clubs than Birmingham, be they Friendly Clubs, Money Clubs (so-called),
or the more taking Political Clubs, and it would be a hard task to name
them all, or say how they flourished, or dropped and withered. In the
years 1850-60 it was estimated that at publichouses and coffeehouses
there were not less than 180 Money Clubs, the members paying in weekly
or fortnightly subscriptions of varying amount for shares £5 to £100,
and though there cannot be the slightest doubt that many of our present
mastermen owe their success in life to this kind of mutual help, the
spirit of gambling in money shares proved, on the whole, to be
disastrous to the members who went in for good interest on their
deposits. Of Friendly Clubs we shall have something to say under another
beading. Respecting the Political Clubs and those of a general nature we
may say that the earliest we have note of is the "Church and King Club,"
whose first meeting was held at the Royal Hotel, Nov. 27, 1792. Of a
slightly different nature was the "Hampden Club," established in 1815,
but which was closed by the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act in 1817.
During the troublous times of 1830-40, many clubs, or "smoke-room
palavers," existed, but, perhaps the only one that really showed results
was the Branch Club (or local agency), connected with the Land Scheme of
Feargus O'Connor [see "_Land Societies_"], and that ultimately dwindled
to naught. On July 5, 1847, a club on the plan of the London
"Whittington" was started here, but when or why it ended deponent
knoweth not.--The Union Clubhouse, corner of Newhall Street and Colmore
Row, which cost £16,000, was built in 1868-9, being opened May 3rd of
the latter year. This must be considered as the chief neutral ground in
local club matters, gentlemen of all shades of politics, &c., being
members. The number of members is limited to 400, with 50 "temporary"
members, the entrance fee being £15 15s., and the annual subscription £7
7s.--The Town and District Club, opened at the Shakespeare Rooms, in
August, 1876, also started on the non-political theory: the town members
paying £3 3s per annum, and country members a guinea or guinea and half,
according to their residence being within 25 or 100 miles.--A Liberal
Club was founded October 16, 1873, under the auspices of Mr. Joseph
Chamberlain and took possession of its present rooms in Corporation
Street, January 20, 1880, pending the completion of the palatial edifice
now in course of erection in Edmund Street, at the corner of Congreve
Street. The "Forward Liberal Club," opened in Great Hampton Street,
October 30, 1880. A "Junior Liberal Club" celebrated their establishment
by a meeting in the Town Hall, November 16, 1880. The Conservatives, of
course, have not been at all backward in Club matters, for there has
been some institution or other of the kind connected with the party for
the last hundred years. The Midland Conservative Club was started July
4, 1872, and has its head-quarters now in Waterloo-street, the old
County Court buildings being remodelled for the purpose. A Junior
Conservative Club opened in Castle Street, June 25, 1874; a Young Men's
Conservative Club commenced July 26, 1876; the Belmont Conservative
Club, July 30, 1877; and the Hampton Conservative Club, August 21st of
same year. In fact, every ward in the borough, and every parish and
hamlet in the suburbs now has its Conservative and Liberal Club; the
workingmen having also had _their_ turn at Club-making, the Birmingham
Heath working men opening up shop, August 25, 1864; the Saltley boys in
October, 1868; the St. Albanites following suit December 1, 1873; and
the Ladywood men, November 30, 1878. A Club of more pretentious
character, and called _par excellence "The_ Working-man's Club," was
begun July 20, 1863, but the industriously-inclined members thereof did
not work together well, and allowed the affair to drop through. Backed
by several would-be-thought friends of the working class, another
"Working Men's Club" sprung into existence April 29, 1875, with a
nominal capital of £2,500 in 10s. shares. Rooms were opened in Corn
Exchange Passage on the 31st of May, and for a time all promised well.
