B1RNIE BLACKBURN. 



309 



depended upon, Mr Pare has drawn the following 

 interesting points of comparison between Manches- 

 ter and Birmingham: 1. In Birmingham one-fourth 

 of the whole number of deaths take place within 

 the year, whilst in Manchester upwards of one- 

 third die within the same age. 2. In Birmingham 

 three-sevenths, and in Manchester four-sevenths, of 

 the whole number of deaths take place within the 

 fifth year. 3. In Birmingham one-half the popu- 

 lation attain their sixteenth year, whilst in Man- 

 chester one-half the population die within the first 

 three years. 4. In Birmingham twice as many peo- 

 ple survive the age of seventy as in an equal popu- 

 lation in Manchester. 5. From these several com- 

 parisons it appears that the value of human life is 

 much greater in Birmingham than in Manchester, 

 arising in part, no doubt, from the superiority of 

 its geographical position, but mainly from the su- 

 perior nature of the employments', and better habits 

 of its work-people. As to the diseases or causes 

 of death, Mr Pare shows that by far the largest 



* number of deaths are occasioned by consumption 

 in both towns, being about equal in each, in pro- 

 portion to the population, or nearly one-fourth of 

 the whole number. 



BIRNIE, SIR RICHARD, Knight, chief magis- 

 trate of the public office in Bow Street, was a na- 

 tive of Banff, in Scotland, and was born of com- 

 paratively humble but respectable parents. He 

 was bred to the trade of a saddler, and, after serv- 

 ing his apprenticeship, came to London, and ob- 

 tained a situation as journeyman at the house of 

 Mackintosh and Co., who were then saddle and 

 harness makers to the royal family, in the Haymar- 

 ket. He soon recommended himself to the fa- 

 vourable notice of his employers by his application 

 and industry. His subsequent advancement in life, 

 however, may be attributed in some degree to acci- 

 dent. The foreman, as well as the senior partner 

 in the firm, being absent from illness at the same 

 time, and a command being received from his royal 

 highness the prince of Wales for some one to at- 

 tend him to take orders to a considerable extent on 

 some remarkable occasion, young Birnie was di- 

 rected to attend ^iis royal highness. The orders of 

 the prince were executed so completely to his sa- 

 tisfaction, that he often afterwards, on similar oc- 

 casions, desired that the " young Scotchman" might 

 be sent to him. At that period, Sir Richard was 

 the occupant of a furnished apartment in Whit- 

 comb Street, Haymarket. By the exercise of the 

 diligence, perseverance, and honesty, for which so 

 many of his countrymen have been remarkable, he 

 at length became foreman of the establishment of 

 the Messrs Mackintosh, and eventually a partner 

 in the firm. During the progress of these events 

 he became acquainted with the present Lady Birnie, 

 the daughter of an opulent baker in Oxendon 

 Street, and married her, receiving in her right a 

 considerable sum in cash, and a cottage and some 

 valuable land at Acton, Middlesex. He then became 

 a housekeeper in St Martin's parish, and soon dis- 

 tinguished himself by his activity in parochial 

 affairs. He served successively, as he has often 

 been heard to state with exultation, every parochial 

 office except those of watchman and beadle. 

 During the troublesome times of the latter part of 

 the Pitt administration he was a warm loyalist, and 

 gave a proof of his devotion to the "good cause," 

 by enrolling himself as a private in the Royal 

 Westminster Volunteers, in which corps, however, 

 he soon obtained the rank of captain. 



After serving the offices of constable, overseer, 

 auditor, &c., in the parish, he became, in the year 

 1805, churchwarden; and in conjunction with Mr 

 Elam, a silver smith in the Strand, his co-church- 

 warden, and Dr Anthony Hamilton, the then vicar 

 of St Martin's parish, founded the establishment, 

 on a liberal scale, of a number of alms-houses, to- 

 gether with a chapel, called St Martin's Chapel, 

 for decayed parishioners, in Pratt Street, Camden 

 Town, an extensive burying ground being attached 

 thereto. St Martin's parish being governed by a 

 local Act of Parliament, two resident magistrates 

 are necessary ; and Mr Birnie was, at the special 

 request of the late Duke of Northumberland, placed 

 in the commission of the peace. From this time, 

 he betook himself to frequent attendances at Bow 

 Street office, and the study of penal statutes and 

 magisterial practice in general. He was in the 

 habit of sitting in the absence of Sir Richard Ford, 

 Mr Graham, and other stipendiary magistrates ot 

 the day, and was considered an excellent assistant. 

 He was at length appointed police magistrate at 

 Union Hall, and, after some few years' service 

 there, was removed to Bow Street Office, to a seat 

 on the bench, to which he had long most earnestly 

 aspired. In February, 1820, he headed the peace- 

 officers and military in the apprehension of the 

 celebrated Cato Street gang of conspirators. Sir 

 Nathaniel Conant, the chief magistrate, died shortly 

 after, and Mr Birnie was greatly chagrined at the 

 appointment of Sir Robert Baker, of Marlborough 

 Street, to the vacant office, saying, to a brother 

 magistrate publicly on the bench, the tears starting 

 from his eyes, " This is the reward a man gets for 

 risking his life in the service of his country ! " He 

 soon afterwards, however, attained what might be 

 fairly taid to be the summit of his ambition. In 

 August, 1821, at the funeral of Queen Caroline, 

 Sir Robert Baker having declined reading the Riot 

 act, which Mr Birnie deemed necessary, in conse- 

 quence of the disposition which the mob evinced 

 to riot, Mr Birnie took the responsibility on him- 

 self, and read it. Sir Robert retired from the chair 

 immediately afterwards, having given great offence 

 to the ministry by his want of decision ; and Mr 

 Birnie was appointed to the office of chief magis- 

 trate, and had the honour of knighthood conferred 

 upon him on the 17th of September following. Sir 

 Richard was an especial favourite with George IV. 

 He was ever ready to assist the needy, especially 

 where he discovered a disposition to industry. In all 

 matters of importance connected with the peace 

 and welfare of the metropolis, it was the custom 

 of those who filled the highest offices in the state 

 to consult him. He was always remarkable for his 

 close application to business. He died on the 29th 

 April, 1832, aged seventy-two. Sir Richard left a 

 son and two daughters. 



BLACKBURN; a large market-town of Eng- 

 land, in the county of Lancaster, 208 miles N. W. 

 from London, thirty S. E. from Lancaster, and 

 twenty-three NN.W. from Manchester. It stands 

 on a small stream anciently called Blakeburn, i. e. 

 yellow stream ; and is sheltered by hills stretching 

 from the N. E. to the N. W. The country around 

 is a barren sandy flat, which, however, has been 

 much improved by cultivation. It has been a 

 market-town since the reign of Elizabeth. The 

 streets are very irregularly built, partly owing to 

 the intermixture of glebe and other lands; but 

 they contain many good houses, and are paved, 

 lighted with gas, and watched under the provisions 



