Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham Part 32

Joseph Chamberlain..... 19,476} Major Burnaby.......... 15,716 Hon. A.C.G. Calthorpe 14,270

An a.n.a.lysis of the polling issued by the Mayor about a week after the election showed that 16,098 voters supported the Conservative candidates and 33,302 the Liberals. Deducting the 2,004 who "split" their votes between the parties, and 380 whose papers were either rejected or not counted as being doubtful, the total gives 47,396 as the actual number whose votes decided the election. As a curiosity and a puzzle for future politicians, the Mayor's a.n.a.lysis is worth preserving, as here re-a.n.a.lysed:--

PLUMPERS.

Calthorpe only .. .. 42 Burnaby only .. .. 164 206 Chamberlain only .. .. 50 Muntz only .. .. 199 Bright only .. .. 86 335

SPLIT VOTES.

Calthorpe and Muntz .. 153 Calthorpe and Chamberlain .. 83 Burnaby and Muntz .. 1,239 Burnaby and Chamberlain .. 182 Bright and Calthorpe .. 104 Bright and Burnaby .. 243 2,004

CON. PARTY VOTES.

Burnaby and Calthorpe .. 13,888 13,888

LIBERAL PARTY VOTES.

Chamberlain and Muntz .. 9,410 Bright and Muntz .. 11,802 Bright and Chamberlain .. 9,751 30,963

Voting papers rejected and doubtful 380 ________

Total number of voters polled.. .. 47,776

Mr. Bright having been again appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and Mr. Chamberlain chosen as President of the Board of Trade, they were re-elected, without opposition, early in May following the election. Three other local Liberal gentlemen were returned to Parliament during this general election, viz.:--Mr. Jesse Collings for Ipswich (receiving 3,074 votes), Mr. H. Wiggin for East Staffordshire (4,617 votes), and Mr. J.S. Wright for Nottingham (8,085 votes). The last-named, however, did not live to take his seat, dying very suddenly while attending a committee-meeting at the Council House, Birmingham, on the 15th April.--See "_Statues_," &c According to the published returns of January, 1884, Birmingham was then the largest borough const.i.tuency in England, the number of electors on the register then in force being 63,221: Liverpool coming next with 61,336; and Lambeth third, with 55,588; but Glasgow was the largest in the United Kingdom, with 68,025.

The largest county const.i.tuency in England and Wales was Middles.e.x, with 41,299 electors; the next being South-West Lancashire, with 30,624; the third, South-East Lancashire, with 28,728; and the fourth, the southern division of the West Riding, with 27,625. The total electorate for England and Wales, was 2,660,444; Scotland, 331,264; and Ireland, 230,156.

The following statistics have been taken from the returns named, showing in respect of each const.i.tuency in this neighbourhood, the area of each borough, city, or county division, the population, the number of inhabited houses, the number of voters and their qualifications, and the Members sent to Parliament prior to the pa.s.sing of the Franchise and Redistribution Bills of 1885, and are worth preserving for future local reference:--

[Transcriber's note: this table has been split in order to fit the page width.]

-------------------------------------------------------------------- | Borough, City | Area in | Population |Inhabited Houses | | or County | Square | in | in | in | in | | Division | Miles. | 1871 | 1881 | 1871 | 1881 | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | Birmingham | 13 | 343,787 | 400,774 | 68,532 | 78,301 | | Bewdley | 11-1/4 | 7,614 | 8,678 | 1,717 | 1,839 | | Bridgnorth | 17 | 7,317 | 7,212 | 1,565 | 1,52[**]