Unfortunately the half-sovereigns did not come in very fast, and the
landlord, though he knew "Nap" to be a very favourite game, did not
choose, to be caught napping, and therefore "took his rest" at the end
of the fifth half-year, and in so doing rent the whole fabric of the
club.--The Edgbaston Art Club was organised in 1878; the Chess Club in
1841; the Germania Club in 1856; the Gymnastic Club in 1866; the
Dramatic Club in May, 1865; the Farmer's Club in May, 1864, the Pigeon
flying Club at Quilter's in 1875, &c., &c. Club law has great
attractions for the Brums--every profession and every trade hath its
club, and all the "fanciers" of every sort and kind club by themselves,
till their name is "Legion."
~Coaches.~--From its being situated as it were in the very heart of the
kingdom, Birmingham, in the olden days, and it is but fifty years ago,
was an important converging central-point of the great mailcoach system,
and a few notes in connection therewith cannot be uninteresting. Time
was when even coaching was not known, for have we not read how long it
took ere the tidings of Prince Rupert's attack on our town reached
London. A great fear seems to have possessed the minds of the powers
that were in regard to any kind of quick transmission whatever, for in
the year 1673 it was actually proposed "to suppress the public coaches
that ran within fifty or sixty miles of London," and to limit all the
other vehicles to a speed of "thirty miles per day in summer, and
twenty-five in winter"--for what might not be dreaded from such an
announcement as that "that remarkable swift travelling coach, 'The Fly,'
would leave Birmingham on Mondays and reach London on the Thursdays
following." Prior to and about 1738, an occasional coach was put on the
road, but not as a regular and periodical conveyance, the fare to London
being 25 shillings, "children on lap, and footmen behind, being charged
half-price." A "Flying Coach" commenced running direct to the Metropolis
on May 28th, 1745, and was evidently thought to be an event of some
importance, as it was advertised to do the distance in two days "if the
roads permitted." In July, 1782, the same journey was accomplished in 14
hours, showing a great improvement in the arrangements of the road. The
first mail coaches for the conveyance of letters was started by Mr.
Palmer, of Bath, in 1784, the earliest noticed as passing through here
being on August 23, 1785, but the first direct mail from this town dates
only from May 25, 1812. In February, 1795, the Western mailcoaches were
delayed nearly a week together in consequence of a rapid thaw rendering
the roads impassable. In 1777 fifty-two coaches passed through here to
London and sixteen to Bristol every week. In 1829 at least 100 departed
from or passed through the town daily, 550 persons travelling between
here and London. In 1832 Mr. Lecount estimated the general results of
the road and canal traffic between here and London as follows:
Pessengers, 233,155; goods, 62,389 tons; parcels, 46,799; beasts,
50,839; sheep, 365,000; pigs, 15,364; the amount expended in cost of
transit being £1,338,217. In 1837 it was estimated that £6,789 was
received per week from coach passengers on the road from here to London,
£1,571 for parcels per coach, and £729 from persons posting along the
same roads; and that £8,120 was received for goods by canals and
waggons, not including iron, timber, cattle, minerals, or other goods at
low tonnage--£17,209 _per week_. There was, notwithstanding the large
number of coaches leaving here every day, no direct conveyance from
Birmingham to Edinburgh. The best and usual route was by Walsall,
Manchester, Preston, and Carlisle; distances and times being,
Manchester, 78-1/2 miles, 8 hours, fare, 14s.; Manchester to Carlisle,
118 miles, 12 hours 55 minutes by the mail, including stoppage of fifty
minutes at Preston for post office purposes, fare, £1 2s. 6d.; Carlisle
to Edinburgh, 95 miles, 9 hours 35 minutes, fare, 18s.; coachmen and
guards' fees about 15s.; all hotel charges, &c., were paid by the
passenger. Total distance, 291-1/2 miles; travelling time, 30-1/2 hours;
cost, £3 9s. 6d., in all. The mail coach which left the Albion reached
London in 10-1/2 hours, which would be reckoned as very good travelling,
even in these days. For some time after the introduction of railways,
the coaching interest was still of some account, for as late as 1840
there were 54 coaches and omnibuses running from here every 24 hours.--
There has been a kind of modern revival of the good old coaching days,
but it has not become popular in this part of the country, though quite
a summer feature on the Brighton Road. A four-in-hand, driven by the
Earl of Aylesford, was put on the road from here to Coventry, at latter
end of April, 1878; and another ran for part of the summer, in 1880, to
Leamington. The introduction of railways set many persons to work on the
making of "steam coaches" to travel on the highways. Captain Ogle coming
here on one of his own inventing September 8th, 1832, direct from
Oxford, having travelled at from ten to fourteen miles per hour. Our
local geniuses were not behindhand, and Messrs. Heaton Bros., and the
well-known Dr. Church brought out machines for the purpose. Both parties
started joint-stock companies to carry out their inventions, and in that
respect both parties succeeded, for such was the run for shares, that in
June, 1833, when Heatons' prospectus came out, offering to the public
2,000 £10 shares, no less than 3,000 were asked for in one day. There
was also a third company in the field, the "London, Birmingham, and
Liverpool," with a nominal capital of £300,000; but none of them
prospered; for though they could construct the engines and the coaches,
they could not make receipts cover expenses. Heatons' ran theirs for
some little time to Wolverhampton and back, and even to the Lickey; the
Doctor came out every month with something new; and even the big Co.
