Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham Part 33

_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 a.s.sistant, 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 succ.u.mbed 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 cla.s.s 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. .h.i.therto existing. By this Act, the fees payable on patents are as follows:--On application for provisional specification, 1; on filing complete specification, 3; _or_, on filing complete specification with the first application, 4. 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, 50; and before the end of eight years from the date of patent, 100. In lieu of the 50 and the 100 payments, the following annual fees may be paid: Before the end of the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh years. 10 each year; before the end of the eighth and ninth years, 15 each year; and before the end of the tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth years, 20 each year.--If the number of words contained in the specifications const.i.tutes 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 12 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 12,936 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 30,000 a year for six years in paving streets, and they have done all _that_.

~p.a.w.nbrokers.~--In December, 1789, a Bill was prepared for presentation to Parliament "to suppress all p.a.w.nbrokers 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 a.s.sociation 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 f.e.c.k 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 sh.e.l.ls cut up for b.u.t.tons, &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 40, realising 150 afterwards. In March, 1884, Mr. James Webb, Porchester Street, had the good fortune to find a pearl weighing 31 grains in an Australian sh.e.l.l he was cutting up, and it has been valued at 100. 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 sh.e.l.l having risen to to such an extent that it paid to hunt for and dig up the sc.r.a.p 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 sc.r.a.p 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, Mitch.e.l.l 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 gla.s.s 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 quant.i.ties 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 quant.i.ty 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 2,400, and, as its name implies, it was intended, and for a short time used, as a place for a.s.semblies, b.a.l.l.s, and other public purposes. Like a number of other "inst.i.tutions for the people," it came to grief, and has long been nothing more than a warehouse.

~Persh.o.r.e 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 200 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 Inst.i.tute, built in 1874, at a cost of 2,000, contains reading and cla.s.s 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 n.o.ble of the n.o.ble 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 682.--In 1875, a little over 1,700 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 1,000 was subscribed; 750 being gathered afterwards.--The Mayor's Relief Fund, in the winter-time of 1878-79, totalled up to 10,242, of which 9,500 was expended in relief, 537 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 princ.i.p.al 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 Inst.i.tute 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, princ.i.p.ally for the supply of religious education to the boatmen and their families on the ca.n.a.ls, 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 416.

_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 3,560, while the local subscriptions were only 1,520.

_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 320 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 cla.s.ses, Mothers' Meetings, &c., are conducted. The income for 1883 was 185 7s. 4d., and the expenditure 216 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 princ.i.p.al 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 pa.s.sages 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 600 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 a.s.sociation, 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 72, 223, and 29 respectively.

_Kindness to Animals_.--Mainly by the influence and efforts of Miss Julia G.o.ddard, 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 a.s.sociation_.--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 a.s.sociation 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 88.

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

_Negroes' Friends_.--When slavery was as much a British as American inst.i.tution 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 170 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.