Newspapers : From Birmingham Post 150 years ago

[mikejee]

I will be extracting interesting bits from the Post. A century and a half ago today the (later to be) Cardinal Newman was defending himself against claims that he was abandoning catholicism, The Royal Hotel was encouraging people to dine in the Coal Hole , and someone was looking for a velocipede (human powered vehicle according to Google) which could carry 4 to 6 people. I would be interested to know what the last referred to as it brings interesting cartoonish images to mind

 

[Vivienne14]

Excellent thread Mike. These extracts give us a great snapshot of day to day events. Shall really enjoy seeing how the thread develops. Have no idea on the last clipping - sausage 'machine' perhaps? Were sausge machines around 150 years ago?!! Or were you referring to the velocipede? Most of them seem to be for one person only.

Viv.

 

[smtr]

Viv, you are correct. The full advert reads:

"Wanted to hire or puchase a second-hand SAUSAGE MACHINE. Apply by letter stating price, Wm Lex, Post Office, Wolverhampton"

There are similar adverts in the paper before and after this date, one in particular addressing the advert to "Butchers and Others"

Suzanne

 

[mikejee]

Sorry Viv. I meant the velocipede. The sausage machine advert was just partly included to make sure it included all the advert above it. I understood that velocipedes would usually have 1 but possibly 2 or3 riders, which is why I made my comment.

 

[Vivienne14]

Hi Mike. Been hunting around for multiple person velocipedes. They're not easy to find, look pretty uncomfortable and I expect they were pretty unsafe. Here are a couple of pics. No wonder they fell out of fashion! Love the lamp on the first one, but doubt I'd ride on that in the dark. Viv.

 

[sistersue61]

Great ads and article mike, will enjoy reaing more!
Sue

 

[mikejee]

5th July 1862
The main item of local news is too long to show here, but concerned the resumption of the inquest on the Graham St explosion on 21st June. They were a lot quicker in those days. The explosion had been at the firm of T & R Walker (or, as the report stated, Mrs Walker's percussion cap manufactury). As was common then, the inquest was held in a pub, the Grand Turk, Ludgate Hill. The statements of the management sound very dubious. They could not give details of orders of expolosive material, said there was no gunpowder or mercury fulminate on the premises, and only a little mixed powder for the caps which was mixed in Nechells Park house and brought over as required (wrapped in brown paper in 5lb or 10lb quantities, "sometimes in a little basket and sometimes in a barrell". Another witness stated there was one or two pounds of powder in the building. Whatever the truth, a very large explosion occurred in which many of the nine dead had all their clothes blown off and in at least one case there was doubt at first as to whether the body was male or female. It is interesting that the management could give no details , like addresses or ages, of most of the 54 people that worked in the premises. This included at least four children, two girls being about 11-12 years old and two around 15 years old. This was not the first explosion of this type, the Whittall St explosion being referred to several times, and a letter in the same issue demanding better control of explosive materials mentions a smithfield area explosion.
Other happenings shown below are the Aston fete, featuring Mons. Blondin, and a case of industrial sabotage. In Rowley rather than Brum, it involved the the breaking in to a chainmakers shop in order to slash his bellows, thus hindering his business

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View attachment 78993

 

[BordesleyExile]

Fascinating. Thanks Mike.

 

[Wendy]

Lovely snippets of local history Mike. I am amazed that they even tried to steal bellows from a chain maker. I suppose some things don't change thanks for posting these.

 

[mikejee]

Wendy
They did not steal the bellows, They slashed the bag , so it wouldn't work and they could not use it to get a good heat for chainmaking. A bit like the Americans sending a conputer virus into the Iranian system that controlled their centrifuges so they went wild

 

[mikejee]

The 6th July 1862 was a sunday, so no paper, but on the 7th:
One of our favourite pubs, the Bull, Price St, was the site of a Money Society. Not sure exactly how it worked. Sounds abit different than the old tontine schemes.
A thief , trying to escape hides in a chimney, is not drive out by lighting fires , and so has to be caught by partially demolishing the chimney; a local manufacturer uses Blondin's appearence at the Aston Fete to sell his toys; and finally an awful vision of what was current before a new invention was available - artificial teeth set in bright red vulcanite "gums".

 

[ladylinda]

Interesting to see Henry Fulford (first clipping) of the Vine Inn mentioned.
Would he have been a member of the Fulford brewing family?

 

[Astoness]

thanks for posting these facsinating stories of days gone by mike..love the piece about the bull..
and i see that stealing lead from buildings is no new thing...
lyn

 

[ladylinda]

Nice to see the snippet about the Royal Oak license transfer too,which includes a couple of names (Foden and Wiggin Turner) that may be helpful to those researching ancestors.

 

[Vivienne14]

I thought it was interesting in the Handsworth article that the cottages for the workers at the Soho works were, even at this time, empty. Liked the Blondin advert too, assume it wasn't patented/copyrighted. And as for the red vulcanite gums, well anyone wearing those teeth must have had a vampire-type smile! The rose pink vulcanite must have been a great improvement. Viv.

 

[mikejee]

8.7.1862
Unfortunate Sarah Cox found her husband had commited bigamy when he married her. He was charged but, becuase of lack of witnesses, he was discharged, but Sarah was told by the court that she could marry . She did, and then her first "husband " charged her with bigamy!
A man has an unusual way of changing the bahaviour of his children.
An economical funeral - All in for £3.10s
Finally I could not resist the last, though it does not refer to a Birmingham person. The man concerned would do well in Barclays Bank today I think !

