Fire Insurance Companies.—The Birmingham dates its establishment from March 1805. All the companies now in existence are more or less represented here by agents, and no one need be uninsured long, as their offices are so thick on the ground round Bennet's Hill and Colmore Row, that it has been seriously suggested the latter thoroughfare should he rechristened and be called Insurance Street. It was an agent who had the assurance to propose the change.
Fish.—In April, 1838, a local company was floated for the purpose of bringing fish from London and Liverpool. It began swimmingly, but fish didn't swim to Birmingham, and though several other attempts have been made to form companies of similar character, the trade has been kept altogether in private hands, and to judge from the sparkling rings to be seen on the hands of the ladies who condescend to sell us our matutinal bloaters in the Market Hall, the business is a pretty good one—and who dare say those dames de salle are not also pretty and good? The supply of fish to this town, as given by the late Mr. Hanman, averaged from 50 to 200 tons per day (one day in June, 1879, 238 tons came from Grimsby alone) or, each in its proper season, nearly as follows:—Mackerel, 2,000 boxes of about 2 cwt. each; herrings, 2,000 barrels of 1-1/2 cwt. each; salmon, 400 boxes of 2-1/2 cwt. each; lobsters, 15 to 20 barrels of 1 cwt. each; crabs, 50 to 60 barrels of 1-1/4 cwt. each; plaice, 1,500 packages of 2 cwt. each; codfish, 200 barrels of 2 cwt. each; conger eels, 20 barrels of 2 cwt. each; skate, 10 to 20 barrels of 2 cwt. each.—See "[Markets]."
Fishing.—There is very little scope for the practice of Isaac Walton's craft near to Birmingham, and lovers of the gentle art must go farther afield to meet with good sport. The only spots within walking distance are the pools at Aston Park and Lower Grounds, at Aston Tavern, at Bournbrook Hotel (or, as it is better known, Kirby's), and at Pebble Mill, in most of which may be found perch, roach, carp, and pike. At Pebble Mill, March 20, last year, a pike was captured 40 inches long, and weighing 22 lbs., but that was a finny rarity, and not likely to be met with there again, as the pool (so long the last resort of suicidally inclined mortals) is to be filled up. A little farther off are waters at Sarehole, at Yardley Wood, and the reservoir at King's Norton, but with these exceptions anglers must travel to their destinations by rail. There is good fishing at Sutton Coldfield, Barnt Green (for reservoir at Tardebigge), Alcester, Shustoke, Salford Priors, and other places within a score of miles, but free fishing nowhere. Anyone desirous of real sport should join the Birmingham and Midland Piscatorial Association (established June, 1878), which rents portions of the river Trent and other waters. This society early in 1880, tried their hands at artificial salmon-hatching, one of the tanks of the aquarium at Aston Lower Grounds being placed at their disposal. They were successful in bringing some thousand or more of their interesting protegees from the ova into fish shape, but we cannot find the market prices for salmon or trout at all reduced.
Fishmongers' Hall.—Not being satisfied with the accommodation provided for them in the Fish Market, the Fish and Game Dealers' Association, at their first annual meeting (Feb. 13, 1878), proposed to erect a Fishmongers' Hall, but they did not carry out their intention.
Flogging.—In "the good old days," when George the Third was King, it was not very uncommon for malefactors to be flogged through the streets, tied to the tail end of a cart. In 1786 several persons, who had been sentenced at the Assizes, were brought back here and so whipped through the town; and in one instance, where a young man had been caught filching from the Mint, the culprit was taken to Soho works, and in the factory yard, there stripped and flogged by "Black Jack" of the Dungeon, as a warning to his fellow-workmen. This style of punishment would hardly do now, but if some few of the present race of "roughs" could be treated to a dose of "the cat" now and then, it might add considerably to the peace and comfort of the borough. Flogging by proxy was not unknown in some of the old scholastic establishments, but whipping a scarecrow seems to have been the amusement on February 26th. 1842, when Sir Robert Peel, at that day a sad delinquent politically, was publicly flogged in elligy.
Floods—The milldams at Sutton burst their banks, July 24, 1668, and many houses were swept away.—On the 24th November, 1703, a three days' storm arose which extended over the whole kingdom; many parts of the Midlands being flooded and immense damage caused, farmers' live stock especially suffering. 15,000 sheep were drowned in one pan of Gloucestershire; several men and hundreds of sheep near to Worcester; the losses in Leicestershire and Staffordshire being also enormous. Though there is no local record respecting it here, there can be little doubt that the inhabitants had their share of the miseries.—July 2, 1759, a man and several horses were drowned in a flood near Meriden.— Heavy rains caused great floods here in January, 1764.—On April 13, 1792, a waterspout, at the Lickey Hills, turned the Rea into a torrent. —The lower parts of the town were flooded through the heavy rain of June 26, 1830.—There were floods in Deritend and Bordesley, Nov. 11, 1852.—June 23, 1861, parts of Aston, Digbeth, and the Parade were swamped.—Feb. 8, 1865, Hockley was flooded through the bursting of the Canal banks; and a simmilar accident to the Worcester Canal, May 25, 1872, laid the roads and gardens about Wheeley's Road under water.— There were very heavy rains in July and October, 1875, causing much damage in the lower parts of the town.—Aug. 2 and 3, 1879, many parts of the outskirts were flooded, in comparatively the shortest time in memory.
Flour Mills.—The Union Mill Co. (now known as the Old Union, &c.) was formed early in 1796, with a capital of £7,000 in £1 shares, each share-holder being required to take a given amount of bread per week. Though at starting it was announced that the undertaking was not intended for profit,—such were the advantages derived from the operations of the Company that the shareholders it is said, in addition to a dividend of 10 per cent., received in the course of couple of years a benefit equal to 600 per cent, in the shape of reduced prices. Large dividends have at times been received, but a slightly different tale is now told.—The New Union Mill was started in 1810; the Snow Hill Mill about 1781; the Britannia Mills in 1862.
Fly Vans.—"Fly Boats" to the various places connected with Birmingham by the canals were not sufficient for our townspeople seventy years ago, and an opposition to the coaches started in 1821, in the shape of Fly Vans or light Post Waggons, was hailed with glee. These Fly Vans left the Crescent Wharf (where Showell and Sons' Stores are now) three evenings a week, and reached Sheffield the following day. This was the first introduction of a regular "parcels' post," though the authorities would not allow of anything like a letter being sent with a parcel, if they knew it.
Foolish Wager.—On July 8,1758, for a wager, a man named Moraon got over the battlements of the tower at St. Martin's, and safely let himself down to the ground (a distance of 73 feet) without rope or ladder, his strength of muscle enabling him to reach from cornerstone to cornerstone, and cling thereto as he descended.
Football.—See "[Sports]."