Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham / A History and Guide, Arranged Alphabetically

by Thomas T. Harman; Walter Showell

Public Office.—The office for the meetings of the Justices was at one time in Dale End, and it was there that "Jack and Tom" were taken in November, 1780, charged with murdering a butcher on the road to Coleshill. The first stone of the Public Office and Prison in Moor Street was laid September 18, 1805, the cost being estimated at £10,000. It was considerably enlarged in 1830, and again in 1861, and other improving alterations have been made during the last three years, so that the original cost has been more than doubled, but the place is still inadequate to the requirements of the town.

Smithfield Market.—Laid out by the Street Commissioners in 1817, at a cost of £6,000, as an open market, has been enlarged by taking in most of the ground bordered by Jamaica Row, St. Martin's Lane and Moat Lane, and is nearly all covered in for the purposes of a wholesale market, the work being commenced in November, 1880. The main entrance is in the centre of the St. Martin's Lane front, and consists of a central roadway for carts and wagons, 15ft. wide and 24ft. high, together with a wide entrance on either side for foot passengers. The main piers supporting the large archway are of stone, but the arch itself is constructed of terra-cotta, richly moulded and carved. Over the archway are two sculptured figures in red terra-cotta, representing "Flora" and "Pomona." The whole of the carving and sculptured work has been executed by Mr. John Roddis. The archways are fitted with massive wrought-iron gates, manufactured by Messrs. Hart, Son, Peard, and Co. The entrances in Jamaica Row and Moat Lane have arched gateways and gates to match, though much higher to allow of the passage of laden wains. The market superintendent's office is on the left of the man entrance. Greatest part of the St. Martin's Lane front is occupied by the new Woolpack Hotel, and the remainder by shops. The buildings, which are from the designs of Messrs. Osborne and Reading, are designed in the style of the English Renaissance of the Stuart period, and are constructed of red brick, with red terra-cotta dressings. At each end of the St. Martin's Lane front are circular turrets, with conical roof, flanked by ornamental gables, and in the centre is a gable with octagonal turret on each side.

Temperance Hall.—The foundation stone of this building, which is in Upper Temple Street, was laid Jan. 12, 1858, and it was opened Oct. 11 following.

The Cobden.—Though the property of a private company, who have twenty other establishments in the town, the "Cobden," in Corporation Street, may rank as a public building if only from its central position and finished architecture. It was opened by John Bright, Esq., Aug. 29, 1883, and cost about £10,000. In style it may be said to be French-Gothic of early date, with Venetian features in the shape of traceried oriel windows, &c., the frontage being of Corsham Down and Portland stone.

Town Hall.—For many years the pride and the boast of Birmingham has been its noble Town Hall, which still remains the most conspicuous building, as well as the finest specimen of architecture, in the town. It was erected by the Street Commissioners, who obtained a special Act for the purpose in 1828, to enable them to lay a rate to pay for it. The architect was Mr. T. Hansom, of the firm of Messrs. Hansom and Welch, who, by a curious provision, were also bound to be the contractors. Their original estimate was £17,000, with extras, which would have raised it to about £19,000, but so far were their figures out that £30,000 were expended prior to the first meeting being held in the Hall, and that sum had been increased to £69,520 when the building was finally completed in 1850 by the addition of the pillars and pediments at the back. The foundations and solid parts of the structure are built of brick, the casing or outside of the walls, the pillars, and the ornamental portions being of Anglesey marble, given to the contractors by the owner of Penmaen quarries, Sir Richard Bulkeley, Bart. The building was commenced April 27, 1832, and opened Sept. 19, 1834, being used for the Festival of that year; the first public meeting held in the Hall being on Nov. 28th. The outside measurements of the Hall are— Length 175ft., breadth 100ft., height 83ft., viz., basement 23ft., columns 36ft., cornice 9ft., and pediment 15ft,. The forty columns are each 3-1/2ft. diameter. The hall, or great room, is 145ft. long, 65ft. broad, and 65ft. high; including the orchestra it will seat a few over 3,000 persons, while it is said that on more than one occasion 10,000 have found standing room. Considerable sums have been spent in trying to improve the ventilation and lighting of the Hall, as well as in redecorating occasionally, the medallions of eminent composers and other worthies being introduced in 1876. For description of Town Hall organ see "[Organs]."

