_Chamberlain_, John Henry.--Came to Birmingham in 1856, and died suddenly on the evening of Oct. 22, 1883, after delivering a lecture in the Midland Institutes on "Exotic Art." An architect of most brilliant talent, it is almost impossible to record the buildings with which (in conjunction with his partner, Mr. Wm. Martin) he has adorned our town. Among them are the new Free Libraries, the extension of the Midland Institute, the Hospitals for Women and Children, the many Board Schools, the Church of St. David, and that at Selly Hill the Rubery Asylum, the Fire Brigade Station, the Constitution Hill Library, Monument Lane Baths, the Chamberlain Memorial, the Canopy over Dawson's Statue, several Police Stations, with shops and private houses innumerable. He was a true artist in every sense of the word, an eloquent speaker, and one of the most sincere, thoughtful, and lovingly-earnest men that Birmingham has ever been blessed with. _Clegg_.--Samuel Clegg was born at Manchester, March 2, 1781, but his early years were passed at the Soho Works, where he was assistant to Mr. Murdoch in the gradual introduction of lighting with gas. In 1807 Mr. Clegg first used lime as a purifier and in 1815 he patented the water meter. In addition to his many inventions connected with the manufacture and supply of gas, Mr. Clegg must be credited with the introduction of the atmospheric railways, which attracted so much attention some five-and-forty years ago, and also with many improvements in steam engines. _Collins_.--Mr. John Collins, an exceedingly popular man in his day, and quite a local author, made his first appearance here Jan. 16, 1793, at "The Gentlemen's Private Theatre," in Livery Street, with an entertainment called "Collins' New Embellished Evening Brush, for Rubbing off the Rust of care." This became a great favourite, and we find Collins for years after, giving similar performances, many of them being for the purpose of paying for "soup for the poor" in the distressful winters of 1799, 1800, and 1801. Not so much, however, on account of his charity, or his unique entertainment, must Mr. Collins be ranked among local worthies, as for "A Poetical History of Birmingham" written (or rather partly written) by him, which was published in _Swinney's Chronicle_. Six chapters in verse appeared (Feb. 25 to April 7, 17[**]6), when unfortunately the poet's muse seems to have failed him. As a sample of the fun contained in the seven or eight dozen verses, we quote the first-- "Of Birmingham's name, tho' a deal has been said, Yet a little, we doubt, to the purpose, As when "hocus pocus" was jargon'd instead Of the Catholic text "_hoc est corpus_." For it, doubtless, for ages was Bromwicham called, But historians, their readers to bam, Have Brom, Wich, and Ham so corrupted and maul'd, That their strictures have all proved a sham.