Newspapers : From Birmingham Post 150 years ago

[mikejee]

21.2.1863
There seem to be an awful lot of very senioe commanders, assisatant chief constables and the like around nowadays, who dont appear to be of use and never get chopped in rationalisations. Back in the 1860 they put them to good use.
Back then photographers needed as much light as possible, as artificial light was difficult or impossible to obtain easily.
An amusing story , undoubtably giving rise to a very red face.

 

[Astoness]

oh mike the daring exploit snippet has really made me laff...as you say a few red faces around that day...

thanks mike

lyn

 

[Wendy]

More smashing articles thanks Mike. I didn't realise photographers used glass houses very interesting. Like Lyn the story of a mannequin being rescued from a fire is so funny, I can't imagine what happened when they found out....

 

[Vivienne14]

Had a good laugh too at the Paris fireman! Here he is, a 'sapeur pompier', he's holding a gun!



Wendy, you do wonder how mobile the phtographer's glass house would have been! Viv.

 

[DavidGrain]

The Paris Fire Brigade is actually part of the French Army. Sapeur pompier = Engineer Pumper. In the British Army soldiers in the Royal Engineers are called sappers.

 

[Vivienne14]

That's interesting David. Always think it's worth looking into the background and connections of these things. You can learn a lot. Thanks. Viv.

 

[Stephen0002002]

Great stuff - interesting about the Red Lion too - a lovely looking pub on Soho Rd.

 

[mikejee]

23.2.1863
The sale is being held at the Racket court. This presumably is the Racket Club (also for a time The Welsh Harper), which memory tells me had something to do with Gem and the birth of lawn tennis, but I cannot find the relevent post.
One hears of public houses, but i have never heard before of someone going into "the public business", meaning the pub trade#

 

[mikejee]

25.2.1863
As far as I can see Harnorne lodge was on the site , or near to ,where St Mary's school was later built.
I am amused by the last sentence of the story. The paper is obviously taking prercautions against being sued. I hadn't realised. however that the lawyers had wormed their way into newspapers to this extent at this time
The claim for the chain sounds good. not sure if this is as spectacular as claimed though.

 

[Wendy]

Thank you once again Mike for these fascinating newspaper articles of times past. It certainly gives a brief insight into life at the time. The gun sale at the racket courts sounds fascinating. I bet the people researching Mr Gem will be interested in this.

 

[Vivienne14]

I'm familiar with the quarter days such as Lady Day in article 1 having read family wills which mention quarter dates on which rents are due. But I wondered how the precise dates are worked out. Now here's a mnemonic to help you do so:

There is a mnemonic for remembering on which day of the month the first three quarter days fall (Christmas being easy to recall): the second digit of the day of the month is the number of letters in the month's name. So March has five letters and Lady Day is 25 March; similarly June has four letters and September nine, with Midsummer Day and Michaelmas falling on the 24th and 29th respectively.

OK so how useful and easy is that?!! Viv.

 

[mikejee]

25.2.1863
The royal marriage thePrince of Wales fills the newspapers. There is much arguement both for and against expenditure and for whom it should be aimed. Here is notice of an overall committee to organise celebrations, though the paper is full of smaller committees for individual areas.
Another committee for a particular purpose, the illumination of St Phillips.
Also many adverts offering , at a cost facilities for the celebrations. Only thing is I always thought it was illegal to fly the royal standard unless the Queen/king was in residence of the building.
Something you would not see today, an announcement of a reduction in the price of gas. This was soon followed by similar adverts from other gas companies
Don't know if the sultan divan in 1863 was as debauched as it was claimed to be in later years, but If I was a boy I might feel a bit wary (or joyful depending on my character) about applying for this job.
Newton road station to be closed and replaced a short distance up the line.
Forgetfull cleric.

 

[Vivienne14]

The illumination of St.Phillip's dome etc with gas must have been a lovely sight (#2 cutting). Interesting that there were once 'concert' trains which I assume were run for those people having attended a concert in Birmingham (#6 cutting). Viv.

 

[mikejee]

The trains were not always for what we would call a concert, but for special performances at the Music Halls and other events.

 

[pollypops]

I love the article about the forgetful Rev and the turnips :adoration: I have never heard of the Grand Sultan Divan was it a pub? Is it still there?

