Page:A century of Birmingham life- or, A chronicle of local events, from 1741 to 1841 (IA centuryofbirming01lang).pdf/25

 Edward Birmingham, the last of his race, almost every statement made by Hutton about that unfortunate gentleman is wrong. Among the rest are the two important items of his birth and his marriage. Hutton says that he was the son of Birmingham,—which in fact he was the son of Birmingham. Hutton adds, that Edward married Elizabeth, widow of William Ludford,—whereas, in point of fact, Edward was twice married: first, to Margaret, daughter of Gerard Danett, Esq.; secondly, to Elizabeth, daughter of the 'right worshipful Sir William Lytleton, Knight.' And this second wife, Elizabeth, after the death of Edward Birmingham (which took place within two years after the terrible blow of the confiscation of his estate), married Ludforde as her second husband. Having thus set straight these facts, I have to add that, on 15th February, 1522, Edward Birmingham, having then lately married his second wife, made a settlement in favour of, his daughter by his first wife. And the point for which I now refer to these matters is, that the payment of the sums of money thus settled on this daughter, is expressly secured, by this settlement, upon pastures and meadows in the Foreign of Birmingham'; the names and tenants of each of which are duly given in the original Deed.

"After the iniquitous affair by which Edward Birmingham was robbed of his inheritance, accounts were annually sent up, describing the tenancies and the rents within the manor. I have examined all of these. Copies of two of them are before me while I now write. In one of them ( 1536) the description of the tenancies in the Foreign' fills more than twelve closely written quarto pages. In another ( 1544) the description of the sane tills nine still more closely written pages. In both, the Foreign' is particularly distinguished from 'The Borough of Birmingham and Deritend.'

"In 1545 the Manor of Birmingham was granted, by Letters Patent, to Lord Lysle. The grant describes the property of the Manor in detail; and the same distinction is drawn in these Letters Patent, between the lands in the 'Foreign' of Birmingham, and those in 'The Burgh of Birmingham and Deritend.'