B I R 



Government. Biitningham is governed by three afting 

 magiftrates ; the officers chofcn annually are the high- 

 bailifF, who infpefis weights and drj' meafiires, and the n:ar- 

 kets ; the low-baihfF, wljo fuinmons juries, and chufes all 

 the oilier officers ; two co;i!lable3 and one headborough ; 

 two high taller?, who examine the quality of beer and its 

 meafure ; two low tallers or meat conners, who inlpect the 

 meat expofed to iale, and caufe that to be dellroyed wtiich 

 is unfit for ufe ; two afFcirers, and two leather-fellers, whofc 

 offices are now only nomi.ial. 



Deritend, a hairl^t of Birmingham, fends its inhabi- 

 tants to the court leet of that town, where all the 

 above officers are chofen and fworn, in the name of the 

 lord of the manor. 



An act of pailiament paffi;d in 1752, which eftrsblifhed a 

 Court of Rcquefl , confilling of 72 commiffioners, three of 

 whom are a quorum ; they fit every Friday morning in a 

 room of the Red Lion inn ; the clerks attend to give judi- 

 cial affi'.lance, who are always profeflors of the common law, 

 and chofcn by the lord of the manor and the commiffioners 

 for life : ten cf the commiffioners are ballotted out every 

 otheryear, and ten others elected from among the inhabitants. 

 The beneficial eiTeCts of a humane fociety for the recovery 

 of fufpeuded animation were iirfl extended to Birmingham 

 in 1790. About the fame period a committee of refpectable 

 inhabitants was eftablilhed to watch over the common in- 

 terefts, under the title of the " Commercial Co.T.mittee." 



In 1791, W. Viilars, efq. then high bailiiF, opened a mar- 

 ket for haw, i*raw, &c. 



A public hbray was founded in 1779, which has flourifhed 

 greatly, and contains nearly io,cco volumes, fupported by 

 upwards of 500 fu'tiicribers. An elegant pile of building 

 was ereClcd in Withering-ftreet for the purpofes of the in- 

 llitution in 1797. A rival made its appearance in 1796, 

 with eveiy prolpeCt of luccefo ; befides thole, there are 

 medical and law libraries, and many reading focieties. Bir- 

 mingham contains two churches, and four chapels ; befides 

 ijeveral m.eeting houfts. 



Churches. St. Martin's church, denominated the Old 

 church, was raifed previoufly to the year 1 300. It is of (lone, 

 and occupies the file of, oris the firft facred building belong- 

 ing to the place. In I (■90, it was thought neceflar)' to cafe 

 the church and tower with brick. The walls fupport the arms 

 and monuments of feveral titled and ancient families. Under 

 the fouth wii.dow are two of white marble, one of which is 

 Aippofed to have been erefted for William de Birmingham, 

 who was captured by the French at the fiege of BtUegard in 

 1297. He wears a (hort mantle, &c. and bears a (hield with 

 the bend loz.enge. This church was repaired and altered in 

 I 7S6, at an expenceof 4000I. The patronage belonged to the 

 family of Birmingham till 1537, fince which period it has 

 been DofTcfTcd by the Dudleys, the crown, the Marrows, 

 the Smiths, and finally the Tenants. The rectorv' was 

 valued in the kir^g's books J 291, at 5I. per annum, and in 

 i^\'^f, at 19I. 30. 6d. The income is now upwards of loooi. 

 and expected to be 2000 1. after the expiration of certain 

 leafes. 



St. PhiUp'i, or the Nciv church, is a handfome pile of 

 building, but how Mr. Hutton or any other perfon could 

 fancy and fay that the lletple is erected after " the model 

 cf St. Paul's in London, but without its weight," is to us 

 inconceivable, as there is not a line of it that reminds the 

 fpeftator either of the dome or turrets of the metropolitan 

 edifice. It muft beallowed that the towerof St. Philip's finiffies 

 with an attic and a diminutive cupola, but there ends the 

 refemblance. This church is advantageoufly fituated on 

 an emiaence, and the fite was given by Robert Philips, efq. 



