. Messrs. Harding and Son, Waterloo
Street, are the solicitors.

_Ridduck's Trust_, for putting poor boys out apprentice, was devised in
1728, the property consisting of a farm at Winson Green. By direction of
the Court of Chancery, the income is now divided, L70 to Gem Street Free
Industrial School, and L20 to the British School, Severn Street. The
Trustees include the Mayor, the Rectors of St. Martin's, St. Philip's,
St. Thomas's, St. George's, several Nonconformist ministers, and the
Registrar of the Society of Friends.

_Preaching Sermons_.--By Salusbury's Charity, 1726, the Rectors of St.
Martin's and St. Philip's are entitled to the sum of 15s to preach
sermons once a year for the benefit of the Blue Coat School--Ingram's
Charity, 1818, consisting of the yearly interest of L500 4 per cent.
India Stock, was intended to insure the preaching of an annual sermon on
the subject of kindness to animals (especially to the horse) by a local
clergyman of the Established Church, but the Governors of King Edward's
School, who are the trustees, have obtained the sanction of the Charity
Commissioner to a scheme under which sermons on kindness to animals may
take the form of one or more free lectures on the kind treatment of
animals, and especially of the horse, to be delivered in any place of
public worship, or other building or room approved by the trustees, and
not necessarily, as heretofore, by a clergyman of the Established
Church, and in a church.

_Scripture Reading_.--In 1858 Admiral Duff left a sum of money, which
brings in about L45 per year, for the maintenance of a Scripture Reader
for the town of Birmingham. The trustee of this land is the Mayor for
the time being, and the Scripture Reader may be heard of at the Town
Clerk's office.

_The Whittingham Charity_, distributed at St. James's, Ashted, in March,
furnishes gifts to about eighty poor people (principally widows), who
receive blankets, sheets, quilts, flannel, &c., in addition to bread and
coal.

~Philosophical Society.~--A society with this name was formed in 1794
for the promulgation of scientific principles among mechanics. Its
meetings were held in an old warehouse in the Coach Yard, and from the
fact that many workmen from the Eagle Foundry attended the lectures,
delivered mainly by Mr. Thomas Clarke, the members acquired the name of
"the cast-iron philosophers." Another society was formed in 1800, for
the diffusion of scientific knowledge amongst the middle and higher
classes, and by the year 1814 it was possessed of a handsome Lecture
Theatre, a large Museum, with good collections of fossils and minerals,
a Library, Reading Room, &c., in Cannon Street. Like many other useful
institutions of former days, the philosophical has had to give way to
the realistic, its library of dead men's writings, and its fossils of
the ancient world, vanishing in face of the reporters of to-day's
doings, the ubiquitous throbs of the "Walter" and "Hoe" steam presses
resounding where erst the voice of Science in chronicling the past
foreshadowed the future.

~Pillory.~--This ancient machine for the punishment of prigs formerly
stood in High Street. The last time it was used was in 1813. We pillory
people in print now, and pelt them with pen and ink. The Act for
abolishing this method of punishment was not passed until June 30, 1837.
What became of the pillory here is not known, but there is, or was
lately, a renovated specimen of the article at Coleshill.

~Pinfold Street~ takes its name from the "pound" or "pinfold" that
existed there prior to 1752. There used to be another of these
receptacles for straying animals near to the Plough and Harrow in Hagley
Road, and a small corner of Smithfield was railed off for the like
purpose when the Cattle market was there established. The "Jacob
Wilsons" of a previous date held a field under the Lords of the Manor
wherein to graze their captured cattle, but one of the Town Criers
mortgaged it, and his successors lost their right to the land which was
somewhere about Caroline Street.

~Places of Worship.~--_Established Church_.--In 1620 there were 358
churches in Warwickshire, 130 in Staffordshire, and 150 in
Worcestershire; but St. Martin's, Edgbaston, Aston, Deritend, and
Handsworth, churches were all that Birmingham could boast of at the
beginning of last century, and the number had not been increased to a
very large extent even by the year 1800. As will be seen from the dates
given in following pages, however, there was a goodly number of churches
erected in the first half of this century, about the end of which period
a "Church extension" movement was set on foot. The success was so
apparent that a society was formed (Jan., 1865), and in March, 1867, it
was resolved to raise a fund of L50,000, for the purpose of at once
erecting eight other new churches in the borough, Miss Ryland heading
the list of donations with the munificent gift of L10,000. It is
difficult to arrive at the amount expended on churches previous to 1840,
but the annexed list of churches, built, enlarged, or repaired in this
neighbourhood from 1840 to 1875, will give an approximate idea of the
large sums thus invested, the whole of which was raised solely by
voluntary contributions.

