Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham A History and Guide, Arranged Alphabetically

SHOWELL'S Dawson, George, See " Parsons, Preachers, and Priests ," and " Statues ." Deaf and Dumb Asylum. — See " Philanthropic Institutions ." Debating Societies. —From time immemorial the Brums have had their little Parliaments, mostly in public-house parlours and clubrooms, and certain Sunday nights gathering at "Bob Edmonds" and other well-known houses have acquired quite an historical interest; but the regularly-constituted "Spouting Clubs" of the present day cannot claim a very long existence, the Birmingham Debating Society having held their first palaver on the 3rd of Dec., 1846. In 1855 they joined the Edgbastonians. The latest of the kind started in 1884, is known as the Birmingham Parliamentary Debating Society, and has its premier, parties, and political fights, in proper Parliamentary style. Deer Stealers. —There was a taste for venison in more classes than one in 1765, for it was found necessary to offer rewards for the detection of those persons who stole the deer from Aston Park. Dental Hospital. — See " Hospitals ." Deodands. —Prior to the passing of 9 and 10 Vict., 1846, Coroner's Juries had the power of imposing a "deodand" or penalty on any article or animal which had been instrumental in causing the death of a human being, the said animal or article being forfeited if the owner did not pay. Deritend. —In some antique records the name has been spelt "Duratehend." For this and other reasons it has been thought to have had its origin rather from the ancient British, as "dur" is still the Welsh word for water, and its situation on the Rea (a Gaelic word signifying a running stream) seems to give a little foundation therefor. Mr. Tonlmin Smith, in whose family the "Old Crown House" has descended from the time it was built, and who, therefore, is no mean authority, was of opinion that the name was formerly "Der-yat-end," or "Deer-Gate-End," from the belief that in ancient days there was here an ancient deer forest. Leland said he entered the town by "Dirtey," so perhaps after all Deritend only means "the dirty end." Like the name of the town itself, as well as several other parts of it, we can only guess at the origin. Deritend Bridge. —Old records show that some centuries back there was a bridge here of some sort, and occasionally we find notes of payments made for repairs to the roads leading to the gates of the bridge, or to the watchmen who had charge thereof, who appear to have been in the habit of locking the gates at night, a procedure which we fear our "Dirtyent" neighbours of to-day would be inclined to resent. The Act for building the present bridge was obtained in 1784; the work was commenced in 1789, but not completed till 1814. Dickens, Charles, made his first appearance amongst us at a Polytechnic Conversazione held February 28, 1844, his last visit being to distribute prizes to students of the Midland Institute, January 6, 1870. In December, 1854, he gave the proceeds of three "Readings," amounting to £227, to the funds of the Institute, in which he always took great interest.— See also " Theatrical Notes ," &c. Digbeth, or Dyke Path, or Ducks' Bath, another puzzle to the antiquarians. It was evidently a watery place, and the pathway lay low, as may be seen at "Ye Olde Leather Bottel." Dining Halls. —Our grandfathers were content to take their bread and cheese by the cosy fireside of a public-house kitchen; this was followed by sundry publicans reserving a better room, in which a joint was served up for their "topping customers." One who got into trouble and lost his license, conceived the idea of opposing his successor, and started dining-rooms, sending out for beer as it was required, but not to his old shop. This innovation took, and when the railways began bringing in their streams of strangers, these dining-rooms paid well (as several of the old ones do still). The next step was the opening of a large room in Slaney Street (June 8, 1863), and another in Cambridge Street, with the imposing title of "Dining Halls," wherein all who were hungry could be fed at wholesale prices—provided they had the necessary cash. Our people, however, are not sufficiently gregarious to relish this kind of feeding in flocks, barrackroom fashion, and though the provisions were good and cheap, the herding together of all sorts spoilt the speculation, and Dining Halls closed when "Restaurants" opened.