This fund has received many noble additions since the above, the total, with interest, amounting, up to the end of 1883, to no less than £15,500, of which there is still in hand, £10,000 for the purchase of books. The precaution of insuring such an institution and its contents had of course been taken, and most fortunately the requisite endorsements on the policies had been made to cover the extra risk accruing from the alteration in progress. The insurances were made in the "Lancashire" and "Yorkshire" offices, the buildings for £10,000, the Reference Library for £12,000, the Lending Library for £1,000, the Shakespeare Library for £1,500, the Prince Consort statue for £1,000, the models of Burke and Goldsmith for £100, and the bust of Mr. Timmins for £100, making £25,700 in all. The two companies hardly waited for the claim to be made, but met it in a most generous manner, paying over at once £20,000, of which £10,528 has been devoted to the buildings and fittings, nearly £500 paid for expenses and injury to statues, and the remaining £9,000 put to the book purchase fund. In the Reference Library there were quite 48,000 volumes, in addition to about 4,000 of patent specifications. Every great department of human knowledge was represented by the best known works. In history, biography, voyages, and travels, natural history, fine arts, all the greatest works, not only in English, but often in the principal European languages, had been gathered. Volumes of maps and plans, engravings of all sorts of antiquities, costumes, weapons, transactions of all the chief learned societies, and especially bibliography, or "books about books" had been collected with unceasing care, the shelves being loaded with costly and valuable works rarely found out of the great libraries of London, or Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, or Glasgow. Among the collections lost were many volumes relating to the early history of railways in England, originally collected by Mr. Charles Brewin, and supplemented by all the pamphlets and tracts procurable. Many of those volumes were full of cuttings from contemporary newspapers, and early reports of early railway companies, and of the condition of canals and roads. Still more valuable were many bundles of papers, letters, invoices, calculations, etc., concerning the early attempt to establish the cotton manufacture in Birmingham at the beginning of the last century, including the papers of Warren, the printer, and some letters of Dr. Johnson, and others relating the story of the invention of spinning by rollers—the work of John Wyatt and Lewis Paul—long before Arkwright's time. Among the immense collection of Birmingham books and papers were hundreds of Acts of Parliament, Birmingham Almanacs, Directories (from 1770) most curious, valuable, and rare; a heap of pamphlets on the Grammar School, Birmingham History, Topography, and Guides; the political pamphlets of Job Nott and John Nott, some of which were the only copies known, the more ancient pamphlets describing Prince Rupert's Burning Love (date 1613) and others of that time; reports from the year 1726 of the several local learned institutions; an invaluable collection of maps; programmes of the Festivals; and copies of all the known Birmingham newspapers and periodicals (some being perfect sets) etc., etc. Of all the host not more than 1,000 volumes were saved. The fame of the Shakespeare Memorial Library at Birmingham was world-wide and to us it had extra value as emanating from the love which George Dawson bore for the memory of Shakespeare. It was his wish that the library should be possessed of every known edition of the bard's works in every language, and that it should contain every book ever printed about him or his writings. In the words of Mr. Timmins, "The devotion of George Dawson to Shakespeare was not based upon literary reasons alone, nor did it only rest upon his admiration and his marvel at the wondrous gifts bestowed upon this greatest of men, but it was founded upon his love for one who loved so much. His heart, which knew no inhumanity, rejoiced in one who was so greatly human, and the basis of his reverence for Shakespeare was his own reverence for man. It was thus, to him, a constant pleasure to mark the increasing number of the students of Shakespeare, and to see how, first in one language and then in another, attempts were made to bring some knowledge of his work to other nations than the English-speaking ones; and the acquisition of some of these books by the library was received by him with delight, not merely or not much for acquisition sake, but as another evidence of the ever-widening influence of Shakespeare's work. The contents of this library were to Mr. Dawson a great and convincing proof that the greatest of all English authors had not lived fruitlessly, and that the widest human heart the world has known had not poured out its treasure in vain." So successful had the attempts of the collectors