Personal Recollections of Birmingham and Birmingham MenEdwards, Eliezer
History
Personal Recollections of Birmingham and Birmingham Men
Edwards, Eliezer
Birmingham (England)
The amount of labour Mr. Cox expended for the benefit of the Queen's
Hospital was something beyond belief. Early and late he was busy for its
advantage; thousands of autograph letters appealing for help fell from
his pen. No chance of help was too remote for him to see; no one too
high in rank for him to appeal to; no one so poor but could be asked to
do something. It was he who brought Jenny Lind to sing gratuitously for
its benefit. It was he who induced managers of theatres, music halls,
and other places of amusement, to set apart certain nights as "Queen's
Hospital Nights." It was he who obtained Her Majesty's patronage and
support; and "last, but not least," it was he who organised the annual
ball at the Town Hall, which for fifteen or twenty years was the most
fashionable and delightful re-union in Birmingham, and which brought in
a very large annual profit to the funds of the hospital. His appeals to
noblemen and gentlemen to become stewards at these balls were literally
strewed broadcast through the land. Amongst others, he was bold enough
once to ask the great Duke of Wellington; and he used to show, with some
pride, the letter he received in reply, which was written in the Duke's
most characteristic manner. The original, I believe, still hangs,
framed, in the Secretary's room at the hospital; and as I think it
likely to be interesting, as a specimen of the Duke's epistolary powers
and peculiarities, I append a copy:
"Strathfield Saye, Dec. 11, 1842.
"F.M. the Duke of Wellington presents his Compliments to Mr. Cox and
regrets much that his time is so much occupied that it is impossible
for him to be able to find leisure to attend to the duties of the
office of a Steward of a Ball. He hopes, therefore that he will be
excused for declining to be nominated to fill an office the duties
of which he cannot undertake to perform.
"W. Sands Cox, Eqre."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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