Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham Part 12

_Druids_.--The order of Druids has five Lodges here, with nearly 400 members. The United Ancient Order of Druids has twenty-one Lodges, and about 1,400 members.

_Ebenezer Chapel Sick Society_ was established in 1828. Has 135 members, whose yearly payments average 32s. 6d., out of which 17s. dividend at Christmas comes back, the benefits being 10s. a week in sickness and 10 at death.

_Foresters_.--In 1745 a few Yorkshire-men started "The Ancient Order of Royal Foresters," under which t.i.tle the a.s.sociated Courts remained until 1834, when a split took place. The secessionists, who gave the name of "Honour" to their No. 1 Court (at Ashton-under-Lyne), declined the honour of calling themselves "Royal," but still adhered to the antique part of their cognomen. The new "Ancient Order of foresters" throve well, and, leaving their "Royal" friends far away in the background, now number 560,000 members, who meet in nearly 7,000 Courts. In the Birmingham Midland District them are 62 courts, with about 6,200 members, the Court funds amounting to 29,900, and the District funds to 2,200. The oldest Court in this town is the "Child of the Forest,"

meeting at the Gem Vaults, Steelhouse Lane, which was inst.i.tuted in 1839. The other Courts meet at the Crown and Anchor, Gem Street; Roebuck, Lower Hurst Street; Queen's Arms, Easy Row; White Swan, Church Street; Red Cow, Horse Fair; Crown, Broad Street; White Hart, Warstone Lane; Rose and Crown, Summer Row; Red Lion, Suffolk Street; Old Crown, Deritend; Hope and Anchor, Coleshill Street; Black Horse, Ashted Row; Colemore Arms, Latimer Street South; Anchor, Bradford Street; Army and Navy Inn, Great Brook Street; Red Lion, Smallbrook Street; Union Mill Inn, Holt Street; Vine, Lichfield Road; Wellington, Holliday Street; Ryland Arms, Ryland Street; Star and Garter, Great Hampton Row; Oak Tree, Selly Oak; Station Inn, Saltley Road; Drovers' Arms, Bradford Street; Old Nelson, Great Lister Street; Ivy Green, Edward Street; Iron House, Moor Street; Green Man, Harborne; Fountain, Wrentham Street; King's Arms, Sherlock Street; Shareholders' Arms, Park Lane; Shakespeare's Head, Livery Street; Criterion, Hurst Street; Acorn, Friston Street; Hen and Chickens, Graham Street; Albion, Aston Road; Dog and Partridge, Tindal Street; White Horse, Great Colmore Street; Carpenters' Arms, Adelaide Street; Small Arms Inn, Muntz Street; Weymouth Arms, Gerrard Street; General Hotel, Tonk Street; Railway Tavern, Hockley; Noah's Ark, Montague Street; Sportsman, Warwick Road; Roebuck, Monument Road; Bull's Head, Moseley; Swan Inn, Coleshill; Hare and Hounds, King's Heath; Roebuck, Erdington; Fox and Grapes, Pensnett; Hazelwell Tavern, Stirchley Street; Round Oak and New Inn, Brierley Hill; The Stores, Oldbury; and at the Crosswells Inn, Five Ways, Langley.

_General Provident and Benevolent Inst.i.tution_ was at first (1833) an amalgamation of several Sunday School societies. It has a number of branches, and appears to be in a flourishing condition, the a.s.sets, at end of 1883, amounting to over 48,000, with a yearly increment of about 1,400; the number of members in the medical fund being 5,112.

_Grocers_.--These gentlemen organised a Benevolent Society, in 1872.

_Independent Order of Rechabites_.--Dwellers in tents, and drinkers of no wine, were the original Rechabites, and there are about a score of "tents" in this district, the oldest being pitched in this town in 1839, and, as friendly societies, they appear to be doing, in their way, good service, like their friends who meet in "courts" and "lodges," the original "tent's" cashbox having 675 in hand for cases of sickness, while the combined camp holds 1,600 wherewith to bury their dead.

_Jewellers' Benevolent a.s.sociation_ dates from Oct. 25, 1867.