been that nearly 7,000 volumes had been brought together, many of them coming from the most distant parts of the globe. The collection included 336 editions of Shakspeare's complete works in English, 17 in French, 58 in German, 3 in Danish, 1 in Dutch, 1 in Bohemian, 3 in Italian, 4 in Polish, 2 in Russian, 1 in Spanish, 1 in Swedish; while in Frisian, Icelandic, Hebrew, Greek, Servian, Wallachian, Welsh, and Tamil there were copies of many separate plays. The English volumes numbered 4,500, the German 1,500, the French 400. The great and costly editions of Boydell and Halliwell, the original folios of 1632, 1664, and 1685, the very rare quarto contemporary issues of various plays, the valuable German editions, the matchless collection of "ana," in contemporary criticism, reviews, &c., and the interesting garnering of all the details of the Tercentenary Celebration— wall-posters, tickets, pamphlets, caricatures, &c., were all to be found here, forming the largest and most varied collection of Shakspeare's works, and the English and foreign literature illustrating them, which has ever been made, and the greatest literary memorial which any author has ever yet received. So highly was the library valued that its contents were consulted from Berlin and Paris, and even from the United States, and similar libraries have been founded in other places. Only 500 of the books were preserved, and many of them were much damaged. The loss of the famed Staunton or Warwickshire collection was even worse than that of the Shakespearean, rich and rare as that was, for it included the results of more than two centuries' patient work, from the days of Sir William Dugdale down to the beginning of the present century. The manuscript collections of Sir Simon Archer, fellow-labourer of Dugdale, the records of the Berkeley, Digby, and Ferrers families, the valued and patient gatherings of Thomas Sharpe, the Coventry antiquarian, of William Hamper, the Birmingham collector, and of William Staunton himself, were all here, forming the most wonderful county collection ever yet formed, and which a hundred years' work will never replace. The books, many rare or unique, and of extraordinary value, comprised over 2000 volumes; there were hundreds of sketches and water-colour drawings of buildings long since destroyed, and more than 1,500 engravings of various places in the county, among them being some 300 relating to Birmingham, 200 to Coventry, 200 to Warwick Castle, 200 to Kenilworth Castle, and more than 100 to Stratford-on-Avon. The thousand portraits of Warwickshire Worthies, more rare and valuable still, included no less than 267 distinct portraits of Shakespeare, every one from a different block or plate. There was, in fact, everything about Warwickshire which successive generations of learned and generous collectors could secure. Among other treasures were hundreds of Acts of Parliament, all pedigrees, pamphlets, &c., about the Earls of Warwick and the town of Warwick; the original vellum volume with the installation of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, to the Order of St. Michael, with his own autograph; volumes of rare, curious autographs of county interest; county poll books, newspapers and magazines; all the rare Civil War pamphlets relating to the Warwickshire incidents; ancient deeds, indulgences, charters, seals, rubbings of brasses long lost or worn away, medals, coins, hundreds in number; and rare and invaluable volumes, like the Duc de Nortombria's "Arcano de Mare," and two fine copies of Dugdale's Warwickshire; besides hundreds of books, engravings, caricatures, pamphlets and tracts. The catalogue of this precious collection had only recently been completed, but even that was burnt, so that there is nothing left to show the full extent of the loss sustained. The only salvage consisted of three books, though most providentially one of the three was the splendid Cartulary of the Priory of St. Anne, at Knowle, a noble vellum folio, richly illuminated by some patient scribe four centuries ago, and preserving not only the names of the benefactors of the Priory, and details of its possessions, but also the service books of the Church, with the ancient music and illuminated initials, as fresh and perfect as when first written. Of almost inestimable value, it has now an acquired interest in the fact of its being, so to speak, all that remains of all the great Staunton collection. The Cervantes Library, which had taken him a quarter of a century to gather together, was presented by Mr. William Bragge. For many years, even in a busy life, Mr. Bragge, in his visits to Spain and his travels all over Europe, had been able to collect nearly all the known editions, not only of "Don Quixote," but of all the other works of Cervantes. Not only editions, but translations into any and every language were eagerly sought; and, after cherishing his treasures for many years, Mr. Bragge was so impressed with the Shakespeare Library that he generously offered his unrivalled collection of the great contemporary author to the town of which he is a native, and in which he afterwards came to live. The collection extended from editions published in 1605 down to our own days, and included many very rare and very costly illustrated volumes, which can never be replaced. All the known translations were among the thousand volumes, and all the works were in the choicest condition, but only ten survived the fire.