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Newspapers : From Birmingham Post 150 years ago

The "Oakum" or rope was ex Royal Navy rope which would be inundated with (Tar), many contemporaries wrote of inmates both Workhouse and Prison, having hands covered in blood and palms skin worn away, they also got very painful skin diseases as well. It was an awful job and children as young as 11years also did this work, if they failed to get the quota they missed the very basic meals.
 
It was not just a useless task performed as a penance or to instill discipline ( like painting the coal white in the army so it looked nice and clean and tidy), though it had that effect also. Once the rope had been unpicked then it could be used on naval (and presumably other) ships as caulking to fill in the spaces between the planks on ships. As it came into contact with water, as I understand, it swelled and stopped water entering.
 
21.9.1864
The post office having some problems. Yesterday a parcel exploded when stamped. today prrosecution over of a parcel containing lucifer matches spontaneously igniting !

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This was a time when the law was all powerful, and was respected for that, to day the law is perceived as weak, and inconsequential, so no body respects it. Quite frankly when I read in the media of some judgements taken by the judiciary, I think that some how they have, "lost the plot entirely". Paul
 
Hi paul,
I have to entirely agree with you on that and judging by today's standards of the justice you can walk out of court on murder charges
All except worcester courts they still used the old dated charges what you may get away with other parts of the country
You most certainly not down here very few get there wrist slapped down here believe me
But I do say its a good thing and its a good place to live its been broad casted that. Any times over the years its the safety place in the country
To live by The BbC on news, Alan Astonian,,,,,,,
 
22.9.1864
Prospectus for the new Great Western hotel at Snow Hill. according to a short piece in the saem paper, building had already commenced.
The remainder of the cuttings are from the Notes & Queries section, which refers tp Birmingham's past looked at from 1864, the first item being Perot's folly.
Music festivals of 60 years before.
Early days at the General hospital
Birmingham Wakes.

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Very entertaining snippets Mike, is the "Perrots Monument" still around,? and is there an old map which gives it's location, so we are able to se exactly where it was or is situate(d). Paul
 
Perrot's Folly and the chimneys of the waterworks were the inspiration for the Two Towers in JRR Tolkein's trilogy The Lord of the Rings as he saw them every day when he was an alter boy at the Oratory in Edgbaston.
 
My Favourite author David, thanks for another interesting snippet, and thank you Viv, for the Chin article interesting again, but I cannot place its exact where about's, a map would help. regards. Paul.
 
Paul, Mike is usually the mapman but as he has not responded yet I presume he is not around at the moment. I have therefore done this for you from Google Maps Satellite view.

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Thanks Dave, now I see it , I vaguely remember being taken there by my junior school, around 7 or 8 years old, not far from the Hagley Road, made a note next time in Brum will visit. Paul
 
24.9.1864

I always thought of locusts as being creatures of the desert, though according to google thye havebeen seen in the uk. Its said that they might be a problem with climate change.
Crinolines are useful for some !

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Think the 'locusts' referred to are probably grasshoppers. Extract from Wikipedia. Viv.

"In English in the last century or two, the major use of the word locust is in referring to the swarming species of grasshoppers and also, sometimes interchangeably, to the so-called seventeen-year locust, more correctly called the periodical cicada, several species in the North American genus Magicicada. This confusion apparently arose because of the perceived swarming habit of Magicicada, which in fact is a misunderstanding; Magicicada does not swarm in the sense that polyphenic locusts do. They simply exist in large numbers at all times in a very long life cycle, spending typically 13 or 17 years underground, then emerging just long enough to mate and lay eggs, before dying and apparently disappearing until the emergence of the next generation"


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Hi Mike
Have just found this thread you started with the advert for the Bull. Love it and have saved it to my family history info, so many thanks for that! Interesting to see that the secretary was Henry Fulford from the Vine pub. As you know, Lynn has recently compiled a list of landlords for the Bull. John Fulford was the landlord at the time of your advert, he had taken over from my 3x great grandfather Thomas Showell. I wonder how or if John was related to Henry? Lynns list shows the landlords then being John Fulford & Son from 1878-1897.
Katrina
 
mikejee said:
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".