_Medical_.--A Midland Medical Benevolent Society has been in existence since 1821. The annual report to end of 1883 showed invested funds amounting to 10,937, there being 265 benefit members and 15 honorary.

_Musical_.--The Birmingham Musical Society consists almost solely of members of the Choral Society, whose fines, with small subscriptions from honorary members, furnishes a fund to cover rehearsal, and sundry choir expenses as well as 10s in cases of sickness.

_New Meeting Provident Inst.i.tution_ was founded in 1836, but is now connected with the Church of the Messiah. A little over a thousand members, one-third of whom are females.

_Oddfellows_.--The National Independent Order of Oddfellows, Birmingham Branch, was started about 1850. At the end of 1879 there were 1,019 members, with about 4,500 acc.u.mulated funds.

The Birmingham District of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows in January, 1882, consisted of 43 lodges, comprising 4,297 members, the combined capital of sick and funeral funds being 42,210. Tho oldest Lodge in the District is the "Briton's Pride," which was opened in 1827.

The first Oddfellows' Hall was in King Street, but was removed when New Street Station was built. The new Oddfellows' Hall in Upper Temple Street was built in 1849, by Branson and Gwyther, from the designs of Coe and Goodwin (Lewisham, Kent), at a cost of 3,000. Tim opening was celebrated by a dinner on December 3rd, same year. The "Hall" will accommodate 1,000 persons. The Oddfellows' Biennial Moveable Committee met in this town on May 29th, 1871.

The M.U. Lodges meet at the following houses:--Fox, Fox Street; White Horse, Congreve Street; Swan-with-two-Necks, Great Brook Street; Albion, Cato Street North; Hope and Anchor, Coleshill Street; 13, Temple Street; Wagon and Horses, Edgbaston Street; Crystal Palace, Six Ways, Smethwick; The Vine, Harborne; Prince Arthur, Arthur Street, Small Heath; George Hotel, High Street, Solihull; Bell, Phillip Street; Bull's Head, Digbeth; Edgbaston Tavern, Lee Bank, Road; The Stork, Fowler Street, Nech.e.l.ls; Three Tuns, Digbeth; Town Hall, Sutton Coldfield; Coffee House, Bell Street; Coach and Horses, Snow Hill; Roe Buck, Moor Street; Drovers' Arms, Bradford Street; Co-operative Meeting Room, Stirchley Street; Black Lion, Coleshill Street; Queen's Head, Handsworth; No. 1 Coffee House, Rolfe Street, Smethwick; New Inn, Selly Oak; Wagon and Horses, Greet; Talbot, Yardley; Saracen's Head, Edgbaston Street; Dolphin, Unett Street; Grand Turk, Ludgate Hill; Roebuck, Moor Street; White Swan, Church Street; White Lion, Thorpe Street; Queen's Arms, Easy Row; Rose and Crown, Wheeler Street, Lozells.

The National Independent Order was inst.i.tuted in 1845, and registered under the Friendly Societies' Act, 1875. The Order numbers over 60,000 members, but its strongholds appear to be in Yorkshire and Lancashire, which two counties muster between them nearly 40,000. In Birmingham district, there are thirteen "lodges," with a total of 956 members, their locations being at the Criterion, Hurst Street; Bricklayers' Arms, Cheapside; Ryland Arms, Ryland Street; Sportsman, Moseley Street; Iron House, Moor Street; Exchange Inn, High Street; Red Lion, Smallbrook Street; Woodman, Summer Lane; Emily Arms, Emily Street; Boar's Head, Bradford Street; Turk's Head, Duke Street; Bird-in-Hand, Great King Street; Tyburn House, Erdington.

_Old Meeting Friendly Fund_ was commenced in 1819, and registered in 1824. Its capital at the close of the first year, was 5 14s. 10-1/2d.; at end of the tenth year (1828) it was nearly 264; in 1838, 646; in 1848, 1,609; in 1858, 3,419; 1868, 5,549; in 1878, 8,237; and at the end of 1883, 9,250 16s. 2d.;--a very fair sum, considering the numbers only numbered 446, the year's income being 877 and the out-goings 662.