managed to bring one carriage all the way from London (August 28th,
1835). Others besides Captain Ogle also came here on their iron horses,
and there was plenty of fun and interest for the lookers-on generally--
but no trade and no interest for the speculators. For steam coaches of
the present day, see "_Tramways_."
~Coal~ was not in common use much before 1625, and for a long time was
rather shunned by householders, more especially in the rural parts where
the black diamonds were looked upon as something altogether uncanny.
Prior to the opening of the first canal, the roads leading from the
Black Country daily presented the curious feature of an almost unending
procession of carts and waggons bringing the supplies needed by our
manufacturers, and high prices were the rule of the day. The first
boatload was brought in on November 6th, 1769, and soon after the price
of coal at the wharf was as low as 4d. per cwt.--See "_Trades_."
~Cobbett~ delivered a lecture on the Corn Laws, &c., at Beardsworth's
Repository, May 10 1830.
~Cobden.~--There was a general closing of places of business here on
April 6, 1865, the day on which Richard Cobden was buried.
~Cockfighting.~--_Aris's Gazette_ of December 26, 1780, announced in one
of its advertisements that "the Annual Subscription Match of Cocks"
would be fought at Duddeston Hall, commonly called "Vauxhall," on the
New Year's day and day after.--The same paper printed an account of
another Cockfight, at Sutton, as late as April 17, 1875.
~Coffeehouses.~--Coffee, which takes its name from the Abyssinian
province of Kaffa, was introduced into this country in the early part of
the 17th century, the first coffeehouse being opened in London in 1652.
Until very late years coffeehouses in provincial towns were more noted
for their stuffy untidiness than aught else, those of Birmingham not
excepted, but quite a change has come o'er the scene now, and with all
the brave glitter of paint and glaring gas they attempt to rival the
public-houses. The Birmingham Coffeehouse Company, Limited (originally
miscalled The Artizan's Clubhouse Company), which came into existence
March 27, 1877, with a capital of £20,000 in 10s. shares, has now near
upon a score of houses open, and their business is so successful that
very fair dividends are realised.
~Coffins.~--Excluding textile fabrics and agricultural produce,
Birmingham supplies almost every article necessary for the comfort of
man's life, and it is therefore not surprising that some little
attention has been given to the construction of the "casket" which is to
enclose his remains when dead. Coffins of wood, stone, lead, &c., have
been known for centuries, but coffins of glass and coffins of brass must
be ranked amongst the curiosities of our later trades. Two of the latter
kind polished, lacquered, and decorated in a variety of ways, with
massive handles and emblazoned shields, were made here some few years
back for King Egbo Jack and another dark-skinned potentate of South
Africa. "By particular request" each of these coffins were provided with
four padlocks, two outside and two inside, though how to use the latter
must have been a puzzle even for a dead king. The Patent Metallic
Air-tight Coffin Co., whose name pretty accurately describes their
productions, in 1861 introduced hermetically-sealed coffins with plate
glass panels in the lid, exceedingly useful articles in case of
contagious diseases, &c., &c. The trade in coffin "furniture" seems to
have originated about 1760, when one ingenious "Mole" pushed it forward;
and among the list of patents taken out in 1796 by a local worthy there
is one for "a patent coffin," though its particular speciality could not
have met with much approval, as although some thousands of bodies have
been removed from our various sepultures nothing curious or rarer than
rotten boards and old lead has been brought to light.