B I R 



It was begun by aft of parliament in 171 1, under a eommif- 

 fion confining of 20 of the neighbouring gentry appointed 

 by the bilhop of the diocefe under his epifcopal feal. In 

 1715, it was confecrated, and fiuifhed in 1719, at the real 

 coll of only 501 2I. though the eftimated value was nearly 

 20,ocol. This circumdance arofe from the gift of materials, 

 &c. The church-yard confills of four acres, and is inter- 

 fecled by handfome walks, (haded by trees in double and 

 treble rows, and is furrounded by elegant buildings. Two 

 thoufand perfons may be conveniently accommodated in 

 St. Phihp's church, which has contained nearlv 3000. 

 VvMham Higgs, firll rcCtor, founded a theological library 

 for the ufe of the neighbouring clergy, and bequeathed 

 200I. to augment it. The Rev. Spencer Madan eredled 

 a room in i 792, adjoining the parfonage, and termed it the 

 parochial library. The rectory is worth about 300 1. per 

 annum. 



Si. Bartholometu' s Chtipel, capable of containing 800 per- 

 fons, was erected in 1749, on a fite given by John Jennens, 

 efq. an opulent land-holder of Birmingham. Mrs. Jennens, 

 through the good offices of Mrs, Weaman, added lOOOl. 

 and the remaining fum was received in contributions from 

 pious inhabitants. The chapel and tower are handfome, 

 and the former prefents a line north and fouth. The altar- 

 piece is the gift of Bafil, earl of Denbigh, and the com- 

 munion plate that of Mary Carlefs. 



St. Mary's Chapel was ercfted in 1774; on a fpot 

 of ground given by Mary Weaman, whole family has the 

 patronage. The incumbency is valued at 200I. per 

 annum. 



St. Paul's Chapel is a ftone building crefted in 1779, by 

 virtue of the fame aft which founded St. Mary's. Charles 

 Colmore, efq. gave t!:e ground ; a fleeple is intended, 

 and the eail window was decorated in 179 1, with 

 painted glafs, reprefenting the converfion of St. Paul, 

 by Francis Eginton, who received 400 guineas for the 

 fame. 



The houfe of a celebrated phyfician of Birmingham, 

 Dr. A(h, was purchafed in 1789 by an attomer, who con- 

 verted it into an elegant chapel, at the expence of his o«ni 

 ruin, where he caufed the ferviceofthe church to be chanted 

 by a numerous choir, accompanied by an organ. Dr. 

 Croft, and fome other clergymen, afterwards purchafed it, 

 and engaged to officiate there regularly. The congregation 

 chiefly confifts of foldiers from the neighbouring barracks. 



Dypnl'inj Meeting Houfes. Old Meeting-Jlreet received itt 

 name from the old meeting erefted in the reign of William 

 III. which was dellroyed in 1791 by the mob. The truf- 

 tees recovered 1390I. 7!. 5d. damages, and rebuilt the prc- 

 fent building, at an expence of 5000I. 



The Ne-Jj Meeting built 1730, (hared the fate of its parent 

 in 1 79 1, and has never been rebuilt. The celebrated Dr. 

 Prielllty prefided over the fpiritual concerns of this place of 

 worlbip at the period of its dellruftion, and narrowly ef- 

 caped perfonal injury, or petl.aps death, from the furious 

 populace. He fled, and finally retired into exile, within the 

 llate of Pennfylvania, where he died 1804, with the fame 

 of an excellent philofopher and experimentalift. (See 

 Priestley.) The truftees having loll their licence, could 

 not recover damages, but the king granted his warrant 

 upon the treafury for 200cl, 



The Union Meeting in Livery-ftreet, originally an amphi- 

 theatre for the exhibition of cqueftrian exercifes, beini^ un- 

 occupied at the period of the riots, the congregations of 

 the two meetings hired, and converted it into a place of 

 worfliip. After the rc-ercftion of the old meeting, they 

 feparated, refigning the Union meeting to the newr 

 3 O 2 meeting 



