1105 



BIRMINGHAM. 



BIRMINGHAM. 



Hi) 



Site, Aspect, Streets, <Cv. The parish of Birmingham, though extend- 

 ing on the north and west to a considerable distance from the town, is 

 smaller than the agricultural parishes in the neighbourhood. It is in 

 form an irregular quadrangle, elongated east and west, about 8 miles 

 in circuit, and contains 2810 acres. The town covers the whole eastern 

 half of the parish, and extends its lines of building to a considerable 

 distance into the parish of Aston. Many of the inhabitants have their 

 private residences in the parish of Edgbaston. The borough of Bir- 

 mingham has a circuit of 21 miles, an area of 8420 acres, 100 miles of 

 street, and 40 miles of suburban road. 



Birmingham is situated near the centre of England, and in its 

 vicinity we find the watershed which separates the streams that 

 belong to the basin of the Trent from those which belong to the basin 

 of the Severn. The river Rea, a remote branch of the Trent, is about 

 310 feet above high water in the Thames at London taken at a point 

 close to Birmingham. The surface of the ground is varied, the streets 

 geur,i!ly lying on a declivity, which facilitates the cleansing of the 

 town, and contributes to its general health. The prevalent geological 

 character of the neighbouring country is the new red-sandstone, with 

 beds of clay and gravel superimposed. Large plots of ground in the 

 environ.-! have been long divided by their proprietors into small gar- 

 dens, which are let at the rent of one and two guineas per annum. 

 Many of these are profitably occupied by artisans. This appropriation 

 of the land is however fast diminishing, owing to the rapid increase of 

 the town. 



Birmingham, from the nature of its staple employments, is neces- 

 sarily a dirty town ; but the improved processes, the great change in 

 the nature of its manufactures, and the local police arrangements, all 

 tend to lessen the evil. Ita general aspect is that of a place suddenly 

 and greatly improved ; the streets lately altered or erected are wide, 

 and the buildings are good. There are no cellar-dwellings, but there 

 are upwards of 2000 small courts, containing about 50,000 inhabitants. 



Birmingham is supplied with water from various sources. The 

 stratification of the district is full of water, and this supplies a large 

 number of private wells and pumps. There are also several public 

 wells and pumps, from which water is obtained by the neighbouring 

 inhabitants. There are private water-carts, which retail water to the 

 poorer inhabitants ; and there is a public water-company, which sup- 

 plies about 1,000,000 gallons of water in a day, three days in the week. 

 The Water- Works Company was established in 1825. The principal 

 reservoir is at Aston juxta Birmingham, and has an area of 747,000 

 square feet ; the water is admitted into it from the river Tame ; there 

 is no filter-bed, but the water passes through large canvass strainers. 

 Near this reservoir are two lifting-engines of 90-horse power each, 

 which force the water into an upper reservoir, situated to the west of 

 the town, at an elevation of 252 feet above the river. All the conduit- 

 pipes are of iron. Birmingh,-nn is chiefly lighted by the Birmingham 

 Gas-Light and Coke Company, but in part by the Birmingham and 

 Staffordshire Company. Fuel is cheap in Birmingham, from the con- 

 tiguity of the town to the colliery district of South Staffordshire. 



There are no less than eight governing bodies within the parlia- 

 mentary borough of Birmingham, all having local authority in respect 

 to the improvement, &c. of the town. They are the Municipal Cor- 

 poration ; the Paving and Lighting Commissioners of Birmingham ; 

 Deritend and Bordesley ; and Duddeston-cum-Nechells, respectively ; 

 the Highway Surveyors of Deritend, Bordesley, and Edgbaston, 

 respectively ; and the Guardians of the Poor. These bodies can 

 seldom co-operate in any plan for the general drainage and sanitary 

 improvement of the town. There are a few public baths at Birming- 

 ham. Those at Lady-well Spring are 19 in number, and cost 4000Z. 

 Smith's Baths, in George Street, Balsall Heath, were opened in 1846; 

 and there is an establishment of a similar nature in Hunter's Lane. 

 There are two public cemeteries on the north-west side of the town. 



Buildings and Institutions. Till the commencement of the last 

 century there was only one church in Birmingham, that of St. Martin's, 

 which was erected at a very early date, and is still standing, but is 

 disguised externally by a covering of brickwork, and internally by 

 coatings of plaster and numberless ornaments of dubious character. 

 The spire, which is of lofty elevation and good proportions, is still 

 unchanged. The interior contains many curious monuments, among 

 which those of the Lords de Birmingham were restored in 1846. 

 St. Philip's church, built in 1719, is adorned with an enriched tower 

 of considerable height, surmounted with a dome and a cupola. 



if the other places of worship belonging to the Established Church 



which have since been erected, St. Mary's, St. Bartholomew's, St. 



list church, St. George's, St. Peter's, St. Thomas's, All 



hop Kyder's, St. Matthew's, St. Mark's, St. Luke's, St. 



