Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham Part 9

~Dog Shows.~--The first local Dog Show was held in 1860, but it was not until the opening in Curzon Hall, December 4, 1865, that the Show took rank as one of the "yearly inst.i.tutions" of the town.--See "_Exhibitions_."

~Domesday Books.~--The so-called Domesday Book, compiled by order of William the Norman Conqueror, has always been considered a wonderful work, and it must have taken some years compiling. Some extracts touching upon the holders of land in this neighbourhood have already been given, and in a sense they are very interesting, showing as they do the then barrenness of the land, and the paucity of inhabitants. Though in Henry VIII.'s reign an inventory of all properties in the hands of Churchmen was taken, it did not include the owners of land in general, and it was not till Mr. John Bright in 1873 moved for the Returns, that a complete register of the kind was made. It would not be easy, even if s.p.a.ce could be given to it, to give the list of individuals, companies, and corporation who claim to be possessors of the land we live on in Birmingham and neighbourhood; but a summary including the owners in this and adjoining counties may be worth preserving. As will be seen by the annexed figures, Warwick and Stafford rank high in the list of counties having large numbers of small owners (small as to extent of ground, though often very valuable from the erections thereon). There can be no doubt that the Freehold Land and Building Societies have had much to do with this, and as Birmingham was for years the headquarters of these Societies, the fact of there being nearly 47,000 persons in the county (out of a total population of 634,189) who own small plots under one acre, speaks well for the steady perseverance of the Warwickshire lads.

That we are not wrong in coming to this conclusion is shown by the fact that leaving out the Metropolitan Counties, Warwick heads, in this respect, all the shires in the kingdom.

WARWICKSHIRE.

Extent Gross of estimated lands. rental.

Owners of Numbr. Acres Less than 1 acre ....... 46894 5883 1808897 1 acre and under 10 1956 7727 93792 10 acres " 50 1328 31485 114243 50 " " 100 447 31904 76178 100 " " 500 667 137372 398625 500 " " 1000 82 55542 134005 1000 " " 2000 47 67585 208718 2000 " " 5000 34 100185 275701 5000 " " 10000 8 53380 90848 10000 " " 20000 4 49953 74085 No areas given ......... 49 -- 43205 ----------------------- Total .... 51516 541021 3318303

STAFFORDSHIRE.

Less than 1 acre ....... 33672 4289 974133 1 acre and under 10 4062 14164 252714 10 acres " 50 1891 44351 224505 50 " " 100 544 39015 124731 100 " " 500 557 111891 881083 500 " " 1000 90 62131 177372 1000 " " 2000 79 70637 278562 2000 " " 5000 28 90907 219792 5000 " " 10000 13 82560 136668 10000 " " 20000 7 96700 212526 20000 " " 50000 1 21433 41560 No areas given ......... 2456 -- 606552 No rentals returned .... 1 2 -- ----------------------- Total .... 43371 638084 3630254

WORCESTERSHIRE.

Less than 1 acre .......160[**]8 4733 444945 1 acre and under 10 2790 10136 151922 10 acres " 50 1305 31391 138517 50 " " 100 457 32605 92257 100 " " 500 589 118187 258049 500 " " 1000 66 46420 122817 1000 " " 2000 34 46794 89267 2000 " " 5000 25 78993 131886 5000 " " 10000 5 33353 54611 10000 " " 20000 3 38343 88703 No areas given ......... 522 -- 112107 ----------------------- Total .... 21804 441061 1685735

~Duddeston Hall,~ and the Holte Family.--The first record of this family we have is towards the close of the thirteenth century when we find mention of Sir Henry Holte, whose son, Hugh del Holte, died in 1322. In 1331 Simon del Holte, styled of Birmingham, purchased the manor of Nech.e.l.ls "in consideration of xl _li_ of silver." In 1365 John atte Holte purchased for "forty marks" the manor of Duddeston, and two years later he became possessed by gift of the manor of Aston. For many generations the family residence was at Duddeston, though their burial place was at Aston, in which church are many of their monuments, the oldest being that of Wm. Holte, who died September 28, 1514. That the Holtes, though unt.i.tled, were men of mark, may be seen by the bra.s.s in the North Aisle of Aston Church to the memory of Thomas Holte, "Justice of North Wales, and Lord of this town of Aston," who died March 23, 1545. His goods and chattels at his death were valued at 270 6s. 2d.--a very large sum in those days, and from the inventory we find that the Hall contained thirteen sleeping apartments, viz., "the chambur over the b.u.t.trie, the chappel chambur, the maydes' chambur, the great chambur, the inner chambur, to the great chambur, the yatehouse chambur, the inner chambur to the same, the geston chambur, the crosse chambur, the inner chambur to the same, the clark's chambur the yoemen's chambur, and the hyne's chambur." The other apartments were "the hawle, the plece, the storehouse, the galarye, the b.u.t.terye, the ketchyn, the larderhowse, the dey-howse, the bakhowse, the bultinge howse, and the yeling howse,"

