Page:A century of Birmingham life- or, A chronicle of local events, from 1741 to 1841 (IA centuryofbirming02lang).pdf/30

 Range of Shops, a large Garden, Stable, and other Out-offices and Conveniences to the same. The centrical Site of these Premises in the Town, may render them eligible to a Merchant, Factor, or Manufacturer, or to a Broker, Pawnbroker, &c., as the Outbuildings are easily convertible into many useful Purposes for Trade or Business, or private Family Use. For further Particulars apply at No. 54, the Upper Bow Sash, in St. Bartholomew's Row, or to Mr. James Leag, Builder, the Corner of St. James's-street, St. Paul's Square, Birmingham.

We now reach the commencement of a very important, but, to our mind, not a very acceptable work-the Inclosure óf Birmingham Heath. Bit by bit, Birmingham, is taking in the surrounding country, and preparing for the rapid growth of the last twenty-five years. This is the first announcement of the new encroachment:—

Notice is hereby given that the Commissioners appointed in and by Act of Parliament, passed in the 38th year of the Reign of his present Majesty King George the Third, entitled "An Act for dividing, allotting, and inclosing the several Commons and Waste Lands lying within the Manor and Parish of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick," do intend to hold their first Meeting under the said Act of Parliament on Wednesday, the Fifth Day of December next, at the House of Mr. Crocket, known by the Name of the New Inn, situate at Handsworth, in the County of Stafford, and that the said Commissioners will begin to ride or perambulate the Boundaries of the Commons and Waste Lands intended to be inclosed under the Powers of the Act, on the same Day, at nine o'Clock in the Forenoon, on the said Heath called Birmingham Heath, near to a Place called the Lodge, within the Manor and Parish aforesaid, from whence the Commissioners will proceed along the Boundaries adjoining the several parishes of Harborne, Handsworth, Edgbaston, and Aston, in the Counties of Warwick and Stafford, of which all persons interested are to take notice.

The Commissioners soon set to work in preparing their plans, and in carrying out the provisions of the Act. In a year after this first announcement they published the following detailed account of their intentions. If the reader will look at a modern map while he is perusing the statement, he will at once see what great changes were made by the Commissioners for enclosing Birmingham Heath.

December 23, 1799.—We, the Commissioners, named and appointed in and by an Act of Parliament, passed in the 38th year of the Reign of his present Majesty, for dividing and enclosing the several Commons and Waste Lands lying within the Manor and Parish of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, do hereby give Notice, that we have set out