Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham Part 50

~Warstone Lane~ takes its name from the h.o.a.rstone, supposed to have been an ancient boundary mark, which formerly stood at the corner of the lane and Icknield Street, and which is now preserved within the gateway entrance to the Church of England cemetery. Hutton says that in 1400 there was a castle, with a moat round it, in Warstone Lane. The lane has also been called Deadman's Lane, and considering the proximity of the cemetery that name might even now be applicable.

~Warwick House~, as it now stands was began in 1839 or 1840; formerly it was composted of two cottages, one with a bit of garden ground in front, which underwent the usual transformation scene of being first covered in then built upon.

~Warwickshire~, the county in which Birmingham is situated, has a total area of 566,458 acres, of which 283,946 acres are permanent pasture lands, and 210,944 acres under crops or arable land. In 1882 the live stock in the country, as returned by the occupiers of land, included 29,508 horses, 5,503 being kept solely for breeding; 93,334 cattle; 218,355 sheep; and 41,832 pigs.

~Warwick Castle~ is open to visitors every day, except Sunday; when the family are absent from home, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but if they are at home, from 9 to 10 a.m. only.

~Warwick Vase.~--The bronze copy in Aston Hall was cast by Sir Richard Thomason.

~Warwickshire Regiment.~--The 6th Foot recruited in this county in 1778 so successfully that it was called "The Warwickshire," Birmingham supplying the largest proportion of the men, and raising by public subscription 2,000 towards their equipment. Under Lord Cardwell's army localisation plan of 1873, the regiment is now called the 1st Royal Warwickshire, and, with the Warwickshire Militia and Volunteers, forms the 28th Brigade.

~Watch House.~--On the right hand side of Crooked Lane from High Street, may still be seen the old Watch House, where, fifty years ago, the "Charleys," or night watchmen, took any drunken or disorderly characters, or night prowlers, they happened to meet with, or whom they dare tackle.

~Waterloo Veterans.~--John McKay was born in November, 1792, and entered the army as a drummerboy in 1803; he died here in July, 1879. He served 41 years, and was for the last 25 years of his life office keeper of the Royal Engineers' Office in this town. Another "Waterloo man," George Taylor, died here, November 6, 1880, aged 98.

~Water Pipes.~--In 1810 Mr. Murdoch started a Company for manufacturing stone pipes for water-works, and they made a large quant.i.ty, which were laid down in London and Manchester, but they had to come up again, as the pipes split--and the Company burst.

~Waterspouts and Whirlwinds~ are not of common occurrence hereabouts.

One of the former burst over the Lickey Hills, April 13, 1792, the resulting flood reaching to Bromsgrove. A whirlwind at Coleshill, April 4, 1877, played havoc with some hay-ricks, hedges, trees, &c.

~Water Street~, formerly Water Lane, had a brook running down one side of it when houses were first built there.

~Weather c.o.c.ks.~--Mention is made of Weather c.o.c.ks as early as the ninth century, and it has been supposed that the c.o.c.k was intended as an emblem of the vigilance of the clergy, who irreverently styled themselves the c.o.c.ks of the Almighty, their duty being, like the c.o.c.k which roused Peter, to call the people to repentance, or at any rate to church. These are the longest-lived birds we know of. The one which had been perched on the old spire of St. Martin's for a hundred years or more was brought down July 22, 1853, and may still be seen at Aston Hall, along with the old bird that tumbled off Aston church October 6, 1877. The last was made of copper in July, 1830, and contained, among other articles, a copy of Swinney's _Birmingham Chronicle_ of June 29, 1815, with a full account of the Battle of Waterloo.

~Weighing Machines~ were introduced by John Wyatt, in 1761, and the first was purchased by the Overseers in 1767, so that the profits might reduce the poor rates. It was situated at the top corner of Snow Hill, and so much did the Overseers value it, that they gave notice, (Feb.

18th, 1783) of their intention of applying to Parliament for the monopoly of securing "the benefit of weighing out coals to the town."

~Welsh Cross.~--One of the Old-time Market-houses at the corner of Bull Street, the bottom portion of the edifice being used by country people as a b.u.t.ter market. The upper room was for meetings and occasionally used for the detention of prisoners who came (it has been said) through the window on to a small platform for the pillory or cat-o'-nine-tails, according to their sentence.

~West Bromwich~, if we are to credit "Britannia Depicto," published in 1753, was originally West Bromicham, or West Birmingham.

~Wheeley's Lane~, though one of the quietest thoroughfares in Edgbaston, was formerly used as part of the coach-road to Bristol, those vehicles pa.s.sing the Old Church and down Priory Road.

~Windmill.~--The old windmill that used to be on Holloway Head is marked on the 1752 map, and it has been generally understood that a similar structure stood there for many generations, but this one was built about 1745. The sails might have been seen in motion forty or forty-five years ago, and probably corn was then ground there. After the departure of the miller and his men it was used for a time as a sort of huge summer house, a camera obscura being placed at the top, from which panoramic views of the neighbourhood could be taken. It was demolished but a few years back.