 

[Wendy]

I love reading these Mike thank you so much for posting them..I wonder how much an economical funeral would cost today!!

 

[BordesleyExile]

Thank you for posting, Mike.

 

[Charlie]

Really interesting reading Mike.
Re: William Riddle.....I wonder if he had a son named Jimmy? :courage:

 

[barrie]

Really interesting reading Mike.
Re: William Riddle.....I wonder if he had a son named Jimmy? :courage:

Chuckle. :encouragement:

 

[mikejee]

9.7.1862
The main item of local news wasthe continuation of the inquest into the Graham St explosion. There appears some evidence that one of the management was drunk, and certainly a bottle of gin was on the premises, perhaps neither being very advisable! The Aston Fete also was described with Blondin's tightrope and Mr Coxwell's balloon, ta special meeting of the Meltropolitan Carriage Co discussed the takeover of the Wrights Carriage Works in Saltley, and there waas much discussion of payment of wages ona friday rather than a saturday, this being combined with the possibility of a half day for workers on a saturday. All these items were rather too long to display here.
Below is an advert issued by the liberal party encouraging their supporters to vote, which usefully lists the qualification for voting in local elections in 1862. there is also an intrigueing advert regarding sale of a tavern , which was sold "without goodwill in consequence of the dangerous illness of the landlord". One wonders what illness he suffered from.

 

[BordesleyExile]

How intriguing, Mike. We will never know what the "dangerous illness" of the Ann St landlord was. However, here is a depiction of the after effects of the Graham St explosion referred to in your post.

 

[Vivienne14]

Don't know how much clearer I am on the qualifications for voting Mike having read the succinct (uh hum!) advert !! Hopefully the supporters knew. Interesting picture Bordesleyexile of the Graham St explosion. Enjoying reading these extracts. Thanks. Viv.

 

[mikejee]

10.7.1862
A long report discussed the Causes and amont of crime in birmingham, with a bit of self -congratulation over the low rate of commitment to prison in birmingham (1 in 214 in 1860) as compared to the average for England & Wales (1 in 197) and much less than other large towns such as Liverpool (1 in 60) and Middlesex (1 in 99), and also the very low rate for women (1 in 883) as compared to the average for England & Wales (1 in 670) and other large towns such as Liverpool ( 1 in 119). The report does not point out that a low rate of commitment coiuld be due to a poor performance in catching criminals rather than an angelic population.
Nothing to do with the recent Graham St explosion, and indeed probably promulgated awhile before it, but efforts due seem to be being made in the health & safety field to reduce the chances of expolosions and fires by what , to us, would seem plain common sense.
Finally, I wonder what on earth a collapsing skirt is, and am somewhat surprised at older women being banned from serving it, or crinolines or even baby linen

 

[Vivienne14]

Not sure about this, but the collapsing skirt might well have been referring to the frame underneath a crinoline. Maybe it was constructed in a more flexible way. Just guessing but someone might know. Quite honestly, any flexibility introduced into dress design at this time must have been a godsend. Womens' clothes could be so restrictive and harmful to health. Viv.

 

[mikejee]

11.7.1862
A quiet day for local news.In a report of a relief fund for those involved in the Graham St Explosion, part of which is given below, it was noted that workers who were owed money for work carried out were having to go to court to get it, while it can be seen that the cost of a railway is not just the cost of building it, but also compensation to others. Also, two reports from the day before (10th), which were accidently missed out, involve a cider-tasting session in court and an apprentice who left his apprenticeship and had the police set on him, and ended in jail. A bit harsh, but we could do today with a few bankers and MPs to be treated similarly for not doing their job.

 

[BordesleyExile]

Enjoying the thread, Mike.
It seems explosions in Birmingham were less than rare events. Showells Dicyionary includes a list:

 

[mikejee]

12.7.1862
I was amused by the report in the Post in a French protectionist publication which is really concerned at how the recent teeaty with England is doing no good at all, and is only benefiting the English. Sounds just like the opponents of the common market in England today. The inquest into the Graham St explosion proceeded, much of the evidence completely contradictary to that heard previously; while the firm tried not to pay one woman's wages as "the books were lost". Great indignation is shown with regard to who rescued Mrs Walker from the debris of the explosion.
I was curious as to what the entertainment at the "Gallery of Illustration" was, possibly a magic lantern show. The playbill of a Thiodon production in Leeds https://www.leodis.net/playbills/images/lge/20031014_84785098.jpg) does not make it clear, but https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1387655701.html tells us it was a display of model figures and mechanical devices. For those of an anti-clerical bent it must have also been an entertainment to hear of the insolvency of the vicar of Aston. It might be considered by some that the necessity of a parent to pay for maintanance for a young person in a reformatory could be a useful tool in crime reduction, and reduce costs - or maybe not !

 

[Vivienne14]

We forget how limited entertainment would have been in the mid-1800s. The Gallery of Illustration must have been an event which people really looked forward to. We now take it for granted that we should have access to museums and art galleries in all our cities, but these travelling exhibitors/entertainers/theatres/waxworks etc would have been regular visitors touring all over the country at the time. I expect some had a serious educational element to them too, with many people never having seen anything like the items on display.

Viv.

 

[mossg]

If i am reading this correctly,it would appear that the refurb'd Dees Diner became Royal Hotels assembly room.I wonder what THE COAL HOLE dining room looked like.Moss.