Windsor Street Gas Works with its immense gas-holders, retort-houses, its own special canal and railway approaches, covers an area of about twenty-six acres, extending almost from Dartmouth Street to Aston Road. Though there can be no grand architectural features about such an establishment certain parts of the works are worthy of note, the two principal gas-holders and the new retort-house being among the largest of their kind in the world. The holders, or gasometers as they are sometimes called, are each 240ft. in diameter, with a depth of 50ft., the telescope arrangement allowing of a rise of 170ft., giving a containing capacity equal to the space required for 6,250,000 cubic feet of gas. The new retort house is 455ft. long by 210ft. wide, and will produce about nine million cubic feet of gas per day, the furnaces being supplied with coal and cleared of the coke by special machinery of American invention, which is run upon rails backwards and forwards from the line of coal trucks to the furnace mouths. The quantity of coal used per week is nearly 4,000 tons, most of which is brought from North Staffordshire, and the reserve coal heap is kept as near as convenient to a month's supply, or 16,000 tons. The machinery for the purification of the gas, the extracting of the ammoniacal liquor, tar and residuals, which make the manufacture of gas so remunerative, are of the most improved description.

Workhouse.—The first mention of a local institution thus named occurs in the resolution passed at a public meeting held May 16, 1727, to the effect that it was "highly necessary and convenient that a Public Work House should be erected in or near the town to employ or set to work the poor of Birmingham for their better maintenance as the law directs." This resolution seems to have been carried out, as the Workhouse in Lichfield Street (which was then a road leading out of the town) was built in 1733 the first cost being £1,173, but several additions afterwards made brought the building account to about £3,000. Originally it was built to accommodate 600 poor persons, but in progress of time it was found necessary to house a much larger number, and the Overseers and Guardians were often hard put to for room; which perhaps accounts for their occasionally discussing the advisability of letting some of their poor people out on hire to certain would-be taskmasters as desired such a class of employees. In the months of January, February, and March, 1783, much discussion took place as to building a new Workhouse, but nothing definite was done in the matter until 1790, when it was proposed to obtain an Act for the erection of a Poorhouse at Birmingham Heath, a scheme which Hutton said was as airy as the spot chosen for the building. Most likely the expense, which was reckoned at £15,000, frightened the ratepayers, for the project was abandoned, and for fifty years little more was heard on the subject. What they would have said to the £150,000 spent on the present building can be better imagined than described. The foundation-stone of the latter was laid Sept. 7, 1850, and the first inmates were received March 29, 1852, in which year the Lichfield Street establishment was finally closed, though it was not taken down for several years after. The new Workhouse is one of the largest in the country, the area within its walls being nearly twenty acres, and it was built to accommodate 3,000 persons, but several additions in the shape of new wards, enlarged schools, and extended provision for the sick, epileptic and insane, have since been made. The whole establishment is supplied with water from an artesian well, and is such a distance from other buildings as to ensure the most healthy conditions. The chapel, which has several stained windows, is capable of seating 800 persons and in it, on May 9, 1883, the Bishop of Worcester administered the rite of confirmation to 31 of the inmates, a novelty in the history of Birmingham Workhouse, at all events. Full provision is made for Catholics and Nonconformists desiring to attend the services of their respective bodies. In connection with the Workhouse may be noted the Cottage Homes and Schools at Marston Green (commenced in October, 1878) for the rearing and teaching of a portion of the poor children left in the care of the Guardians. These buildings consist of 3 schools, 14 cottage homes, workshops, infirmary, headmaster's residence, &c., each of the homes being for thirty children, in addition to an artisan and his wife, who act as heads of the family. About twenty acres of land are at present thus occupied, the cost being at the rate of £140 per acre, while on the buildings upwards of £20,000 has been spent.

Public houses.—The early Closing Act came into operation here, November 11, 1864; and the eleven o'clock closing hour in 1872; the rule from 1864 having been to close at one and open at four a.m. Prior to that date the tipplers could be indulged from the earliest hour on Monday till the latest on Saturday night. Mr. Joseph Chamberlain and his friends thought so highly of the Gothenburg scheme that they persuaded the Town Council into passing a resolution (Jan. 2, 1877) that the Corporation ought to be allowed to buy up all the trade in Birmingham. There were forty-six who voted for the motion against ten; but, when the Right Hon. J.C.'s monopolising motion was introduced to the House of Commons (March 13, 1877), it was negatived by fifty-two votes.

Pudding Brook.—This was the sweetly pretty name given to one of the little streams that ran in connection with the moat round the old Manorhouse. Possibly it was originally Puddle Brook, but as it became little more than an open sewer or stinking mud ditch before it was ultimately done away with, the last given name may not have been inappropriate.

Quacks.—Though we cannot boast of a millionaire pill-maker like the late Professor Holloway, we have not often been without a local well-to-do "quack." A medical man, named Richard Aston, about 1815-25, was universally called so, and if the making of money is proof of quackery, he deserved the title, as he left a fortune of £60,000. He also left an only daughter, but she and her husband were left to die in the Workhouse, as the quack did not approve of their union.