 

[brummie nick]

I love the article about the forgetful Rev and the turnips :adoration: I have never heard of the Grand Sultan Divan was it a pub? Is it still there?

There's some info about the Sultan Divan on here.
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=33053&page=60

 

[DavidGrain]

25.2.1863

Newton road station to be closed and replaced a short distance up the line.

Not recognising Newton Road Station I looked up its history
Newton Road (1) Opened July 1837 by the Grand Junction Railway, Closed March 1863 and replaced by West Bromwich station due north.
West Bromwich station opened March 1963 by London and North Western Railway and renamed Newton Road two months later.
Newton Road (2) closed January 1902 and replaced by 3rd station due south
Newton Road (3) Closed May 1945 by London Midland and Scottish Railway

Thanks Mike, have corrected dates. The Grand Junction Railway from Manchester & Liverpool was the first railway into Birmingham just beating the London and Birmingham Railway.

 

[mikejee]

David
You have performed my usual trick of putting 19 instead of 18 in the dates
Pollypops
On an earlier post in the thread I listed an advert for the Sultan divan. It seems to have then closed for a while, but reopened on 25th Feb. It is shown below. The writing is a bit obscured (but clearer on other inserts) but says that goods are "served by a turkish family in eastern costume"

 

[DavidGrain]

David
You have performed my usual trick of putting 19 instead of 18 in the date

Have corrected dates in my post 647 above thanks Mike

 

[paul stacey]

I wonder if there are any photo's exsisting of the "St Phillips illumination Viv???
paul

 

[Vivienne14]

Here's a drawing Paul. Maybe doesn't fully do it justice, but as Mike's cutting suggests, it must have been very visible on top of the hill. I'll keep my eyes peeled, maybe there was a painting of it. Viv.

 

[paul stacey]

Thanks for that, As you said Viv, it must have been stunning, especially in the moon light , gas lighting being more glowing than electric.
paul

 

[mikejee]

26.1.1863
This is true child labour, beating gold.
Apprentice on the run. The notice resembles what one might expect for an slave escaped from the american plantations 100 years before.
A brewery i had not come accross. However this is not surprising as , according to McKenna, it closed in 1866, the building being purchased by the catholic church for a school.

 

[Vivienne14]

Chances are the runaway apprentice might have been close to finishing his apprenticeship. The familysearch.org site says: "a seven-year term was usual and in the better trades, such as cabinet makers, saddlers and silversmiths, apprenticeship usually started at the age of fourteen". The employer would have felt a serious loss of investment if an apprentice ran away and to resort to the law for breaking his contract would also have been expensive. So I suppose an add in the newspaper, threatening legal action if others employed him was worth a shot. Viv.

 

[mikejee]

27.2.1863
Opening of the Stourbridge end of the Stourbridge railway.
Mr Cottrill split his partnership a few weeks ago and is now expanding and buying uo another firm
Mr Cottrill is also recruiting

 

[DavidGrain]

27.2.1863
Opening of the Stourbridge end of the Stourbridge railway.

The Stourbridge Railway and the Stourbridge Extension Railway were built from the Stourbridge end towards Birmingham taking about another 5 years before reaching connnections with the the London & North Western at Galton Junction and the Great Western at The Hawthorns

 

[mikejee]

28.2.1863
Chinese whispers?

 

[barrie]

Chinese whispers at their best Mike. :friendly_wink:

Barrie.

 

[mikejee]

2.3.1863
The council propose giving a silver table to the prince of wales on his marriage, the money being raised by subscription. Good for Elkingtons, who made it, but presumably have not yet found a buyer.
After all the fuss by bakers with millers about sack pence , it seems that the public also have issues with the millers .
Am intrigued as to the meaning of this. Why would the closing hours alter in march?
New pub opening in bull Ring.
The preparations for the royal wedding involve a transparency on london bridge. Is this the same as is done today with projection onto a building?.
Am not sure if the 1962 is a missprint or whether there was an attempt to forcast what life would be like 100 years later. If so i would love to read it.
Rather like the term tree up digging

 

[mikejee]

3.3.1863
An extract from a very long letter concerning the silver table which it was proposed be purchased by subscription of birmingham residents.and given to the Prince of wales on his wedding. I'm afraid I consider the description to sound pretty hideous, though that may just be the flowery description , rather than the piece itself