Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 1.djvu/285

Rh BIRMINGHAM. 275 BIRMINGHAM. of Jished steel goods (locally called toys), gold, silver, ani plated articles, jewellery, chains, and an infinite vai ty of fancy -wares, which occasioned Burke's de- ecrtion of Birmingham as the "toyshop of Europe." Su goods arc still made, but they bear a smaller pro- poi on to the entire productions of the town than for- me r. The greatest establishments are for iron and hn founding, rolling, stamping, plating, and drawing of otals, iron roofs and girders, railway waggon and cai ige building, coach and railway lamps, galvanised iro wire drawing, metallic bedsteads, brewing, and cosibuilding. These include works for steam-engines "meters. New departments of manufacture have bee opened by the introduction of the stamp for metal t Albata and Britannia metal; and the processes -typing, japanning, and glass-making are carried on a large extent. Among the important manufactures umbrella. One manufactory alone is said to U)0 hands, many of them women, and to produce i '>ns of steel pens annually. The production of nai and screws is enormous. Other important branches (-I i lustry are, modelling, die-sinking, and the manufac- rass and other tubing. The skill of the artist is and more in demand, and the number of designers, i i nvers, carvers, chasers, die-sinkers, lithographers, andiodellers at work, is considerable, and every year in- crejes in proportion as the national taste becomes Jlted. In fact, the importance of artistic skill in the manufactures can scarcely be over-estimated, as it not inly affects their value in England, but their de- thii object the Government has founded a School of De: ;n at Birmingham, and there is a local Society of !io hold a yearly exhibition, and have a School and an Art-Union. Occasionally an exhibition i i ' ( .3 and manufactures is held on a large scale ; and so ul do these means appear to have been in eleva- improvement specially attracted the attention _ French Commissioners for the International Ex- of 1862, and occasioned them to point out the =ify of the adoption of similar measures in France, 'introduction of steam power in 1780 was followed nmense extension of trade and production. The woi performed by the steam-engines of Birmingham .;> was calculated to be equal to the labour of 86,000 and is now probably doubled. Gas was first suc- used for the purpose of lighting in the famous '] Works, near Birmingham, founded by Matthew. . and long conducted by him in partnership with
 * introduction are those of the steel pen, the pin,
 * hroughout the world. The better to facilitate
 * . 'uthe quality of English manufactures, that this
 * i Watt. The works were illuminated with gas,

lie direction of Mr. Murdoch, in 1802, on occasion ' ' i peace with France. In these works also the steam- MSI e was first used in 1780. The manufacture of the c ;.. r coinage issued in 1792 and following years was ui:> -taken by Mr. Boulton; and to the firm, still bear- name of Boulton and Watt, Soho Mint, is en- trued the preparation of the new bronze money intro- ducl in 1861. The order from Government was for l.Stj tons of bronze pennies, &c., and will occupy be- fvti two and three years in the execution. The pi-in- habitants of Birmingham forma large commercial insisting of merchants, accountants, agents, and kers, and a great body of clerks. The Chamber of ce was established in 1813, and exercises a vast kin

a b nch Bank of England, besides many local banks. Thip are freehold land and building societies, besides stock companies for canals, gas, insurance, and vmj purposes connected with the Birmingham trade, whi is considered by foreign nations of sufficient im- ponice to require the presence of resident consuls, tho[h Birmingham is an inland town. The town is miles long, and nearly the same in breadth, and is a rned with many handsome edifices, although there are w ancient buildings. The chief streets are High- street, New-street, Bull-street, Snow-hill, Digbeth, and Dale-end ; many great improvements have been made in the streets of late years. For civil purposes Birming- ham is still one parish ; but during the last century and a half the increase of the population has necessitated the erection of thirty additional churches, in connection with some of which district parishes have been created. The original parish church is St. Martin's ; the living is a rect. * in the dioc. of Worcester, of the val. of 1,048, in the patron, of Hawke's Trustees. The church, situ- ated in the Bull Ring, is the most ancient building in the town, having been probably erected in the 13th century. It has a tower and well-proportioned spire, and contains some old monuments of the Lords De Bermingham. It has been outwardly cased with brick- work, and inwardly disguised by plaster and arbitrary ornamentation, so that its original appearance is only to be guessed at. The living of St. Philip's is a rect.,* val. 800, in the patron, of the Bishop of Worcester. The church, built in 1715, stands on a bill 460 feet above the level of the sea, and has a tower surmounted by a dome and cupola. The architecture is of the Corinthian order. The triennial musical festivals took place in this church from 1778 to 1829. An extensive cemetery surrounds the church. The living of St. George's is a rect.,* of the val. of 550, in the patron, of Hawke's Trustees. The church, built by Rickman in 1822, is a handsome structure, in the decorated style, with an embattled tower and pinnacles. The living of St. Thomas's is a rect., of the val. of 480, in the same patron. The church is in the Grecian style, with a lofty tower, and is situated on Holloway Head. It was erected in 1829, and has a finely panelled ceiling. The living of All Saints is a rect., val. 250, in the same patron. In addition to these are the curs, of St. Mary, St. Mark, St. Paul, Christ Church, St. Peter, St. Luke, Bishop Ryder's, St. Stephen, St. Judo, St. Bartholomew, St. Barnabas, St. John at Lady wood, and Magdalene chapel, besides five others in the par. of Aston. In 1841 was completed the fine Roman Catholic cathedral, dedicated to St. Chad. It is built of brick, in the form of a cross, after designs by Pugin, and contains a fine screen with a roodloft, richly-carved stalls from Cologne, and a splendid pulpit of carved oak from Belgium. Near it is the bishop's residence, with chapel, library, cloisters, &c. The places of worship for Dissenters are very numerous, and include some large and handsome edifices. They belong to the Wesleyans, Independents, Baptists, Pres- byterians, Quakers, Unitarians, &c. The Presbyterian church, erected in 184~9, is a fine structure, in the Italian style, from designs by Botham. It is about 100 feet in length, and is lighted from the roof. The Jews have a synagogue in Blucher-street, erected in 1858 at the cost of 10,000 ; also one in Wrottesley-street. The edu- cational institutions of Birmingham are numerous and important. The principal are the free grammar school, Queen's College, the blue-coat school, Oscott Roman Catholic college, Springhill Independent college, the Pro- testant Dissenters', Fentham's, Leach' s,and other charity schools. The grammar school was founded by Edward VI. in 1552, and endowed with the estates of the Guild of the Holy Cross. It has a revenue of 10,000 per annum, and ten exhibitions at the universities of Oxford and Cam- bridge. The number of scholars is about 450. Attached to it are eight subordinate schools, with about 1,000 pupils. The school-house has been twice rebuilt, first in 1707, and again in 1832. The present buildings form one of the chief, if not the chief, architectural ornament of the town. They are situated in New-street. The structure, which occupies three sides of a quadrangle, is of stone, in the Tudor style, and was erected from designs by Barry, at a cost of 40,000. It is 174 feet in length, 127 in depth, and60 feet in height. Queen's College, founded by charter in 1843, as a school of medicine, now embraces the study of theology and law. The building is in the Tudor style. The blue-coat school, established in 1722, has a revenue of above 2,000, and maintains and edu- cates 160 children. The produce of a bequest by George Fentham in 1690, now amounting to above 300 a year,