Acock's Green ... ... L6,405
Aston Brook ... ... 5,000
Balsall Heath ... ... 8,500
Bishop Ryder's ... ... 886
Christ Church ... ... 1,000
Christ Church, Sparkbrook 9,163
Edgbaston ... ... ... 2,200
Hay Mills ... ... ... 6,500
Immanuel ... ... ... 4,600
King's Heath ... ... 3,900
King's Norton ... ... 5,092
Moseley ... ... ... 2,491
Saltley ... ... ... 7,139
St. Alban's ... ... 2,800
St. Andrew's ... ... 4,500
St. Anne's ... ... ... 2,700
St. Anne's, Moseley ... 7,500
St. Asaph's... ... ... 7,700
St. Augustine's ... ... 7,800
St. Barnabas' ... ... 3,500
St. Bartholomew's... ... 1,260
St. Clement's ... ... 3,925
St. Cuthbert's ... ... 5,000
St. David's... ... ... 6,185
St. Gabriel's ... ... 4,307
St. George's Edgbaston ... 1,583
St. James's Edgbaston ... 6,000
St. John's, Ladywood ... 7,200
St. Lawrence's ... ... 4,380
St. Luke's ... ... ... 6,286
St. Martin's ... ... 30,134
St. Matthew's ... ... 4,850
St. Matthias's ... ... 5,361
St. Mary's ... ... ... 4,503
St. Mary's, Selly Oak ... 5,400
St. Nicholas' ... ... 4,288
St. Paul's ... ... ... 1,400
St. Philip's ... ... 9,987
St. Saviour's ... ... 5,273
St. Silas's... ... ... 4,677
St. Stephen's ... ... 3,200
St. Stephen's, Selly Oak 3,771

To the above total of L228,336 expended on churches in or close to the
borough, there should be added L57,640 expended in the erection, &c., of
churches close at hand in the adjoining diocese of Lichfield; L25,000
laid out at Coleshill, Northfield, and Solihull (the principal residents
being from Birmingham); and a still further sum of L150,000 spent on
Church-school buildings. These figures even do not include the vast
amounts invested for the endowments of the several churches and schools,
nor is aught reckoned for the value of the land or building materials
where given, nor for the ornamental decorations, fonts, pulpits,
windows, and furnishings so munificently lavished on our local churches.
Since the year 1875 it has been calculated that more than L100,000 has
been devoted to similar local church-building purposes, so that in less
than fifty years much more than half-a-million sterling has been
voluntarily subscribed by the Churchmen of the neighbourhood for the
religious welfare and benefit of their fellow men. Still there is room
for more churches and for more preachers, and the Church Extension
Society are hoping that others will follow the example of the
"Landowner," who, in the early part of the year (1884) placed L10,000 in
the hands of the Bishop towards meeting the urgent need of additional
provision for the spiritual wants of the inhabitants.--Short notes of
the several churches can alone be given.

_All Saints'_, in the street of that name, leading out of Lodge Road, is
a brick erection of fifty years' date, being consecrated September 28,
1833. It was built to accommodate about 700 and cost L3,850, but in 1881
it was enlarged and otherwise improved at an outlay of over L1,500, and
now finds sittings for 1,760, a thousand of the seats being free. The
Rev. P.E. Wilson, M.A., is the Rector and Surrogate, and the living
(value L400) is in the gift of the Birmingham Trust. The Nineveh
schoolroom is used for services on Sunday and Thursday evenings in
connection with All Saints.

_All Saints'_, King's Heath, is built of stone in the perpendicular
Gothic style, and cost L3,200, the consecration taking place on April
27th, 1860. There are sittings for 620, one half being free. The Rev. J.
Webster, M.A., is the Vicar; the living (value L220) being in the gift
of the Vicar of Moseley, King's Heath ecclesiastical parish being formed
out of Moseley parish in 1863.

_All Saints'_, Small Heath.--Rev. G.F.B. Cross, M.A., Vicar. Soon after
the death of the Rev. J. Oldknow, D.D., of Holy Trinity, in 1874, it was
resolved to carry out his dying wishes by erecting a church in the
fast-filling district of Small Heath. At first the iron building
formerly used as a place of worship in Cannon Hill Park was put up, and
the Vicar was instituted in October, 1875. The foundation-stone of a
permanent building was laid Sept. 8, 1882, which accommodates over 1,000
worshippers. That part of the future "Oldknow Memorial Church" at
present finished, comprising the nave, north aisle, and north transept,
with seating for nearly 700 (all free), was consecrated July 28, 1883.
The patronage is vested in trustees, the incumbent's stipend being L150.

_All Saints'_, Stechford.--A temporary church of iron and wood, erected
at a cost of L620, to accommodate 320 persons, all seats being free, was
dedicated Dec. 18, 1877.

