The first four countries produce 88.4 per cent, of the world's iron supply; the first two, 64.3 per cent.; the first, 43 per cent. The chief consumer is the United States, 29 per cent.; next Great Britain, 23 '4 per cent.; these two using more than half of all. Cast iron wares do not appear to have been made here in any quantity before 1755; malleable iron castings being introduced about 1811. The first iron canal boat made its appearance here July 24, 1787. Iron pots were first tinned in 1779 by Jonathan Taylor's patented process, but we have no date when vessels of iron were first enamelled, though a French method of coating them with glass was introduced in 1850 by Messrs. T.G. Griffiths and Co. In 1809, Mr. Benjamin Cook, a well-known local inventor, proposed to use iron for building purposes, more particularly in the shape of joists, rafters, and beams, so as to make fire-proof rooms, walls, and flooring, as well as iron staircases. This suggestion was a long time before it was adopted, for in many things Cook was far in advance of his age. Corrugated iron for roofing, &c., came into use in 1832, but it was not till the period of the Australian gold fever—1852-4—that there was any great call for iron houses. The first iron church (made at Smethwick) as well as iron barracks for the mounted police, were sent out there, the price at Melbourne for iron houses being from £70 each.—See "[Trades]."
Iron Bedsteads are said to have been invented by Dr. Church. Metallic bedsteads of many different kinds have been made since then, from the simple iron stretcher to the elaborately guilded couches made for princes and potentates, but the latest novelty in this line is a bedstead of solid silver, lately ordered for one of the Indian Rajahs.
Iron Rods.—Among the immense number of semi-religious tracts published during the Civil War, one appeared (in 1642) entitled "An Iron Rod for the Naylours and Tradesmen near Birmingham," by a self-styled prophet, who exhorted his neighbours to amend their lives and give better prices "twopence in the shilling at the least to poor workmen." We fancy the poor nailers of the present time would also be glad of an extra twopence.
Jacks.—Roasting Jacks of some kind or other were doubtless used by our great-great-grandmothers, but their kitchen grates were not supplied with "bottle-jacks" till their fellow-townsman, Mr. Fellowes, of Great Hampton Street, made them in 1796.
Jennens.—It is almost certain that the "Great Jennens (or Jennings) Case," has taken up more time in our law courts than any other cause brought before the judges. Charles Dickens is supposed to have had some little knowledge of it, and to have modelled his "Jarndyce v. Jarndyce" in "Bleak House" therefrom. It has a local interest, inasmuch as several members of the family lived, prospered, and died here, and, in addition, a fair proportion of the property so long disputed, is here situated. The first of the name we hear of as residing in Birmingham was William Jennens, who died in 1602. His son John became a well-to-do ironmonger, dying in 1653. One of John's sons, Humphrey, also waxed rich, and became possessed of considerable estate, having at one time, it is said, no less a personage than Lord Conway as "game-keeper" over a portion of his Warwickshire property. Probably the meaning was that his lordship rented the shooting. Ultimately, although every branch of the family were tolerably prolific, the bulk of the garnered wealth was concentrated in the hands of William Jennings, bachelor, who died at Acton Place in 1798, at the age of 98, though some have said he was 103. His landed property was calculated to be worth £650,000; in Stock and Shares he held £270,000; at his bankers, in cash and dividends due, there were £247,000; while at his several houses, after his death, they found close upon £20,000 in bank notes, and more than that in gold. Dying intestate, his property was administered to by Lady Andover, and William Lygon, Esq., who claimed to be next of kin descended from Humphrey Jennings, of this town. Greatest part of the property was claimed by these branches, and several noble families were enriched who, it is said, were never entitled to anything. The Curzon family came in for a share, and hence the connection of Earl Howe and others with this town. The collaterals and their descendants have, for generations, been fighting for shares, alleging all kinds of fraud and malfeasance on the part of the present holders and their predecessors, but the claimants have increased and multiplied to such an extent, that if it were possible for them to recover the whole of the twelve million pounds they say the property is now worth, it would, when divided, give but small fortunes to any of them. A meeting of the little army of claimants was held at the Temperance Hall, March 2, 1875, and there have been several attempts, notwithstanding the many previous adverse decisions, to re-open the battle for the pelf, no less than a quarter of a million, it is believed, having already been uselessly spent in that way.