—From the Lending Library about 10,000 volumes were rescued, and as there were nearly 4,000 in the hands of readers, the loss here was comparatively small. The present number of books in the Reference Library bids fair to surpass the collection lost, except, of course, as regards the Shakespeare, Cervantes, and Staunton gatherings, the latter of which it is simply impossible to replace, while it will take many years to make up the other two. There are now (March, 1884) over 54,000 volumes on the shelves, including 4,300 saved from the fire, about 33,000 purchased, and nearly 17,000 presented. Among the latter are many rare and costly works given to Birmingham soon after the catastrophe by a number of societies and gentlemen connected with the town, as well as others at home and abroad. To catalogue the names of all donors is impossible, but a few of those who first contributed may be given. Foremost, many of the books being of local character, was the gift of Mr. David Malins, which included Schedel's Nuremberg Chronicle, 1492, one vol.; Camden's Britannia, ed. Gibson, 1695, one vol.; Ackermann's London, Westminster Abbey, Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, &c., ten vols.; Works of Samuel Parr, 1828, eight vols.; Illustrated Record of European Events, 1812-1815, one vol.; Thompson's Seasons, illustrated by Bartolozzi, and other works, seventy vols.; Notes and Queries (complete set of five series), 1850-78, fifty-seven vols.; Dugdale's "Warwickshire, 1656, and other books relating to Birmingham, Warwickshire and neighbourhood, seventy-four vols.; books printed by Baskerville, ten vols.; Birmingham-printed books, 203 vols.; books on or by Birmingham authors, fifty-six vols.; total, 491 vols.; in addition to a collection of about 600 portraits, maps and views relating to Birmingham, Warwickshire and the neighbourhood, including sixty portraits of Shakespeare. The Manchester Town Council sent us from their Public Library about 300 volumes, among which may be named the edition of Barclay's Apology printed by Baskerville (1765); a fine copy of the folio edition of Ben Johnson (1640); the Duke of Newcastle's New Method to Dress Horses (1667); several volumes of the Maitland Club books, the catalogue of the Harleian MSS (1759); two tracts of Socinus (1618); the Foundations of Manchester (4 vols.); Daulby's Rembrandt Catalogue; Weever's Funeral Monuments (1631); Visconti's Egyptian Antiquities (1837); Heylyn's History of St. George (1633), and Nicholl's History of English Poor Law. There are also a considerable number of works of science and general literature of a more modern date. The trustees of the British Museum gave about 150 works, relating to Greek, Egyptian, Syrian, Phoenician, and other antiquities, to various departments of natural science, and other interesting matters, the whole constituting a valuable contribution towards the restored library. The Science and Art Department of South Kensington sent a selection of catalogues, chromo-lithographs, books of etchings, photographs, &c. Dr. F.A. Leo, of Berlin, sent a splendid copy of his valuable fac-simile of "Four Chapters of North's Plutarch," illustrating Shakespeare's Roman plays, to replace his former gift-volume lost in the calamitous fire. The volume is one of twenty-four copies, and the learned Professor added a printed dedication as a record of the fire and the loss. Dr. Delius, of Bonn, Herr Wilhelm Oechelhaüser, of Dessau, and other German Shakespeare authors sent copies of their works. Mr. J. Payne Collier offered copies of his rare quarto reprints of Elizabethan books, to replace those which had been lost. Mr. Gerald Massey offered a copy of his rare volume on Shakespeare's Sonnets, "because it is a Free Library." Mr. H. Reader Lack offered a set of the Patent Office volumes from the limited number at his disposal as Chief of the Patent Office. Dr. Kaines, of Trinder Road, London, selected 100 volumes from his library for acceptance; Mrs. and Miss L. Toulmin Smith sent all they could make up of the works of Mr. J. Toulmin Smith, and of his father, Mr. W. Hawkes Smith, both natives of our town; Messrs. Low, Son, and Co., gave 120 excellent volumes; Messrs. W. and R. Chambers, Messrs. Crosby, Lockwood, and Co., and other publishers, valuable books; Mr. James Coleman his "Index to Pedigrees," "Somerset House Registers," and "William Penn Pedigrees;" Miss N. Bradley (Bath) the new reissue of Professor Ruskin's works; Mr. H.W. Adnitt (Shrewsbury) his reprint of Gough's