| Coventry | 10 | 41,348 | 46,563 | 9,334 | 10,185 | | Droitwich | 43 | 9,510 | 9,858 | 1,931 | 2,006 | | Dudley | 12 | 82,249 | 87,527 | 15,985 | 16,889 | | E. Staffordshire | 218 | 101,564 | 138,439 | 19,960 | 26,003 | | E. Worcestershr. | 324 | 147,685 | 117,257 | 30,551 | 35,781 | | Evesham | 3-1/2 | 4,888 | 5,112 | 1,001 | 1,050 | | Kidderminster | 3-3/4 | 20,814 | 25,633 | 4,292 | 5,062 | | Lichfield | 5 | 7,347 | 8,349 | 1,543 | 1,678 | | Newcastle (Stff.) | 1 | 15,948 | 17,493 | 3,180 | 3,393 | | N. Staffordshire | 396 | 120,217 | 132,684 | 24,194 | 26,403 | | N. Warwickshire | 383 | 134,723 | 170,086 | 29,032 | 35,151 | | S. Warwickshire | 462 | 96,905 | 99,592 | 20,803 | 21,485 | | Stafford | 1 | 15,946 | 18,904 | 2,939 | 3,385 | | Stoke-on-Trent | 14 | 130,575 | 152,394 | 24,582 | 28,350 | | Tamworth | 18 | 11,493 | 14,101 | 2,357 | 2,772 | | Walsall | 11-3/4 | 49,018 | 59,402 | 9,566 | 11,140 | | Warwick | 8-1/2 | 10,986 | 11,800 | 2,418 | 2,518 | | Wednesbury | 17-3/4 | 116,809 | 124,437 | 22,621 | 23,443 | | W. Staffordshire | 434 | 100,413 | 117,737 | 20,134 | 23,261 | | W. Worcestershr | 341 | 66,419 | 67,139 | 13,895 | 13,928 | | Wolverhampton | 29-1/2 | 156,978 | 164,332 | 30,424 | 31,475 | | Worcester | 5 | 38,116 | 40,354 | 8,043 | 8,539 | --------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | City or Borough Electors. | | ------------------------------------------------- | | 10 | | Freehold | Freemen | | Borough, City | Occupiers and | Lodgers | and | or Voters | | or County | Inhabitant | | Burgage | by Ancient | | Division | Householders. | | Tenants. | Rights | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | Birmingham | 63,149 | 72 | .. | .. | | Bewdley | 273 | 2 | .. | 1 | | Bridgnorth | 055 | .. | .. | 163 | | Coventry | 4,733 | 12 | .. | 3,995 | | Droitwich | 1,409 | .. | .. | 1 | | Dudley | 14,833 | 1 | .. | .. | | E. Staffordshire | .. | .. | .. | .. | | E. Worcestershr. | .. | .. | .. | .. | | Evesham | 794 | 11 | .. | 20 | | Kidderminster | 3,898 | 5 | .. | .. | | Lichfield | 1,095 | 7 | 101 | 39 | | Newcastle (Stff.) | 2,431 | 5 | .. | 679 | | N. Staffordshire | .. | .. | .. | .. | | N. Warwickshire | .. | .. | .. | .. | | S. Warwickshire | .. | .. | .. | .. | | Stafford | 2,764 | 22 | .. | 798 | | Stoke-on-Trent | 21,131 | 13 | .. | .. | | Tamworth | 2,220 | 6 | .. | 3 | | Walsall | 9,821 | 3 | .. | .. | | Warwick | 1,742 | 4 | .. | 15 | | Wednesbury | 19,807 | 3 | .. | .. | | W. Staffordshire | .. | .. | .. | .. | | W. Worcestershr | .. | .. | .. | .. | | Wolverhampton | 23,559 | 31 | .. | .. | | Worcester | 5,948 | 59 | .. | 355 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------- | | County Electors. | | | --------------------------------------------------- | Borough, City | |Total No. | | | or County | 12 | 50 |Owners. | of | M.P.'s | | Division |Occupiers. |Tenants. | |Electors. |Returned| ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Birmingham | .. | .. | .. | 63,221 | 3 | | Bewdley | .. | .. | .. | 1,276 | 1 | | Bridgnorth | .. | .. | .. | 1,218 | 1 | | Coventry | .. | .. | .. | 8,740 | 2 | | Droitwich | .. | .. | .. | 1,410 | 1 | | Dudley | .. | .. | .. | 14,834 | 1 | | E. Staffordshire | 5,106 | 141 | 6,481 | 11,728 | 2 | | E. Worcestershr. | 4,745 | 567 | 6,931 | 12,243 | 2 | | Evesham | .. | .. | .. | 825 | 1 | | Kidderminster | .. | .. | .. | 3,903 | 1 | | Lichfield | .. | .. | .. | 1,242 | 1 | | Newcastle (Stff.) | .. | .. | .. | 3,115 | 2 | | N. Staffordshire | 3,008 | 1,071 | 7,141 | 11,220 | 2 | | N. Warwickshire | 5,878 | 516 | 5,603 | 11,997 | 2 | | S. Warwickshire | 2,561 | 688 | 3,253 | 6,502 | 2 | | Stafford | .. | .. | .. | 3,584 | 2 | | Stoke-on-Trent | .. | .. | .. | 21,144 | 2 | | Tamworth | .. | .. | .. | 2,229 | 2 | | Walsall | .. | .. | .. | 9,824 | 1 | | Warwick | .. | .. | .. | 1,761 | 2 | | Wednesbury | .. | .. | .. | 19,810 | 1 | | W. Staffordshire | 2,715 | 661 | 8,570 | 11,946 | 2 | | W. Worcestershr | 1,142 | 1,033 | 4,426 | 6,601 | 2 | | Wolverhampton | .. | .. | .. | 23,590 | 2 | | Worcester | .. | .. | .. | 6,362 | 1 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------

~Parsonage.~--The Old Parsonage, at the corner of Smallbrook Street and Persh.o.r.e Street, an old-fashioned two-storey gabled house, was moated round and almost hidden by trees, and has been preserved for future historians in one of David c.o.x's sketches, which remains as a curious memento of the once rural appearance of what are now some of the busiest spots in town. The house was pulled down in 1826.

