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

What's in a name....

Could Mr Turner, who called attention to the estimate for Aston Park, be the James Turner mentioned by Carl Chinn below? Giving his name to James Turner Street (Benefits Street) in Winson Green.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/nostalgia/benefits-street-real-james-turner-6594887

The doubt may be that he was 69 in the census of 1861.

Any road up, he also objected to the 500 pound for the Market and Fairs Estimate, saying it was absurd to spend for cattle plague as there was no plague in England. During the Public Works Estimate he remarked that as a great amount of poverty existed in the town, it was most desirable to lighten as much as possible the burdens falling on the public. Later he asked why there was no statement for the self-supporting Lunatic Asylum, as he believed there was a considerable balance in hand, and if so could be carried forward to lessen the rate.
 
For clarification "cattle plague " is now normally known as Rinderpest, and is still found abroard, though thankfully, not here
 
mikejee said:
27.3.1867
Further reports of floods, this time in Moseley,
Some people on the council definitely not in favour of Aston Hall. Wonder if he was a property developer.
View attachment 113246 View attachment 113247
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The Mr Gameson who wanted to rip the Hall down and sell the materials was probably a John Gameson who was elected for Duddeston-cum-Nechell's ward. He died in 1871 and "mostly remembered in connection with a work of philanthropy. Of Penn Street Industrial School he was promoter, patron and active friend personally superintending all parts of the establishment."

The other opposer Mr Tonks was probably a Samuel Tonks, another Button manufacturer from Great Hampton Street, and elected for Hampton ward.
 
mikejee said:
30.3.1867
Explosion at percussion cap manufactory in Great Charles St

View attachment 113291
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This small clip opens up a can of worms, and the percussion cap manufacturer in Birmingham really deserves a thread of its own.

Just who was Mr Cox of Great Charles Street, and where exactly in Ward End was his manufactury? In January of 1865 several boxes of cigars, and 8s worth of receipt stamps, had been stolen from the shop of a Mr Cox residing in Great Charles Street.

Manufacture had been moved from the populated areas around 1861, and on first look the manufactory was stated to be near at least one cottage.

(In an 1862 Directory there was a Edward Cox of 56 Great Charles Street listed as a percussion cap maker.)
 
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The 1867 directory lists John cox, percussion maker at 56-57 Gt Charles St. This must be on the site of the buildings in red on thc 1889 map below (58 is definitely the one in blue

map c 1889 of area around junc gt charles st and church st showing 56-67.jpg
 
John Cox had been in the business since at least 1854, and by 1870 he had three premises, 56-7 Great Charles Street, Ward End and Newton Street. Ward End was probably acquired around the same time as Messrs Pursall and Phillips acquired the land in Witton in order to move from Whittall Street. It had been required that the dangerous parts of the production be located in more rural areas, but there was a case against Cox where it was thought that he carried on the processes in all establishments. Ludlow also acquired land at Witton to move from Legge Street.

On this occasion it seems that as it was Sunday the Ward End establishment was not manned, but on a Saturday of December 1865 there was an explosion and a fatality at Ward End.
 
3.4.1867
Not very convincing notice. The men are not on strike but have been dismissed for overdrawing their pay !
workmen are not on strike, they have been discharged.jpg
 
6.4.1867
A new bell foundry meant that bells would be cast in Birmingham again. This is part of the reportbell founding in Birmingham.part.jpg dog licence.jpg drunken policemen.jpg
Seem to be a lot of drunken policemen in Brum, especially considering, as is pointed out, that those are only the ones getting caught
Five shillings was a lot then to own a dog, though i wonder how many did not get a licence for theirs, and just disowned it if questioned
 
I think the dog licence was 7/6d when I was a child, my mother refused to get one for any of the dogs we had on the principal she looked after her dog and she didn't see why she should pay - it wasn't the money, we could have afforded that!
Not only that but she wouldn't buy a train ticket for our Scottie when we used to go and visit my grandmother in Worcestershire on the old steam train (you were supposed to get a child's half price ticket for dogs in the 50's) we used to have to hide the dog under the seat when the inspector came round!
 