_Aston Church_.--It is impossible to fix the date of erection of the
first church for the parish of Aston, but that it must have been at a
very early period is shown by the entry in the Domesday Book relative to
the manor. The parish itself formerly included Bordesley and Deritend,
Nechells and Saltley, Erdington and Witton, Castle Bromwich, Ward End,
and Water Orton, an area so extensive that the ecclesiastical income was
very considerable. In Henry III.'s reign the Dean and Chapter of
Lichfield received twenty marks yearly out of the fruits of the rectory,
the annual value of which was sufficient to furnish L26 13s. 4d. over
and above the twenty marks. Records are in existence showing that the
church (which was dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul) was considerably
enlarged about 300 years after the Conquest, and a renovation was
carried out nearly a century back, but the alterations made during the
last few years (1878-84) have been so extensive that practically it may
be said the edifice has been rebuilt. The seating capacity of the old
church was limited to about 500, but three times that number of persons
will, in future, find accommodation, the cost of the extensions and
alterations having been nearly L10,000. The ancient monuments, windows,
and tablets have all been carefully replaced in positions corresponding
to those they filled formerly, with many additions in the shape of
coloured glass, heraldic emblazonments, and chaste carvings in wood and
stone. The old church, for generations past, has been the centre-point
of interest with local antiquarians, as it was, in the days far gone,
the chosen last resting-place of so many connected with our ancient
history--the Holtes, the Erdingtons, the Devereux, the Ardens, the
Harcourts, the Bracebridgss, Clodshalls, Bagots, &c. Here still may be
seen the stone and alabaster effigies of lords and ladies who lived in
the time of the Wars of the Roses, two showing by their dress that while
one was Lancasterian, the other followed the fortunes of York. The
tablets of the Holte' family, _temp_. Elizabeth and Charles, and the
Devereux monument of the Jacobean era, are well preserved, while all
around the shields and arms of the ancient families, with their many
quarterings, form the best heraldic collection anywhere near Birmingham.
The parish registers date from the 16th century, and the churchwardens
accounts are preserved from the year 1652. Among the facts recorded in
the former we may note the burial of the dozen or so Royalist soldiers
who lost their lives while defending Aston Hall from the attacks made on
it by the Birmingham men in December, 1643; while in both there are
quaint entries innumerable, and full of curious interest to the student
and historian. The Rev. W. Eliot, M.A., the present vicar, was
instituted in 1876 (commencing duty Feb. 25, 1877), the living (L1,600
value) being in the presentation of trustees. In connection with the
Church, there are Mission Rooms in Tower Road and in Alfred Street, with
Sunday Schools, Bible classes, Dorcas, and other societies. The first
portion of the late additions to the Church was consecrated July 5,
1880; the new chancel on Sept. 8, 1883

_Bishop Rider's_, a square-towered brick edifice in Gem Street, was
built in 1837-38, the laying of the foundation stone (August 23, 1837)
being characterised by the almost unheard-of conduct of the low denizens
of the neighbourhood, who pelted the Bishop of Lichfield with mud on the
occasion. The consecration took place Dec. 18, 1838, and the building
cost L4,600. The living, valued at L300, is in the hands of trustees,
the present vicar being the Rev. J.P. Gardiner. The vicarage, which was
completed in 1862 at a cost of L2,240, is in Sutton Street, Aston Road--
too near a residence to the church not being deemed advisable even
five-and-twenty years after the opening ceremony of 1837. In 1879 the
galleries were removed, and the church re-pewed and otherwise renovated,
the re-opening taking place July 28, there being now 860 free sittings.

_Christ Church_, New Street.--At first known as "The Free Church," this
edifice was for no less than ten years in the hands of the builders. The
cornerstone was laid July 22, 1805, by Lord Dartmouth, in the absence of
George III., who had promised, but was too ill, to be present. His
Majesty, however, sent L1,000 towards the building fund. It was
consecrated July 13, 1813; finished in 1816; clock put in 1817. The
patron is the Bishop of Worcester, and to the living (valued at L350),
is attached a Prebendary in Lichfield Cathedral. The present Vicar,
since 1881, is the Rev. E.R. Mason, M.A. There is accommodation for
1,500, all the seats being free, but at one time the worshippers were
limited in their freedom of sitting by the males having to take their
places on one side and the females on the other, a custom which gave
rise to the following epigram:

"Our churches and chapels we generally find
Are the places where men to the women are joined;
But at Christ Church, it seems, they are more cruelhearted,
For men and their wives go there and get parted."

Mission services in connection with Christ Church are held in the
Pinfold Street and Fleet Street Schoolrooms.

_Christ Church_, Gillott Road, Summerfield. The foundation stone of a
church to be erected to the memory of the late Rev. George Lea (for 43
years connected with Christ Church and St. George's, Edgbaston) was laid
Nov. 27, 1883. It is intended to accommodate 850 persons, and will cost
about L8,000, exclusive of a tower 110ft. high which will be added
afterwards at a further cost of L1,200.