~Parson and Clerk.~--A noted publichouse on the old Chester Road is the Royal Oak, better known as "The Parson and Clerk." An old pamphlet thus gives the why and wherefore:

"There had used to be on the top of the house two figures--one of a parson leaning his head in prayer, while the clerk was behind him with uplifted axe, going to chop off his head. These two figures were placed there by John Gough, Esq., of Perry Hall, to commemorate a law suit between him and the Rev. T. Lane, each having annoyed the other.

Mr. Lane had kept the Squire out of possession of this house, and had withheld the licenses, while the latter had compelled the clergyman to officiate daily in the church, by sending his servants to form a congregation. Squire Gough won the day, re-built the house in 1788, and put up the figures to annoy Parson Lane, parsons of all sorts being out of his good books."

~Parsons, Preachers, and Priests of the Past.~--It would be a lengthy list or make note of all the worthy and reverend gentlemen who have, from pulpit or platform, lectured and preached to the people in our town, or who have aided in the intellectual advancement and education of the rising generation of their time. Church and Chapel alike have had their good men and true, and neither can claim a monopoly of talent, or boast much of their superiority in Christian fellowship or love of their kind. Many shepherds have been taken from their so-called flocks whose places at the time it was thought could never be filled, but whose very names are now only to be found on their tombs, or mentioned in old magazines or newspapers. Some few are here recalled as of interest from their position, peculiarities, &c.

_John Angell James_.--A Wiltshire man was John Angell James, who, after a short course of itinerary preaching came to Birmingham, and for more than fifty years was the idolised minister of Carr's Lane congregation.

He was a good man and eloquent, having a certain attractive way which endeared him to many. He lived, and was loved by those who liked him, till he had reached the age of 74, dying Oct. 1, 1859, his remains being buried like those of a saint, under the pulpit from which he had so long preached.

_Samuel Bache_.--Coming as a Christmas-box to his parents in 1804, and early trained for the pulpit, the Rev. Samuel Bache joined the Rev. John Kentish in his ministrations to the Unitarian flock in 1832, and remained with us until 1868. Loved in his own community for faithfully preaching their peculiar doctrines, Mr. Bache proved himself a man of broad and enlightened sympathies; one who could appreciate and support anything and everything that tended to elevate the people in their amus.e.m.e.nts as well as in matters connected with education.

_George Croft_.--The Lectureship of St. Martin's in the first year of the present century was vested in Dr. George Croft, one of the good old sort of Church and King parsons, orthodox to the backbone, but from sundry peculiarities not particularly popular with the major portion of his parishioners. He died in 1809.

_George Dawson_.--Born in London, February 24, 1821, George Dawson studied at Glasgow for the Baptist ministry, and came to this town in 1844 to take the charge of Mount Zion chapel. The cribbed and crabbed restraints of denominational church government failed, however, to satisfy his independent heart, and in little more than two years his connection with the Mount Zion congregation ceased (June 24, 1846). The Church of the Saviour was soon after erected for him, and here he drew together worshippers of many shades of religious belief, and ministered unto them till his death. As a lecturer he was known everywhere, and there are but few towns in the kingdom that he did not visit, while his tour in America, in the Autumn of 1874, was a great success. His connection with the public inst.i.tutions of this town is part of our modern history, and no man yet ever exercised such influence or did more to advance the intelligence and culture of the people, and, as John Bright once said of Cobden "it was not until we had lost him that we knew how much we loved him." The sincerity and honesty of purpose right through his life, and exhibited in all his actions, won the highest esteem of even those who differed from him, and the announcement of his sudden death (Nov. 30, 1876) was felt as a blow by men of all creeds or politics who had ever known him or heard him. To him the world owes the formation of the first Shakesperian Library--to have witnessed its destruction would indeed have been bitter agony to the man who (in October, 1866) had been chosen to deliver the inaugural address at the opening of the Free Reference Library, to which he, with friends, made such an addition. As a preacher, he was gifted with remarkable powers; as a lecturer, he was unsurpa.s.sed; in social matters, he was the friend of all, with ever-open hand to those in need; as a politician, though keen at repartee and a hard hitter, he was straightforward, and no time-server; and in the word of his favourite author, "Take him all in all, we ne'er shall look on his like again."--See "_Statues_," &c.

_W. D. Long_.--The Rev. Wm Duncan Long (who died at G.o.dalming, April 12, 1878), according to the _Record_, was "a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith." In our local records he is noted as being distinguished for hard work among the poor of St. Bartholomew's, of which parish he was minister for many years prior to 1851.