--the "chappell" being also part of the Hall. The princ.i.p.al bedrooms were hung with splendid hangings, those of the great chamber being "of gaye colors, blewe and redde," the other articles in accordance therewith, the contents of this one room being valued at xiij li. xiv.

s. iiijd. (13 14s. 4d.) The household linen comprised "22 damaske and two diapur table clothes" worth 4s.; ten dozen table napkins (40s.); a dozen "fyne towells," 20s.; a dozen "course towells" 6s. 8d.; thirty pair "fyne shetes" 5; twenty-three pair "course shetes" 3; and twenty-six "pillow beres" 20/-. The kitchen contained "potts, chafornes, skymmers, skellets, cressets, gredires, frying pannys, chfying dishes, a brazon morter with a pestell, stone morters, strykinge knives, broches, racks, brandards, cobberds, pot-hangings, hocks, a rack of iron, bowles, and payles." The live stock cla.s.sed among the "moveable goods, consisted of 19 oxen, 28 kyne, 17 young beste, 24 young calves, 12 gots, 4 geldings, 2 mares, 2 naggs and a colte, 229 shepe, 12 swyne, a crane, a turkey c.o.k, and a henne with 3 chekyns"--the lot being valued at 86 0s.

8d. Sir Thomas's marriage with a daughter of the Winnington's brought much property into the family, including lands, &c., "within the townes, villages, and fields of Aston, next Byrmyngham, and Wytton, Mellton Mowlberye (in Leicestershire), Hanseworthe (which lands did late belonge to the dissolved chambur of Aston), and also the Priory, or Free Chappell of Byrmyngham, with the lands and tenements belonging thereto, within Byrmyngham aforesaid, and the lordship or manor of the same, within the lordship of Dudeston, together with the lands and tenements, within the lordship of Nech.e.l.ls, Salteley, sometime belonging to the late dissolved Guild of Derytenne," as well as lands at "Horborne, Haleshowen, Norfielde and Smithewicke." His son Edward, who died in 1592, was succeeded by Sir Thomas Holte (born in 1571; died December, 1654), and the most prominent member of the family. Being one of the deputation to welcome James I. to England, in 1603, he received the honour of knighthood; in 1612 he purchased an "Ulster baronetcy," at a cost of 1,095 [this brought the "red hand" into his shield]; and in 1599 he purchased the rectory of Aston for nearly 2,000. In April, 1618, he commenced the erection of Aston Hall, taking up his abode there in 1631, though it was not finished till April, 1635. In 1642 he was honoured with the presence of Charles I., who stopped at the Hall Sunday and Monday, October 16 and 17. [At the battle of Edge Hill Edward Holt, the eldest son, was wounded--he died from fever on Aug. 28, 1643, during the siege of Oxford, aged 43] The day after Christmas, 1643, the old squire was besieged by about 1,200 Parliamentarians from Birmingham (with a few soldiers), but having procured forty musketeers from Dudley Castle, he held the Hall till the third day, when, having killed sixty of his a.s.sailants and lost twelve of his own men, he surrendered. The Hall was plundered and he was imprisoned, and what with fines, confiscations, and compounding, his loyalty appears to have cost him nearly 20,000. Sir Thomas had 15 children, but outlived them all save one. He was succeeded in his t.i.tle by his grandson, Sir Robert, who lived in very straightened circ.u.mstances, occasioned by the family's losses during the Civil War, but by whose marriage with the daughter of Lord Brereton the Cheshire property came to his children. He died Oct.