_Christ Church_, Quinton, was erected in 1841, at a cost of L2,500, and
will seat 600, two-thirds being free. The living is valued at L200, is
in the gift of the Rector of Halesowen (in whose parish Quinton was
formerly included), and is held by the Rev. C.H. Oldfield, B.A.

_Christ Church_, Sparkbrook, is a handsome Gothic erection, built on
land given by Mr. S.S. Lloyd, the first stone being laid April 5, 1866,
and the opening ceremony on October 1, 1867. The living, a perpetual
curacy, is in the gift of trustees, and is valued at L350 per annum, and
has been held hitherto by the Rev. G. Tonge, M.A. The building of the
church cost nearly L10,000, the accommodation being sufficient for 900
persons, one-half the seats being free. The stained window in chancel to
the memory of Mrs. S.S. Lloyd, is said by some to be the most beautiful
in Birmingham, the subject being the Resurrection. There are Mission
Rooms and Sunday Schools in Dolobran Road, Montpellier Street, Long
Street, and Stratford Road, several thousands having been spent in their
erection.

_Christ Church_, Yardley Wood, was built and endowed by the late John
Taylor, Esq., in 1848, the consecration taking place April 4, 1849.
Vicarage, value L185; patrons, trustees; Vicar, Rev. C.E. Beeby, B.A.
Seats 260, the 60 being free.

_Edgbaston Old Church_.--It is not known when the first church was built
on this site, some writers having gone so far back as to fix the year
777 as the probable date. The present edifice, though it incorporates
some few remains of former erections, and will always be known as the
"old" church, really dates but from 1809-10, when it was re-built
(opened Sept 10, 1810) but, as the Edgbastonians began to increase and
multiply rapidly after that time, it was found necessary to add a nave
and aisle in 1857. There is now only accommodation for 670, and but a
hundred or so of the seats are free, so that possibly in a few more
years the renovators and restorers will be busy providing another new
old church for us. The patron is Lord Calthorpe, and the living is
valued at L542, but the power of presenting has only been exercised
three times during the last 124 years, the Rev. John Prynne Parkes
Pixell, who was appointed vicar in 1760, being succeeded by his son in
1794, who held the living fifty-four years. At his death, in 1848, the
Rev. Isaac Spooner, who had for the eleven previous years been the first
incumbent of St. George's, Edgbaston, was inducted, and remained vicar
till his death, July, 1884. In the Church there are several monuments to
members of the Calthorpe family, and one in memory of Mr. Joshua
Scholefield, the first M.P. for Birmingham, and also some
richly-coloured windows and ancient-dated tablets connected with the
oldest families of the Middlemores and others.

_Hall Green Church_ was built in Queen Anne's reign, and has seats for
475, half free. It is a vicarage (value L175), in the gift of trustees,
and now held by the Rev. R. Jones, B.A.

_Handsworth Church_.--St. Mary's, the mother church of the parish, was
probably erected in the twelfth century, but has undergone time's
inevitable changes of enlargements, alterations, and rebuildings, until
little, if any, of the original structure could possibly be shown. Great
alterations were made during the 15th and 17th centuries, and again
about 1759, and in 1820; the last of all being those of our own days.
During the course of the "restoration," now completed, an oval tablet
was taken down from the pediment over the south porch, bearing the
inscription of "John Hall and John Hopkins, churchwardens, 1759," whose
economising notions had led them to cut the said tablet out of an old
gravestone, the side built into the wall having inscribed on its face,
"The bodye of Thomas Lindon, who departed this life the 10 of April,
1675, and was yeares of age 88." The cost of the rebuilding has been
nearly L11,000, the whole of which has been subscribed, the reopening
taking place Sept. 28, 1878. There are several ancient monuments in fair
preservation, and also Chantrey's celebrated statue of Watts. The living
is valued at L1,500, the Rector, the Rev. W. Randall, M.A., being his
own patron. The sittings in the church are (with a few exceptions only)
all free and number over 1,000, Sunday and other services being also
held in a Mission Room at Hamstead.

_Holy Trinity_.--The first stone of the Church of the Holy Trinity in
Camp Hill, was placed in position Sept. 29, 1820. The building was
consecrated Jan. 23, 1823, and opened for services March 16 following.
The cost was L14,325, and the number of sittings provided 1,500, half to
be free. The services have from the first been markedly of a Ritualistic
character, and the ornate decorations of the church have been therefore
most appropriate. The living (value L230) is a vicarage in the gift of
trustees, and is at present held by the Rev. A.H. Watts, who succeeded
the Rev. R.W. Enraght after the latter's suspension and imprisonment.--
See "_Ritualism_."