~Woman's Rights.~--A local branch of the Women's Suffrage a.s.sociation was formed here in 1868: a Women's Liberal a.s.sociation was inst.i.tuted in October, 1873; a branch of the National Union or Working Women was organised January 29th, 1875; and a Woman Ratepayers' Protection Society was established in August, 1881. With ladies on the School Board, lady Guardians, lady doctors, a special Women's Property Protection Act, &c., &c., it can hardly be said that our lady friends are much curtailed of their liberty. We know there are Ladies' Refreshment Rooms, Ladies'

Restaurants, and Ladies' a.s.sociations for Useful Work and a good many other things, but we doubt if the dear creatures of to-day would ever dream of having such an inst.i.tution as Ladies' Card Club, like that of their Edgbaston predecessors of a century back.

~Women Guardians.~--The introduction of the female element in the choice of Guardians of the Poor has long been thought desirable, and an a.s.sociation for promoting the election of ladies was formed in 1882.

There are now two women Guardians on the Birmingham Board, and one on the King's Norton Board. Taking lesson of their political brothers, the members of the a.s.sociation, experiencing some difficulty in finding ladies with proper legal qualification to serve on the Board, "purchased a qualification," and then run their candidate in. The next step will doubtless be to pay their members, and, as the last year's income of the a.s.sociation amounted to 12 4s. 11d., there can be no difficulty there.

~Yeomanry Cavalry.~--The last official report showed the Warwickshire regiment could muster 213 on parade; while the Staffordshire had 422.

~Y.M.C.A. and Y.W.C.A.~--See "_Philanthropic Inst.i.tutions_."

~Zoological a.s.sociation.~--Early in 1873 a provisional committee of gentlemen undertook the formation of a local society similar to that of the Regent's Park, of London, proposing to raise a fund of 7,000 towards such an establishment, partly by donations and partly in shape of entrance fees to Fellowship (fixed at 5). It was believed that with a fair number of annual 40s. subscriptions and gate money from the public that such a society might be made successful; several handsome donations were promised, and a lot of "fellows" put their names down as good for the fivers, but when, a little time after, Edmunds' (_alias_ Wombwell's) agents were trying to find here a purchaser for their well-known travelling collections, the piecrust proverb was again proved to be correct.

~Zoological Gardens.~--Morris Roberts, the ex-prizefighter, opened a menagerie in the grounds of the Sherbourne Hotel, and called it The Zoological Gardens, May 4, 1873. The animals were sold in April, 1876, the place not being sufficiently attractive.

~Obituary.~

The following short list of local people of interest may not be an unacceptable addition to the many whose names appear in various parts of the preceding work:--

AITKEN, W.C., the working man's friend, died March 24, 1875, aged 58.

ALBITES, ACHILLE, a respected teacher of French, died June 8, 1872, aged 63.

ARIS, THOMAS, founder of the _Gazette_, died July 4, 1761.

AYLESFORD, LORD, died Jan. 13, 1885, at Big Springs, Texas, aged 35.

BANKS, MORRIS, chemist and druggist, died June 21, 1880, aged 75.

BANKS, William, long connected with the local Press, died March 1, 1870, aged 50.

BATES, WILLIAM, a literary connoisseur of much talent, died September 24, 1884.

BOULTON, ANN, only daughter of Matthew Boulton, died October 13, 1829.

BROWN, Rev. PHILIP, for 32 years Vicar of St. James's, Edgbaston, died September 15, 1884.

BIRD, ALFRED, well-known as a manufacturing chemist, died December 15, 1878, aged 67.

BARRETT, Rev. I.C., for 43 years Rector of St. Mary's, died February 26, 1881.

BRACEBRIDGE, CHARLES HOLTE, a descendant of the Holtes of Aston, died July 12, 1872, aged 73. He left several pictures, &c., to the town.

BRAILSFORD, Rev. Mr., Head-master Grammar School, died November 20, 1775.

BRAY, SOLOMON, formerly Town Clerk, died January 9, 1859.

BREAY, Rev. JOHN GEORGE, seven years Minister of Christ Church, died December 5, 1839, in his 44th year.

BREEDON, LUKE, over fifty years a minister of the Society of Friends, died in 1740, aged 81.

BRIGGS, Major, W.B.R.V., died January 24, 1877, aged 45.

BURN, Rev. EDWARD, 52 years Minister at St. Mary's, died May 20, 1837, aged 77.

CADBURY, B.H., died January 23, 1880, in his 82nd year.

CHAVa.s.sE, PYE.--A surgeon, well known by his works on the medical treatment of women and children, died September 20, 1879, in his 70th year.

CHAVa.s.sE, THOS., pupil of Abernethy, and followed his profession in this town till his 80th year. He died October 19, 1884, aged 84.

CHURCH, BENJ., of the _Gazette_, died July 1, 1874, aged 48.

DAVIS, GEORGE, a local poet, as well as printer, died 1819.