Part 37

_Sanatorium_, situated at Blackwell, near Bromsgrove.--This establishment, which cost £15,750, of which £2,000 was given by Miss Ryland, was built to provide a temporary home, with pure air, rest, and nourishing diet for convalescent patients, who otherwise might have had to pine away in the close-built quarters of this and neighbouring towns. The buildings, which will accommodate sixty persons, were opened April 16, 1873, and take the place of a smaller establishment to which Miss Ryland had devoted for some years a house at Sparkbrook. The average number of inmates is put at fifty, and the number who passed through the house in 1883 was 1,052, the expenditure for the year being £1,780 8s. The income was derived from annual subscriptions, £901 10s.; special subscriptions, £347 11s. 6d.; paid by hospitals for maintenance of patients, £192 6s.; grant from the General Hospital, £26 5s.; share of Hospital Saturday collection, £211 Os. 4d. The Secretary, from whom all information can be received as to terms of special and other tickets, is Mr. E.J. Bigwood, 3, Temple Row West.

_Servants' Home and Training Institution_, established in 1860, finds shelter for a time to as many as 240 young women in the course of a year, many looking upon it as the only home they have when out of a situation. In connection with it is a "training school" and laundry, where a score or more girls are taught. Both parts of the institution pay their way, receipts and expenditure (£180 and £350 respectively) generally balancing. The Servants' Home is at 30, Bath Row, where there is a Registry for servants, and also for sick and monthly nurses.

_Town Mission_--Established in 1837, and re-modelled in 1850. This institution seeks work in a variety of ways, its agents visiting the homes of the poor, the wards of the Hospitals, the lodging-houses, and even the bedsides of the patients in the smallpox and fever hospitals. In addition to the providing and looking after the "Cabmen's Rests," of which there are sixteen in the town, the Mission employs a Scripture reader specially to deal with the deaf and dumb members of the community, about 200 in number. At the Noel Road Refuge (opened in 1859) about 40 inmates are received yearly, and at Tindal House (opened in 1864) about half that number, the two institutions having (to end of 1883) sheltered 1,331 females, of whom nearly a thousand have been brought back to moral and industrious habits. The income of the Society for 1883 was £1,690 17s. 3d., the expenditure being a little over that amount, though the laundries connected with the Refuges more than pay their way. The office is at the Educational Chambers; 90, New Street.

_Young Men's Christian Association_.--Instituted in 1849; incorporated in 1873. For many years its meetings were held at the Clarendon Chambers, but when the notorious "Sultan Divan" was closed in Needless Alley, it was taken for the purposes of this institution, the most appropriate change of tenancy that could possibly be desired, the attractions of the glaring dancing-rooms and low-lived racket giving place to comfortable reading-rooms, a cosy library, and healthy amusements. Young men of all creeds may here find a welcome, and strangers to the town will meet friends to guide them in choice of companions, or in securing comfortable homes.--A similar Association is that of the Church of England Y.M.C.A., at 30, Paradise Street, which was commenced in 1849, and numbers several hundred members.--At a Conference held Nov. 24, 1880, it was decided to form a Midland District Union of Y.M.C.A.s in this and the surrounding counties.

_Young Women's Christian Association_, 3, Great Charles Street.--The idea of forming an institute for young women was first mooted in 1874, a house being taken for the purpose in Colmore Row in 1876, but it was removed to Great Charles Street in 1882, where lodgings may be obtained for 2s. 6d. a week. From returns sent in from various branches in connection with the Association, it would appear that the number of members in Birmingham was 1,500, which says much or its popularity among the class it was intended to benefit.

~Philanthropic Trust Funds.~--That our predecessors forgot not charity is well proved, though some of the "Trusts" read strangely in these days.

_Apprenticing Poor Boys_.--A favourite bequest in past days was the leaving of funds for apprenticing poor lads to useful trades, and when workmen were so scarce and valuable that the strong arm of the law was brought in to prevent their emigrating or removing, doubtless it was a useful charity enough. Now-a-days the majority of masters do not care about the small premiums usually paid out of these trusts, and several such charities have been lost sight of or become amalgamated with others. The funds, however, left by George Jackson, 1696, and by Richard Scott, 1634, are still in the hands of trustees, and to those whom it may concern, Messrs. Horton and Lee, Newhall street, solicitors to both trusts, will give all needful information.

