The site of this ancient edifice is now the Square; some small remains
of the old foundations are yet visible in the cellars, chiefly on the
South-east. The out-buildings and pleasure-grounds perhaps occupied the
whole North east side of Bull-street, then uninhabited, and only the
highway to Wolverhampton; bounded on the North-west by Steelhouse-lane;
on the North-east by Newton and John's-street; and on the South-east by
Dale-end, which also was no other than the highway to Lichfield--The
whole, about fourteen acres.
The building upon this delightful eminence, which at that time commanded
the small but beautiful prospect of Bristland-fields, Rowley-hills,
Oldbury, Smethewick, Handsworth, Sutton-Coldfield, Erdington, Saltley,
the Garrison, and Camp-hill, and which then stood at a distance from the
town, though now near its centre; was founded by the house of
Birmingham, in the early reigns of the Norman Kings, and called the
Hospital of Saint Thomas,--The priest being bound to pray for the souls
of the founders every day, to the end of the world.
In 1285, Thomas de Madenhache, Lord of the manor of Aston, gave ten
acres of land in his manor. William de Birmingham ten, which I take to
be the land where the Priory stood; and Ranulph de Rakeby three acres,
in Saltley: About the same time, sundry others gave houses and land in
smaller quantities: William de Birmingham gave afterwards twenty-two
acres more. The same active spirit seems to have operated in our
ancestors, 500 years ago, that does in their descendants at this day: If
a new scheme strikes the fancy, it is pursued with vigor.
The religious fervor of that day ran high: It was unfashionable to leave
the world, and not remember the Priory. Donations crowded in so fast,
that the prohibiting act was forgot; so that in 1311, the brotherhood
were prosecuted by the crown, for appropriating lands contrary to the
act of mortmain; But these interested priests, like their sagacious
brethren, knew as well how to preserve as to gain property; for upon
their humble petition to the throne, Edward the Second put a stop to the
judicial proceedings, and granted a special pardon.
In 1351, Fouk de Birmingham, and Richard Spencer, jointly gave to the
priory one hundred acres of land, part lying in Aston, and part in
Birmingham, to maintain another priest, who should celebrate divine
service daily at the altar of the Virgin Mary, in the church of the
hospital, for the souls of William la Mercer, and his wife. The church
is supposed to have stood upon the spot now No. 27, in Bull-street.
In the premises belonging to the Red Bull, No. 83, nearly opposite, have
been discovered human bones, which has caused some to suppose it the
place of interment for the religious, belonging to the priory, which I
rather doubt.
At the dissolution of the abbies, in 1536, the King's visitors valued
the annual income at the trifling sum of 8_l_. 8s. 9d.
The patronage continued chiefly in the head of the Birmingham family.
Dugdale gives us a list of some of the Priors, who held dominion in this
little common wealth, from 1326, 'till the total annihilation, being
210 years.
Robert Marmion,
Robert Cappe,
Thomas Edmunds,
John Frothward,
Robert Browne,
John Port,
William Priestwood,
Henry Drayton,
John Cheyne,
Henry Bradley,
Thomas Salpin,
Sir Edward Toste,
AND
Henry Hody.
Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, a man of much honour, more capacity, and
yet more spirit, was the instrument with which Henry the Eighth
destroyed the abbies; but Henry, like a true politician of the house of
Tudor, wisely threw the blame upon the instrument, held it forth to the
public in an odious light, and then sacrificed it to appease an
angry people.
This destructive measure against the religious houses, originated from
royal letchery, and was replete with consequence.
It opened the fountains of learning, at that day confined to the
monastry, and the streams diffused themselves through various ranks of
men. The revival of letters and of science made a rapid progress: It
soon appeared, that the stagnate knowledge of the priest, was abundantly
mixed with error; but now, running through the laity, who had no private
interest to serve, it became more pure.
It removed great numbers of men, who lay as a dead weight upon the
community, and they became useful members of society: When younger sons
could no longer find an asylum within the gloomy walls of a convent,
they sought a livelihood in trade. Commerce, therefore, was taught to
crowd her sails, cross the western ocean, fill the country with riches,
and change an idle spirit into that of industry.
By the destruction of religious houses, architecture sustained a
temporary wound: They were by far the most magnificent and expensive
buildings in the kingdoms, far surpassing those of the nobility; some of
these structures are yet habitable, though the major part are gone to
decay. But modern architecture hath since out-done the former splendor
of the abbey, in use and elegance and sometimes with the profits arising
from the abbey lands.