3, 1679, aged 54, and was followed by Sir Charles, who had twelve children and lived till June 15, 1722, his son, Sir Clobery, dying in a few years after (Oct. 24, 1729). Sir Lister Holte, the next baronet, had no issue, though twice married, and he was succeeded (April 8, 1770), by his brother, Sir Charles, with whom the t.i.tle expired (March 12, 1782), the princ.i.p.al estates going with his daughter and only child, to the Bracebridge family, as well as a dowry of 20,000. In 1817, an Act of Parliament was obtained for the settlement and part disposal of the whole of the property of this time-honoured and wealthy family--the total acreage being 8,914a. 2r. 23p, and the then annual rental 16,557 Os. 9d.--the Aston estate alone extending from Prospect Row to beyond Erdington Hall, and from Nech.e.l.ls and Saltley to the Custard House and Hay Mill Brook. Several claims have been put forward by collateral branches, both to the t.i.tle and estates, but the latter were finally disposed of in 1849, when counsel's opinion was given in favour of the settlements made by Sir Lister Holte, which enabled the property to be disposed of. The claimants to the t.i.tle have not yet proved their t.i.tle thereto, sundry registers and certificates of ancient baptisms and marriages being still wanting.

~Duddeston Ward Hall.~--The name tells what it is for. The first stone was laid Dec. 15, 1877; it was opened June 1, 1878; will seat about 300, and cost 3,500, which was found by a limited Co.

~Dungeon.~--This very appropriate name was given to the old gaol formerly existing in Peck Lane. A writer, in 1802, described it as a shocking place, the establishment consisting of one day room, two underground dungeons (in which sometimes half-a-dozen persons had to sleep), and six or seven night-rooms, some of them constructed out of the Gaoler's stables. The prisoners were allowed 4d. per day for bread and cheese, which they had to buy from the keeper, who, having a beer license, allowed outsiders to drink with his lodgers. This, and the fact that there was but one day room for males and females alike, leaves but little to be imagined as to its horrible, filthy condition. Those who could afford to pay 2s. 6d. a week were allowed a bed in the gaoler's house, but had to put up with being chained by each wrist to the sides of the bedsteads all night, and thus forced to lie on their backs. The poor wretches pigged it in straw on the floors of the night rooms. See also "_Gaols_" and "_Prisons_."

~Dwarfs.~--The first note we have of the visit here of one of these curiosities of mankind is that of Count Borulawski, in 1783: though but 39 inches high it is recorded that he had a sister who could stand under his arm. The next little one, Manetta Stocker, a native of Austria, came here in 1819, and remained with us, there being a tombstone in St.

Philip's churchyard bearing this inscription:--

In Memory of MANETTA STOCKER, Who quitted this life the fourth day of May, 1819, at the age of thirty-nine years.

The smallest woman in this kingdom, and one of the most accomplished.

She was not more than thirty-three inches high.

She was a native of Austria.

General Tom Thumb (Charles Stratton) was exhibited at Dee's Royal Hotel, in September, 1844, when he was about ten years old, and several times after renewed the acquaintance. He was 31 inches high, and was married to Miss Warren, a lady of an extra inch. The couple had offspring, but the early death of the child put an end to Barnum's attempt to create a race of dwarfs. Tom Thumb died in June 1883. General Mite who was exhibited here last year, was even smaller than Tom Thumb, being but 21 inches in height. Birmingham, however, need not send abroad for specimens of this kind, "Robin Goodfellow" chronicling the death on Nov. 27, 1878, of a poor unfortunate named Thomas Field, otherwise the "Man-baby," who, though twenty-four years of age, was but 30 inches high and weighed little over 20lbs., and who had never walked or talked. The curious in such matters may, on warm, sunny mornings, occasionally meet, in the neighbourhood of Bromsgrove Street, a very intelligent little man not much if any bigger than the celebrated Tom Thumb, but who has never been made a show of.

~Dynamite Manufacture.~--See "_Notable Offences_."

~Ear and Throat Infirmary.~--See "_Hospitals_."

~Earthquakes~ are not of such frequent occurrence in this country as to require much notice. The first we find recorded (said to be the greatest known here) took place in November, 1318; others were felt in this country in May, 1332; April, 1580; November, 1775; November, 1779; November, 1852, and October, 1863.

