1799 there was a piece of waste land, which being let to Mr. Richard
Ford, one of the mechanical worthies of that period, was so dealt with
as to make the spot an attraction for every visitor. Mr. Ford employed a
number of hands, and some of them he observed were in the habit of
spending a great part of their wages and time in dissipation. By way of
example to his workmen he laid aside some 12/-to 15/-a week for a
considerable period, and when trade was occasionally slack with him, and
he had no other occupation for them, he sent his horse and cart to Aston
Furnaces for loads of "slag," gathering in this way by degrees a
sufficient quantity of this strange building material for the erection
of a convenient and comfortable residence. The walls being necessarily
constructed thicker than is usual when mere stone or brick is used, the
fancy took him to make the place represent a ruined building, which he
christened "Hockley Abbey," and to carry out his deceptive notion the
date 1473 was placed in front of the house, small pebbles set in cement
being used to form the figures. In a very few years by careful training
nearly the whole of the building was overgrown with ivy, and few but
those in the secret could have guessed at the history of this ruined
"abbey." For the house and some fifteen acres of land £100 rent was paid
by Mr. Hubert Gallon, in 1816 and following years, exclusive of taxes,
and by way of comfort to the heavily-burdened householders of to-day, we
may just add that, in addition to all those other duties loyal citizens
were then called upon to provide for the exigencies of the Government,
the parochial taxes on those premises from Michaelmas, 1816, to
Michaelmas, 1817, included two church rates at 30s. each, three highway
rates at 30s. each, and _thirty-six_ levies for the poor at 30s. each--a
total of £61 10s. in the twelve months.
~Hollow Tooth Yard.~--At one time commonly called the "Devil's Hollow
Tooth Yard." This was the name given to the Court up the gateway in Bull
Street, nearest to Monmouth Street.
~Holt Street,~ Heneage Street, Lister Street, &c., are named after the
Holte family.
~Home Hitting.~--The Rev. John Home, a Scotch divine, who visited
Birmingham in 1802, said, "it seemed here as if God had created man only
for making buttons."
~Horse Fair.~--Formerly known as Brick-kiln Lane, received its present
name from the fairs first held there in 1777.
~Horses.~--To find out the number of these useful animals at present in
Birmingham, is an impossible task; but, in 1873, the last year before
its repeal, the amount paid for "horse duty" in the Borough was £3,294
7s. 6d., being at the rate of 10s. 6d. on 6,275 animals.
~Hospital Saturday.~--The fact of the contributions on Hospital Sundays
coming almost solely from the middle and more wealthy classes, led to
the suggestion that if the workers of the town could be organised they
would not be found wanting any more than their "betters." The idea was
quickly taken up, committees formed, and cheered by the munificent offer
of £500 from Mr. P.H. Muntz towards the expenses, the first collection
was made on March 15th 1873, the result being a gross receipt of £4,705
11s. 3d. Of this amount £490 8s. 10d. was collected from their customers
by the licensed victuallers and beerhouse keepers; the gross totals of
each year to the present time being--
1873 . . £4,705 11 3
1874 . . 4,123 15 2
1875 . . 3,803 11 8
1876 . . 3,664 13 8
1877 . . 3,200 17 0
1878 . . 3,134 5 0
1879 . . 3,421 10 2
1880 . . 3,760 9 0
1881 . . 3,968 18 7
1882 . . 4,888 18 9
1883 . . 5,489 9 0
1884 . . 6,062 16 6
After deducting for expenses, the yearly amounts are divided, _pro
rata_, according to their expenditures among the several hospitals and
similar charities, the proportions in 1883 being:--General Hospital.
£1,843 4s. 1d.; Queen's Hospital, £931 8s. 3d.; General Dispensary, £561
1s. 7d.; Children's Hospital, £498 0s. 4d.; Eye Hospital, £345 0s. 4d.;
Birmingham and Midland Counties' Sanatorium, £211 0s. 4d., Women's
Hospital, £193 1s. 9d.; Homoepathic Hospital, £195 5s. 3d.; Orthopædic
Hospital, £138 13s. 6d.; Lying-in Charity, £67 6s. 5d.; Skin and Lock
Hospital, £44 14s. 8d.; Ear and Throat Infirmary, £26 12s. 8d.; Dental
Hospital, £9 5s. 3d.; and Birmingham Nursing District Society, £34 17s.
7d. The total sum thus distributed in the twelve years is £48,574 18s.
9d.