curious "History of Myddie," and of Churchyard's "Miserie of Flaunders," and "The Four Ministers of Salop:" Mr. H.F. Osle presented a, fine collection of Art books, including Grüner's great work, and Mr. J.H. Stone made a valuable donation of the same kind. The above are mere items in the list of generous donors, and gives but small idea of the many thousands of volumes which have streamed in from all parts. Many indeed have been the valuable gifts and additions by purchase since the fire, one of the latest being nearly the whole of the almost priceless collection of Birmingham books, papers, &c., belonging to Mr. Sam. Timmins. The sum of £1,100 was paid him for a certain portion of backs, but the number he has given at various times is almost past count. Immediate steps were taken after the fire to get the lending department of the Library into work again, and on the 9th of June, 1879, a commodious (though rather dark) reading room was opened in Eden Place, the Town Council allowing a number of rooms in the Municipal Buildings to be used by the Libraries Committee. In a little time the nucleus of the new Reference gathering was also in hand, and for three years the institution sojourned with the Council. The new buildings were opened June 1st, 1882, and the date should be recorded as a day of rejoicing and thanksgiving. The Reference department was opened to readers on the 26th of the same month. In place of the hired rooms so long used as a library in Constitution Hill, there has been erected in the near neighbourhood a neat two-storey building which will accommodate some 2,000 readers per day, and the shelves are supplied with about 7,000 volumes. This new library was opened July 18, 1883. To summarise this brief history of the Birmingham Free Libraries it is well to state that £78,000 has been spent on them, of which £36,392 has been for buildings. The cost of the Central Library so far has been £55,000, the remaining £23,000 being the expenditure on the branch libraries. The present annual cost is £9,372, of which £3,372 goes for interest and sinking fund, so that an addition must soon be made to the 1d. rate, which produces £6,454. The power to increase the rate is given in the last Act of Parliament obtained by the Corporation. At the end of 1882 the Reference Library contained 50,000 volumes. The number of books in the Central Lending Library was 21,394, while the branch lending libraries contained—Constitution Hill, 7,815; Deritend, 8,295; Gosta Green, 8,274; and Adderley Park, 3,122. The aggregate of all the libraries was 98,900 volumes. The issues of books during 1882 were as follows:—Reference Library, 202,179; Central Lending Library, 186,988; Constitution Hill, 73,705; Deriteud, 70,218; Gosta Green, 56,160; Adderley Park, 8,497; total, 597,747; giving a daily average of 2,127 issues. These figures are exclusive of the Sunday issues at the Reference Library, which numbered 25,095. The average number of readers in the Reference Library on Sundays has been 545; and the average attendance at all the libraries shows something like 55,000 readers per week, 133 different weekly and monthly periodicals being put on the tables for their use, besides the books. At a meeting of the School Board, June 4, 1875, permission was given to use the several infants' schoolrooms connected with the Board Schools, as evening reading rooms in connection with the libraries.
The Shakespeare Memorial Library, though to all intents and purposes part and parcel of the Reference Library, has a separate and distinct history. Mr. Sam. Timmins, who is generally credited with having (in 1858) first suggested the formation of a library, which should consist solely of Shakespeare's works, and Shakespeareana of all possible kinds, said, at the tercentenary meeting, that the idea originated with George Dawson, but perhaps the honour should be divided, as their mutual appreciation of the greatest poet whose genius has found utterance in our language is well known. The first practical step taken was the meeting, held (July 10, 1863) of gentlemen interested in the tercentenary, for the purpose of considering a proposal to celebrate that event by the formation of a Shakespearean library. The Rev. Charles Evans, head master of King Edward's School, presided. The following resolution, moved by Mr. G. Dawson, and seconded by the Rev. S. Bache, was adopted:—"That it is desirable to celebrate the tercentenary of the birth of Shakespeare by the formation of a Shakespearean library, comprising the various editions of the poet's works, and the literature and works of art connected therewith, and to associate such library with the Borough Central Reference Library, in order that it may be permanently preserved." A hundred pounds were subscribed at this meeting, and a committee formed to proceed with the project. In a very few months funds rolled in, and Shakespeareans from all parts of the world sent willing contributions to this the first Shakespearean