_Banner's Charity_.--Richard and Samuel Banner, in 1716, left some land at Erdington, towards providing clothing for two old widows and half-a-dozen old men, the balance, if any, to be used in apprenticing poor boys in Birmingham,

_Dudley Trust_.--Mr. William Dudley, at his decease in 1876 left £100,000 on trust for the purpose of assisting young tradesmen commencing business on their own account, to relieve aged tradesmen of the town who had not succeeded in life, and lastly to benefit the charities of the town. The rules require that applicants must be under fifty years of age; that they must reside within the limits of the borough; that they must not have been set up in business more than three years; that they must give satisfactory proof of their honesty, sobriety, and industry; and that they must give satisfactory security to the Trustees, either personal, viz., by bond with two or more sureties [each surety must give two or three references], or upon freehold, copyhold, or leasehold properties. All these conditions being satisfactorily met, the loans, which will be made free of cost, will bear interest at 2-1/2 per cent. per annum, payable half-yearly, and must be repaid within five years, and if the money is wanted for more than two years, repayments by instalments must then commence. The benefactions to aged persons take the shape of grants, annual or otherwise, not exceeding £20 in any one year, in favour of persons who fulfil the following requirements: They must be of the age of sixty years at least, they must have been tradesmen within the limits of the borough; and they must be able to show to the satisfaction of the Trustees that they are of good character and need assistance, and that they have not received any parochial relief. The Trustees have made several large grants to charitable institutions. Offices: 20, Temple Row.

_Fentham's Charity_.--In 1712 George Fentham left about one hundred acres of land in Handsworth and Erdington Parishes, in trust, to teach poor children to read, and to clothe poor widows. The property, when devised, was worth £20 per year. At the end of the century it was valued at £100 per year; and it now brings in nearly £460. The twenty children receiving the benefits of this charity are admitted to the Blue Coat School, and are distinguished by their dress of dark green. Some fifty widows yearly share in the clothing gifts.

_Food and Clothing_.--John Crowley, in 1709, bequeathed an annuity o 20s. chargeable on property in the Lower Priory, to be expended in "sixpenny bread" for the poor at Christmas.--Some land at Sutton Coldfield was left, in 1681, by John Hopkins, to provide clothing and food for the poor of St. Martin's.--Palmer's Charity, 1867, finds about £40 per annum, which is distributed among eighty recipients selected by the Town Council, the majority being poor old women, who go for their doles Dec. 12th.--In addition to the above there have been a number of minor charities left to the churchwardens for providing food and clothing which have either been lost sight of, or mixed up with others, some dating as far back as 1629-30.

_George Hill's Charity_ is now of the value of nearly £5,000, bringing in about £120 yearly. Of this 52s. goes to the churchwardens of the parish church to provide bread for the most necessitous and aged poor; 20s. to the incumbent of Deritend, and the residue in pensions of not more than £20 to decayed schoolmasters and schoolmistresses.

_Hollier's Charity_ was devised in 1789, the land now known as Highgate Park (originally 10 acres) being left to clothe, annually, twenty poor persons, twelve from Birmingham and eight from Aston. The purchase money paid by the Corporation has been invested, and, under the direction of the Charity Commissioners, the income of this charity is appropriated thus:--£50 for clothing for twelve poor men or women of Birmingham, and eight ditto of Aston; £25 for relieving deserving and necessitous persons discharged from Borough Lunatic Asylum; £150 to the Dispensaries of Birmingham and Aston; £25 each to the Children's Hospital and the Sanatorium; and the remainder to the General Hospital.

_James's Trust_, of 1869, which realises about £1,000 per year, was left to provide homes and pensions for deserving widows and others; five annuities for poor and decayed gentlewomen; and a scholarship at the Grammar School. The Secretary is the Vicar of St. Clement's, Nechells.

