Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham: A History and Guide, Arranged AlphabeticallyHarman, Thomas T.
History
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham: A History and Guide, Arranged Alphabetically
Harman, Thomas T.
Birmingham (England) -- History -- Dictionaries
_Saturday's Register_.--Another of George Edmunds' political papers,
which appeared for a few months in 1820.
_Spectator_.--A literary and dramatic monthly, of which seven parts were
published in 1824.
_Sunday Echo_.--First number came out May 21, 1882.
_Sunday Express_.--Started August, 1884, and died August, 1885.
_Sunday Telegram_.--Started May, 1883.
_Sunrise_.--Rose Nov. 18, 1882, at the price of one-halfpenny, and
lasted a few weeks only.
_Tattler_.--April 1817 saw the first appearance of this
tittle-tattle-tale-telling monthly tease to all lovers of theatrical
order, and August saw the last.
_Theatrical Argus_.--Of May and following months of 1830. A
two-penny-worth of hotch-potch, principally scandal.
_Theatrical John Bull_.--Published in May, 1824, lasting for the season
only.
_Theatrical Note Book_.--Rival to above in June, 1824, and going off the
stage same time.
_Town Crier_.--This respectable specimen of a local comic appeared first
in September, 1861, and it deserves a long life, if only for keeping
clear of scandal and scurrility.
_Warwick and Staffordshire Journal_.--Though printed here, the town was
not thought capable of filling its columns; a little experience showed
the two counties to be as bad, and subscribers were tempted to buy by
the issue of an Illustrated Bible and Prayer Book sent out in parts with
the paper. The first No. was that of Aug. 20, 1737, and it continued
till the end of Revelations, a large number of copperplate engravings
being given with the Bible, though the price of the paper was but 2d.
_Weekly Mercury_.--Commenced November, 1884.
_Weekly News_.--A weak attempt at a weekly paper, lasted from May to
September, 1882.
~Newsrooms.~--The first to open a newsroom were Messrs. Thomson and
Wrightson, booksellers, who on Aug. 22, 1807, admitted the public to its
tables. In 1825 a handsome newsroom was erected in Bennett's Hill, the
site of which was sold in 1858 for the County Court, previous to its
removal to Waterloo Street.
~New Street~ once called "Beast Market." was in Hutton's time approached
from High Street through an archway, the rooms over being in his
occupation. In 1817 there were several walled-in gardens on the
Bennett's Hill side of the street, and it is on record that one house at
least was let at the low rent of 5s. 6d. per week. The old "Grapes"
public-house was pulled down just after the Queen's visit, being the
last of the houses removed on account of the railway station. Though it
has long been the principal business street of the town, New street was
at one time devoted to the ignoble purposes of a beast market, and where
the fair ladies of to-day lightly tread the flags when on shopping bent,
the swine did wait the butcher's knife. New Street is 561 yards in
length; between Temple Street and Bennett's Hill it is 46-1/2 feet wide,
and near Worcester Street 65 ft. 4 in. wide.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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