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meeting: a/Tcmblj-, who occupy it till tluir jilacc of woi-niip 

 it re built. 



Carrs-Lane Meeting, a kind of chapel to the old meiting, 

 »vaj crcfted in 1 74^. This focicty has 800I. bcqueatlicd by 

 John England in 177 i, and 40I, 18s. per annum, termed 

 Scot's trull. 



A Baptijl Meeting! in Canon-ftreet, was founded in 1738, 

 and has continued profperoufly to the prefent period. 



The Quakers have a meeting in BuUiUrect, frequented by 

 a large, peaceable, and rich congiejjation ; behind it is a 

 fpacious burialgroi;nd. The mtthodifts arc now very 

 numerous; previous to 17R2, there was but one congvi ela- 

 tion, whofe place of wotlhip had been a theatre ; whence 

 they removed to a fplendid meetincr in Cherry-ftreet, erefted 

 at an cxpence of I2C0), John Weftlcy, their chief prieft, 

 preached in it for the firft time July 7, in the above year ; 

 three othi-rs have fince been treflcd and piuchafed in ColehiU- 

 ftreet, Deritend, and Newhall-ftrcet. The laft was erected 

 as a new Jerufalem temple, for the Swedenborgians, but in 

 too magniliccnt a ftyle for their revenues. The methodills 

 bought it, and the original pofTedbrs built a fmaller temple. 

 A fniall Roniiin Cntholic Chapel is fituated at Eafy-hill, 

 in the place of one dellroyed durin;v the dellruftive riots. 

 A Jcwilh fvnagogue, a baptift's mcetinir, and an independent 

 meeting, lady Huntingdon's meeting, ard fome other places 

 of worlhip, are found v.\ this town, which, like mofl m:um- 

 fiduring places, is dillinguilhed for its number of difTcnt- 

 crs of different feds, 



Chariiirs. Some of the ftrcets of Birmingham are kept 

 jn repair by emoluments arifing from fmall eflates. William 

 Le-'ch, who lived in the reign of Heniy VIII. bequeathed 

 certain eftatcs to the town, in trull to fixteen inhabitants, 

 for repairing the ftreets. This perfon founded the alins- 

 houfcs m Ste«l-houfc lane foi* poor widows. Fentham's truft 

 is tool, per annum, and applied to teaching poor children 

 reading, and for cloathi.^g ten poor widows. The date of 

 the donation is 1712. Mr. Crowley gave in 1733, fix 

 lioufes for the fupport of a fchoul for ten girls. 



The Free School was eredled on the fue of the guild of 

 the holy crcfs, which had an endowment or lands for the 

 maintenance of two priefls, worth twenty marks per annum, 

 givenbyThomasdeSheldon, John ColcfhiU, John Goldfmith, 

 and William Attdowe. In 1393, the bsiliff and inhabitants 

 obtaintid a patent for augmentuig the foundation, and adding 

 a brotlierhood, which fiourilhed tiilthc general diflolutioii, and 

 was then valued at 31 1. is. lod. per annum. Edward Vt. 

 {granted the lands belonging to the guild in 1552, at the 

 luit of the inhabitants to nineteen perfons, as bailiff and 

 governors of the fret graminar fchool of king Edward VI., 

 to hold m common foccage at a rent of 20s. per annum. 

 Their lucceflbrs creftcd the prtfent building in 1707, which 

 is large and liandfon-e, has a neat towtr in the centre, and 

 a ftatue of Edward VI. in front. The chief maftcr's falary 

 is !2ol. the lecond 60I. two ulhers 40I. each for writing 

 and drawing, and a librarian lol. There are fevcn exhibi- 

 tions of 25!. per annum each for the univerfity of Oxford, 

 and the poff^flions are valued at 1200I. per annum. 



The Blue Coat School was erctted 1724, but enlarged and 

 improved in 1794, at an expcnce of 25C0I. The revenues 

 are 1327I. and 150 boys and 40 girls receive the benefits of 

 the inll tntion. 



The niffinlers Charity School was held at the old mc»tin<r, 

 but after that was deltroyed, a building was purchafed in 

 Park-ftrect, and has been much improved. The children" 

 received arc 40 boys and 20 girls. 