_Kylcuppe's Charity_.--Sept. 19, 1611. Richard Kylcuppe devised certain land at Sparkbrook for charitable purposes, the income of which is now handed to the General Hospital and General Dispensary, as nearly as possible following the testator's wishes.

_Lench's Trust_, which dates from 1539, is one of the most important charities of the town, and has an income of over £3,000 a year at present. The original objects of the trust were repairing the streets of the town and relief to poor. From time to time other charities have been incorporated, and the funds administered with those of Lench's Trust. Among these are the "Bell Rope" fund for purchasing ropes for St. Martin's Belfry, the donor of which is not known; Colmore's Charity, dating from 1585, for relieving the poor and repairing streets; Redhill's and Shilton's (about 1520), for like purposes; Kylcuppe's 1610, for the poor, and a small sum towards repairing the church; Vesey's 1583, known as the "Loveday Croft" gift; Ward's 1573, and Wrexam's, 1568, both for gifts to the poor on Good Friday; Ann Scott's, 1808, providing small amounts to be given to the inmates of the Almshouses, &c. The Trust now maintains four sets of almshouses (Conybere Street, Hospital Street, Ravenhurst Street, and Ladywood), accommodating 184 inmates, all women, who receive 5s. a week each, with firing, medical advice and medicines when necessary, and sundry other small comforts beloved by old grannies. The solicitors to the Trust are Messrs. Horton and Lee, Newhall Street. The income of Lench's Trust for the year 1883 amounted to £3,321 10s., of which £1,825 14s. went to the almswomen, £749 1s. 8d. for matrons, doctors, and expenses at the almshouses, £437 9s. 4d. for repairs, insurance, rates, and taxes, and £309 5s. for clerks, collectors, auditors, law and surveyor's charges, printing, &c.

_Milward's Charity_.--John Milward in 1654 left property then worth £26 per annum and the Red Lion public-house (worth another £26, but which could never be traced out), to be devided between the governors of the Free Grammar Schools of Birmingham and Haverfordwest and Brazennose College, for the support at the said college of one student from the above schools in rotation. The Red Lion having been swallowed up at a gulp; the other property would appear to have been kept as a nibbling-cake, for till the Charity Commissioners visited here in 1827 no scholar had ever been sent to college by its means. The railways and canals have taken most of the property of this trust, the invested capital arising from the sales bringing in now about £650 per year, which is divided between the two schools and the college above named, the Birmingham portion being sufficient to pay for two scholarships yearly.

The _Nichol Charity_ provides for the distribution of bread and coals to about 100 people on New Year's Day, by the vicar and churchwardens of St. David's.

_Old Maids and Widows_.--About £40 per year are divided by the Rector and Churchwardens of St. Philip's amongst ten old maids "or single women of virtuous character," and twelve poor widows attending divine service there, the invested money arising from Shelton's Charity, 1826, and Wilkinson's Charity, 1830.--Thomas Pargeter (of Foxcote) in 1867, left money in trust, to provide annuities of £20 each, to unmarried ladies of fifty-five or more, professing Unitarianism, and about 100 are now reaping the fruit of his charity. Messrs. Harding and Son, Waterloo Street, are the solicitors.

_Ridduck's Trust_, for putting poor boys out apprentice, was devised in 1728, the property consisting of a farm at Winson Green. By direction of the Court of Chancery, the income is now divided, £70 to Gem Street Free Industrial School, and £20 to the British School, Severn Street. The Trustees include the Mayor, the Rectors of St. Martin's, St. Philip's, St. Thomas's, St. George's, several Nonconformist ministers, and the Registrar of the Society of Friends.

_Preaching Sermons_.--By Salusbury's Charity, 1726, the Rectors of St. Martin's and St. Philip's are entitled to the sum of 15s to preach sermons once a year for the benefit of the Blue Coat School--Ingram's Charity, 1818, consisting of the yearly interest of £500 4 per cent. India Stock, was intended to insure the preaching of an annual sermon on the subject of kindness to animals (especially to the horse) by a local clergyman of the Established Church, but the Governors of King Edward's School, who are the trustees, have obtained the sanction of the Charity Commissioner to a scheme under which sermons on kindness to animals may take the form of one or more free lectures on the kind treatment of animals, and especially of the horse, to be delivered in any place of public worship, or other building or room approved by the trustees, and not necessarily, as heretofore, by a clergyman of the Established Church, and in a church.