~Coinage.~--So far had our patriotic forefathers proceeded in the art of
making money that about the middle of the last century it was estimated
over one half the copper coin in circulation was counterfeit, and that
nine-tenths thereof was manufactured in Birmingham, where 1,000
halfpennies could be had of the makers for 25s. Boulton's big pennies
were counterfeited by lead pennies faced with copper. One of these would
be a curiosity now. The bronze coinage was first issued December 1,
1860, and soon after Messrs. Ralph Heaton & Sons made 100 tons of bronze
coins for the Mint. They are distinguished by the letter "H" under the
date. The number, weight, and value of this issue were as follows:--
Tons Nominal Value.
62 or 9,595,245 pennies .. £25,396 17 1
28 or 5,504,382 halfpennies .. 11,469 10 11
10 or 3,884,446 farthings .. 4,096 5 4
---------------- --------------
100 or 15,484,043 pieces .. £40,962 13 4
The same firm has had several similar contracts, the last being in hand
at the present time. The bronze is composed of 95 parts copper, 4 tin,
and 1 zinc.
~Colleges.~--See "_Schools_," &c.
~Colmore Row,~ which now extends from the Council House to the Great
Western Hotel (including Ann Street and Monmouth Street) is named after
the Colmore family, the owners of the freehold. Great Colmore Street,
Caroline and Charlotte Streets, Great and Little Charles Streets,
Cregoe, Lionel, and Edmund Streets, all take their names from the same
source.
~Colonnade.~--This very handsome and (for Birmingham) rather
novel-looking building, was opened Jan. 10, 1883, being erected by Mr.
A. Humpage, at a cost of about £70,000, from the designs of Mr. W.H.
Ward. The Colonnade proper runs round the entire building, giving
frontage to a number of shops, the upper portion of the block being
partly occupied by the Midland Conservative Club, and the rest of the
building, with the basement, fitted up as a Temperance Hotel and
"Restaurant."
~Comets.~--The inhabitants were very much terrified by the appearance of
a comet in December, 1680. At Michaelmas, 1811, an exceedingly brilliant
comet appeared, supposed to have been the same which was seen at the
birth of Jesus Christ. Donati's comet was first observed June 2, 1858,
but was most brilliant in September and October. The comets of 1861 and
1883 were also visible here.
~Commissioners.~--The first local governing body of the town, though
with but the merest shadow of power as compared with the Corporation of
to-day, were the Street Commissioners appointed under an Act of Geo.
III. in 1769, their duties being confined almost solely to repairing,
cleansing, and "enlightening" the streets of the town, appointing
watchmen, &c., their power of raising funds being limited to 1s. in the
£. By succeeding Acts of 1773, 1801, 1812, and 1828, the powers of the
Commissioners were considerably enlarged, and they must be credited with
the introduction of the first set of local improvement schemes,
including the widening of streets, clearing the Bull Ring of the houses
round St. Martin's Church, making owners lay out proper streets for
building, purchasing the market tolls, building of Town Hall and Market
Hall, regulating carriages, and "suppressing the smoke nuisance arising
from engines commonly called steam engines," &c., and, though they came
in for their full share of obloquy and political rancour, it cannot be
denied they did good and faithful service to the town. The Commissioners
had the power of electing themselves, every vacancy being filled as it
occurred by those who remained, and, as the Act of 1828 increased their
number to no less than 89, perhaps some little excuse may be made for
the would-be leading men of the day who were left out in the cold. Be
that as it may, the Charter of Incorporation put them aside, and gave
their power and authority into the hands of a popularly-elected
representative body. The Commissioners, however, remained as a body in
name until the last day of December, 1851, when, as a token of
remembrance, they presented the town with the ornamental fountain
formerly standing in the centre of the Market Hall, but which has been
removed to Highgate Park. On the transfer of their powers to the
Corporation, the Commissioners handed over a schedule of indebtedness,
showing that there was then due on mortgage of the "lamp rate," of 4 per
cent, £87,350; on the "Town Hall rate," at 4 per cent., £25,000;
annuities, £947 3s. 4d.; besides £7,800, at 5 percent., borrowed by the
Duddeston and Nechells Commissioners, making a total of £121,097 3s. 4d.