_Railway Guards' Friendly Fund_ was originated in this town in 1848. It has nearly 2,200 members; the yearly disburs.e.m.e.nts being about 6,000, and the payments 40 at death, with life pensions of 10s. and upwards per week to members disabled on the line. More than 85,000 has been thus distributed since the commencement.

_Roman Catholic_.--A local Friendly Society was founded in 1794, and a Midland a.s.sociation in 1824.

_Shepherds_.--The Order of Shepherds dates from 1834, but we cannot get at the number of members, &c. August 9, 1883 (according to _Daily Post_), the High Sanctuary meeting of the Order of Shepherds was held in our Town Hall, when the auditor's report showed total a.s.sets of the general fund, 921 15s. 4d., and liabilities 12 6s. 9-1/2d. The relief fund stood at 292 18s. 8d., being an increase of 66 0s. 11d. on the year; and there was a balance of 6 13s. 9-1/2d. to the credit of the sick and funeral fund.

_St. David's Society_.--The members held their first meeting March 1, 1824.

_St. Patrick's Benefit Society_, dating from 1865 as an offshoot of the Liverpool Society, had at end of 1882, 3,144 members, the expenditure of the year was 857 (531 for funerals), and the total value of the society 2,030.

_Unitarian Brotherly Society_, registered in 1825, has about 500 members, and a capital of 8,500.

_United Brothers_.--There are nearly 100 lodges and 10,000 members of societies under this name in Birmingham and neighbourhood, some of the lodges being well provided for capital, No. 4 having 8,286 to 186 members.

_United Family_ Life a.s.surance and Sick Benefit Society claims to have some 8,500 members, 750 of whom reside in Birmingham.

_United Legal_ Burial Society, registered in 1846, like the above, is a branch only.

_Union Provident Sick Society_.--Founded 1802, enrolled in 1826 and certified in 1871, had then 3,519 members and a reserve fund of 8,269.

At end of 1883 the reserve fund stood at 15,310 16s. 9d., there having been paid during the year 4,768 17s. 2d. for sick pay and funerals, besides 15s. dividend to each member.

There are 15,379 Friendly Societies or branches in the kingdom, numbering 4,593,175 members, and their funds amounted to (by last return) 12,148,602.

~Friends (The Society of).~--Quakerism was publicly professed here in 1654, George Fox visiting the town the following year and in 1657. The triends held their first "meetings" in Monmouth Street in 1659. The meeting-house in Bull Street was built in 1703, and was enlarged several times prior to 1856, when it was replaced by the present edifice which will seat about 800 persons. The re-opening took place January 25, 1857.

The burial-ground in Monmouth Street, where the Arcade is now, was taken by the Great Western Railway Co. in 1851, the remains of over 300 departed Friends being removed to the yard of the meeting-house in Bull Street.

~Froggery.~--Before the New Street Railway Station was built, a fair slice of old Birmingham had to be cleared away, and fortunately it happened to be one of the unsavoury portions, including the spot known as "The Froggery." As there was a Duck Lane close by, the place most likely was originally so christened from its lowlying and watery position, the connection between ducks and frogs being self-apparent.

~Frosts.~--Writing on Jan. 27, 1881, the late Mr. Plant said that in 88 years there had been only four instances of great cold approaching comparison with the intense frost then ended; the first was in January, 1795; the next in December and January, 1813-14; then followed that of January, 1820. The fourth was in December and January, 1860-61; and, lastly, January, 1881. In 1795 the mean temperature of the twenty-one days ending January 31st was 24.27 degrees; in 1813-14, December 29th to January 18th, exclusively, 24.9 degrees; in 1820, January 1st to 21st, inclusively, 23.7 degrees; in 1860-61, December 20th to January 9th, inclusively, 24.5 degrees; and in 1881, January 7th to 27th, inclusively, 23.2 degrees. Thus the very coldest three weeks on record in this district, in 88 years, is January, 1881. With the exception of the long frost of 1813-4, which commenced on the 24th December and lasted three months, although so intense in their character, none of the above seasons were remarkable for protracted duration. The longest frosts recorded in the present century were as follows:--1813-14, December to March. 13 weeks; 1829-30, December, January, February, 10 weeks; 1838, January, February, 8 weeks; 1855, January, February, 7 weeks; 1878-79, December, January, February, 10 weeks.