_Scripture Reading_.--In 1858 Admiral Duff left a sum of money, which brings in about £45 per year, for the maintenance of a Scripture Reader for the town of Birmingham. The trustee of this land is the Mayor for the time being, and the Scripture Reader may be heard of at the Town Clerk's office.

_The Whittingham Charity_, distributed at St. James's, Ashted, in March, furnishes gifts to about eighty poor people (principally widows), who receive blankets, sheets, quilts, flannel, &c., in addition to bread and coal.

~Philosophical Society.~--A society with this name was formed in 1794 for the promulgation of scientific principles among mechanics. Its meetings were held in an old warehouse in the Coach Yard, and from the fact that many workmen from the Eagle Foundry attended the lectures, delivered mainly by Mr. Thomas Clarke, the members acquired the name of "the cast-iron philosophers." Another society was formed in 1800, for the diffusion of scientific knowledge amongst the middle and higher classes, and by the year 1814 it was possessed of a handsome Lecture Theatre, a large Museum, with good collections of fossils and minerals, a Library, Reading Room, &c., in Cannon Street. Like many other useful institutions of former days, the philosophical has had to give way to the realistic, its library of dead men's writings, and its fossils of the ancient world, vanishing in face of the reporters of to-day's doings, the ubiquitous throbs of the "Walter" and "Hoe" steam presses resounding where erst the voice of Science in chronicling the past foreshadowed the future.

~Pillory.~--This ancient machine for the punishment of prigs formerly stood in High Street. The last time it was used was in 1813. We pillory people in print now, and pelt them with pen and ink. The Act for abolishing this method of punishment was not passed until June 30, 1837. What became of the pillory here is not known, but there is, or was lately, a renovated specimen of the article at Coleshill.

~Pinfold Street~ takes its name from the "pound" or "pinfold" that existed there prior to 1752. There used to be another of these receptacles for straying animals near to the Plough and Harrow in Hagley Road, and a small corner of Smithfield was railed off for the like purpose when the Cattle market was there established. The "Jacob Wilsons" of a previous date held a field under the Lords of the Manor wherein to graze their captured cattle, but one of the Town Criers mortgaged it, and his successors lost their right to the land which was somewhere about Caroline Street.

~Places of Worship.~--_Established Church_.--In 1620 there were 358 churches in Warwickshire, 130 in Staffordshire, and 150 in Worcestershire; but St. Martin's, Edgbaston, Aston, Deritend, and Handsworth, churches were all that Birmingham could boast of at the beginning of last century, and the number had not been increased to a very large extent even by the year 1800. As will be seen from the dates given in following pages, however, there was a goodly number of churches erected in the first half of this century, about the end of which period a "Church extension" movement was set on foot. The success was so apparent that a society was formed (Jan., 1865), and in March, 1867, it was resolved to raise a fund of £50,000, for the purpose of at once erecting eight other new churches in the borough, Miss Ryland heading the list of donations with the munificent gift of £10,000. It is difficult to arrive at the amount expended on churches previous to 1840, but the annexed list of churches, built, enlarged, or repaired in this neighbourhood from 1840 to 1875, will give an approximate idea of the large sums thus invested, the whole of which was raised solely by voluntary contributions.