.-n'fl, St, Andrew's, several of which were originally chapels of 



ease, have had parochial districts assigned to them, parcelled out from 



ntire parish of Birmingham ; St. James's, Ashted, St. John's, 



II. rit. ,,,1 (tl ie foundations of which date from the 14th century), and 



Holy Trinity Chapel, Bordesley, are chapela of ease to the parish of 



Aston. JSiriniiiKiintn probably contains about 100 places of worship, 



i belong to the Established Church, and the remainder 



t..i \V>:'l.<\;in Mi.flioih '1 -, lii'l"|>cn<leuts, Baptists, Presbyterians, and 



liters. Of these one of the most recent is a Presbyterian 



:i, built in 1849; it is lighted principally from the roof. A 



holio cathedral, dedicated to St. Chad, erected from the 



BIT. vol.. i. 



designs of Mr. Pugiu, was opened in 1841. The front is about 70 feet 

 wide, and is divided by buttresses into three compartments ; the 

 centre contains the entrance, with a spacious window over it, and a 

 gable above. Each of the other compartments has a lofty window, 

 above which are towers which flank the gable, with two belfry- 

 windows on each side. One of these towers is surmounted with a 

 spire, rising to a height of about 150 feet from the ground. The 

 arched portal is divided by a central pillar, enriched with carving. 

 The interior of the church is cruciform in plan, and consists of nave, 

 side aisles, transepts, choir, and two lateral chapels. The pulpit is a 

 magnificent specimen of oak carving, brought from a church in Bel- 

 gium. The choir is divided from the nave and transept by a rich 

 screen of open work, 18 feet high, surmounted by a rood-loft with a 

 crucifix. On either side of the choir beyond the screen, is a range of 

 ancient carved stalls of elaborate design, the workmanship of the 1 4th 

 century, brought from Cologne; and immediately over them are 

 screens of panel-work, surmounted by perforated tracery. Opposite 

 to the church is a building for the residence of the bishop and officiat- 

 ing clergy : it is a good specimen of the style and character of similar 

 structures in the 15th century. Besides the bishop's apartments, 

 there are a chapel, library, dining-hall, and audience-room, all fitted 

 up in the style of the 15th century. 



There is a convent of the Sisters of Mercy at Birmingham, situated 

 at a considerable distance from the cathedral and palace just described, 

 but similar to them in general architectural character. It contains, 

 besides apartments for the sisters, a chapel, oratory, cloisters, refec- 

 tory, cells, and cemetery. Attached to the convent is a building called 

 the House of Mercy, in which poor destitute young women are 

 boarded, clothed, and provided with work until situations can be 

 obtained for them as domestic servants. 



At the head of the educational establishments of Birmingham is 

 the Royal Free Grammar school, founded and chartered by Edward VI. 

 in the fifth year of his reign. It is free to sons of inhabitants of Bir- 

 mingham and contiguous parishes. It has an income from endow- 

 ment of about 8000?. ayear. Ten exhibitions are provided, of 501. each, 

 tenable for four years at Oxford or Cambridge. The Grammar school 

 is under a head and a second master, with 14 other teachers ; the 

 number of free scholars in 1852 was 450 ; of boarders, 15. There are 

 also 8 elementary schools, containing 1000 children (boys and girls), 

 under the inspection of the head master. The original school-buildings 

 were taken down in 1707, and others erected in their stead. After 

 standing a century and a quarter, these were taken down ; and by 

 virtue of powers conferred by a chancery decree and an Act of Par- 

 liament obtained in 1831, the present beautiful structure was erected 

 in 1 835, from the designs of Mr. Barry. It stands in New Street, in 

 the best part of the town. It is in the Tudor style, somewhat similar 

 to the new Houses of Parliament, and is constructed of Derbyshire 

 stone. The dimensions are length, 174 feet; depth of wings, 125 

 feet ; height, 60 feet. The building is quadrangular in form, with an 

 entrance through a spacious and highly-ornamented porch. The 

 front fa9ade consists of seven windows, divided by buttresses, adorned 

 with pinnacles, and richly decorated. The interior is commodiously 

 fitted up for the requirements of a large school. The cost of this 

 structure was 40,0001. The trustees received in 1849 nearly 80,000?. 

 for property in Birmingham, required for various railway works 

 within the town. 



The Blue-Coat school was founded in 1722 by subscription among 

 the inhabitants, assisted by a grant of a site for the school and some 

 surrounding land from Lord Digby, the Bishop of Lichfield and 

 Coventry, and others. The annual revenue, exceeding 20001., is 

 applied to the current expenses of the school, at which about 160 

 children of both sexes are instructed in reading, writing, and arith- 

 metic, and the principles of the Christian religion as professed by the 

 Church of England ; they are entirely clothed, lodged, and boarded. 

 A number of children, varying from 10 to 20, distinguished by green 

 clothing, are also kept in this school from the proceeds of an endow- 

 ment left in 1690 by George Fentham, a mercer of the town. 



The Birmingham and Edgbaston Proprietary school, in the Hagley 

 Road, is a neat structure in the Tudor style. The Independents in 

 1838 established a college at Spriughill near Birmingham, which is in 

 connection with the University of London. It is for training young 

 men for the ministry, and is under the care of three tutors. The 

 income from endowment is about 5001. a year. The number of 

 students in 1852 was 21. Queen's College, established by royal charter 

 in 1843, is situated nearly opposite the town-hall. This institution 

 is established for giving a medical and surgical education ; and the 

 lectures qualify for examination for the diplomas of the University of 

 London, the Royal College of Surgeons, and the Society of Apothe- 

 caries. There is accommodation for 70 resident students, who wear 

 the ordinary undergraduate's costume. In 1846 this college was 



Legal and Theological professorships have been established. The build- 

 ing is in the Tudor or late perpendicular style. 



Oscott Roman Catholic College, near the northern margin of the 

 town, is a very fine building. It was built under Mr. Pugin's direc- 

 tion. The college is of red brick with stone dressings, and is in the late 



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