Page:A century of Birmingham life- or, A chronicle of local events, from 1741 to 1841 (IA centuryofbirming02lang).pdf/27

 elegant range of Houses is erected. Also other Land belonging to the Governors of the Free School, in a Variety of desirable Situations in and near the Town, to be Let for Building.

For Particulars apply to Mr. Brooke, Attorney at Law, Temple Row, Birmingham.

The next advertisement describes a once famous house of resort. Its well known "small neat flower garden, and pleasure-house therein," have been absorbed, like so many more of its kind, within the memory of persons still young.

October 19th, 1795.—To be Let, and entered upon immediately, situate near the Heath Mill, Deritend, and within a few yards of the Warwick and Birmingham Canal, containing a Kitchen, two Parlours, a Bar, and other proper Offices on the Ground Floor, good dry Cellaring underneath, and a Suit of very convenient Lodging Rooms over the whole; together with a Brewhouse, Stable, Cowhouse, an upper and lower Shop, and other Out-Offices, a small neat Flower Garden, with a Pleasure House therein, and a large Kitchen Garden, well planted with Household Vegetables. The whole of these Premises are in good Repair, and comprise near an Acre of Land, and a good Tenant will, if he requires it, be accommodated with more Land.

For Particulars apply to Messrs. Farror and Goode, Auctioneers, Birmingham Mr William Jabet, Land Surveyor, Rordesley; or Mr. John Lowe, of the Ravenhurst, in Bordesley.

Our next extract takes us to another public garden, which was once a most pleasant place. In that now unsavoury street, called Floodgate Street, there was a public house called "Spring Gardens;" so named from the very beautiful gardens which extended from the back of the house down to the banks of the clear and rippling river Rea. The house is still there, but its name is all that remains to it of its former glory. The river is thick, black and turgid. There are no trees, nor flowers, nor shady walks, nor summer houses on its banks. Yet the present writer remembers when the Spring Gardens were eminently pretty, and well worth a visit. How vividly the whole scene is brought before us by the following brief account of a sad and almost fatal accident:—

October 26th, 1793.—Late on Thursday night last the family at Spring Gardens, in this town, was alarmed by some mournful, but indistinct, cries, which evidently proceeded from persons in great distress. Mr. Fallows very humanely got up, and taking a servant and lights with him, he found a man and a woman nearly exhausted, and clinging to the floodgates, and thus keeping their heads above water. In a very few minutes more, but for the benevolent exertions of Mr. Fallows, they must have been drowned, for they were become so exceedingly weak, that they could scarcely keep their hold until he and the servants could reach them; and it was then with great difficulty they were taken out. These unfortunate people, it seems, were two of a large party, who had been spending the