Acock's Green ... ... £6,405 Aston Brook ... ... 5,000 Balsall Heath ... ... 8,500 Bishop Ryder's ... ... 886 Christ Church ... ... 1,000 Christ Church, Sparkbrook 9,163 Edgbaston ... ... ... 2,200 Hay Mills ... ... ... 6,500 Immanuel ... ... ... 4,600 King's Heath ... ... 3,900 King's Norton ... ... 5,092 Moseley ... ... ... 2,491 Saltley ... ... ... 7,139 St. Alban's ... ... 2,800 St. Andrew's ... ... 4,500 St. Anne's ... ... ... 2,700 St. Anne's, Moseley ... 7,500 St. Asaph's... ... ... 7,700 St. Augustine's ... ... 7,800 St. Barnabas' ... ... 3,500 St. Bartholomew's... ... 1,260 St. Clement's ... ... 3,925 St. Cuthbert's ... ... 5,000 St. David's... ... ... 6,185 St. Gabriel's ... ... 4,307 St. George's Edgbaston ... 1,583 St. James's Edgbaston ... 6,000 St. John's, Ladywood ... 7,200 St. Lawrence's ... ... 4,380 St. Luke's ... ... ... 6,286 St. Martin's ... ... 30,134 St. Matthew's ... ... 4,850 St. Matthias's ... ... 5,361 St. Mary's ... ... ... 4,503 St. Mary's, Selly Oak ... 5,400 St. Nicholas' ... ... 4,288 St. Paul's ... ... ... 1,400 St. Philip's ... ... 9,987 St. Saviour's ... ... 5,273 St. Silas's... ... ... 4,677 St. Stephen's ... ... 3,200 St. Stephen's, Selly Oak 3,771

To the above total of £228,336 expended on churches in or close to the borough, there should be added £57,640 expended in the erection, &c., of churches close at hand in the adjoining diocese of Lichfield; £25,000 laid out at Coleshill, Northfield, and Solihull (the principal residents being from Birmingham); and a still further sum of £150,000 spent on Church-school buildings. These figures even do not include the vast amounts invested for the endowments of the several churches and schools, nor is aught reckoned for the value of the land or building materials where given, nor for the ornamental decorations, fonts, pulpits, windows, and furnishings so munificently lavished on our local churches. Since the year 1875 it has been calculated that more than £100,000 has been devoted to similar local church-building purposes, so that in less than fifty years much more than half-a-million sterling has been voluntarily subscribed by the Churchmen of the neighbourhood for the religious welfare and benefit of their fellow men. Still there is room for more churches and for more preachers, and the Church Extension Society are hoping that others will follow the example of the "Landowner," who, in the early part of the year (1884) placed £10,000 in the hands of the Bishop towards meeting the urgent need of additional provision for the spiritual wants of the inhabitants.--Short notes of the several churches can alone be given.

_All Saints'_, in the street of that name, leading out of Lodge Road, is a brick erection of fifty years' date, being consecrated September 28, 1833. It was built to accommodate about 700 and cost £3,850, but in 1881 it was enlarged and otherwise improved at an outlay of over £1,500, and now finds sittings for 1,760, a thousand of the seats being free. The Rev. P.E. Wilson, M.A., is the Rector and Surrogate, and the living (value £400) is in the gift of the Birmingham Trust. The Nineveh schoolroom is used for services on Sunday and Thursday evenings in connection with All Saints.

_All Saints'_, King's Heath, is built of stone in the perpendicular Gothic style, and cost £3,200, the consecration taking place on April 27th, 1860. There are sittings for 620, one half being free. The Rev. J. Webster, M.A., is the Vicar; the living (value £220) being in the gift of the Vicar of Moseley, King's Heath ecclesiastical parish being formed out of Moseley parish in 1863.

_All Saints'_, Small Heath.--Rev. G.F.B. Cross, M.A., Vicar. Soon after the death of the Rev. J. Oldknow, D.D., of Holy Trinity, in 1874, it was resolved to carry out his dying wishes by erecting a church in the fast-filling district of Small Heath. At first the iron building formerly used as a place of worship in Cannon Hill Park was put up, and the Vicar was instituted in October, 1875. The foundation-stone of a permanent building was laid Sept. 8, 1882, which accommodates over 1,000 worshippers. That part of the future "Oldknow Memorial Church" at present finished, comprising the nave, north aisle, and north transept, with seating for nearly 700 (all free), was consecrated July 28, 1883. The patronage is vested in trustees, the incumbent's stipend being £150.

_All Saints'_, Stechford.--A temporary church of iron and wood, erected at a cost of £620, to accommodate 320 persons, all seats being free, was dedicated Dec. 18, 1877.