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
~China Temple Field~ was a noted place for amusements about the year
1820, and was situate where Cattell Road is now. Originally it formed
part of the grounds of Bordesley Hall, which was wrecked in the riots of
1791.
~Choral Society.~--This Society held its first Choral Concert, August 2,
1836. The Festival Choral Society was established in 1845.
~Cholera.~--This dreadful epidemic has never yet been felt in severity
in this town, though several fatal cases were reported in August, 1832.
In July, 1865, great alarm was caused by the fact of 243 inmates of the
Workhouse being attacked with choleraic symptoms, but they all
recovered.
~Church Pastoral Aid Society.~--There is a local branch of this Society
here, and about £1,300 per annum is gathered in and forwarded to the
parent society, who in return grant sums in aid of the stipends of
thirty Curates and as many Scripture readers, amounting to nearly £4,700
per year.
~Churchrates.~--Prior to 1831, Churchrates had been regularly levied,
and, to a great extent, cheerfully paid, but with the other reforms of
that Reforming age came the desire to re-form this impost, by doing away
with it altogether, and at a meeting held on August 7, 1832, the
ratepayers assembled not only denounced it, but petitioned Parliament
for its entire abolition. Between that year and 1837, Churchrates of 6d.
to 9d. in the £ were not at all infrequent, but in the latter year there
was a sweet little row, which led to an alteration. At a vestry meeting
held March 28, the redoubtable George Frederick Muntz, with George
Edmonds, and other "advanced" men of the times, demanded a personal
examination of the books, &c., &c., with the result doubtless
anticipated and wished for--a general shindy, free fight, and tumult.
For his share in the riot, G.F.M. was put on his trial in the following
year (March 30 to April 1) and had to pay over £2,000 in the shape of
costs, but he may be said to have won something after all, for a better
feeling gradually took the place of rancour, and a system of "voluntary"
rates--notably one for the rebuilding of St. Martin's--was happily
brought to work. The Bill for the abolition of Churchrates was passed
July 13, 1868.
~Church Street.~--In 1764 at Warwick a legal battle was fought as to a
right of way through the New Hall Park, the path in dispute being the
site of the present Church Street.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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