It also shut the door of charity against the impostor, the helpless, and
the idle, who had found here their chief supply; and gave rise to one of
the best laws ever invented by human wisdom that of each parish
supporting its own poor.
By the annihilation of abbots, the church lost its weight in Parliament,
and the vote was thrown into the hands of the temporal Lords.
It prevented, in some degree, the extinction of families; for, instead
of younger branches becoming the votaries of a monastic life, they
became the votaries of hymen: Hence the kingdom was enriched by
population. It eased the people of a set of masters, who had for ages
ruled them with a rod of iron.
The hands of superstition were also weakened, for the important sciences
of astrology, miracle, and divination, supported by the cell, have been
losing ground ever since.
It likewise recovered vast tracts of land out of dead hands, and gave an
additional vigor to agriculture, unknown to former ages. The monk, who
had only a temporary tenancy, could not give a permanant one; therefore,
the lands were neglected, and the produce was small: But these lands
falling into the hands of the gentry, acquired an hereditary title. It
was their interest; to grant leases, for a superior rent; and it was the
tenant's interest to give that rent, for the sake of security: Hence the
produce of land is become one of the most advantageous branches of
British commerce.
Henry, by this seisure, had more property to give away, than any King of
England since William the Conqueror, and he generously gave away that
which was never his own. It is curious to survey the foundation of some
of the principal religions that have taken the lead among men.
Moses founded a religion upon morals and ceremonies, one half of which
continues with his people to this day.
Christ founded one upon _love_ and _purity_; words of the simplest
import, yet we sometimes mistake their meaning.
The Bishop of Rome erected his, upon deceit and oppression; hence the
treasures of knowledge were locked up, an inundation of riches and power
flowed into the church, with destructive tendency.
And Henry the Eighth, built his reformation upon revenge and plunder: He
deprived the _head_ of the Romish see, of an unjust power, for
pronouncing a just decision; and robbed the _members_, for being annexed
to that head. Henry wished the world to believe, what he believed
himself, that he acted from a religious principle; but his motive seems
to have been _savage love_.
Had equity directed when Henry divided this vast property, he would have
restored it to the descendants of those persons, whose mistaken zeal had
injured their families; but his disposal of it was ludicrous--sometimes
he made a free gift, at others he exchanged a better estate for a a
worse, and then gave that worse to another.
I have met with a little anecdote which says, "That Henry being upon a
tour in Devonshire, two men waited on him to beg certain lands in that
county; while they attended in the anti-room for the royal presence, a
stranger approached, and asked them a trifling question; they answered,
they wished to be alone--at that moment the King entered: They fell at
his feet: The stranger seeing them kneel, kneelt with them. They asked
the favor intended; the King readily granted it: They bowed: The
stranger bowed also. By this time, the stranger perceiving there was a
valuable prize in the question, claimed his thirds; they denied his
having anything to do with the matter: He answered, he had done as much
as they, for they only asked and bowed, and he did the same. The dispute
grew warm, and both parties agreed to appeal to the King, who answered,
He took them for joint beggars, therefore had made them a joint present.
They were then obliged to divide the land with the stranger, whose share
amounted to 240_l_. per annum."
The land formerly used for the priory of Birmingham, is now the property
of many persons. Upon that spot, whereon stood one solitary house, now
stand about four hundred. Upon that ground, where about thirty persons
lived upon the industry of others, about three thousand live upon their
own: The place, which lay as a heavy burden upon the community, now
tends to enrich it, by adding its mite to the national commerce, and the
national treasury.
In 1775, I took down an old house of wood and plaister, which had stood
208 years, having been erected in 1567, thirty-one years after the
dissolution of abbies. The foundation of this old house seemed to have
been built chiefly with stones from the priory; perhaps more than twenty
wagon loads: These appeared in a variety of forms and sizes, highly
finished in the gothic taste, parts of porticos, arches, windows,
ceilings, etc. some fluted, some cyphered, and otherwise ornamented, yet
complete as in the first day they were left by the chizel. The greatest,
part of them were destroyed by the workmen: Some others I used again in
the fireplace of an under kitchen. Perhaps they are the only perfect
fragments that remain of that venerable edifice, which once stood the
monument of ancient piety, the ornament of the town, and the envy of the
priest out of place.