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Newspapers : Birmingham Papers (usually BhamPost) 150 Years Ago 1867-

mikejee

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Staff member
The Birmingham Post for the first 6 months of 1867 is missing from the online collection, and so, for that period, the day's news will be from the Birmingham Gazette, which is very similar though the scans are often poorer.

1.1.1867
The Alliance Insurance co shows the statistics of fires attended to by their fire brigade. Do not know what proportion of the city's fires were covered by them, but the variance over the year is large and does not seem to follow a pattern except for no chimney fires in summer (surprise") 1.1.1866.B.Gaz. fires in 1866.jpg
 
3.1.1867
Equestrian Circus at Curzon Hall.
Literally sparks flying at the refuge for fallen women
 

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The Birmingham Post for the first 6 months of 1867 is missing from the online collection, and so, for that period, the day's news will be from the Birmingham Gazette, which is very similar though the scans are often poorer.

1.1.1867
The Alliance Insurance co shows the statistics of fires attended to by their fire brigade. Do not know what proportion of the city's fires were covered by them, but the variance over the year is large and does not seem to follow a pattern except for no chimney fires in summer (surprise") View attachment 110652

I wonder how many were actually insured? Here from March 1866 may give the idea that a lot of the small concerns were not.
 
On a Sunday in July 1886 there was a big fire at the Britannia Carriage Works, Saltley where about 900 men were normally employed. The Fire Brigades that arrived included the Alliance with Mr Westgate, the Lancashire, the Royal, and the Norwich.

Much damaged was done to finished coaches including some for export to Delhi. The Post reports at one time there must have been not less than 100,000 looking on the scene!

Interestingly there were 50 to 60 men employed in the shop and their tools were destroyed. "This will doubtless entail a serious loss upon them."
 
Suppose 'contents' insurance hadn't been dreamed up a this time. The loss of tools would often mean the loss of livelihood. Viv.
 
I think insurance could cover the contents. however i think often the tools were the property of the actual workers, who probably were
not insured.Soemtimes, when fires like this had happened, there were appeals for funds to pay the cost of the workman's tools
 
Mike, thank you for all the wonderful cuttings you've put on the forum. I'm always amazed how they lead to other discussions and have been very helpful to me in many instances. Look forward to 1867!

On another topic, I'm always amazed at the expression 'fallen women' (#2). Nothing ever seems to have happened to the men who tripped them up did it? I have a Bartholemew's 1928 map of the area mentioned and there is one of the infamous Magdalene Laundries there - wonder if it's the same place? From what I've heard they didn't seem to be much of a refuge.
 
viv

The 1921 Kellys lists no 14 as The Birmingham Town Mission Refuge home for Homeless Girls , which is the same address as that of the Refuge for Fallen women in the 1867 directory. building no longer there, but is shown in red on the c1889 map below. Also a couple of reports of the mission from 1853 and 1864


Refuge for fallen women Birm post.6.1.1863.jpg Refuge for fllen women. birm J. 16.1.1864.jpg map c 1889 showing noel road wirh no 14  marked.jpg
 
Mike, thank you for all the wonderful cuttings you've put on the forum. I'm always amazed how they lead to other discussions and have been very helpful to me in many instances. Look forward to 1867!

On another topic, I'm always amazed at the expression 'fallen women' (#2). Nothing ever seems to have happened to the men who tripped them up did it? I have a Bartholemew's 1928 map of the area mentioned and there is one of the infamous Magdalene Laundries there - wonder if it's the same place? From what I've heard they didn't seem to be much of a refuge.

In April 1872 Mrs Josephine Butler of Liverpool gave a lecture at the Royal Hotel in Temple Row concerning the unequal judgement of morality in Men and women, and she maintained that it had resulted in the lowering of the generally accepted moral standard...."They heard of 'fallen angels' and 'fallen women', but who had heard of a 'fallen man?"....had they fallen so far that they had no further to go?
 
7.1.1867
William Gardener has fire in greenhouse.
Sleigh driven down London's Oxford St , though horse not reindeer driven
 

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10.1.1867
A bonesetter at Mr Stiff's rather caught my attention. Apparently Mr Stiff's refers to Stiff's Hotel (and there are several other Stiffs in the directory)
 

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Great place name to reset bones?. The mind boggles, my imagination see's all these people wandering around Victorian Brum, with all sorts of broken limbs.Paul
 
14.1.1867
Death by collapse of archway in Little cherry St
dinner to celebrate the abolition of the Aston Cross tollgate

removal of the aston cross tollgate dinner.jpg death after collapse of archway in little cherry St.jpg
 
16,1,1867
Quite an extravaganza seems to have been planned for Soho Pool by Mr Knibbs, though I would have thought that the events reported in Regents Park might have given some cause for concern

30 drowned in regents park story.jpg extravaganza on soho Pool.jpg
 
19.1.1867
Distress in Birmingham working population due to w eather.
Sale of Eagle & Ball pub
Cricket match held on ice in Nottingham


distress in birmimgham from weather.jpg sale of eagle & ball Aris birm gaz 19.1.1867.jpg cricket match on ice in nottingham.jpg
 
If I have read correctly, the sale of the Eagle and Ball has a leasehold of which 80 years will remain.

Just 12 years later, in 1879, the Eagle (or Eagle and Ball as it was known) appears as a chapter in the book "Old Taverns of Birmingham" by Eleizer Edwards where he says, "The necessities of modern life compelled its removal, the site being required for New Street Station."

It was so known as there was a carved figure of an eagle perched upon a globe in a niche over the door.
 
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