~Easy Row,~ or Easy Hill, as Baskerville delighted to call the spot he had chosen for a residence. When Mr. Hanson was planning out the Town Hall, there were several large elm trees still standing in Easy Row, by the corner of Edmund Street, part of the trees which const.i.tuted Baskerville's Park, and in the top branches of which the rooks still built their nests. The entrance to Broad Street had been narrow, and bounded by a lawn enclosed with posts and chains, reaching to the elm trees, but the increase of traffic had necessitated the removal (in 1838) of the gra.s.splots and the fencing, though the old trees were left until 1847, by which time they were little more than skeletons of trees, the smoky atmosphere having long since stopped all growth.

~Eccentrics.~--There are just a few now to be found, but in these days of heaven-sent artists and special-born politicians, it would be an invidious task to chronicle their doings, or dilate on their peculiar idiosyncracies, and we will only note a few of the queer characters of the past, leaving to the future historian the fun of laughing at our men of to-day. In 1828 the man of mark was "Dandie Parker," a well-to-do seedsman, who, aping Beau Brummel in gait and attire, sought to be the leader of fashion. He was rivalled, a little while after, by one Meyers, to see whom was a sight worth crossing the town, so firm and spruce was he in his favourite dress of white hat and white trousers, dark green or blue coat with gilt b.u.t.tons, buff waistcoat, and stiff broad white neckcloth or stock, a gold-headed cane always in hand. By way of contrast to these worthies, at about the same period (1828-30) was one "Muddlepate Ward," the head of a family who had located themselves in a gravel pit at the Lozells, and who used to drive about the town with an old carriage drawn by pairs of donkeys and ponies, the harness being composed of odd pieces of old rope, and the whip a hedgestake with a bit of string, the whole turnout being as remarkable for dirt as the first-named "dandies" were for cleanliness.--"Billy b.u.t.ton" was another well-known but most inoffensive character, who died here May 3, 1838.

His real name was never published, but he belonged to a good family, and early in life he had been an officer in the Navy (some of his biographers say "a commander"), but lost his senses when returning from a long voyage, on hearing of the sudden death of a young lady to whom he was to have been married, and he always answered to her name, Jessie. He went about singing, and the refrain of one of his favourite songs--

"Oysters, sir! Oysters, sir!

Oysters, sir, I cry; They are the finest oysters, sir, That ever you could buy."

was for years after "Billy b.u.t.ton's" death the nightly "cry" of more than one peripatetic sh.e.l.lfishmonger. The peculiarity that obtained for the poor fellow his _soubriquet_ of "Billy b.u.t.ton" arose from the habit he had of sticking every b.u.t.ton he could get on to his coat, which at his death, was covered so thickly (and many b.u.t.tons were of rare patterns), that it is said to have weighed over 30lbs.--"Jemmy the Rockman," who died here in September, 1866, in his 85th year, was another well-known figure in our streets for many years. His real name was James Guidney, and in the course of a soldier's life, he had seen strange countries, and possibly the climates had not in every case agreed with him, for, according to his own account, he had been favoured with a celestial vision, and had received angelic orders no longer to shave, &c. He obtained his living during the latter portion of his existence by retailing a medicinal sweet, which he averred was good for all sorts of coughs and colds.--Robert Sleath, in 1788, was collector at a turnpike gate near Worcester, and, 'tis said, made George III. and all his retinue pay toll. He died here in November, 1804, when the following appeared in print:--

"On Wednesday last, old Robert Sleath Pa.s.sed thro' the turnpike gate of Death, To him Death would no toll abate Who stopped the King at Wor'ster-gate."

~Eclipses,~ more or less partial, are of periodical occurrence, though many are not observed in this country. Malmesbury wrote of one in 1410, when people were so frightened that they ran out of their houses. Jan.

12, 1679, there was an eclipse so complete that none could read at noonday when it occurred. May 3, 1715, gave another instance, it being stated that the stars could be seen, and that the birds went to roost at mid-day. The last total eclipse of the sun observed by our local astronomers (if Birmingham had such "plants") occurred on May 22, 1724.

An account of the next one will be found in the _Daily Mail_, of August 12, 1999. On August 17, 1868, there was an eclipse of the sun (though not noticeable here) so perfect that its light was hidden for six minutes, almost the maximum possible interval, and it may be centuries before it occurs again.

~Economy.~--Our grandfathers, and _their_ fathers, practised economy in every way possible, even to hiring out the able-bodied poor who had to earn the cost of their keep by spinning worsted, &c., and they thought so much of the bright moonlight that they warehoused the oil lamps intended for lighting the streets for a week at a time when the moon was at its full, and never left them burning after eleven o'clock at other times.