~Commons.~--Handsworth Common was enclosed in 1793. An Act was passed in
1798 for enclosing and allotting the commons and waste land in
Birmingham. The commons and open fields of Erdington and Witton were
enclosed and divided in 1801.
~Concert Halls, &c.~--The Birmingham Concert Hall, better known as
"Holder's," was built in 1846, though for years previous the house was
noted for its harmonic meetings; the present Hall has seats for 2,200
persons. Day's Concert Hall was erected in 1862 the opening night,
September 17, being for the benefit of the Queen's Hospital, when £70
was realised therefor; the Hall will accommodate 1,500.--The Museum
Concert Hall was opened Dec. 20, 1863, and will hold about 1,000
people.--A very large building intended for use as a Concert Hall, &c.,
will soon be opened in Snow Hill, to be conducted on temperance
principles.--A series of popular Monday evening concerts was commenced
in the Town Hall, Nov. 12, 1844, and was continued for nearly two
years.--Twopenny weekly "Concerts for the People" were started at the
Music Hall, Broad Street (now Prince of Wales' Theatre), March 25, 1847,
but they did not take well.--Threepenny Saturday evening concerts in
Town Hall, were begun in November, 1879.
~Conferences and Congresses~ of all sorts of people have been held here
from time to time, and a few dates are here annexed:--A Conference of
Wesleyan ministers took place in 1836, in 1844, 1854, 1865, and 1879,
being the 136th meeting of that body. Four hundred Congregational
ministers met in Congress Oct. 5, 1862. A Social Science Congress was
held Sept. 30, 1868. A Trades Union Conference Aug. 23, 1869. National
Education League Conference, Oct. 12, 1869. National Republican
Conference, May 12, 1873. Conference on Sanitary Reform, Jan. 14, 1875.
A Co-operative Societies Conference, July 3, 1875. A Conference of
Christians in Needless Alley, Oct. 27, 1875. The Midland Counties'
Church Defence Associations met in the Exchange, Jan. 18, 1876, and on
the 9th of Feb. the advocates for disestablishing and disendowing the
Church said their say in the Masonic Hall, resolutions in favour of
sharing the loaves and fishes being enthusiastically carried by the good
people who covet not their neighbours' goods. A Domestic Economy
Congress was held July 17, 1877. A Church Conference held sittings Nov.
7, 1877. The friends of International Arbitration met in the Town Hall,
May 2, 1878, when 800 delegates were present, but the swords are not yet
beaten into ploughshares. How to lessen the output of coal was discussed
March 5, 1878, by a Conference of Miners, who not being then able to
settle the question, met again June 17, 1879, to calmly consider the
advisableness of laying idle all the coalpits in the country for a time,
as the best remedy they could find for the continued reduction of wages.
The 18th Annual Conference of the British Association of Gas Managers
was held here June 14, 1881, when about 500 of those gentlemen attended.
A considerable amount of gassy talk anent the wonderful future naturally
arose, and an endowment fund of £323 was banked to provide a medal for
"any originality in connection with the manufacture and application of
gas," but the Gas Committee of Birmingham, without any vast improvement
in the manufacture, still keep to _their_ original idea of sharing
profits with ratepayers, handing over £25,000 each year to the Borough
rates. On Bank Holiday, August 6, 1883, a Conference of Bakers took
place here, and at the same date the 49th "High Court" of Foresters
assembled at the Town Hall, their last visit having been in 1849.