Yes I was thinking that the dog licence was only 7/6 when it was eventually abolished. I think a radio licence was only 21/- when that was abolished.
 
Seem to be a lot of drunken policemen in Brum, especially considering, as is pointed out, that those are only the ones getting caught
Hi All,
This reminds me that we had a sergeant who did like a drink but rarely overstepped the mark. However one Christmas he did imbibe too much and returned to the station very much the worse for drink. He could barely stand so we laid him on the floor. The office sergeant said, "I am sorry but will have to call the Chief Superintendent" The Chief Supt arrived in a very short while. On seeing him the drunken sergeant sat up straight, Saluted him and said "All correct sir", which was the usual expression on meeting a more senior officer. The Chief Supt said, "This man is not drunk. He recognised his senior officer. He must be sick get home and straight to bed" The point here is that the Chief Supt was no fool. He knew the sergeants partiality for the bottle but was reluctant to lose one of his best sergeants, as if charged the sergeant would almost certainly have been sacked.

Old Boy
 
8.4.1867
A, no doubt well deserved, eulogy of the work of the Blue Coat school when, as in 1867, it was a genuine charity rather than a tax dodger.
The murder by a cashier after his fraud was discovered.
Eulogy to the bluecoat school..jpg murder by cashier after his fraud was discovered.jpg
 
Old Boy said:
Seem to be a lot of drunken policemen in Brum, especially considering, as is pointed out, that those are only the ones getting caught
Hi All,
Click to expand...
When I played cricket the bar takings were always at their annual peak on the days we played against the police divisional teams!
 
In the last year for which accounts are available The Blue Coat School Birmingham Limited had receipts of £6.25m and expenditure of £5.95m. The company had 110 employees. Figures available from the Charity Commissioners. A profit making company would expect to make a better profit than £300,000 on this turnover. Where is the Tax Dodge?
 
Tax dodge is perhaps an incorrect description, but it is not a charity aiming to help the poor and needy, as originally founded, yet receives the benefits of charitable status and reduced rates. Thus the taxes (in a general sense of the word) it has to pay are reduced. This applies to all such schools, not just Bluecoat. I did not say it was illegal, but it still dodges paying taxes that other organizations, or ourselves , would have to pay, yet not with the same charitable aims as the original foundation
 
In a charity there are no shareholders requiring a return on the money that they have invested. The trustees are not allowed to take any remuneration for their work in the charity. Any funds held by the charity are to be used exclusively in furtherance of their charitable objects. There are strict legal rules on what can be classified as a charity and these rules have been tightened up in recent years particularly in the definition of 'public benefit' with which all charities have to comply. To call a charity a Tax Dodge is unfair. If you sign the Gift Aid form when you enter a National Trust property you are effectively shielding part of your income from tax for the benefit of the NT so are you a tax dodger?
 
mikejee said:
6.4.1867
A new bell foundry meant that bells would be cast in Birmingham again. This is part of the reportView attachment 113452 View attachment 113453 View attachment 113454
Seem to be a lot of drunken policemen in Brum, especially considering, as is pointed out, that those are only the ones getting caught
Five shillings was a lot then to own a dog, though i wonder how many did not get a licence for theirs, and just disowned it if questioned
Click to expand...

A Load of Bells...

It seems that W Blews put Birmingham back on the map as far as Church Bells were concerned. Almost 10 years later in 1877 Blews would produce 3 bells for St Chad's Cathedral which were blessed at a ceremony, also for bells for Erdington Abbey and many other places.

Looking at google and Birmingham Brass Makers...

William Blews (W Blews & Son), Spring Hill, Birmingham. William Blews & Sons, 9, 10,11-15 New Bartholomew Street, Birmingham, bell founders. (Slaters 1852) At the Great Exhibition of 1851 their exhibits included candle lamps candlesticks, bells and Imperial weights and measures. They were established 1732, still going strong in 1890 but by 1900 their premises were occupied by Henry Bissecker, church bell and general brass founders.

This is not quite right as William Henry Maxwell Blews, son of William Blews, died 1887 at the age of 59, as a resident of Wylde Green. In 1881 the company went into liquidation and it appears that although they had sucess as bell makers, as a merchant Blews had a large Australian trade, and executed many important commissions for Moscow and other Russian cities, also some in Brazil.