~Edgbaston.~--The name as written in the earliest known deeds, was at first Celbaldston, altered as time went on to Eggebaldston, Eggebaston, and Edgbaston. How long the family held the manor before the Conquest is unknown; but when Domesday Book was written (1086), the occupying tenant was one Drogo, who had two hides of land and half a mile of wood, worth 20s.; 325 acres were set down as being cultivated, though there were only ten residents. The Edgbastons held it from the lords of Birmingham, and they, in turn, from the lords of Dudley. Further than the family records the place has no history, only 100 years ago Calthorpe Road being nothing but a fieldpath, and Church Road, Vicarage Road, and Westbourne Road merely narrow lanes. After the opening up of these and other roads, building sites were eagerly sought by the more moneyed cla.s.s of our local magnates, and the number of inhabitants now are sufficient to people a fair-sized town. In 1801 the population was under 1,000; in 1811, just over that number; in 1851, it was 9,269; in 1861, 12,900; in 1871, 17,442, and on last census day, 29,951; showing an increase of more than 1,000 a year at the present time; while what the rentals may amount to is only known inside "the estate office." Some writers say that the parish church dates from about the year 775. The earliest register book is that for 1635, which escaped the notice of Cromwell's soldiers, who nearly destroyed the church in 1648; and from an entry in the register of St. Sepulchre's Church, Northampton, for 1659, it would appear that there were collections made towards repairing the damage done by those worthies. This entry quaintly states that "seven shillings and sixpence" was received towards the repairs of the church of Edge Barston, in the county of Warwick, adding also that there was "never a minister in the said parish."

~Edgbaston Hall.~--The last of the Edgbastons was a lady by whose marriage the Middlemores came into possession, and for nearly three hundred years the old house echoed the footsteps of their descendants.

In the troublous times of the Commonwealth, Edgbaston House and Church were seized by Colonel John Fox, the latter building being used as a stable for his horses, and the former garrisoned by the soldiers kept there to over-awe the gentry and loyal subjects of the country, to whom "Tinker Fox," as he was dubbed, was a continual terror. This worthy carried on so roughly that even the "Committee of Safety" (never particularly noted for kindness or even honesty) were ashamed of him, and restored the place to its owner, Robert Middlemore, the last of the name. By the marriages of his two grand-daughters the estate was divided, but the portion including the manor of Edgbaston was afterwards purchased by Sir Richard Gough, Knight, who gave 25,000 for it. In the meantime the old house had been destroyed by those peace-loving Brums, who, in December, 1688, razed to the ground the newly-built Catholic Church and Convent in Ma.s.shouse Lane, their excuse being that they feared the hated Papists would find refuge at Edgbaston. Sir Richard (who died February 9, 1727) rebuilt the Manor House and the Church in 1717-18, and enclosed the Park. His son Henry was created a Baronet, and had for his second wife the only daughter of Reginald Calthorpe, Esq., of Elvetham, in Hampshire. Sir Henry Gough died June 8, 1774, and his widow on the 13th of April, 1782, and on the latter event taking place, their son, who succeeded to the estates of both his parents, took his mother's family name of Calthorpe, and in 1796 was created a peer under the t.i.tle of Baron Calthorpe, of Calthorpe, county Norfolk. Edgbaston Hall has not been occupied by any of the owners since the decease of Lady Gough, 1782.

~Edgbaston Pool~ covers an area of twenty-two acres, three roods, and thirty-six poles.

~Edgbaston Street.~--One of the most ancient streets in the Borough, having been the original road from the parish church and the Manor-house of the Lords de Bermingham to their neighbours at Edgbaston. It was the first paved street of the town, and the chosen residence of the princ.i.p.al and most wealthy burgesses, a fact proved by its being known in King John's reign as "Egebaston Strete," the worde "strete" in those days meaning a paved way in cities or towns. This is further shown by the small plots into which the land was divided and the number of owners named from time to time in ancient deeds, the yearly rentals, even in Henry VIII's time being from 3s. to 5s. per year. At the back of the lower side of Edgbaston Street, were several tanneries, there being a stream of water running from the moat round the Parsonage-house to the Manor-house moat, the watercourse being now known as Dean Street and Smithfield Pa.s.sage.