_Thomas Swann_.--The Rev. Thomas Swann, who came here in January 1829, after a few years' sojourn in India, served the Cannon Street body for 28 years, during which time he baptised 966 persons, admitting into membership a total of 1,233. Mr. Swann had an attack of apoplexy, while in Glasgow, on Sunday, March 7, 1857, and died two days afterwards. His remains were brought to Birmingham, and were followed to the grave (March 16) by a large concourse of persons, a number of ministers taking part in the funeral service.

_W. L. Giles_.--The Rev. W. Leese Giles, who filled the pulpit in Cannon Street from Oct., 1863, to July, 1872, was peculiarly successful in his ministrations, especially among the young.

_Lewis Chapman_.--The Rev. Lewis Chapman (taken to his fathers Oct. 2, 1877, at the age of 81), after performing the duties and functions of Rabbi to the local Jewish community for more than forty-five years, was, from his amiability and benevolence, characterised by many Gentile friends as "an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile."

_Hon. G. M. Yorke_.--Brother to the late Earl of Hardwicke, and born in 1809, Mr. Yorke, on finishing his University education, entered the army, obtaining a commission in the Fourth Dragoons; and, considering his subsequent connection with Birmingham in a widely different character, it is curious that his first visit here should have been paid as an officer of dragoons in the Chartist riots of 1839. Mr. Yorke's personal tastes, however, led him to prefer the Church to the army, and he entered into holy orders, the Bishop of Worcester, in 1814, presenting him to the rectory of St. Philip's: and at a later period he was nominated Rural Dean. Mr. Yorke held the living of St. Philip's for the long period of thirty years--until 1874--when the Prime Minister appointed him Dean of Worcester. During his residence in Birmingham Mr.

Yorke did much public service in connection with various educational inst.i.tutions. He promoted good schools in St. Philip's parish, and was an active member of the committee of the Educational Prize Scheme, and then of the Education Aid Society, both of them inst.i.tutions which were of great value in their day. He also took a strong interest in the affairs of Queen's College, of which he was for many years the Vice-president. In the Diocesan Training College, at Saldey, he likewise took part as a member of the managing body and he was interested in the School of Art and the Midland Inst.i.tute. Wherever, indeed, there was educational work to be done, the Rector of St. Philip's was sure to be found helping in it; and though there have been many Rectors at the church it can be truly said that none left more regretted by the poor, notwithstanding the aristocratic handle to his name, than did Mr. Yorke.

The Hon. and Rev. gentleman died at Worcester, Oct. 2, 1879.

_J.C. Miller_.--The Rev. John Cale Miller (born at Margate, in 1814), though only thirty-two, hail already attracted the notice of the Evangelical Party in the Church, and his appointment to St. Martin's (Sept. 1846), gave general satisfaction. His reputation as a preacher had preceded him, and he soon diffused a knowledge of his vigour as a worker, and his capacity as an administrator. Few men have entered so quickly into popular favour as Dr. Miller did, which may, perhaps, be accounted for by the fact that he not only showed a sincere desire to live in harmony with the Dissenters of all shades, but that he was prepared to take his full share in the public work of the town, and determined to be the minister--not of any section of the people, but of the parish altogether. Under his direction St. Martin's became a model parish. New facilities were afforded for public worship, schools were established, parochial inst.i.tutions multiplied under his hand, an ample staff of curates and scripture-readers took their share of labour, and the energies of the lay members of the congregation were called into active exercise. To the Grammar School, the Midland Inst.i.tute, the Free Libraries, the Hospitals and Charities of the town, the Volunteer movement, &c., he gave most a.s.siduous attention, and as long as he remained with us, his interest in all public matters never failed. In the early part of 1866, Dr. Miller was presented to the living at Greenwich, taking his farewell of the townspeople of Birmingham at a meeting in the Town Hall, April 21, when substantial proof of the public goodwill towards him was given by a crowded audience of all creeds and all cla.s.ses. A handsome service of plate and a purse of 600 guineas, were presented to him, along with addresses from the congregation of St.

Martin's, the Charity Collections Committee, the Rifle Volunteers (to whom he had been Chaplain), the Committees of the Hospitals, and from the town at large. The farewell sermon to St. Martin's congregation was preached April 29. In 1871 Dr. Miller was appointed residential Canon of Worcester, which preferment he soon afterwards exchanged for a Canonry at Rochester as being nearer to his home, other honours also falling to him before his death, which took place on the night of Sunday, July 11, 1880.

_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 100 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 p.r.o.nounced at the time, "an accurate, profound, and cautious theologian," who had conducted the cla.s.sical 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 pa.s.sing 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 70 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 t.i.tle 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.