Page:Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham.djvu/109

Rh Inkleys, was called so in honour of the "Beau."

Hiring a Husband.—In 1815, a Birmingham carpenter, after ill-treating his wife, leased himself to another woman by a document which an unscrupulous attorney had the hardihood to draw up, and for while he charged thirty-five shillings. This precious document bound the man and the woman to live together permanently, and to support and succour each other to the utmost of their power. The poor wife was, of course, no consenting party to this. She appealed to the law; the appeal brought the "lease" before the eyes of the judiciary; the man was brought to his senses (though probably remaining a bad husband), and the attorney received a severe rebuke.

Historical.—A local Historical Society was inaugurated with an address from Dr. Freeman. Nov. 18, 1880, and, doubtless, in a few years the reports and proceedings will be of very great value and interest. The fact that down to 1752 the historical year in England commenced on January 1, while the civil, ecclesiastical, and legal year began on the 25th of March, led to much confusion in dates, as the legislature, the church, and civilians referred every event which took place between January 1 and March 25 to a different year from the historians. Remarkable examples of such confusion are afforded by two well-known events in English history: Charles I. is said by most authorities to have been beheaded January 30, 1648, while others, with equal correctness, say it was January 30, 1649; and so the revolution which drove James II, from the throne is said by some to have taken place in February, 1688, and by others in February, 1689. Now, these discrepancies arise from some using the civil and legal, and others the historical year, though both would have assigned any event occurring after the 25th of March to the same years—viz., 1649 and 1689. To avoid as far as possible mistakes from these two modes of reckoning, it was usual, as often seen in old books or manuscripts, to add the historical to the legal date, hen speaking of any day between January 1 and March 25, thus:

or thus, January 30, 1648-9.

This practice, common as it was for many years, is, nevertheless, often misunderstood, and even intelligent persons are sometimes perplexed by dates so written. The explanation, however, is very simple, for the lower or last figure always indicates the year according to our present calculation.

Hockley Abbey.—Near to, and overlooking Boulton's Pool, in the year 1799 there was a piece of waste land, which being let to Mr. Richard Ford, one of the mechanical worthies of that period, was so dealt with as to make the spot an attraction for every visitor. Mr. Ford employed a number of hands, and some of them he observed were in the habit oi spending a great part of their wages and time in dissipation. By way of example to his workmen he laid aside some 12/- to 15/- a week for a considerable period, and when trade was occasionally slack with him, and he had no other occupation for them, he sent his horse and cart to Aston Furnaces for loads of "slag," gathering in this way by degrees a sufficient quantity of this strange building material for the erection of a convenient and comfortable residence. The walls being necessarily constructed thicker than is usual when mere stone or brick is used, the fancy took him to make the place represent a ruined building, which he christened "Hockley Abbey," and to carry out his deceptive notion the date 1473 was placed in front of the house, small pebbles set in cement being used to form the figures. In a very few years by careful training nearly the