~Electric Light.~--The light of the future. The first public exhibition of lighting by electricity, was introduced by Maccabe, a ventriloquial entertainer of the public, at the entrance of Curzon Hall, September 30, 1878. On the 28th of the following month, the novelty appeared at the Lower Grounds, on the occasion of a football match at night, the kick-off and lighting-up taking place at seven o'clock. At the last Musical Festival, the Town Hall was lit up by Messrs. Whitfield, of Cambridge-street, and the novelty is no longer a rarity, a company having been formed to supply the houses, shops, and public buildings in the centre of the town.

~Electro Plate.~--As early as 1838, Messrs. Elkington were in the habit of coating ornaments with gold and silver by dipping them in various solutions of those metals, and the first patent taken out for the electro process appears to be that of July 6, 1838, for covering copper and bra.s.s with zinc. Mr. John Wright, a surgeon, of this town, was the first to use the alkaline cyanides, and the process was included in Elkington's patent of March 25, 1840. The use of electricity from magnets instead of the voltaic battery was patented by J.S. Wolrich, in August, 1842. His father was probably the first person who deposited metals for any practical purpose by means of the galvanic battery. Mr.

Elkington applied the electro-deposit process to gilding and silverplating in 1840.--See "_Trades_," &c.

~Electoral Returns.~--See "_Parliamentary_."

~Emigration.~--In August, 1794, Mr. Russell, of Moor Green, and a magistrate for the counties of Warwick and Worcester, with his two brothers and their families, Mr. Humphries, of Camp Hill Villa, with a number of his relatives, and over a hundred other Birmingham families emigrated to America. Previous to this date we have no record of anything like an emigration movement from this town, though it is a matter of history how strenuously Matthew Boulton and other manufacturers exerted themselves to _prevent_ the emigration of artisans and workpeople, fearing that our colonies would be enriched at the expense of the mother country. How sadly the times were changed in 1840, may be imagined from the fact that when free pa.s.sages to Australia were first being offered, no less than 10,000 persons applied unsuccessfully from this town and neighbourhood alone. At the present time it is calculated that pa.s.sages to America, Canada, Australia, &c., are being taken up here at an average of 3,000 a year.

~Erdington.~--Another of the ancient places (named in the Domesday Book as Hardingtone) surrounding Birmingham and which ranked as high in those days of old, though now but like one of our suburbs, four miles on the road to Sutton Coldfield. Erdington Hall, in the reign of Henry II., was the moated and fortified abode of the family of that name, and their intermarriages with the De Berminghams, &c., connected them with our local history in many ways. Though the family, according to Dugdale and others, had a chapel of their own, the hamlet appertained to the parish of Aston, to the mother church of which one Henry de Erdington added an isle, and the family arms long appeared in the heraldic tracery of its windows. Erdington Church (St. Barnabas) was built in 1823, as a chapel of ease to Aston, and it was not until 1858 that the district was formed into a separate and distinct ecclesiastical parish, the vicar of Aston being the patron of the living. In addition to the chapel at Oscott, the Catholics have here one of the most handsome places of worship in the district, erected in 1850 at a cost of over 20,000, a Monastery, &c., being connected therewith. Erdington, which has doubled its population within the last twenty years, has its Public Hall and Literary Inst.i.tute, erected in 1864, Police Station, Post Office, and several chapels, in addition to the almshouses and orphanage, erected by Sir Josiah Mason, noticed in another part of this work. See also "_Population Tables_," &c.

~Estate Agents.~--For the purposes of general business, Kelly's Directory will be found the best reference. The office for the Calthorpe estate is at 65 Hagley Road; for the William Dudley Trust estates, at Imperial Chambers B, Colmore Row; for the Great Western Railway properties at 103, Great Charles Street; for the Heathfield Estate in Heathfield Road, Handsworth; for the Horton (Isaac) properties at 41, Colmore Row; Sir Joseph Mason's estate at the Orphanage, Erdington.

~Exchange.~--Corner of Stephenson Place and New Street, having a frontage of 64 feet to the latter, and 186 feet to the former. The foundation stone was laid January 2, 1863, the architect being Mr.

Edward Holmes, and the building was opened January 2, 1865, the original cost being a little under 20,000. It has since been enlarged (1876-78) to nearly twice the original size, under the direction of Mr. J.A.

