134 THE DODFORD ESTATE 



that some had recently been sold at 300 and 400, 

 and one had reached 500. 



In an account of the place compiled in 1882 by 

 Mr. C. D. Sturge, secretary to the Birmingham 

 Small Holdings and Allotments Association, he 

 says that one-third of the original allottees still 

 remained at that date, and that a large number of 

 the allotments were held by children of the original 

 settlers. Since that time, however, and more 

 especially in recent years, the holdings seem to 

 have been largely bought up by Birmingham 

 manufacturers as a speculation. Some use them 

 for residential purposes, but most of the new-comers 

 let them to working men. On a recent visit to the 

 place I interviewed a son of an original allottee, 

 who informed me that, besides himself, only two of 

 the original families still held plots. He paid 5 a 

 year ground-rent for his 4 acres, and the family 

 had acquired two other lots, which were freehold. 

 This man's father was a native of Glasgow, and was 

 wanting to emigrate when he heard of Feargus 

 O'Connor's scheme. He was a successful drawer 

 at the ballot for lots, and migrated with his whole 

 family. They found the place such a wilderness 

 on arrival that they all returned to Glasgow next 

 day. Six years later they returned for a final 

 settlement. During this time the father employed 

 another allottee to get his holding into order, while 

 he continued his profession in Glasgow. 



Most of the settlers were mechanics from the 

 North of England, and in many cases they con- 