~Conservative Associations~ have been in existence for at least fifty
years, as the formation of one in December, 1834, is mentioned in the
papers of the period. The present one, which is formed on a somewhat
similar plan to that of the Liberal Association, and consists of 300
representatives chosen from the wards, held its first meeting May 18,
1877. Associations of a like nature have been formed in most of the
wards, and in Balsall Heath, Moseley, Aston, Handsworth, and all the
suburbs and places around.
~Constables.~--In 1776 it was necessary to have as many as 25 constables
sworn in to protect the farmers coming to the weekly market.--See also
"_Police_."
~Consuls.~--There are Consulates here for the following countries (for
addresses see _Directory_):--Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chili, France,
Germany, Greece, Liberia, Portugal, Spain and Italy, Turkey, United
States, United States of Columbia, and Uruguay.
~Convents.~--See "_Religious Institutions_."
~Co-operative Societies~ at one time were put in the same category as
Chartist, Socialist, and Communistic Associations, all banned alike.
Nevertheless, in the old "Reform days" the theory of co-operation was
most enthusiastically taken up by the workers of this town, even more so
than in any other place in the kingdom. As early as 1828 several
attempts had been made to form such societies, but the one which
appeared the most likely to succeed was the so-called "Labour Exchange,"
situated in the old Coach Yard, in Bull Street, formed on the basis so
eloquently and perseveringly advocated by Robert Owen. The principle of
this Exchange was to value all goods brought in at the cost of the raw
material, plus the labour and work bestowed thereon, the said labour
being calculated at the uniform rate of 6d. per hour. On the reception
of the goods "notes" to the value were given which could be handed over
as equivalent for any other articles there on sale, and for a time this
rather crude plan was successful. Sharp customers, however found that by
giving in an advanced valuation of their own goods they could by using
their "notes" procure others on which a handsome profit was to be made
outside the Labour Mart, and this ultimately brought the Exchange to
grief. Mr. William Pare and Mr. George Jacob Holyoake, were foremost
among the advocates of Co-operation at the period, and a most
interesting history of "Co-operation in England" has been written by the
latter gentleman. Other societies were also in operation from time to
time, the longest-lived being the "Economic Provision Company," which
was commenced at Handsworth in 1830 by some of the workers at Soho and
Soho Foundry, 139 of whom clubbed 20s. each as a starting fund. After a
few months' trial, the profits were allowed to accumulate until they
made up £5 per share, on which capital no less than £6,000 were paid in
dividends during the first thirty years. The Supply Associations of the
present day are somewhat differently constituted, such establishments as
the one in Corporation Street (formerly in Cannon Street) and that in
High Street being on the most extensive scale, offering to the general
public all the advantages derivable from the use of large capital,
combined with a fair division of profits to the customer, as well as to
the shareholders. The Birmingham Household Supply Association in
Corporation Street supplies all the necessaries required in the
household, in addition to eatables and drinkables of the very best
quality, including Messrs. Walter Showell and Sons' ales, which are sent
out at the same prices as from the firm's own offices, either in cask or
bottle.
~Cornavii.~--The ancient inhabitants of this part of England, but who
were subdued by the Romans. Whether the said inhabitants had any name
for the particular spot now called Birmingham must for ever remain
doubtful.
~Corn Exchange,~ in High-street, was opened October 28, 1847. The
original capital of the Company was £5,000, in shares of £25 each; but
the total cost of erection was a little over £6,000. The length of the
interior is 172 feet and the breadth 40 feet.
~Corn Laws.~--Long before the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League in
1838, a movement for the repeal of the obnoxious imposts had been
started in this town, a petition being sent from here to Parliament in
March, 1815, with 48,600 signatures attached. The doings of the League
and their ultimate success is an off-told tale, the men of Birmingham of
course taking their part in the struggle, which culminated on the 26th
of June, 1846, in the passing of Sir Robert Peel's Bill for the total
repeal of all duties levied on corn and breadstuffs.