Jennen's Row is named after the above family.
Jewellery.—See "[Trades]."
Jews.—The descendants of Israel were allowed to reside in this country in 1079, but if we are to believe history their lot could not have been a very pleasant one, the poorer classes of our countrymen looking upon them with aversion, while the knights and squires of high degree, though willing enough to use them when requiring loans for their fierce forays, were equally ready to plunder and oppress on the slightest chance. Still England must have even then been a kind of sheltering haven, for in 1287, when a sudden anti-Semitic panic occurred to drive the Jews out of the kingdom, it was estimated that 15,660 had to cross the silver streak. Nominally, they were not allowed to return until Cromwell's time, 364 years after. It was in 1723 Jews were permitted to hold lands in this country, and thirty years after an Act was passed to naturalise them, but it was repealed in the following year. Now the Jews are entitled to every right and privilege that a Christian possesses. It is not possible to say when the Jewish community of this town originated, but it must have been considerably more than a hundred and fifty years ago, as when Hutton wrote in 1781, there was a synagogue in the Froggery, "a very questionable part of the town," and an infamous locality. He quaintly says:—"We have also among us a remnant of Israel, a people who, when masters of their own country, were scarcely ever known to travel, and who are now seldom employed in anything else. But though they are ever moving they are ever at home; who once lived the favourites of heaven, and fed upon the cream of the earth, but now are little regarded by either; whose society is entirely confined to themselves, except in the commercial line. In the synagogue, situated in the Froggery, they still preserve the faint resemblance of the ancient worship, their whole apparatus being no more than the drooping ensigns of poverty. The place is rather small, but tolerably filled; where there appears less decorum than in the Christian churches. The proverbial expression, 'as rich as a Jew,' is not altogether verified in Birmingham; but, perhaps, time is transferring it to the Quakers. It is rather singular that the honesty of a Jew is seldom pleaded but by the Jew himself." No modern historian would think of using such language now-a-days, respecting the Jews who now abide with us, whose charitable contributions to our public institutions, &c., may bear comparison with those of their Christian brethren. An instance of this was given so far back as December 5th, 1805, the day of general thanksgiving for the glorious victory of Trafalgar. On that day collections were made in all places of worship in aid of the patriotic fund for the relief of those wounded, and of the relatives of those killed in the war. It is worthy of remark that the parish church, St. Martin's, then raised the sum of £37 7s., and the "Jews' Synagogue" £3 3s. At the yearly collections in aid of the medical charities, now annually held on Hospital Sunday, St. Martin's gives between three and four hundred pounds; the Jewish congregation contributes about one hundred and fifty. If, then, the church has thus increased ten-fold in wealth and benevolence in the last seventy years, the synagogue has increased fifty-fold.
Jews' Board of Guardians. A committee of resident Jews was appointed in 1869, to look after and relieve poor and destitute families among the Israelites; and though they pay their due quota to the poor rates of their parish, it is much to the credit of the Jewish community that no poor member is, permitted to go to the Workhouse or want for food and clothing. The yearly amount expended in relief by this Hebrew Board of Guardians is more than £500, mostly given in cash in comparatively large sums, so as to enable the recipients to become self-supporting, rather than continue them as paupers receiving a small weekly dole. There is an increase in the number of poor latterly, owing to the depression of trade and to the influx of poor families from Poland during the last few years. Another cause of poverty among the Jews is the paucity of artisans among them, very few of them even at the present time choosing to follow any of the staple trades outside those connected with clothing and jewellery.
Jewish Persecutions in Russia.—On Feb. 6, 1882, a town's meeting was called with reference to the gross persecution of the Jews in Russia, and the collection of a fund towards assisting the sufferers was set afoot, £1,800 being promised at the meeting.