~Funny Notions.~--The earliest existing statutes governing our Free Grammar of King Edward VI. bear the date of 1676. One of these rules forbids the a.s.sistant masters to marry.--In 1663 (_temp_. Charles II.) Sir Robert Holte, of Aston, received a commission from Lord Northampton, "Master of His Majesty's leash," to take and seize greyhounds, and certain other dogs, for the use of His Majesty!--The "Dancing a.s.sembly,"

which was to meet on the 30th January, 1783, loyally postponed their light fantastic toeing, "in consequence of that being the anniversary of the martyrdom of Charles I."--In 1829, when the Act was pa.s.sed appointing Commissioners for Duddeston and Nech.e.l.ls, power was given for erecting gasworks, provided they did not extend over more than one acre, and that no gas was sent into the adjoining parish of Birmingham.--A writer in _Mechanics' Magazine_ for 1829, who signed his name as "A.

Taydhill, Birmingham," suggested that floor carpets should be utilized as maps where with to teach children geography. The same individual proposed that the inhabitants of each street should join together to buy a long pole, or mast, with a rope and pulley, for use as a fireescape, and recommended them to convey their furniture in or out of the windows with it, as "good practice."--A patent was taken out by Eliezer Edwards, in 1853, for a bedstead fitted with a wheel and handle, that it might be used as a wheelbarrow.--Sergeant Bates, of America, invaded Birmingham, Nov. 21, 1872, carrying the "stars and stripes," as a test of our love for our Yankee cousins.

~Funeral Reform.~--An a.s.sociation for doing away with the expensive customs so long connected with the burying of the dead, was organised in 1875, and slowly, but surely, are accomplishing the task then entered upon. At present there are about 700 enrolled members, but very many more families now limit the trappings of woe to a more reasonable as well as economical exhibit of tailors' and milliners' black.

~Furniture.~--Judging from some old records appertaining to the history of a very ancient family, who, until the town swallowed it up, farmed a considerable portion of the district known as the Lozells, or Lowcells, as it was once called, even our well-to-do neighbours would appear to have been rather short of what we think necessary household furniture.

As to chairs in bedrooms, there were often none; and if they had chimnies, only movable grates, formed of a few bars resting on "dogs."

Window-curtains, drawers, carpets, and washing-stands, are not, according to our recollection, anywhere specified; and a warming-pan does not occur till 1604, and then was kept in the bed-room. Tongs appear as annexations of grates, without poker or shovel; and the family plate-chest was part of bed-room furniture. Stools were the subst.i.tutes for chairs in the princ.i.p.al sitting-room, in the proportion of even twenty of the former to two of the latter, which were evidently intended, _par distinction_, for the husband and wife.

~Galton.~--The family name of a once well-known firm of gun, sword, and bayonet makers, whose town-house was in Steelhouse Lane, opposite the Upper Priory. Their works were close by in Weaman Street, but the mill for grinding and polishing the barrels and blades was at Duddeston, near to Duddeston Hall, the Galton's country-house. It was this firm's manufactury that Lady Selbourne refers to in her "Diary," wherein she states that in 1765 she went to a Quaker's "to see the making of guns."

The strange feature of members of the peace-loving Society of Friends being concerned in the manufacture of such death-dealing implements was so contrary to their profession, that in 1796, the Friends strongly remonstrated with the Galtons, leading to the retirement of the senior partner from the trade, and the expulsion of the junior from the body.

The mansion in Steelhouse Lane was afterwards converted into a banking-house; then used for the purposes of the Polytechnic Inst.i.tution; next, after a period of dreary emptiness, fitted up as the Children's Hospital, after the removal of which to Broad Street, the old house has reverted to its original use, as the private abode of Dr.

