October 24th, 1854. Died, Old Mr. James Wilkinson, formerly an extensive vice and anvil manufacturer of Tower Street, Dudley. This gentleman was another true type of a Dudley man, having an exceedingly quick and retentive memory of past events in Dudley. The Wilkinson’s, like the Finch’s, are decidedly the oldest descended families in this town, for Dudley had an Alderman John Finch in Charles II.’s reign, and we have a second Alderman John Finch, J.P. in our present time; and it is singular that these robust sons of the forge have ever been connected with the nail trade, fender and fire iron trade, the anvil and vice trade, and all kindred trades of such manufacture. Like Tubal Cain of old, they welded molten iron into form and shape, long before the steam hammer was thought about. Mr. Wilkinson’s recital of his early days, when, he says, we had no carts or waggons in those days to convey our anvils and vices to the Cross, Dale End, Birmingham, for sale to the factors, who used to come and buy our goods; we had to travel with them in large baskets slung on horses backs, and in single file we travelled over Bromwich Heath to Birmingham. Mr. Wilkinson lived to the good old age of 85 years, and died esteemed and respected by all men.
November 27th, 1854. A patriotic meeting was held this evening at the town hall, for the noble purpose of joining in the endowment of a national fund for the maintenance of the widows and children of soldiers and sailors killed in this just Russian war; a committee of willing hands was nominated, and after the town had been thoroughly canvassed, the handsome sum of £3,282 was given for this noble object. Hurrah! for old Dudley.
NIL DESPERANDUM!
“Britons Strike Home.”
EXTRACT FROM A LETTER
Written in Sebastopol on the Evening of the Battle of Inkermann, by a russian soldier:
“We are still alive although the English and French use every means for our destruction; but we know not how long this may last. The carnage is terrible! all our efforts against the enemy are vain, and without result. Although we have a superiority in numbers, we cannot conquer the enemy in the open Country! The terrible coolness of the English, their frightful Artillery, which destroying entire lines of our Troops, disturbed their retreat, and the Balls and Shells committed the greatest ravages. The Riflemen picked off all our Officers. Our Soldiers are obedient, and execute all the orders like machines, but they want address, intelligence, presence of mind, and enthusiasm.”
“The cool steadiness of the English, and the vigour of the attack of the French equally alarmed them.”—See Guardian Newspaper, pages 919, 920, for Nov. 29, 1854.
The Vicarage, Dudley, Nov. 30th, 1854.
Died January 26th, 1855. Mr. Edward Dixon, Sen., formerly banker in Dudley. The disasters and stoppage of Messrs. Dixon, Dalton & Co’s. Bank in this town a few years before is a matter of commercial history, indelibly fixed in the recollections of many eminent firms in this locality. Mr. Dixon never took a very active part in the bank, but his urbanity, generosity, and kindly feeling to every one, won the universal respect of all orders of men in the town and district; his prompt honesty, and genuine honour and integrity in his commercial transactions, were the means of saving many respectable people from utter ruin, and at his death it was deemed desirable that a public funeral should mark the wide-spread sense of sorrow and deep regret at the loss of so good a friend and honourable a townsman. Aged 68 years.