Speculation got the better of him.
 
David, I know you, and others, will probably completely disagree with me, but, from my point of view, the National trust provides a useful service to the nation in protecting ancient sites and buildings, with the aid of volunteers. I do not consider the provision of schooling for a limited few, and, as a preparatory school, aimed mainly at gaining entrance to an exclusive later school, an equivalent accomplishment, and certainly not a charitable aim, any more than is scientology.
 
11.4.1867
Henry Irving is requested to collect items left else they will be sold. Could this be the (later) Sir Henry Irving, the well known actor-manager? He was playing at the Prince of Wales in 1865 (https://www.henryirving.co.uk/corre...rs_corr=4&totalRows_rs_corr=6578&search=henry ) and possibly shortly after. This was before he became well known after going to London in 1866.
Beer-drinking donkey lost.
Gunpowder explosion in West Bromwich. Can't work out what an earth they were doing with the gunpowder though.
New building for the Birmingham & Midland Bank in New St (later Waterstones).

donkey that likes a drink.jpg henry Irving's goods.jpg serious gunpowder explosion in West Bromwich.jpg New Birmingham & Midland Bank building.jpg
 
mike i would think it more than likely it was the actor henry irving who left his goods at bath row...

lyn
 
mikejee said:
8.4.1867
A, no doubt well deserved, eulogy of the work of the Blue Coat school when, as in 1867, it was a genuine charity rather than a tax dodger.
The murder by a cashier after his fraud was discovered.
View attachment 113541 View attachment 113542
Click to expand...

Blue Coat Schools around 1867....

The annual meeting of the Blue Coat School in 1867 was chaired, in the absence of Lord Lichfield, by the Rev Grantham Yorke the rector of St Philips. He was the brother of Lord Hardwicke, and would later become the Dean of Worcester. Does this suggested that the Charity was linked to the C of E, and as the number of yearly intake was quite small compared to the needs of the Town, were other religions barred?

Well, there was the Endowed Schools Act 1869 which required schools that had endowments of £1,000 per annum, to send in schemes for future management of the charity within 6 months. At a meeting of the Blue Coat School's Committee in 1870 it is acknowledged that one of the rules under the old management stated...

"That those children only should be admitted whose parents are of the Established Church, of which fact a certificate from officiating clergymen of the town will be deemed sufficient evidence, also that a certificate shall be required of the marriage of their parents, and they must be parishioners of Birmingham."

Of course there was now a proposed change to...."the surviving parent being an inhabitant of the Borough, and that no child should be disqualified on grounds of religion." However the members of the Committee would still be members of the C of E.

(The Rev also stated in 1871 that the Free Grammar School was a C of E School, and that no Dissenter should be allowed to be on the Board of Governors.)

By the 1872 annual meeting that had still not heard from the Commissioners so the School was "as yet to continue its course of usefulness uninterrupted by any further threatenings of disintegration."
 
Pedrocut said:
Blue Coat Schools around 1867....

The annual meeting of the Blue Coat School in 1867 was chaired, in the absence of Lord Lichfield, by the Rev Grantham Yorke the rector of St Philips. He was the brother of Lord Hardwicke, and would later become the Dean of Worcester.
Click to expand...

The Rev Grantham Yorke was a major benefactor to education in Birmingham. The Tennal School in Harborne which became an approved school was previously owned by the Grantham Yorke Trust before it was sold to Birmingham City Council. The school premises subsequently became the Martineau Education Centre and its recent history having been sold for housing is still contentious in the area.
 
13.4.1867
Early manufacture of files and rasps in Birmingham.
Cleanup of St Phillip's churchyard, apparently "the ugliest spot to be met with in the whole town of Birmingham".manufacture of files in Birmingham.jpg St Phillips churchyard.jpg
 
I wonder if they were referring to the Thimble Mill? It was near the Bear Inn, The pub, now demolished was named after it but I don't know any further details.
The grass at St. Philip's was worn away last time I went through, no change there then!
rosie.
 
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