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Click to expand...

Sorry Mike, thought I had attached the quote with my message about the Bull
Katrina
 
Gald you found it interesting Katrina. that was one of the earliest entries in the thread, but have seen another , as I recall almost the same, from the bull within the last month. These money societies seem to have been a sort of credit union, as far as i can see, and many pubs had them. I am sure they were related. There seems to be a dynasty of the Fulfords around birmingham in the licensed trade at the time. In the 1867 directory (which would refer to a little before that, possibly 1-2 years before) there are 4 henry Fulfords mentioned (I assume they are different , but cannot be sure), three are maltsters and one is running the chapel Tavern, , 123 Gt charles St. It is probably the latter that was at the Vine in 1864. similarly there are four John fulfords, one a maltser, and three landlords, at The Bull; The Leopard, 82 Brearley St;and a beer retailer at Heath St south (as it is not named it was either an off licence or a beerhouse). To add to that Thomas Fulford was at the Barton Arms and edward & william beer retailers at respectively 30 Ruston St North & 16 Barr St West
 
mikejee said:
Gald you found it interesting Katrina. that was one of the earliest entries in the thread, but have seen another , as I recall almost the same, from the bull within the last month. These money societies seem to have been a sort of credit union, as far as i can see, and many pubs had them. I am sure they were related. There seems to be a dynasty of the Fulfords around birmingham in the licensed trade at the time. In the 1867 directory (which would refer to a little before that, possibly 1-2 years before) there are 4 henry Fulfords mentioned (I assume they are different , but cannot be sure), three are maltsters and one is running the chapel Tavern, , 123 Gt charles St. It is probably the latter that was at the Vine in 1864. similarly there are four John fulfords, one a maltser, and three landlords, at The Bull; The Leopard, 82 Brearley St;and a beer retailer at Heath St south (as it is not named it was either an off licence or a beerhouse). To add to that Thomas Fulford was at the Barton Arms and edward & william beer retailers at respectively 30 Ruston St North & 16 Barr St West
Click to expand...

I am amazed, how and where do you find all this info???
 
Katrina said:
Hi Mike
Have just found this thread you started with the advert for the Bull. Love it and have saved it to my family history info, so many thanks for that! Interesting to see that the secretary was Henry Fulford from the Vine pub. As you know, Lynn has recently compiled a list of landlords for the Bull. John Fulford was the landlord at the time of your advert, he had taken over from my 3x great grandfather Thomas Showell. I wonder how or if John was related to Henry? Lynns list shows the landlords then being John Fulford & Son from 1878-1897.
Katrina
Click to expand...


hi katrina..i dont know where we would be without mike and his maps and all the info he gets from the newspaper archives...kellys directories etc..as you know it was mike who put together the list of landlords of the bull and he emailed them to me..i only posted them on here...still need to get to the library to find out the more recent landlords..

lyn
 
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28.9.1864
Cornish, the (then) well known local bookseller and publisher, was moving their shop to a different site in New St. I like the title of their advert :"The last bit of old Birmingham". the old shop was a converted house , part of the old Birmingham, whereas the new one was tall and imposing, like many of the shops in New stans , later, corporation st.

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Cornish's must have held on to their early shop until some time after the New Street shop opened. Here the New St shop is advertised in its own publicatiion Guide to Birimngham and it's Manufactirues, 1858. It offers the shop as an alternative to waiting at the station. How nice to be invited to browse and lounge, and for free! Viv.

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Don't quite get you Viv. That reference was after 1864, so it would have been the old shop. The description of a "handsome building" would presumably have been hype.
 
Don't think I get me either Mike. Completely confused myself. Yes 1858 does in fact fall before 1864! So the offer of a cosy retreat from the hustle and bustle of the station WAS the old bookshop. Viv.
 
29.9.1864

History of Wakes & Fairs (in 2 parts).
Bus journeys sound quite adventurous then.
Overview of some Australian habits (not for the squeamish.

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