~Hospital Sunday.~--There is nothing new under the sun! Birmingham has
the honour of being credited as the birth-place of "Hospital Sundays,"
but old newspapers tell us that as far back as 1751, when Bath was in
its pride and glory, one Sunday in each year was set aside in that city
for the collection, at every place of worship, of funds for Bath
Hospital; and a correspondent writing to _Aris's Gazette_ recommended
the adoption of a similar plan in this town. The first suggestion for
the present local yearly Sunday collection for the hospitals appeared in
an article, written by Mr. Thos. Barber Wright, in the _Midland Counties
Herald_ in October, 1859. A collection of this kind took place on
Sunday, the 27th, of that month, and the first public meeting, when
arrangements were made for its annual continuance, was held in the Town
Hall, December 14th same year, under the presidency of Dr. Miller, who,
therefrom, has been generally accredited with being the originator of
the plan. The proceeds of the first year's collection were given to the
General Hospital, the second year to the Queen's, and the third year
divided among the other charitable institutions in the town of a like
character, and this order of rotation has been adhered to since.
The following is a list of the gross amounts collected since the
establishment of the movement:--
1859 General Hospital..........£5,200 8 10
1860 Queen's Hospital.......... 3,433 6 1
1861 Amalgamated Charities..... 2,953 14 0
1862 General Hospital.......... 8,340 4 7
1863 Queen's Hospital.......... 3,293 5 0
1864 Amalgamated Charities..... 3,178 5 0
1865 General Hospital.......... 4,256 11 11
1866 Queen's Hospital.......... 4,133 2 10
1867 Amalgamated Charities..... 3,654 9 7
1868 General Hospital.......... 4,253 9 11
1869 Queen's Hospital.......... 4,469 1 8
1870 Amalgamated Charities..... 4,111 6 7
1871 General Hospital.......... 4,886 9 2
1872 Queen's Hospital.......... 5,192 2 3
1873 Amalgamated Charities..... 5,370 8 3
1874 General Hospital.......... 5,474 17 11
1875 Queen's Hospital.......... 5,800 8 8
1876 Amalgamated Charities..... 5,265 10 10
1877 General Hospital.......... 5,280 15 3
1878 Queen's Hospital.......... 6,482 12 10
1879 Amalgamated Charities..... 5,182 3 10
1880 General Hospital.......... 4,886 1 8
1881 Queen's Hospital.......... 4,585 1 3
1882 Amalgamated Charities..... 4,800 12 6
1883 General Hospital.......... 5,145 0 5
1884 Queen's Hospital..........
~Hospitals.~--_The General Hospital_ may be said to have been commenced
in the year 1766, when the first steps were taken towards the erection
of such an institution, but it was not formally opened for the reception
of patients until 1779. The original outlay on the building was £7,140,
but it has received many additions since then, having been enlarged in
1792, 1830, 1842, 1857 (in which year a new wing was erected, nominally
out of the proceeds of a fête at Aston, which brought in £2,527 6s.
2d.), 1865, and during the last few years especially. The last additions
to the edifice consist of a separate "home" for the staff of nurses,
utilising their former rooms for the admittance of more patients; also
two large wards, for cases of personal injury from fire, as well as a
mortuary, with dissecting and jury rooms, &c., the total cost of these
improvements being nearly £20,000. For a long period, this institution
has ranked as one of the first and noblest charities in the provinces,
its doors being opened for the reception of cases from all parts of the
surrounding counties, as well as our own more immediate district. The
long list of names of surgeons and physicians, who have bestowed the
benefits of their learning and skill upon the unfortunate sufferers,
brought within its walls, includes many of the highest eminence in the
profession, locally and otherwise, foremost among whom must be placed
that of Dr. Ash, the first physician to the institution, and to whom
much of the honour of its establishment belongs. The connection of the
General Hospital with the Triennial Musical Festivals, which, for a
hundred years, have been held for its benefit, has, doubtless, gone far
towards the support of the Charity, very nearly £112,000 having been
received from that source altogether, and the periodical collections on
Hospital Sundays and Saturdays, have still further aided thereto, but it
is to the contributions of the public at large that the governors of the
institution are principally indebted for their ways and means. For the
first twenty-five years, the number of in-patients were largely in
excess of the out-door patients, there being, during that period, 16,588
of the former under treatment, to 13,009 of the latter. Down to 1861,
rather more than half-a-million cases of accident, illness, &c., had
been attended to, and to show the yearly increasing demand made upon the
funds of the Hospital, it is only necessary to give a few later dates.