—See " Luncheon Bars ." Diocese. —Birmingham is in the diocese of Worcester, and in the Archdeaconry of Coventry. Directories. —The oldest Birmingham Directory known was printed in 1770, but there had been one advertised a few years earlier, and every now and then, after this date one or other of our few printers ventured to issue what they called a directory, but the procuring a complete list of all and every occupation carried on in Birmingham appears to have been a feat beyond their powers, even sixty years back. As far as they did go, however, the old directories are not uninteresting, as they give us glimpses of trade mutations and changes compared with the present time that appear strange now even to our oldest inhabitants. Place for instance the directory of 1824 by the side of White's directory for 1874 (one of the most valuable and carefully compiled works of the kind yet issued). In the former we find the names of 4,980 tradesmen, the different businesses under which they are allotted numbering only 141; in 1874 the trades and professions named tot up to 745, under which appears no less than 33,462 names. In 1824, if we are to believe the directory, there were no factors here, no fancy repositories, no gardeners or florists, no pearl button makers, no furniture brokers or pawnbrokers (!), no newsagents, and, strange to say, no printer. Photographers and electro-platers were unknown, though fifty years after showed 68 of the one, and 77 of the latter. On the other hand, in 1824, there were 78 auger, awlblade and gimlet makers, against 19 in 1874; 14 bellows makers, against 5; 36 buckle and 810 button makers, against 10 and 265; 52 edge tool makers and 176 locksmiths, against 18 of each in 1874; hinge-makers were reduced from 53 to 23; gilt toy makers, from 265 to 15. (Considering the immense quantity of gilt trifles now sent out yearly, we can only account for these figures by supposing the producers to have been entered under various other headings). Among the trades that have vanished altogether, are steelyard makers, of whom there were 19 in 1824; saw-makers, of whom there were 26; tool-makers, of whom there were 79, and similorers, whatever they might have been. Makers of the time-honoured snuffers numbered 46 in 1824, and there were even half-a-dozen manufacturers left at work in 1874. The introduction of gas-lighting only found employ, in the first-named year, for three gasfitters; in 1874, there were close upon 100. Pewterers and manufacturers of articles in Britannia metal numbered 75 in 1824, against 19 in 1874, wire-drawers in the same period coming down from 237 to 56. The Directories of the past ten years have degenerated into mere bulky tomes, cataloguing names certainly, but published almost solely for the benefit (?) of those tradesmen who can be coaxed into advertising in their pages. To such an extent has this been carried, that it is well for all advertisers to be careful when giving their orders, that they are dealing with an established and respectable firm, more than one bogus Directory having come under the notice of the writer during the past year or two. The issue of a real Post Office Directory for 1882, for which the names, trades, and addresses were to be gathered by the letter-carriers, and no body of men could be more suitable for the work, or be better trusted, was hailed by local tradesmen as a decided step in advance (though little fault could be found with the editions periodically issued by Kelly), but unfortunately the proposed plan was not successfully carried out, and in future years the volume will be principally valued as a curiosity, the wonderfully strange mistakes being made therein of placing the honoured name of Sir Josiah Mason under the head of "Next-of-Kin Enquiry Agents," and that, too, just previous to the exposure of the numerous frauds carried out by one of the so-called agents and its curiousness is considerably enhanced by the fact that a like error had been perpetrated in a recent edition of Kelly's Directory. Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society in 1882 gave assistance to 642 persons, at an average cost of 9s. 9-1/2d. each—£315 19s. 4d. £161 16s. 5d. of this amount came from the convicts' gratuities, while the cost of aiding and helping them took £192 2s. Dispensary. —Established in 1794; the first stone of the building in Union Street was laid December 23, 1806, and it was opened for the reception of patients early in 1808, the cost being about £3,000. It has been one of the most valuable institutions of the town, thousands receiving medical assistance every year, and is supported by voluntary subscriptions. A branch Dispensary was opened in Monument Road, Feb. 27, 1884. Provident Dispensaries, to which members pay a small monthly sum for medicine and attendance, were organised in 1878, the first branch being opened at Hockley in October of that year. In the first fifteen months 3,765 individuals, paid subscriptions, and about £577 was paid for drugs and doctors fees. There are also branches at Camp Hill and Small Heath. Dissenters. —In 1836 there were 45 places of worship belonging to various denominations of Dissenters here; there are now about 145.— See " Places of Worship ." Distances from Birmingham to neighbouring places, county towns, trade centres, watering places, &c. Being taken from the shortest railway routes, this list may be used as a guide to the third-class fares— Reckoned at 1d. per mile:— Miles Aberdare 111 Aberdeen 437½ Abergavenny 79 Abergele 109 Aberystwith 123½ Acock's Green 4¼ Albrighton 20 Alcester 24 Aldershot 111½ Alnwick 52½ Alrewas 26 Alton Towers 52½ Alvechurch 13½ Arbroath 310 Ashbourne 56¼ Ashby-de-la-Zouch 41½ Ashton-under-Lyne 84½ Aylesbury 84 Bala 94 Banbury 42 Bangor 135 Barmouth 116 Barnsley 95½ Barnstaple 181 Barnt Green 12 Barrow-in-Furness 160 Basingstoke 108½ 118½ Bath 98½ Battersea 115½ Bedford 82 Beeston Castle 64½ Belper 50 Berkswell 13 Berwick 281 Bescot Junction 7½ Bettws-y-Coed 134 Bewdley 22½ Bilston 9½ Birkenhead 90 Blackburn 113 Blackpool 124 Bletchley 65½ Blisworth 49½ Bloxwich 10½ Bolton 95¼ Borth 113 Bournemouth 173 Bradford 120½ Brecon 95 Bredon 40½ Brettle Lane 12 Bridgnorth 20 Bridgewater 127 Brierley Hill 11½ Brighton 166 Bristol 94 Bromsgrove 16 Bromyard 41 Buckingham 70½ Builth Road 88 Burslem 49 Burton-on-Trent 32 Bury St Edmunds 133 Bushbury Jun'tion 13 Buxton 79 Cambridge 111½ Cannock 15½ Canterbury 175½ Cardiff 109 Carlisle 196 Carmarthen 187½ Carnarvon 143½ Castle Bromwich 5-3/4 Castle Douglas 248½ Chapel-en-le-Frith 89 Cheadle 77 Cheddar 115½ Chelsea 110 Cheltenham 49½ Chepstow 84 Chester 75 Chesterfield 65½ Chippenham 117 Chipping Norton 60 Chirk 62½ Church Stretton 54 Cinderford 83½ Cirencester 84½ Clapham Junction 113 Clay Cross 62 Cleobury Mortimer 29 Clifton Bridge 97 Coalbrookdale 30 Codsall 16½ Coleford 80 Coleshill 11½ Colwich 25½ Colwyn Bay 115 Congleton 58 Conway 120½ Coventry 18½ Cradley 9 Craven Arms 61½ Crewe Junction 54 Croydon 123 Crystal Palace 120 Darlaston 9½ Darlington 175½ Deepfields 9½ Denbigh 97 Derby 42½ Devizes 143½ Didcot 76 Dolgelly 106 Doncaster 96½ Dorchester 184 Dorking 133 Droitwich 23 Dublin 232 Dudley 8 Dumfries 229 Dundee 347 Dunstable 79 Durham 198 Edinburgh 297½ Elgin 450 Ely 127 Erdington 4½ Etruria 47 Evercreech Junct'n 121 Evesham 34 Exeter 170 Falmouth 286½ Farrington 87 Fearnall Heath 25 Fenny Compton 34½ Fenny Stratford 67 Festiniog 145 Filey 178 Miles Fleetwood 126 Flint 87½ Folkestone 202 Forfar 304 Forge Mills 9 Four Ashes 19 Frome 138 Furness Abbey 158½ Garstang 115 Glasgow 286 Glastonbury 140 Gloucester 56½ Gosport 150 Gravelly Hill 3 Great Barr 4½ Great Bridge 7 Grimsby 136½ Guildford 120 Hagley 13½ Halesowen 9 Halifax 122½ Hanley 47½ Harborne 4 Harlech 126 Harrowgate 133 Harrow 101 Hartlebury 22 Hartlepool 186 Hastings 192½ Hatton 17¼ Haverfordwest 218½ Heath Town 12 Hednesford 17½ Henley-on-Thames 103 Hereford 57 Hertford 108 Higham Ferrers 69½ High Wycombe 95 Hitchin 92 Holyhead 159¼ Holywell 91½ Huddersfield 105½ Hull 134 Ilfracombe 195 Inverness 490 Ipswich 167 Ironbridge 30 James Bridge 9 Jedburgh 263 Keighley 116½ Kendal 148 Kenilworth 21 Kidderminster 18½ Kilmarnock 278½ Kings Heath 5 Kings Norton 6 Kingstown 226 Kingswood 13 Knowle 10½ Lancaster 127½ Langley Green 5¼ Leamington 21 Ledbury 43 Leeds 115 Leicester 39½ Leominster 80 Lichfield 18 Lincoln 91½ Liverpool 97½ Llanberis 143 Llandudno 123 Llanelly 167½ Llangollen 72½ Llanrwst 131 Llanymynech 69 London 113 Longton 48 Loughborough 50 Lowestoft 201 Ludlow 69½ Lydney 79 Lye Waste 10½ Lynn 135 Macclesfield 66 Machynllyth 101 Maidenhead 105½ Maidstone 175½ Malvern (Great) 36½ Manchester 85 Margate 187 Market Bosworth 27-1 Market Drayton 48 Market Harboro' 46 Marlborough 133½ Marston Green 6½ Maryport 224 Matlock Bath 59 Menai Bridge 136 Merthyr 111½ Middlesbro' 176 Milford Haven 228 Milverton 21 Mold 87 Monmouth 96½ Montrose 401 Moreton-in-Marsh 46 Moseley 3-3/4 Much Wenlock 33 Nantwich 56 Neath 105½ Netherton 8 Newark 71½ Newcastle-on-Tyne 215 Nwcstle-udr-Lyme 47½ Newmarket 126 Newport (Salop) 39 Newport (Mon) 101 Newton Road 5 Newton Stewart 278 Northallerton 160 Northampton 49 Northfield 8-3/4 North Shields 216½ Norwich 181 Nottingham 58 Nuneaton 20 Oakengates 28½ Oldbury 5½ Oldham 85 Olton 5 Oswestry 62½ Oxford 66 Paisley 286 Pelsall 11 Pembroke Dock 175 Penkridge 22-3/4 Penmaenmawr 125 Penrith 178 Penzance 302 Miles Perry Barr 4 Pershore 43½ Perth 344 Peterborough 96½ Plymouth 222½ Pontypool 90 Port Dinorwic 139 Portishead 105½ Portmadoc 134 Portsmouth 162½ Prestatyn 101 Princes End 9½ Prollheli 138 Queen's Ferry 82 Ramsgate 192½ Reading 93 Redcar 189 Redditch 17 Reigate 138½ Rhyl 105 Rickmansworth 98 Rochdale 104½ Ross 70 Rotherham 88 Round Oak 10½ Rowsley 63½ Ruabon 67½ Rugby 80½ Rugeley 21½ Runcorn 75 Ruthin 116 Ryde 160 St Alban's 101 St Asaph 111 St Helens 85½ St Leonard's 190½ Salford Priors 28 Salisbury 157½ Saltburn 191 Sandbach 58½ Scarboro' 173 Selly Oak 2½ Sharpness 75 Sheffield 79 Shepton Mallett 152 Shifnal 25 Shrewsbury 42 Shustoke 12 Smethwick 3½ Solihull 6½ Southampton 139 Southport 107½ South Shields 209 Spon Lane 4½ Stafford 29 Stamford 72 Stechford 3½ Stirchley Street 3½ Stirling 336 Stockport 79 Stoke 45½ Stokes Bay 150 Stourbridge 13½ Stourport 22 Stranraer 301 Stratford-on-Avon 26 Stroud 70 Sunderland 208 Sutton Coldfield 7 Swansea 156½ Swan Village 5½ Swindon 100 Tamworth 18 Taunton 138½ Teignmouth 184 Tenbury 38 Tewkesbury 44½ Thirsk 151 Thrapstone 75½ Tipton 8 Torquay 195½ Towcester 54 Trefnant 113 Trentham 43 Trowbridge 128 Truro 275½ Tunbridge Wells 165 Tunstall 47 Tutbury 37 Ulverstone 152 Uppingham 61½ Upton-on-Severn 49 Uttoxeter 45¼ Uxbridge 118 Wakefield 101½ Wallingford 84¼ Walsall 8 Warminster 120 Warrington 78 Warwick 21½ Water Orton 7½ Wednesbury 8 Wednesfield 12 Weedon 42 Welshpool 61 Wellington 32 Wells 123 Wem 52 West Bromwich 4 Weston-supr-Mare 114 Weymouth 191 Whitacre Junction 10½ Whitby 187 Whitchurch 51 Whitehaven 193 Wigan 91 Willenhall 11 Willesden Junction 107 Wilnecote 16½ Wincanton 130 Winchester 127 Windermere 156 Windsor 113 Winson Green 2½ Wirksworth 56 Witton 3½ Woburn Sands 70 Wokingham 100 Wolverhampton 12 Wolverton 60 Worcester 27½ Worthington 50 Wrexham 72 Wylde Green 6 Yarmouth 201 Yeovil 152 York 130½ Dogs. —A 5s. duty on dogs came into force April 5, 1867; raised to 7s. 6d. in June, 1878; This was not the first tax of the kind, for a local note of the time says that in 1796 "the fields and waters near the town were covered with the dead carcases of dogs destroyed by their owners to avoid payment of the tax." The amount paid per year at present for "dog licenses" in Birmingham is about £1,800. The using of dogs as beasts of burden (common enough now abroad) was put a stop to in London at the end of Oct. 1840, though it was not