Clay.

~Gambetta.~--The eminent French patriot was fined 2,000 francs for upholding the freedom of speech and the rights of the press, two things ever dear to Liberal Birmingham, and it was proposed to send him the money from here as a mark of esteem and sympathy. The _Daily Post_ took the matter in hand, and, after appealing to its 40,000 readers every day for some weeks, forwarded (November 10, 1877) a draft for 80 17s. 6d.

~Gaols.~--The Town Gaol, or Lockup, at the back of the Public Office, in Moor-street, was first used in September, 1806. It then consisted of a courtyard, 59 ft. by 30 ft. (enclosed by a 26 ft. wall) two day rooms or kitchens, 14 ft. square, and sixteen sleeping cells, 8 ft. by 6 ft. The prisoners' allowance was a pennyworth of bread and a slice of cheese twice a day, and the use of the pump. Rather short commons, considering the 4 lb. loaf often sold at 1s. The establishment, which is vastly improved and much enlarged, is now used only as a place of temporary detention or lockup, where prisoners are first received, and wait their introduction to the gentlemen of the bench. The erection of the Borough Gaol was commenced on October 29, 1845, and it was opened for the reception of prisoners, October 17, 1849, the first culprit being received two days afterwards. The estimated cost was put at 51,447, but altogether it cost the town about 90,000, about 70,000 of which has been paid off. In the year 1877, three prisoners contrived to escape; one, John Sutcliffe, who got out on July 25, not being recaptured till the 22nd of January following. The others were soon taken back home. The gaol was taken over by the government as from April 1, 1878, Mr. J.W.

Preston, being appointed Governor at a salary of 510, in place of Mr.

Meaden, who had received 450, with certain extras.--See "_Dungeon_" and "_Prisons_." The new County Goal at Warwick was first occupied in 1860.

~Gaol Atrocities.~--The first Governor appointed to the Borough Gaol was Captain Maconochie, formerly superintendent over the convicts at Norfolk Island in the days of transportation of criminals. He was permitted to try as an experiment a "system of marks," whereby a prisoner, by his good conduct and industry, could materially lessen the duration of his punishment, and, to a certain extent improve his dietary. The experiment, though only tried with prisoners under sixteen, proved very successful, and at one time hopes were entertained that the system would become general in all the gaols of the kingdom. So far as our gaol was concerned, however, it proved rather unfortunate that Captain Maconochie, through advancing age and other causes, was obliged to resign his position (July, 1851), for upon the appointment of his successor, Lieutenant Austin, a totally opposite course of procedure was introduced, a perfect reign of terror prevailing in place of kindness and a humane desire to lead to the reformation of criminals. In lieu of good marks for industry, the new Governor imposed heavy penal marks if the tasks set them were not done to time, and what these tasks were may be gathered from the fact that in sixteen months no less than fifteen prisoners were driven to make an attempt on their lives, through the misery and torture to which they were exposed, three unfortunates being only too successful. Of course such things could not be altogether hushed up, and after one or two unsatisfactory "inquiries" had been held, a Royal Commission was sent down to investigate matters. One case out of many will be sufficient sample of the mercies dealt out by the governor to the poor creatures placed under his care. Edward Andrews, a lad of 15, was sent to gaol for three months (March 28, 1853) for stealing a piece of beef. On the second day he was put to work at "the crank," every turn of which was equal to lifting a weight of 20lbs., and he was required to make 2,000 revolutions before he had any breakfast, 4,000 more before dinner, and another 4,000 before supper, the punishment for not completing either of these tasks being the loss of the meal following. The lad failed on many occasions, and was fed almost solely on one daily, or, rather, nightly allowance of bread and water.

For shouting he was braced to a wall for hours at a time, tightly cased in a horrible jacket and leather collar, his feet being only moveable.

In this position, when exhausted almost to death, he was restored to sensibility by having buckets of water thrown over him. What wonder that within a month he hung himself. A number of similar cases of brutality were proved, and the Governor thought it best to resign, but he was not allowed to escape altogether scot free, being tried at Warwick on several charges of cruelty, and being convicted, was sentenced by the Court of Queen's Bench to a term of three months' imprisonment.