In 1860 the in-patients numbered 2,850, the out-patients 20,584, and the
expenditure was £4,191. In 1876, the total number of patients were
24,082, and the expenditure £12,207. The next three years showed an
average of 28,007 patients, and a yearly expenditure of £13,900. During
the last four years, the benefits of the Charity have been bestowed upon
an even more rapidly-increasing scale, the number of cases in 1880
having been 30,785, in 1881 36,803, in 1882 44,623, and in 1883 41,551,
the annual outlay now required being considerably over £20,000 per year.
When the centenary of the Hospital was celebrated in 1879, a suggestion
was made that an event so interesting in the history of the charity
would be most fittingly commemorated by the establishment or a Suburban
Hospital, where patients whose diseases are of a chronic character could
be treated with advantage to themselves, and with relief to the parent
institution, which is always so pressed for room that many patients have
to be sent out earlier than the medical officers like. The proposal was
warmly taken up, but no feasible way of carrying it out occurred until
October, 1883, when the committee of the Hospital had the pleasure of
receiving a letter (dated Sept. 20), from Mr. John Jaffray, in which he
stated that, having long felt the importance of having a Suburban
Hospital, and with a desire to do some amount of good for the community
in which, for many years, he had received so much kindness, and to
which, in great measure, he owed his prosperity, he had secured a
freehold site on which he proposed to erect a building, capable of
accommodating fifty male and female patients, with the requisite offices
for the attendants and servants, and offered the same as a free gift to
the Governors, in trust for the public. This most welcome and munificent
offer, it need hardly be said, was gratefully accepted, and a general
appeal was made for funds to properly endow the "Jaffray Suburban
Hospital," so that its maintenance and administration shall not detract
from the extending usefulness of the parent institution. The site chosen
by Mr. Jaffray is at Gravelly Hill, and it is estimated the new branch
hospital, of which the first stone was laid June 4, 1884, will cost at
least £15,000 in erection. Towards the endowment fund there have been
nine or ten donations of £1,000 each promised, and it is hoped a fully
sufficient amount will be raised before the building is completed, for,
in the words of Mr. Jaffray, we "have great faith in the liberality of
the public towards an institution--the oldest and noblest and ablest of
our medical charities--which for more than a century has done so much
for the relief of human suffering: and cannot help believing that there
are in Birmingham many persons who, having benefited by the prosperity
of the town, feel that they owe a duty to the community, and will gladly
embrace this opportunity of discharging at least some part of their
obligation." Patients are said to be admitted to the General Hospital by
tickets from subscribers; but, in addition to accidents and cases of
sudden illness, to which the doors are open at all hours, a large number
of patients are admitted free on the recommendation of the medical
officers, the proportion of the cases thus admitted being as six to ten
with subscribers' tickets.
It is estimated that a capital sum of at least £60,000 will be required
to produce a sufficiently large income to maintain the Jaffray Suburban
Hospital, and donations have been, and are solicited for the raising of
that sum. Up to the time of going to press with the "Dictionary," there
has been contributed nearly £24,000 of the amount, of which the largest
donations are:--
G.F. Muntz, Esq...............£2,000 0 0
The Right Hon. Lord Calthorpe 1,000 0 0
Trustees of Dudley Trust...... 1,000 0 0
W.B. Cregoe Colmore, Esq...... 1,000 0 0
Ralph Heaton, Esq............. 1,000 0 0
James Hinks, Esq.............. 1,000 0 0
Lloyds' Old Bank.............. 1,000 0 0
W. Middlemore, Esq............ 1,000 0 0
Mrs. Elizabeth Phipson........ 1,000 0 0
Miss Ryland................... 1,000 0 0
Mrs. Simcox .................. 1,000 0 0
Messrs. Tangyes (Limited)..... 1,000 0 0
Henry Wiggin, Esq., M.P....... 1,000 0 0
Mr. John Wilkes............... 1,000 0 0
About £5,000 more has been sent in hundreds and fifties, and doubtless
many other large gifts will follow.