until 1854 that the prohibition became general. Prior to the passing of the Act in that year, dogs were utilised as draught animals to a very great extent in this neighbourhood by the rag-and-bone gatherers, pedlars, and little merchants, as many as 180 of the poor brutes once being counted in five hours as passing a certain spot on the Westbromwich Road. There have been one or two "homes" for stray dogs opened, but it is best in case of a loss of this kind to give early information at the nearest police station, as the art of dog stealing has latterly been much cultivated in this town, and it should be considered a duty to one's neighbour to aid in putting a stop thereto. Dog Shows. —The first local Dog Show was held in 1860, but it was not until the opening in Curzon Hall, December 4, 1865, that the Show took rank as one of the "yearly institutions" of the town.—See " Exhibitions ." Domesday Books. —The so-called Domesday Book, compiled by order of William the Norman Conqueror, has always been considered a wonderful work, and it must have taken some years compiling. Some extracts touching upon the holders of land in this neighbourhood have already been given, and in a sense they are very interesting, showing as they do the then barrenness of the land, and the paucity of inhabitants. Though in Henry VIII.'s reign an inventory of all properties in the hands of Churchmen was taken, it did not include the owners of land in general, and it was not till Mr. John Bright in 1873 moved for the Returns, that a complete register of the kind was made. It would not be easy, even if space could be given to it, to give the list of individuals, companies, and corporation who claim to be possessors of the land we live on in Birmingham and neighbourhood; but a summary including the owners in this and adjoining counties may be worth preserving. As will be seen by the annexed figures, Warwick and Stafford rank high in the list of counties having large numbers of small owners (small as to extent of ground, though often very valuable from the erections thereon). There can be no doubt that the Freehold Land and Building Societies have had much to do with this, and as Birmingham was for years the headquarters of these Societies, the fact of there being nearly 47,000 persons in the county (out of a total population of 634,189) who own small plots under one acre, speaks well for the steady perseverance of the Warwickshire lads. That we are not wrong in coming to this conclusion is shown by the fact that leaving out the Metropolitan Counties, Warwick heads, in this respect, all the shires in the kingdom. WARWICKSHIRE. Owners of Numbr. Acres Extent of lands. Gross estimated rental. £ Less than 1 acre 46894 5883 1808897 acre and under 10 1956 7727 93792 10 acres " " 50 1328 31485 114243 50 " " 100 447 31904 76178 100 " " 500 667 137372 398625 500 " " 1000 82 55542 134005 1000 " " 2000 47 67585 208718 2000 " " 5000 34 100185 275701 5000 " " 10000 8 53380 90848 10000 " " 20000 4 49953 74085 No areas given 49 -- 43205 Total 51516 541021 3318303 STAFFORDSHIRE. Owners of Numbr. Acres Extent of lands. Gross estimated rental. £ Less than 1 acre 33672 4289 974133 1 acre and under 10 4062 14164 252714 10 acres " " 50 1891 44351 224505 50 " " 100 544 39015 124731 100 " " 500 557 111891 881083 500 " " 1000 90 62131 177372 1000 " " 2000 79 70637 278562 2000 " " 5000 28 90907 219792 5000 " " 10000 13 82560 136668 10000 " " 20000 7 96700 212526 20000 " " 50000 1 21433 41560 No areas given 2456 -- 606552 No rentals returned 1 2 -- Total 43371 638084 3630254 WORCESTERSHIRE. Owners of Numbr. Acres Extent of lands. Gross estimated rental. £ Less than 1 acre .......160[**] 8 4733 444945 1 acre and under 10 2790 10136 151922 10 acres " 50 1305 31391 138517 50 " " 100 457 32605 92257 100 " " 500 589 118187 258049 500 " " 1000 66 46420 122817 1000 " " 2000 34 46794 89267 2000 " " 5000 25 78993 131886 5000 " " 10000 5 33353 54611 10000 " " 20000 3 38343 88703 No areas given 522 -- 112107 Total 21804 441061 1685735

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