Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Patricia Bennett and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF BIRMINGHAM AND BIRMINGHAM MEN. REPRINTED FROM THE "BIRMINGHAM DAILY MAIL," WITH REVISIONS, CORRECTIONS, AND ADDITIONS. By E. EDWARDS. BIRMINGHAM: MIDLAND EDUCATIONAL TRADING COMPANY LIMITED. 1877. [_All Rights Reserved_] These sketches, with the signature "_S.D.R._," were originally published in the _Birmingham Daily Mail_ newspaper. The earliest were written, as their title indicated, entirely from memory. Afterwards, when the title was no longer strictly accurate, it was retained for the purpose of showing the connection of the series. It must be understood, however, that for many of the facts and dates in the later sketches the writer is indebted to others. The whole series has been very carefully revised, and some errors have been rectified. The writer would have preferred to remain _incognito_, but he is advised that, as the authorship is now generally known, it would be mere affectation to withhold his name. He hopes shortly to commence the publication of another series. _December_, 1877. CONTENTS. FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF BIRMINGHAM 1 THE BULL RING RIOTS, 1839 19 GOSSIP ABOUT ROYALTY 37 BIRMINGHAM BANKS, OLD AND NEW 45 JOHN WALSH WALSH AND THE ASTON FETES 69 G.F. MUNTZ, M.P. 79 JOSEPH GILLOTT 89 HENRY VAN WART, J.P. 101 CHARLES SHAW, J.P. 108 ROBERT WALTER WINFIELD, J.P. 116 CHARLES GEACH, M.P. 125 WILLIAM SANDS COX, F.R.S. 132 GEORGE EDMONDS 140 CHARLES VINCE 155 JOHN SMITH, SOLICITOR 164 FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF BIRMINGHAM.