_The Queens Hospital_ was commenced in 1840, the first stone being laid
by Earl Howe on the 18th of June. His Royal Highness the Prince Consort
was chosen as first president, and remained so until his death, the
office not being filled up again until 1875, when Lord Leigh was
appointed. Many special efforts have been made to increase the funds of
this hospital, and with great success; thus, on Dec. 28, 1848, Jenny
Lind sang for it, the receipts amounting to £1,070. On July 27, 1857, a
fête at Aston Park added £2,527 6s. 2d. (a like sum being given to the
General Hospital). In 1859, Mr. Sands Cox (to whom is due the merit of
originating the Queen's Hospital), commenced the arduous task of
collecting a million postage stamps, equivalent to £4,166 13s. 4d., to
clear the then liabilities, to erect a chapel, and for purposes of
extension. Her Majesty the Queen forwarded (Feb. 15, 1859) a cheque for
£100 toward this fund. On January 16, 1869, the workmen of the town
decided to erect a new wing to the Hospital, and subscribed so freely
that Lord Leigh laid the foundation stone Dec. 4, 1871, and the
"Workmen's Extension" was opened for patients Nov. 7, 1873. In 1880 a
bazaar at the Town Hall brought in £3,687 17s., increased by donations
and new subscriptions to £5,969. The system of admission by subscribers'
tickets was done away with Nov. 1, 1875, a registration fee of 1s. being
adopted instead. This fee, however, is not required in urgent cases or
accident, nor when the patient is believed to be too poor to pay it. The
ordinary income for the year 1882 was £5,580, as compared with £4,834 in
the previous year, when the ordinary income was supplemented by the
further sum of £4,356 from the Hospital Sunday collection, which falls
to the Queen's Hospital once in three years. The chief items of ordinary
income were, subscriptions 1881, £2,780; 1882, £2,788; donations, 1881,
£397; 1882, £237; Hospital Saturday, 1881, £711; 1882, £852; legacies,
1881, £208; 1882, £870; dividends, 1881, £178; 1882, £199; registration
fees, 1881, £538; 1882, £597. The expenditure for the year was £7,264,
as compared with £6,997 in 1881. The number of in-patients in 1882 was
1,669, as compared with 1,663 in 1881; the number of out-patients was
16,538, as compared with 14,490 in the preceding year. The cost of each
in-patient was £3 2s. 3-1/4d. Of the in-patients, 811 were admitted by
registration, the remainder being treated as accidents or urgent cases.
Of the out-patients, 8,359 were admitted by registration, the remainder,
namely, 8,179, were admitted free.
_The Children's Hospital_, founded in 1861, was first opened for the
reception of patients Jan. 1, 1862, in the old mansion in Steelhouse
Lane, fronting the Upper Priory. At the commencement of 1870 the
Hospital was removed to Broad Street, to the building formerly known as
the Lying-in Hospital, an out-patient department, specially erected at a
cost of about £3,250, being opened at the same time (January) in
Steelhouse Lane, nearly opposite the mansion first used. The Broad
Street institution has accommodation for about fifty children in
addition to a separate building containing thirty beds for the reception
of fever cases, the erection of which cost £7,800; and there is a
Convalescent Home at Alvechurch in connection with this Hospital to
which children are sent direct from the wards of the Hospital
(frequently after surgical operations) thus obtaining for them a more
perfect convalescence than is possible when they are returned to their
own homes, where in too many instances those important aids to recovery
--pure air, cleanliness, and good food are sadly wanting. In addition to
the share of the Saturday and Sunday yearly collections, a special
effort was made in 1880 to assist the Children's Hospital by a
simultaneous collection in the Sunday Schools of the town and
neighbourhood, and, like the others, this has become a periodical
institution. In 1880, the sum thus gathered from the juveniles for the
benefit of their little suffering brethren, amounted to £307 9s. 11d.;
in 1881, it was £193 10s. 5d.; in 1882, £218 5s. 2d.; in 1883, £234 3s.
1d. The number of patients during 1883 were: 743 in-patients 12,695
out-patients, 75 home patients, and 475 casualties--total 13,998. The
expenditure of the year had been £4,399 0s. 3d., and the income but
£4,087 14s. 2d.
_Dental_.--This Hospital, 9, Broad Street, was instituted for gratuitous
assistance to the poor in all cases of diseases of the teeth, including
extracting, stopping, scaling, as well as the regulation of children's
teeth. Any poor sufferer can have immediate attention without a
recommendatory note, but applicants requiring special operations must be
provided with a note of introduction from a governor. About 6,000
persons yearly take their achers to the establishment.
_Ear and Throat Infirmary_, founded in 1844, and formerly in Cherry
Street, has been removed to Newhall Street, where persons suffering from
diseases of the ear (deafness, &c.) and throat, are attended to daily at
noon. During the year ending June, 1883, 6,517 patients had been under
treatment, and 1,833 new cases had been admitted. Of the total, 1,389
had been cured, 348 relieved and 116 remained under treatment. The
increase of admissions over those of the previous year was 181, and the
average daily attendance of patients was 25. The number of patients
coming from places outside Birmingham was 577. The income of this
institution is hardly up to the mark, considering its great usefulness,
the amount received from yearly subscribers being only £129 13s. 6d.,
representing 711 tickets, there being received for 875 supplementary
tickets, £153 2s. 6d., and £15 11s. from the Hospital Saturday
collections.