The IVorUnufc eredted 1733, coll 1 1 73 i. a wing was added 

 for an infirmary 1766, and another in 1779, at an cxpcixe 



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of I lool. The inhabitants pay a rate of e&. in the pound, 

 which raifts 17,cool. per annum, and rchcl is aiiordcd to 

 7000 perfons. Tiiere are twelve ovcrfeers. 



The General Hofl'itn! v.'?ii <^veatA 1766, and two wing* 

 were added 1791. It is fupported by voluntary contnbu- 

 tions, and many large bequells ; the phylicians generally give 

 their aflillance gratis. 



Tiie Prifotu in Peck-lane and Deritend are difagree- 

 able and unwholefoine, and both are licenfed as public 

 houfes. 



The Cj7w/ between this place and Wednelbury, was made 

 in cjnfequence of an ail obtained in i 767. It is twenty- 

 two miles in length, uniting with the Staffordlhire canal ; 

 ilie fliares were 140I. each, and the expeuce 70,oool. ; they 

 fold in 1782 for 370I. each, and in 1792 for 1170I. Sir 

 Thomas Gooch leafed the proprietors fix acres of land at 

 .171. per annum, which they converted into a wharf, and 

 tredled a handfome office on it. The boats are drawn by 

 one horfe, and are about twenty-five tons burthen. Co-ds 

 are little more than half the price they were before this 

 canal was made. Several other canals, equally beneficial, 

 have fince been completed, opening a communication be- 

 tween this town, and almolt every principal town iu the 

 kingdom. 



'Hhf Barracks ftand on five acres of land, held by govern- 

 ment at one penny per yard. They were erefted in 1793 

 for 13,0001. and wdl accommodate 162 men. 



There are three extenfive Breweries near Birmingham, 

 Richards's in Deritend for ale, Giles and Forrefts Vv'orftone- 

 lane, for ale and porter, and the Britannia, Walmer-lanc, 

 belonging to Clay and co. 



The Riots already alluded to, conftitute an unpleafant 

 feature in the hiftory of this town, and whilft they 

 ferve to charafterize the folly and infatuation of the lower 

 clalfes of fociety, will, we traft, operate as a warniiig exam- 

 ple to the rifing generation. A few perfons anenibled at the 

 hotel Birmingham, July 14, 1791, to celebrate tlie anr.lver- 

 fary of the French revolution. A mob collctled round t'lie 

 liouie, broke the windows, and immediately proceeded to Dr. 

 Prieilley's new meeting. This, and the old meeting, were 

 ioon burnt to afiies, and the dodlor's houfe and furniture, 

 with his valuable libiary, apparatus, and MSS. fiiarcd the 

 fame devaftating fate. On July 15, the manfioiis of John 

 Ryland, efq. at Eafy-hill, and Bordefley hall, the feat of John 

 Taylor, efq. together with the honfe, ftock in trade, books, 

 furniture, &o. of Mr, Hutton, author of the " Hifiory of 

 Birmingham," were deftroyed. Saturday the l6th wit- 

 nefied the dellruflion of Mr. Hutton's houfe at Ssltley, 

 the rcfidences of George Humphreys, William Ruflel, and 

 John Taylor, efqs. The latter, Bordeflcy-hall, was occupied 

 by lady Carhampton, mother to the duchefs of Cumber- 

 land, but neither her blindncfs th-ough age, nor connection 

 with the king, could prevent the mandate of removiuj; her 

 furniture from the mob, who franticly offered to afllll : 

 " She was therefore, like Lot, haftened away before the 

 flames arofe, but not by Angels." The reverend Mr. Hob- 

 fon's and Mr. Harwood's houfes were next burnt •, thofe of 

 the Rev. Mr. Coates, Mr. Hawkes, and Thomas RulFcll, 

 efqs. were plundered. On Sunday the 17th, Kingfwood 

 mectu!^ perilhed in flames, tlic patfonage houfe, and that 

 of Mr. Cox, licenced for puhlio worfhip. The mob this 

 dayplundcred Edaballon-hail, Dr. Withenng's, and attacked 

 Mr. Males houlc, but hearing in the evening that a troop 

 of hcrfe approached, they gradually difperfed, after dellroy- 

 irg property to the amount of 'ecocoL To relmburfc 

 the fuffercrs, an aft was obtained in 179^ The war fucceed- 

 ing, greatly iujured Birmingham, and this cannot be more 



clearly 