Chatwin. The property and speculation of a private company, it was (December 2, 1880) incorporated, under the Joint Stock Companies' Act, and returns a fair dividend on the capital expended. In addition to the Exchange and Chamber of Commerce proper, with the usual secretarial and committee rooms appertaining thereto, refreshment, billiard, and retiring rooms, &c., there is a large a.s.sembly-room, frequently used for b.a.l.l.s, concerts, and entertainments of a public character. The dimensions of the princ.i.p.al hall are 70 feet length, 40 feet width, with a height of 23 feet, the a.s.sembly-room above being same size, but loftier. The central tower is 110 feet high, the turret, in which there was placed a clock made by John Inshaw, to be moved by electro-magnetic power (but which is now only noted for its incorrectness), rising some 45 feet above the cornice. Other portions of the building are let off in offices.

~Excise.~--It is but rarely the Inland Revenue authorities give the public any information showing the amount of taxes gathered in by the officials, and the return, therefore, for the year ending March 31, 1879, laid before the House of Commons, is worth preserving, so far as the Birmingham collection goes. The total sum which pa.s.sed through the local office amounted to 89,321, the various headings under which the payments were entered, being:--Beer dealers, 2,245; beer retailers, 7,161; spirit dealers, 1,617; spirit retailers, 8,901; wine dealers, 874; wine retailers, 2,392; brewers, 9,518; maltsters, 408; dealers in roasted malt, 17; manufacturers of tobacco, 147; dealers in tobacco, 1,462; rectifiers of spirits, 11; makers of methylated spirits, 10; retailers of methylated spirits, 33; vinegar makers, 26; chemists and others using stills, 4; male servants, 1,094; dogs, 1,786; carriages, 4,613; armorial bearings, 374; guns, 116; to kill game, 1,523; to deal in game, 136; refreshment houses, 366; makers and dealers in sweets, 18; retailers of sweets, 42; hawkers and pedlars, 68; appraisers and house agents, 132; auctioneers, 1,210; p.a.w.nbrokers, 1,958; dealers in plate, 1,749; gold and silver plate duty, 17,691; medicine vendors, 66; inhabited house duty, 21,533.

The Excise (or Inland Revenue) Offices are in Waterloo Street, and are open daily from 10 to 4.

~Excursions.~--The annual trip to the seaside, or the continent, or some other attractive spot, which has come to be considered almost an essential necessary for the due preservation of health and the sweetening of temper, was a thing altogether unknown to the old folks of our town, who, if by chance they could get as far as Lichfield, Worcester, or Coventry once in their lives, never ceased to talk about it as something wonderful. The "outing" of a lot of factory hands was an event to be chronicled in _Aris's Gazette_, whose scribes duly noted the horses and vehicles (not forgetting the master of the band, without whom the "gipsy party" could not be complete), and the destination was seldom indeed further than the Lickey, or Marston Green, or at rarer intervals, Sutton Coldfield or Hagley. Well-to-do tradesmen and employers of labour were satisfied with a few hours spent at some of the old-style Tea Gardens, or the Crown and Cushion, at Perry Barr, Aston Cross or Tavern, Kirby's, or the New Inn, at Handsworth, &c. The Sat.u.r.day half-holiday movement, which came soon after the introduction of the railways, may be reckoned as starting the excursion era proper, and the first Sat.u.r.day afternoon trip (in 1854) to the Earl of Bradford's, at Castle Bromwich, was an eventful episode even in the life of George Dawson, who accompanied the trippites. The railway trips of the late past and present seasons are beyond enumeration, and it needs not to be said that anyone with a little spare cash can now be whisked where'er he wills, from John-o'-Groats to the Land's End, for a less sum than our fathers paid to see the Shrewsbury Show, or Lady G.o.diva's ride at Coventry. As it was "a new departure," and for future reference, we will note that the first five-shilling Sat.u.r.day-night-to-Monday-morning trip to Llandudno came off on August 14, 1880. The railway companies do not fail to give ample notice of all long excursions, and for those who prefer the pleasant places in our own district, there is a most interesting publication to be had for 6d., ent.i.tled "The Birmingham Sat.u.r.day Half-holiday Guide," wherein much valuable information is given respecting the nooks and corners of Warwick and Worcester, and their hills and dales.