_The Eye Hospital_ was originated in 1823, and the first patients were
received in April, 1824, at the hospital in Cannon Street. Some thirty
years afterwards the institution was removed to Steelhouse Lane, and in
1862 to Temple Row, Dee's Royal Hotel being taken and remodelled for the
purpose at a cost of about £8,300. In 1881 the number of patients
treated was 12,523; in 1882, 13,448 of whom 768 were in-patients, making
a total of over a quarter of a million since the commencement of the
charity. Admission by subscriber's ticket. Originally an hotel, the
building is dilapidated and very unsuitable to the requirements of the
hospital, the space for attendants and patients being most inadequate.
This has been more and more evident for years past, and the erection of
a new building became an absolute necessity. The governors, therefore,
have taken a plot of land at the corner of Edmund Street and Church
Street, upon a lease from the Colmore family for 99 years, and hereon is
being built a commodious and handsome new hospital, from carefully
arranged plans suitable to the peculiar necessities of an institution of
this nature. The estimated cost of the new building is put at £20,000,
of which only about £8,000 has yet been subscribed (£5,000 of it being
from a single donor). In such a town as Birmingham, and indeed in such a
district as surrounds us, an institution like the Birmingham and Midland
Eye Hospital is not only useful, but positively indispensable, and as
there are no restrictions as to distance or place of abode in the matter
of patients, the appeal made for the necessary building funds should
meet with a quick and generous response, not only from a few
large-hearted contributors, whose names are household words, but also
from the many thousands who have knowledge directly or indirectly of the
vast benefit this hospital has conferred upon those stricken by disease
or accident--to that which is the most precious of all our senses. It is
intended that the hospital should be a model to the whole kingdom of
what such an institution ought to be; the latest and best of modern
appliances, both sanitary and surgical, will be introduced. There will
be in and out departments, completely isolated one from the other,
though with a door of communication. From sixty to seventy beds will be
provided, special wards for a certain class of cases, adequate
waiting-rooms for out-patients, and the necessary rooms for the officers
and medical attendants, all being on an ample scale.
_Fever Hospital_.--There was a Fever Hospital opened in March, 1828, but
we have no note when it was closed, and possibly it may have been only a
temporary institution, such as become necessary now and then even in
these days of sanitary science. For some years past fever patients
requiring isolation have been treated in the Borough Hospital, but the
Health Committee have lately purchased a plot of land in Lodge Road of
about 4-1/2 acres, at a cost of £4,500, and have erected there on a
wooden pavilion, divided into male and female wards, with all necessary
bath rooms, nurses' rooms, &c., everything being done which can
contribute to the comfort and care of the inmates, while the greatest
attention has been paid to the ventilation and other necessary items
tending to their recovery. This pavilion is only a portion of the scheme
which the committee propose to carry out, it being intended to build
four, if not five, other wards of brick. A temporary block of
administrative buildings has been erected at some distance from the
pavilion. There accommodation is provided for the matron, the resident
medical superintendent, the nurses when off duty, and the ordinary
kitchen, scullery, and other offices are attached. When the permanent
offices have been erected this building will be devoted to special fever
cases, or, should there be a demand, private cases will be taken in. The
cost of the whole scheme is estimated at £20,000, including the sum
given for the land. It is most devoutly to be wished that this hospital,
which is entirely free, will be generally used by families in case of a
member thereof be taken with any nature of infectious fever, the most
certain remedy against an epidemic of the kind, as well as the most
favourable chance for the patient being such an isolation as is here
provided. The hospital was opened September 11, 1883, and in cases of
scarlet fever and other disorders of an infectious character, an
immediate application should be made to the health officer at the
Council House.
_Homoeopathic_.--A dispensary for the distribution of homoeopathic
remedies was opened in this town in 1847, and though the new system met
with the usual opposition, it has become fairly popular, and its
practitioners have found friends sufficient to induce them to erect a
very neat and convenient hospital, in Easy Row, at a cost of about
£7,000, which was opened November 23rd, 1875, and may possibly soon be
enlarged. A small payment, weekly, is looked for, if the patient can
afford it, but a fair number are admitted free, and a much larger number
visited, the average number of patients being nearly 5,000 per annum.
Information given on enquiry.