library ever thought of. It was determined to call it a "Memorial" library, in honour of the tercentenary of 1864, and on the poet's day of that year, the library was formally presented to the town at a breakfast given at Nock's Hotel by the Mayor (Mr. W. Holliday). Dr. Miller, George Dawson, M.D. Hill (Recorder), T.C.S. Kynnersley, R.W. Dale, Sam. Timmins, and others took part in the proceedings, and the Mayor, on behalf of the Free Libraries Committee, accepted the gift on the terms agreed to by the Town Council, viz., that the Library should be called "The Shakespearean Memorial Library," that a room should be specially and exclusively appropriated for the purposes thereof; that the library should be under the same regulations as the Reference Library; and that the Free Libraries' Committee should maintain and augment it, and accept all works appertaining to Shakespeare that might be presented, &c. As George Dawson prophesied on that occasion, the library in a few years become the finest collection of Shakespearean literature in Europe therein being gathered from every land which the poet's fame had reached, not only the multitudinous editions of his works, but also every available scrap of literature bearing thereon, from the massive folios and quaint quartoes of the old times to the veriest trifle of current gossip culled from the columns of the newspapers. Nothing was considered too rare or too unimportant, so long as it had connection even remote to Shakespeare; and the very room (opened April 23, 1888), in which the books were stored itself acquired a Shakespearean value in its carved and elaborately-appropriate fittings. When started, it was hoped that at least 5,000 volumes would be got together, but that number was passed in 1874, and at the end of 1878 there were more than 8,700, in addition to the books, pictures, documents, and relics connected with Stratford-on-Avon and her gifted son contained in the Staunton collection. How all the treasures vanished has already been told. Much has been done to replace the library, and many valuable works have been secured; but, as the figures last published show, the new library is a long way behind as yet. It now contains 4,558 volumes, valued at £1,352 9s. 3d., classified as follows:—English, 2,205 volumes; French, 322; German, 1,639; Bohemian, 14; Danish, 25; Dutch, 68; Finnish, 4; Frisian, 2; Greek, 9; Hebrew, 2; Hungarian, 44; Icelandic, 3; Italian, 94; Polish, 15; Portuguese, 3; Roumanian, 1; Roumelian, 1; Russian, 56; Spanish, 18; Swedish, 30; Ukraine, 1; Wallachian, 1; and Welsh, 1.
Libraries Suburban.—The ratepayers of the Manor of Aston adopted the Free Libraries Act, May 15, 1877, and their Library forms part of the Local Board buildings in Witton Road. At the end of March, 1883, the number of volumes in the reference library was 3,216, and the issues during the year numbered 8,096. In the lending department the library consists of 5,582 volumes, and the total issues during the year were 74,483; giving a daily average of 245. The number of borrowers was 3,669.—Aston and Handsworth being almost part of Birmingham, it would be an act of kindness if local gentlemen having duplicates on their library shelves, would share them between the two.
Handsworth Free Library was opened at the Local Board Offices, of which building it forms a part, on May 1, 1880, with a collection of about 5,000 volumes, which has since been increased to nearly 7,500. That the library is appreciated is shown by the fact that during last year the issues numbered 42,234 volumes, the borrowers being 514 males and 561 females.
Smethwick Free Library and Reading Room was opened Aug. 14, 1880.
King's Norton.—In or about 1680, the Rev. Thomas Hall, B.D., founded a curious old Library for the use of the parishioners, and the books are preserved in the Grammar School, near the Church. This is the earliest free library known in the Midlands.
Licensed Victuallers' Society.—See "[Trade Protection Societies]."
Licensed Victuallers' Asylum.—See "[Philanthropical Institutions]."
Licensed Victuallers.—The following table shows the number of licensed victuallers, dealers in wine, beer, &c., in the borough as well as the holders of what are known as outdoor licenses:—
| Year. | Licensed Victuallers. | Beer and Wine On. | Total. | Population. | Beer, &c.,Off. | Grocers. |
| 1870 | 687 | 1166 | 1853 | 337,982 | .. | .. |
| 1871 | 683 | 1165 | 1848 | 343,690 | .. | .. |
| 1872 | 684 | 1117 | 1801 | 349,398 | .. | 23 |
| 1873 | 684 | 1083 | 1767 | 355,106 | 4 | 53 |
| 1874 | 680 | 1081 | 1761 | 360,814 | 4 | 53 |
| 1875 | 676 | 1057 | 1733 | 366,522 | 7 | 73 |
| 1876 | 675 | 1059 | 1734 | 372,230 | 171 | 73 |
| 1877 | 673 | 1054 | 1727 | 377,938 | 223 | 74 |
| 1878 | 672 | 1046 | 1718 | 383,646 | 334 | 77 |
| 1879 | 671 | 1061 | 1732 | 389,354 | 433 | 61 |
| 1880 | 670 | 1060 | 1730 | 395,063 | 454 | 63 |
| 1881 | 669 | 1054 | 1723 | 400,774 | 454 | 55 |
| 1882 | 670 | 1054 | 1724 | 406,482 | 459 | 57 |