~Garibaldi.~--At a meeting of the Town Council, April 5, 1865, it was resolved to ask Garibaldi to pay a visit to this town, but he declined the honour, as in the year previous he had similarly declined to receive an offered town subscription.

~Garrison.~--Though a strong force was kept in the Barracks in the old days of riot and turbulence, it is many years since we have been favoured with more than a single company of red coats at a time, our peaceful inland town not requiring a strong garrison.

~Gardens.~--A hundred to 150 years ago there was no town in England better supplied with gardens than Birmingham, almost every house in what are now the main thoroughfares having its plot of garden ground. In 1731 there were many acres of allotment gardens (as they came to be called at a later date) where St. Bartholomew's Church now stands, and in almost every other direction similar pieces of land were to be seen under cultivation. Public tea gardens were also to be found in several quarters of the outskirts; the establishment known as the Spring Gardens closing its doors July 31, 1801. The Apollo Tea Gardens lingered on till 1846, and Beach's Gardens closed in September, 1854.

~Gas.~--William Murdoch is generally credited with the introduction of lighting by gas, but it is evident that the inflammability of the gas producible from coal was known long before his day, as the Rev. Dr. John Clayton, Dean of Kildare, mentioned it in a letter he wrote to the Hon.

Robert Boyle, in 1691. The Dr.'s discovery was probably made during his stay in Virginia, and another letter of his shows the probability of his being aware that the gas would pa.s.s through water without losing its lighting properties. The discovery has also been claimed as that of a learned French _savant_ but Murdoch must certainly take the honour of being the first to bring gas into practical use at his residence, at Redruth, in 1792, and it is said that he even made a lantern to light the paths in his evening walks, the gas burned in which was contained in a bag carried under his arm, his rooms being also lit up from a bag of gas placed under weights. The exact date of its introduction in this neighbourhood has not been ascertained though it is believed that part of the Soho Works were fitted with gas-lights in 1798, and, on the occurrence of the celebration of the Peace of Amiens, in 1802, a public exhibition was made of the new light, in the illumination of the works.

The _Gazette_ of April 5, 1802 (according to extract by Dr. Langford, in his "Century of Birmingham Life") described the various devices in coloured lamps and transparencies, but strangely enough does not mention gas at all. Possibly gas was no longer much of a novelty at Soho, or the reporter might not have known the nature of the lights used, but there is the evidence of Mr. Wm. Matthews, who, in 1827 published an "Historical Sketch of Gaslighting," in which he states that he had "the inexpressible gratification of witnessing, in 1802, Mr. Murdoch's extraordinary and splendid exhibition of gaslights at Soho." On the other hand, the present writer was, some years back, told by one of the few old Soho workmen then left among us, that on the occasion referred to the only display of gas was in the shape of one large lamp placed at one end of the factory, and then called a "Bengal light," the gas for which was brought to the premises in several bags from Mr. Murdoch's own house. Though it has been always believed that the factory and offices throughout were lighted by gas in 1803, very soon after the Amiens illumination, a correspondent to the _Daily Post_ has lately stated that when certain of his friends went to Soho, in 1834, they found no lights in use, even for blowpipes, except oil and candles and that they had to lay on gas from the mains of the Birmingham and Staffordshire Gas Company in the Holyhead Road. If correct, this is a curious bit of the history of the celebrated Soho, as other manufacturers were not at all slow in introducing gas for working purposes as well as lighting, a well-known tradesman, Benjamin Cook, Caroline Street, having fitted up retorts and a gasometer on his premises in 1808, his first pipes being composed of old or waste gun-barrels, and he reckoned to clear a profit of 30 a year, as against his former expenditure for candles and oil.

The gla.s.sworks of Jones, Smart, and Co., of Aston Hill, were lit up by gas as early as 1810, 120 burners being used at a nightly cost of 4s.

6d., the gas being made on the premises from a bushel of coal per day.